What is Active Learning?
Active learning is the concept that people learn best when they are doing, rather than observing. If you think about how you learn as a child, it makes sense. A child has to touch, see, taste, smell and listen (or not) to everything around them. This is how they make sense of the world. In your classroom, you need to optimize the time that you have with your students.
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As an instructor, you feel as though you have to say everything that you know, as quickly as you can, in order to pass on your knowledge. This is not true. Students can already know up to 85% of what you are teaching them. If you have them actively participate in a lesson, they will be teaching each other in a way that allows them to retain content.
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The following PowToon shows how switching things up in a classroom setting benefits everyone.
Learner Types Infographic
Examples of Active Learning in the Classroom
Think back to when you were a student. What type of learning did you like to do? Chances are there is someone just like you in your classroom. Think about what you would have preferred to be doing in class. Think of an active way that you could teach the subject matter. Is there a better way to make it more active? Try it!
Here are some examples of ways to actively engage students:
This does not mean that you should necessarily abandon lecture in your teaching. Lecture is necessary sometimes, and some of your students will learn the best from that method of instruction. Consider breaking every fifteen minutes or so for an active exploration of the subject matter that you are presenting. This may be as simple as having students respond to a question, or summarize what you are saying.
Think back to when you were a student. What type of learning did you like to do? Chances are there is someone just like you in your classroom. Think about what you would have preferred to be doing in class. Think of an active way that you could teach the subject matter. Is there a better way to make it more active? Try it!
Here are some examples of ways to actively engage students:
- real life problem solving
- group discussions
- case studies
- role play
- structured learning groups
- gamification
- art or drawing
This does not mean that you should necessarily abandon lecture in your teaching. Lecture is necessary sometimes, and some of your students will learn the best from that method of instruction. Consider breaking every fifteen minutes or so for an active exploration of the subject matter that you are presenting. This may be as simple as having students respond to a question, or summarize what you are saying.
As a learner, where do you fit?
Games are a great way for all ages to learn. These can be used to break up a mundane subject, or infuse life into a complacent group. They can also be used to teach the content itself.
Click on the Adults at Play image to link to an encyclopedia of improvisational games. Each game comes with a description of how to play.
Click on the Adults at Play image to link to an encyclopedia of improvisational games. Each game comes with a description of how to play.
Pla(Evive, 2010)
Resources
Bruff, D. (n.d.). Lecturing. http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/lecturing/
EET Staff. (2012, April 19). Design for Active Engagement. http://lc2.ca/item/13-design-for-active-engagement
EET Staff (2013, December 11). Failure is Good: Switch Gears. http://www.lc2.ca/item/148-failure-is-good-switch-gears
EET Staff. (2012, April 19). What is Active Learning?. http://lc2.ca/item/14-what-is-active-learning?
Tanner, K. D. Structure Matters: Twenty-One Teaching Strategies to Promote Student Engagement and Cultivate Classroom Equity. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 12, 322-331. http://www.lifescied.org/content/12/3/322.fullAuthor. (Date published if available; n.d.--no date-- if not). Title of article. Title of web site . Retrieved date. From URL.
http://improvencyclopedia.org/
EET Staff. (2012, April 19). Design for Active Engagement. http://lc2.ca/item/13-design-for-active-engagement
EET Staff (2013, December 11). Failure is Good: Switch Gears. http://www.lc2.ca/item/148-failure-is-good-switch-gears
EET Staff. (2012, April 19). What is Active Learning?. http://lc2.ca/item/14-what-is-active-learning?
Tanner, K. D. Structure Matters: Twenty-One Teaching Strategies to Promote Student Engagement and Cultivate Classroom Equity. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 12, 322-331. http://www.lifescied.org/content/12/3/322.fullAuthor. (Date published if available; n.d.--no date-- if not). Title of article. Title of web site . Retrieved date. From URL.
http://improvencyclopedia.org/