Active Learning
Strategies and Techniques
Nancy Allen, Ph.D.
College of Education
Qatar University
Workshop Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants are expected to
be able to:
1.
Investigate current research related to how people
learn.
2.
Describe common learning styles and identify
instructional methods consistent with each style.
3.
Relate the theories of learning styles and active
research.
4.
Use these theories to modify and improve current
teaching practices.
Learning Styles
Definition
Learning style is simply the way a
person prefers to process
information.
Some researchers currently
identify three main learning
styles:



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auditory,
visual, and
kinesthetic/tactile
Other researchers identify more.
The important thing to
remember is:

We all have a mix of learning styles, and
that we can develop areas that we
currently do not frequently use.
How do we get a “learning
style”?



Learning styles are a result of a complex
combination of heredity, experience, and
opportunity.
There is no right or wrong learning style;
however, schools have been designed for
mostly auditory learners.
Students whose strengths are in other forms
may have to learn to build on their current
strengths while building others.
Determining Personal Learning
Style
There are many print-based and online
quizzes for determining personal
learning style.
What is your personal
learning style?
Kinesthetic Learners Can Benefit
from:

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Studying in short blocks.
Taking lab classes.
Role playing.
Taking field trips, visiting museums.
Studying with others.
Using memory games.
Using flash cards to memorize. (About.com,
2008).
Learning Techniques for Visual
Learners

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Draw a map of events in history or draw scientific
process.
Make outlines of everything!
Copy what’s on the board.
Ask the teacher to diagram.
Take notes, make lists.
Watch videos.
Color code words, research notes.
Outline reading.
Use flashcards.
Use highlighters, circle words, underline.
(About.com, 2008).
Auditory Learners Can Benefit
from:

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Using word association to remember facts
and lines.
Recording lectures.
Watching videos.
Repeating facts with eyes closed.
Participating in group discussions.
Using audiotapes for language practice.
Taping notes after writing them.
(About.com, 2008).
Some educators recognize
four learning styles rather
than three.




Visual/ Verbal
Visual/ Nonverbal
Tactile/Kinesthetic
Auditory/ Verbal
The Visual/ Verbal Learning
Style


You learn best when information is
presented visually and in a written language
format.
In a classroom setting, you benefit from
instructors who use the blackboard (or
overhead projector) to list the essential
points of a lecture, or who provide you with
an outline to follow along with during
lecture.
The Visual/ Verbal Learning
Style



You benefit from information obtained from
textbooks and class notes.
You tend to like to study by yourself in a
quiet room.
You often see information "in your mind's
eye" when you are trying to remember
something.
Learning Strategies for the
Visual/ Verbal Learner:

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To aid recall, make use of "color coding"
when studying new information in your
textbook or notes.
Using highlighter pens, highlight different
kinds of information in contrasting colors.
Write out sentences and phrases that
summarize key information obtained from
your textbook and lecture.
Learning Strategies for the
Visual/ Verbal Learner:

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Make flashcards of vocabulary words
and concepts that need to be
memorized.
Use highlighter pens to emphasize key
points on the cards.
Limit the amount of information per
card so your mind can take a mental
"picture" of the information.
Visual/ Verbal

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When learning information presented in
diagrams or illustrations, write out
explanations for the information.
When learning mathematical or technical
information, write out in sentences and key
phrases your understanding of the material.
When a problem involves a sequence of
steps, write out in detail how to do each
step.
Visual/ Verbal

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Make use of computer word processing.
Copy key information from your notes and
textbook into a computer. Use the print-outs
for visual review.
Before an exam, make yourself visual
reminders of information that must be
memorized. Make "stick it" notes containing
key words and concepts and place them in
highly visible places --on your mirror,
notebook, car dashboard, etc..
The Visual/ Nonverbal Learning
Style
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You learn best when information is presented visually and in a
picture or design format.
In a classroom setting, you benefit from instructors who use
visual aids such as film, video, maps and charts.
You benefit from information obtained from the pictures and
diagrams in textbooks.
You tend to like to work in a quiet room and may not like to
work in study groups.
When trying to remember something, you can often visualize
a picture of it in your mind.
You may have an artistic side that enjoys activities having to
do with visual art and design.
The Visual/ Nonverbal Learning
Style



You learn best when information is
presented visually and in a picture or design
format.
In a classroom setting, you benefit from
instructors who use visual aids such as film,
video, maps and charts.
You benefit from information obtained from
the pictures and diagrams in textbooks.
Learning Strategies for the
Visual/ Nonverbal Learner:
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Limit the amount of information per card, so
your mind can take a mental "picture' of the
information.
Mark up the margins of your textbook with
key words, symbols, and diagrams that help
you remember the text.
Use highlighter pens of contrasting colors to
"color code" the information.
Learning Strategies for the
Visual/ Nonverbal Learner:

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Use the computer to assist in organizing material that needs
to be memorized.
Using word processing, create tables and charts with
graphics that help you to understand and retain course
material.

