Active Learning: Why & How?
Teaching Metaphors
Alignment with Teaching Goals? Teaching Goals Inventory Higher order thinking is rated as the most important goal at 4-year colleges
Today’s Students Vision of Students Today
Active Learning Analysis Synthesis Evaluation ENGAGEMENT Active response engages areas related to memory and attention
WHY? Selective Attention
Attention Requires Mental Effort! Attention Capacity: minutes Did you ever fall asleep in a class? MUST grab attention back
Pair-Share Good: Pause at least 3 times for 2 minutes Better: Pause and let students compare notes every 20 minutes
Simple Techniques 1 (or 2) minute papers i.e., “What is one take-away message for today’s class?” Muddiest point Make sure you come back next class to answer questions. In-class question Create question and answer question
Active Listening Technique After Student A answers a question, ask Student B to summarize the response of Student A.
Panel Discussions Assign a topic Pair with the in-class question
Student Debates Allows students to take a position and support it with logic/data BUT why not make it more interesting?