1. Motivating learners through active learning

2. Learning outcomes By the end of the session you will be able to:  identify active learning methods  adapt tasks to make them more active

3. What is active learning?

4. It’s having learners engage in some activity that forces them to think about and comment on the information presented.

5. Why should teachers use methods that promote active learning? Research shows that active learning is much better recalled, enjoyed and understood. Active methods produce better achievement than traditional methods. (See research by John Hattie)

6.  ‘Good students may create meaning from passive methods, but weak students do not. Both types of student improve their learning enormously when they are required to use it.’  (Geoff Petty – Teaching Today website)

7. Task  In your groups, try to categorise the teaching methods on the cards as either passive or active.

8. Tests and Quizzes: usual style How can this task be designed to be more active?

9. Your group will be given a numeracy task: 1) Fractions – Classify the questions and then solve two of them in your group. 2) Ratios – Choose two cards and write one quantity as a ratio of the other, giving your answer in its simplest form. Include as much discussion and collaboration as possible! How can you adapt this type of activity to challenge your learners?

10. Your group will be given a literacy task: In groups, identify the underlined words in the statements as:  nouns  adjectives  verbs  other

11. Literacy Task 2 Compare the two assignments. 1. Is the punctuation correct? 2. Is the register correct? 3. Is the sentence structure correct? Which one is better?

12. Principles of effective teaching and learning  Build on the knowledge learners bring to sessions  Develop effective questioning  Use cooperative small group work  Use rich collaborative tasks  Use technology in appropriate ways  Confront difficulties rather than seek to avoid them  Develop learning through communicative activities  Recognise what has been learnt and how it has been learnt