Use spreadsheet and database software to further organize
material that needs to be learned.

As much as possible, translate words and ideas into
symbols, pictures, and diagrams.
Learning Strategies for the
Visual/ Nonverbal Learner:
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When learning mathematical or technical information,
make charts to organize the information.
When a mathematical problem involves a sequence of
steps, draw a series of boxes, each containing the
appropriate bit of information in sequence.
Use large square graph paper to assist in creating charts
and diagrams that illustrate key concepts.
The Tactile/ Kinesthetic Learning
Style
– You learn best when physically engaged in a
"hands on" activity. In the classroom.
– You benefit from a lab setting where you can
man ipulate materials to learn new information.
– You learn best when you can be physically active
in the learning environment.
– You benefit from instructors who encourage inclass demonstrations, "hands on" student
learning experiences, and field work outside t he
classroom.
Strategies for the Tactile/
Kinesthetic Learner:
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To help you stay focused on class lecture, sit near the front
of the room and take notes throughout the class period.
Don't worry about correct spelling or writing in complete
sentences. Jot down key words and draw pictures or make
charts to help you remember the information you are
hearing.
When studying, walk back and forth with textbook, notes, or
flashcards in hand and read the information out loud.
Think of ways to make your learning tangible, i.e.
something you can put your hands on. For example, make a
model that illustrates a key concept.
Strategies for the Tactile/
Kinesthetic Learner:
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Spend extra time in a lab setting to learn an important
procedure.
Spend time in the field (e.g. a museum, hi storical site, or
job site) to gain first-hand experience of your subject
matter.
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To learn a sequence of steps, make 3'x 5' flashcards for
each step.
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Arrange the cards on a table top to represent the correct
sequence.
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Put words, symbols, or pictures on your flashcards -anything that helps you remember the information.
Strategies for the Tactile/
Kinesthetic Learner:
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Limit the amount of information per card to
aid recall. Practice putting the cards in order
until the sequence becomes automatic.
When reviewing new information, copy key
points onto a
Make use of the computer to reinforce
learning through the sense of touch.
Strategies for the Tactile/
Kinesthetic Learner:
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Using word processing software, copy
essential information from your notes and
textbook.
Use graphics, tables, and spreadsheets to
further organize material that must be
learned.
Listen to audio tapes on a Walkman tape
player while exercising. Make your own
tapes containing important course
The Auditory/ Verbal Learning
Style

You learn best when information is presented auditory in an
oral language format.
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In a classroom setting, you benefit from listening to lecture
and participating in group discussions.

You also benefit from obtaining information from audio
tape.

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When trying to remember something, you can often "hear"
the way someone told you the information, or the way you
previously repeated it out loud.
You learn best when interacting with others in a
listening/speaking exchange.
Strategies for the Auditory/
Verbal Learner:
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Join a study group to assist you in learning
course material. Or, work with a "study
buddy" on an ongoing basis to review key
information and prepare for exams.
When studying by yourself, talk out loud to
aid recall.
Get yourself in a room where you won't be
bothering anyone and read your notes and
textbook out loud.
Strategies for the Auditory/
Verbal Learner:
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Tape record your lectures.
When learning mathematical or
technical information, "talk your way"
through the new information.
Strategies for the Auditory/
Verbal Learner:
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State the problem in your own words.
Reason through solutions to problems by
talking out loud to yourself or with a study
partner.
To learn a sequence of steps, write them
out in sentence form and read them out
loud (Miller, S., 2000).
 The
more we know about
our personal strengths, the
more we can use these
strengths to learn.
 We
are all different, but
we can all learn.
We
may have different
“intelligences,” but we
are all intelligent.
 The
important point to
remember is that if we choose
ways to study that are best for
us, we may improve our study
and learning habits.
What does it mean “to
learn”?
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Think
Write
Share
Compromise
Discussion
Think, Pair, Share
Learning Pairs
Cognitive processing: build knowledge, comprehension
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Quick discussion or lengthy tasks.
From low level cognitive processing
(comprehension) to higher level processing
(problem solving).
Input and output vary for each situation,
but the process always requires that
learners work in pairs
Assumptions About Learning
We can
“give”
students
knowledge.
If we teach it, they will learn.
Assumptions About Learning
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People easily transfer learning from one situation
to another if they have learned the fundamental
skills and concepts.
Learners are "receivers" of knowledge in verbal
forms from books, experts and teachers.
Learning is entirely behaviorist, involving the
strengthening of bonds between stimuli and
correct responses.
Learners are blank slates ready to be written on
and filled with knowledge.
Skills and knowledge are best acquired
independent of realistic contexts for use.
Brainstorming
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Define the problem
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Keep the session focused
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No criticism
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Include everyone
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Have fun
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Make connections between ideas
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Take notes
How do people learn?
When there were no
schools, how did people
learn?
Where there are no
schools, how do people
learn?
Resources
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National Research Council (2000).
How People Learn.
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the
Brain in Mind, 2nd Ed.
Knowledge Overload
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Human knowledge is currently
doubling every 6 months.*
We can’t teach it all.
*William J. Clinton. Remarks by the President to the National
Association of Attorneys General. March 12, 1998. (retrieved 23 Dec.
2004).
A new definition of
knowledge…

…the meaning of “knowing has shifted
from being able to remember and
repeat information to being able to
find and use it.” (Herbert Simon, Nobel
laureate, 1996)
What Current Research
Says

Key findings were drawn from
cognitive theory– about how people
think, brain physiology – how the
brain in made and works, and
educational research – how students
change in regard to classroom
practice.
Key Findings
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Students come to the classroom with
preconceptions about how the world
works.
If their initial understanding is not
engaged, they may fail to grasp the new
concepts and information that they are
taught,
or they may learn them for purposes of a
test but revert to their preconceptions
outside the classroom.
Key Findings

To develop competence in an area of
inquiry, students must:
(a) have a deep foundation of factual
knowledge,
(b) understand facts and ideas in the context
of a conceptual framework, and
(c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate
retrieval and application.
Key Findings

A “metacognitive” approach to
instruction can help students learn to
take control of their own learning by
defining learning goals and monitoring
their progress in achieving them.
What does this mean for
teaching?
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Learning and learners, not teaching
and teachers, must be the focus
Depth, not breath, must determine
content
Classroom experiences must include
development of metacognitive skills
and learning independence.
The problem of
TRANSFER
Transfer is the ability to use what
is learned in one setting (e.g.
school) in new settings (e.g. life
situations)
The Importance of Active Learning
“We know that learning is a matter
of making connections between the
brain cells and that the experiences
our student have shape their brains.
… the strongest connections are often
made through concrete experience
(constructionist learning).
Pat Wolfe Ed. D
Jigsaw
1.
Form temporary "expert groups" by having one student from each jigsaw
group join other students assigned to the same segment.
2.
Give students in these expert groups time to discuss the main points of
their segment and to rehearse the presentations they will make to their
jigsaw group.
3.
4.
Bring the students back into their jigsaw groups.
5.
Ask each student to present her or his segment to the group. Encourage
others in the group to ask questions for clarification.
6.
Float from group to group, observing the process.
7.
At the end of the session, give a quiz on the material so that students
quickly come to realize that these sessions are not just fun and games but
really count.
Value

Type of cooperative learning in which students
become experts on one part of the material and teach
it to other students
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Promotes positive interdependence and individual
accountability
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Easy to learn and fun to use
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Flexible in time requirement and depth of commitment
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Teaching increases understanding and retention
How The Brain Learns and
Remembers

The neuron produces new dendrites
when the brain is actively engaged in
learning. The more a nerve is
stimulated, the more dendrites it grows.
Dendrite
What if we want divergent
(creative) rather than convergent
(analytical) thought)?

