Embedded Files
Active learning is a teaching style that requires instructors to engage students in the course materials with many different, high-interest activities. It is a learner-centered technique - the instructor facilitates student learning, but the work of learning is required from the student.
Active learning is a teaching style that requires instructors to engage students in the course materials with many different, high-interest activities. It is a learner-centered technique - the instructor facilitates student learning, but the work of learning is required from the student.
Interactive lecture
Interactive lecture
The Interactive Lecture originated with Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1991). This format breaks the lecture into chunks, interspersing it with high-value cooperative activities that help solidify student learning and keep students engaged.
The Process:
The Process:
Introductory Focused Discussion. Start class with a cooperative activity (pairs or small groups) that asks students to either organize necessary prior knowledge or anticipate what will be learned in the lecture.
Lecture segment 1. This should be about 10-15 minutes. This is in the sweet spot for the amount of time an adult can focus (Stuart and Rutherford, 1978).
Pair discussion 1. For 3-4 minutes, have students complete a simple discussion task. They might answer a question collaboratively, react to something you've said and form an opinion, or relate it to past material. Ask a few students to share at the end of this session for accountability.
Repeat. Go through steps 2 and 3 as many times as you need to for your class period. Be sure to leave time at the end of the class period.
Closure-focused discussion. Take 4-5 minutes for students to have a discussion reflecting on the material covered in class. Summaries of the lecture, a lookahead to homework, or discussing possible connections to the next lecture's topic would all work here.
Activities for the beginning of class
Activities for the beginning of class
Entry Tickets. Ask a few questions on the way in the door. They could be thinking about something they learned last lecture or prior knowledge they should have from high school. Students could write down questions they had about the pre-class reading, then take a moment to share those questions with a partner. These entry tickets can be collected to be read through later, or as evidence for a participation grade (Rice, 2018).
Videos. Show a quick 5-minute video clip that pertains to the day's lecture topic. This is a good way to both capture student attention and get them focused on class, and get them thinking about the content. You can frame the video with a question beforehand, and give them a minute to discuss with their partners (Rice 2018).
activities for discussion breaks
activities for discussion breaks
Think-Pair-Share. Ask students a question about the content. Give them a moment to think about the question, then have them talk to a partner about their answer. They should come to a consensus if possible, creating a new answer that is more robust than either of their individual answers. Lastly, call on a few pairs to share their answers and discuss them with the class (Kagan 1989).
Notes Exchange. At a break in the lecture, ask students to exchange notes. They should compare what they wrote and see if there are any discrepancies. This can also help build note-taking skills in students of all ability levels (Gleason et al., 2011).
activities for the end of class
activities for the end of class
Muddiest Point. Students will take a few minutes at the end of class to write a short paragraph about the most difficult thing to understand from the lecture. What did they struggle with, what questions do they still have? The instructor collects these after class and can respond either to individuals or as a whole group, either on the LMS or at the beginning of the next class (Gleason et al., 2011).
Sticky Note Closure. Similar to Muddiest Point, instructors can ask any open-ended question, whether it is content-based or something as simple as "what did you learn today?" As students finish, either the instructor or the students can organize their answers into similar themes, and report to the class what they found in common (Rice 2018).
Deep Dive Resources:
Deep Dive Resources:
View the full text of "Hitting Pause: 65 Lecture Breaks to Refresh and Reinforce Learning" by Gail Taylor Rice for many good strategies to use before, during, and after lecture.
Check out the review "An Active-Learning Strategies Primer for Achieving Ability-Based Educational Outcomes," for more information on active learning instructional methods as applied to an entire course.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse