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Class Activities for Active Learning

Class Activities for Active Learning

Instructional Strategies for Online Courses Instructional Strategies for Online Courses Effective online instruction depends on learning experiences appropriately designed and facilitated by knowledgeable educators. Because learners have different learning stylesor a combination of styles, online educators should design activities multiple modes of learning in order to provide significant experiences for each class participant. In designing online courses, use multiple instructional strategies. Teaching models exist which apply to traditional higher education learning environments, and when designing courses for the online environment, these strategies should be adapted to the new environment. Traditionally, in a teacher-centered classroom, instructors control their environment because they have a monopoly on information. Online learning environments permit a range of interactive methodologies. Learning contracts connect educational needs to individual student needs. The discussion group Guided design Role playing Games The panel

Active and Coopeative Learning The past decade has seen an explosion of interest among college faculty in the teaching methods variously grouped under the terms 'active learning' and 'cooperative learning'. However, even with this interest, there remains much misunderstanding of and mistrust of the pedagogical "movement" behind the words. The majority of all college faculty still teach their classes in the traditional lecture mode. Some of the criticism and hesitation seems to originate in the idea that techniques of active and cooperative learning are genuine alternatives to, rather than enhancements of, professors' lectures. We provide below a survey of a wide variety of active learning techniques which can be used to supplement rather than replace lectures. "Active Learning" is, in short, anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor's lecture. Exercises for Individual Students

Why Don't They Apply What They've Learned, Part I - Do Your Job Better By James M. Lang For two years I taught in a special program in which the same cohort of students took two consecutive courses with me: freshman composition in the fall and introduction to literature in the spring. In the composition courses, I worked hard to help students move beyond the standard strategies they had learned in high school for writing introductory paragraphs: Start with a broad statement about life ("Since the beginning of time, people have been fighting wars ...") and narrow down to a specific topic. In both years that I taught the two-course sequence, I was startled to see many students come back from winter break and—on their very first papers in the spring class—revert directly back to those tired strategies that I had worked so hard to help them unlearn in the fall. One such student came into my office early in the spring semester to show me a draft of her paper, and it included a lame reverse-pyramid (i.e., general to specific) introduction. D'oh! James M.

What Is Active Learning? Defining "active learning" is a bit problematic. The term means different thing to different people, while for some the very concept is redundant since it is impossible to learn anything passively. Certainly this is true, but it doesn't get us very far toward understanding active learning and how it can be applied in college classrooms. We might think of active learning as an approach to instruction in which students engage the material they study through reading, writing, talking, listening, and reflecting. Think of the difference between a jar that's filled and a lamp that's lit. Students and their learning needs are at the center of active learning. Using active learning does not mean abandoning the lecture format, but it does take class time. What follows is a description of some of the basic elements of active learning followed by guidelines for using them in your classroom. Basic Elements of Active Learning Talking and Listening Writing Reading Reflecting Keys to Success Be creative!

Arthur F. Thurnau Professors Arthur F. Thurnau Professorships are awarded annually to tenured faculty who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate education at the University of Michigan and who have had a demonstrable impact on the intellectual development and lives of their students. For more information about the Thurnau Professorship please see This series of videos demonstrates how these outstanding faculty stimulate student engagement in their courses. Thurnau Professors and Student Engagement Profiles of Thurnau Professors For a list of all Thurnau Professors please see Active Learning By Diane Starke, El Paso Community College Purpose: Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in class listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers. Research has demonstrated that students learn more if they are actively engaged with the material they are studying. Key Concepts: Section 1: What is Active Learning? Active Learning is, in short, anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor's lecture. This website from Stoutland Elementary School in Missouri, provides an extensive list of the various definitions of active learning originally posted by the Teaching Resource Center at UC Davis. Powerful Partnerships: A Shared Responsibility for Learning (1998 Joint Report, American Association for Higher Education, et. al.) describes learning as an inherently active process: Section 2: Research on Active Learning Springer, L., Stanne, M. Tobin, K. (1986). D.C.

Glossary of Instructional Strategies Current number of strategies and methods: 1271 Last updated: 27 July, 2013 Definitions written by Kelly Jo Rowan. ©1996-2013 Kelly Jo Rowan. 10 + 2 (Ten Plus Two) Direct instruction variation where the teacher presents for ten minutes, students share and reflect for two minutes, then the cycle repeats. 1st TRIP (First TRIP) A reading strategy consisting of: Title, Relationships, Intent of questions, Put in perspective. 3-2-1 (Three-Two-One) Writing activity where students write: 3 key terms from what they have just learned, 2 ideas they would like to learn more about, and 1 concept or skill they think they have mastered. 5 + 1 (Five Plus One) Direct instruction variation where the teacher presents for five minutes, students share and reflect for one minute, then the cycle repeats. A-B-C Summarize A form of review in which each student in a class is assigned a different letter of the alphabet and they must select a word starting with that letter that is related to the topic being studied. Acronyms

Welcome to Active Learners | Active Learners The Little Assignment with the Big Impact: Reading, Writing, Critical Reflection May 6, 2013 By: Geraldine Van Gyn, PhD in Instructional Design Several years ago, I came across the Purposeful Reading Assignment that was reported to encourage students to read, reflect, and write about readings assigned for class. Research (Roberts and Roberts, 2008) and experience tell us that supporting students’ reading, writing, and reflective practices is one of the most challenging aspects of learning and teaching. Although this assignment appeared to be simple, it has proven to be an influential tool for learning and has increased engagement and participation among my students. The basic assignment, also called the 3-2-1, has three requirements: Requirement 1: Students read what is assigned, then choose and describe the three most important aspects (concepts, issues, factual information, etc.) of the reading, justifying their choices. The completed assignment is submitted on an electronic template before the class when the reading will be discussed. References Novak, G. Dr.

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