The key is to form MULTIPLE
connections – neural networks – by
providing diverse experiences.
How the Brain Learns and
Remembers

2 ways to build learning and memory
– Stronger connections (axon covered with
myelin for strong, single-route connection)
– Broader connection pattern (dendrites
connect with many neurons)
How the Brain Learns and
Remembers
2 ways to build learning and memory
– Stronger connections – repetition, direct
instruction, practice
– Broader connection pattern– multiple
modes of input, exploration, new contexts
Summary of dendritebased learning
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Repeated use strengthens brain
connections.
If connections are not used, they are
“pruned” away
The brain “grows itself” for whatever
environment it experiences.
What about emotions and
learning?
Ability to learn……
Ready for flight or fight;
Impulses only
Best learning
Increasing stress
Asleep
Experiences that Strengthen Neural
Connections – Cause Learning
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Are frequent, regular, and predictable
Occur in the context of a warm,
supportive relationship
Are associated with positive emotion (fun,
excitement, humor, comfort)
Involve several senses
Are responsive to the student’s interests
or initiative
The 2 single-most
effective strategies:
Challenge
Feedback
Summary
Major Points to Remember
Students must be
active to learn.
Find out what
the student already
knows.
Anchors the
new learning
to existing
dendrties.
Allows the
new material to
enter into
long-term memory
Utilize group
learning experiences
for practice.
Allow students to
learn from their
own mistakes.
Use peer-teaching
and cooperative
grouping
experiences
Give students
immediate
feedback when
possible
Educational Philosophies
Direct Instruction
1.
Teacher is active
2. Learning is “poured”
into the student by
reading or lecturing.
3. Textbook Driven
4. Drill – Rote Memory
5. Practice - Rote
6. Student is observing.
Concept Mapping
Constructivist Learning
Student is active
2.
Discovery Learning
3. Sources - Library
4. Concrete Experience
5.
Trial and Error LearningCorrect Mistakes
6.
Teacher Facilitator
1.
Mindmapping
more
Graphic Organizers
Active learning
It is a process whereby learners are
actively engaged in the learning
process, rather than "passively"
absorbing lectures. Active learning
involves reading, writing, discussion,
and engagement in solving problems,
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Active Learning
-A multi-directional learning experience in
which learning occurs teacher-to-student,
student-to-teacher, and student-to-student.
- Activity-based learning experiences: whole
class involvement, teams, small groups,
trios, pairs, individuals.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Activities Listed by Cognitive Skill
(Bloom's Taxonomy)
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Knowledge: recalling or remembering specific facts, information, or general
concepts without necessarily understanding .
Comprehension: involves understanding learned material. Demonstrating ability
to grasp meaning, explain, and restate ideas.
Application: demonstrating ability to use learned material in new situations, to
put ideas and concepts to work in solving problems.
Analysis: involves breaking down information into its component parts to see
interrelationships and ideas.
Synthesis: ability to put together separate ideas to form a new whole, establish
new relationships.
Evaluation: involves judging the value of evidence based on definite criteria.
Dale's Cone diagrams effectiveness of learning according to the
media involved in learning experiences :
©Raymond S. Pastore, Ph.D.
Roundtable Brainstorming
Purpose: Generate as many
answers to the question as possible.
Unlike other versions of
brainstorming that you may have
experienced, this one involves
taking turns and having teammates
contribute one answer at a time.
Instructions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Listen to the question.
Think about all the answers that might be
appropriate.
Write one answer on a paper while saying it out
loud.
Pass the paper to the teammate on your left.
Listen to the one answer that each of your
teammates will write.
Write an additional answer that no one has
mentioned the next time the paper comes to you.
Listen to the additional answers from your
teammates.
Continue contributing answers, one at a time,
until time is up.
Why should we Use Active
Learning ?

Involves students more actively with the course content

Helps them apply what they are learning and use higher order
thinking skills.

Appeals to a wide variety of learning styles and intellectual
strengths.

Active learning involves the whole student in the learning
process: heart and hand and head.

Active learning makes students do.

