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 - 2011

Active Learning Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

ENGAGEMENT

Active response engages areas related to memory and attention

WHY?

Selective Attention

Attention Requires Mental Effort! Attention Capacity: 20-25 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?