Twelve Active Learning Strategies
Example 1
Example 1 Explanation
In order for students to learn effectively, they must make connections between
what they already know (prior knowledge) and new content to which they're exposed.
The opening of a lecture should facilitate these connections by helping students
exercise their prior knowledge of the day's subject matter. The following four
slides illustrate strategies which stimulate students' thinking and prepare
them to learn.
One useful strategy is to open the lecture with a question. Present an "opening
question" on a PowerPoint slide, give students a moment to think about
their response, and then ask a few members of the class for answers. This strategy
is easy to initiate, takes very little time, works in small or large classes,
and effectively focuses students' attention on the day's topic. It also provides
the instructor with useful feedback on what students know and don't know about
the material being presented.
Example 2
Example 2 Explanation
"Think-Pair-Share" is an active learning strategy that engages students
with material on an individual level, in pairs, and finally as a large group.
It consists of three steps. First, the instructor poses a prepared question
and asks individuals to think (or write) about it quietly. Second, students
pair up with someone sitting near them and share their responses verbally.
Third, the lecturer chooses a few pairs to briefly summarize their ideas for
the benefit of the entire class.
When used at the beginning of a lecture, a Think-Pair-Share strategy can
help students organize prior knowledge and brainstorm questions. When used
later in the session, the strategy can help students summarize what they're
learning, apply it to novel situations, and integrate new information with
what they already know. The strategy works well with groups of various sizes
and can be completed in as little as two or three minutes, making it an ideal
active learning strategy for classes in which lecture is the primary instructional
method.
Example 3
Example 3 Explanation
Focused listing is a strategy in which students recall what they know about
a subject by creating a list of terms or ideas related to it. To begin, the
instructor asks students to take out a sheet of paper and begin generating
a list based on a topic presented on a PowerPoint slide. Topics might relate
to the day's assigned reading, to a previous day's lecture material, or to
the subject of the current session. Instructors often move around the room
and look at students' lists as they write, briefly summarizing major trends
or themes as a way of closing the exercise. Others ask students randomly to
share the contents of their lists before moving on with their lecture. In either
case, focused listing need not take more than a few minutes. It's an effective
way to get students to actively engage material, and it offer feedback that
the instructor can use to tailor the subsequent presentation of material to
students' needs.
Example 4
Example 4 Explanation
Like focused listing, brainstorming is an active learning strategy in which
students are asked to recall what they know about a subject by generating terms
and ideas related to it. In brainstorming, however, students are encouraged
to stretch what they know by forming creative connections between prior knowledge
and new possibilities. To initiate the strategy, the instructor asks students,
via a PowerPoint slide, what they know about a topic. Students are instructed
to begin with those things they know to be true and systematically work toward
formulating surprising relationships they hadn't considered before.
Brainstorming can work well at the beginning of a lecture to gain students'
attention and prepare them to receive the day's material, or it can be used
at the end of a lecture to summarize and help students formulate connections
between what they've just learned and the world outside the classroom. Like
the previous strategies we've discussed, brainstorming can be adapted to large
or small classes and can be completed in as little as a minute.
Example 5
Example 5 Explanation
Most instructors set aside time for student questions when planning their
lectures. In the heat of the moment, however, it's easy to forget to ask them.
One of the advantages of PowerPoint is that the instructor can plan breaks
for student questions in advance. By inserting a slide that asks for questions,
the instructor is reminded to step back from his material and interact with
his students. This is also an opportunity for students to catch their breath
and reflect on the material. When brief question breaks or other active learning
strategies are planned every fifteen minutes throughout the lecture, students'
attention is less likely to wander and they're more likely to understand and
remember the material after the lecture is over.
Example 6
Example 6 Explanation
One way to gain students' attention and to remind yourself to stop for questions
is to insert a blank slide into your presentation. Imagine a lecture hall.
The instructor is discussing material, moving through slides, and then the
screen goes dark. Students are immediately transfixed. Did the machine break?
What is the instructor going to do? At this point you have your students' full
attention. You can ask for questions and move on to the next part of your lecture.
Example 7
Example 7 Explanation
Think-Pair-Share and the other active learning strategies we've discussed
can be used at transition points in the lecture. Employed in this way, these
strategies give students an opportunity to think about and work with material
just presented before moving to new information. They also help the instructor
gauge how well students have understood the content, perhaps shaping what the
instructor discusses during the remainder of the period.
Example 8
Example 8 Explanation
The note check is a strategy in which the instructor asks students to partner
with someone near by and compare their notes, focusing on summarizing key information
and locating misconceptions. Students can also generate questions or solve
a problem posed by the instructor. The exercise can be completed in as little
as two or three minutes.
Some instructors find this strategy problematic because they assume that students
will simply not take notes, relying instead on their peers to do the work for
them. It's important to remember that students are not giving their notes to
one another in this exercise, but working together to fill gaps in their collective
understanding of the information. In this way, instructors can help students
learn good note taking skills, as well as monitor whether or not students are
able to identify the key ideas in the day's material.
Example 9
Example 9 Explanation
Question and answer pairs is an exercise in which teams of students practice
asking and answering challenging questions. To begin, the instructor asks students
to partner with someone near by. Each student takes a minute to formulate one
question based on the information presented in the lecture or course readings.
Student A begins by posing her question for student B to answer. Then the roles
are reversed, with student B becoming the questioner. The instructor may choose
to ask for a sampling of student questions, either verbally or by collecting
them at the end of the period. Particularly good questions can be highlighted
in subsequent lectures or used on practice examinations. The strategy is particularly
useful for teaching students how to frame good questions. It can also be used
to encourage students to prepare for class if the instructor asks students
to formulate questions based on their reading.
Example 10
Example 10 Explanation
In this strategy, the instructor pauses and asks students to write in response
to a question presented on a PowerPoint slide. The strategy can be used at
any point in a lecture, but it's particularly useful at the end as a way of
encouraging students to summarize the day's content. The minute paper forces
students to put information in their own words, helping them internalize it
and identify gaps in their understanding.
When collected at the end of the period, the minute paper can serve as a
classroom assessment technique to help instructors gauge how well students
are learning the material, what they understand, and what the instructor needs
to spend more time on.
Example 11
Example 11 Explanation
Most instructors end their lectures by asking for questions. To encourage
students to think deeply about the material before they leave the room, create
a PowerPoint slide which asks them to come up with a final question. The instructor
can choose students randomly and answer their questions in the time remaining.
If collected in writing, the questions can also serve as a classroom assessment
technique to help instructors judge how well their students are learning.
Example 12
Example 12 Explanation
In the spirit of active learning, we have a final question for you. Which
of the strategies we've discussed in the tutorial would you like to try in
your own classes?
Download Example Slides
Please feel free to download a PowerPoint presentation of these 12
slides. |