Active learning can excite students about the subject matter,
thus getting them more personally involved in their own
learning process.
Learning Styles and Multiple
Intelligences
Fun with Learning Styles!
not an excuse, nor a label…
Learning Styles
Indicates our preferences for taking
information into the brain and
communicating them "outside.”
What is your “preferred” learning style?
Or are you multimodal?
Does your preferred learning style affect
the way you are teaching? If yes, how?
Activities Listed by Learning Style
Active learners like group work, learn through doing: discussing,
explaining, and applying.
Reflective learners prefer working alone, like to think quietly.
Sensing learners prefer learning facts, like solving problems by wellestablished methods, dislike complications and surprises, are patient
with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on work,
are practical and careful, prefer learning that relates to the real
world.
Intuitive learners prefer to discover possibilities and relationships, like
innovation and dislike repetition, grasp new concepts quickly, are
comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations, are
innovative and work quickly, dislike memorization and routine
calculations.
Learning Styles Cont.
Visual learners remember best what they see (pictures,
diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, and
demonstrations).
Verbal remember best what they hear and read.
Sequential learners gain understanding in linear steps, each
step following logically from the previous one; tend to
follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions.
Global learners tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing
material almost randomly without seeing connections,
and then suddenly "getting it," are able to solve complex
problems quickly or put things together in novel ways
once they have grasped the big picture, but they may
have difficulty explaining how they did it.
Multiple Intelligences
Verbal/Linguistic “plays with words” Good with language.
Needs to hear, see and say words associated with the
desired outcome.
Logical/Mathematical “plays with questions” Good at
math, logic and problem solving. Needs to classify,
categorize, and work with abstractions.
Musical “plays with music” Remembers melody, notices
rhythms of life and keeps perfect time. Needs
information delivered via melodies, musical notation or
rhythm.
Bodily/Kinesthetic “plays with moving” Person in motion, uses body and
touches to express thoughts. Needs to interact with space in some way to
process and remember information.
Visual/Spatial “plays with pictures” Enjoys drawing, designing, and looking
to learn. Needs to visualize and manipulate.
•Interpersonal “plays with socializing” Good at leading, organizing,
mediating, communicating, understands and works well with others. Needs to
compare and contrast, interview, share ideas and cooperate.
•Intrapersonal “plays alone” Does better alone, pursuing self defined interests.
Projects need to be individual, self-paced and singularly oriented.
How does Active Learning
work ?
Active Learning and
Memorization:
Mel Silberman(professor of Adult and organizational
development at temple university in Philadelphia )
contrasts Active Learning and
memorization:
“ Rreal learning is not memorization.
Most of what we memorize is lost in
hours. Learning can't be swallowed
whole. To retain what has been
taught, students must chew on it."
Silberman explains:
that learning comes "in waves" through repeated
exposures of different kinds involving multiple
senses. "When learning is active, the learner is
seeking something, an answer to a question,
information to solve a problem, or a way to do a
job."
The Active Learning
Continuum
Simple tasks --------------------- Complex
tasks
How does Active Learning
work ?
Active Learning involves input from multiple sources through multiple
senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.).
Active Learning involves process, interacting with other people and
materials, accessing related schemata in the brain, stimulating
multiple areas of the brain to act.
Active Learning involves output, requiring students to produce a
response or a solution or some evidence of the interactive Learning
that is taking place.
Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small
groups so that students work together to
maximize their own and each other’s learning.
Five essential components must be present for smallgroup learning to be truly cooperative:

clear positive interdependence between students

face to face interaction

individual accountability

emphasize interpersonal and small-group skills

processes must be in place for group review to
improve effectiveness
Positive Interdependence
1. Positive Interdependence (sink or swim
together)
Each group member's efforts are required
and indispensable for group success.
Each group member has a unique
contribution to make to the joint effort
because of his or her resources and/or role
and task responsibilities.
Individual Accountability
1.
Keep the size of the group small. The smaller the size of the group, the
greater the individual accountability may be.
2.
Give an individual test to each student.
3.
Randomly examine students orally by calling on one student to present his or
her group's work.
4.
Observe each group and recording the frequency with which each membercontributes to the group's work.
5.
Assign one student in each group the role of checker. The checker asks other
group members to explain the reasoning and rationale underlying group
answers.
6.
Have students teach what they learned to someone else.
Roles are assigned in a
cooperative group.





LEADER
RECORDER
CHECKER
Timer
OBSERVER
LEADER
-responsible for the groups output
-keeps group ‘on track’ and focused
-assigns tasks
-controls the direction of the project
-assigns additional roles, such as ‘experimenter’
or ‘equipment manager’
RECORDER
takes notes for the
team
responsible for
compiling and
presentation of final
product
gets supplies for team
when necessary
OBSERVER/READER
-makes sure that
everyone in the group is
contributing (no
sponges!)
ensures that everyone in
the group has an equal
opportunity to speak
makes sure that all
comments are positive
reads material to the
CHECKER
-makes sure that
everyone in the
group understands all
the material
-ensures that everyone
in the group is
prepared to make
their part of the
presentation
1-Turned On, Tuned In
Cognitive processing: build knowledge, comprehension
Description
At the beginning of a new topic of study,
students groups list facts or concepts they
know about the upcoming topic. During the
opening lecture on the topic, students listen
for facts/concepts they listed. When the
teacher addresses an item on a group's list,
group members raise their hands and
receive points for their team.
Instructions:
1. Introduce the topic title and explain that before you begin lecturing on
the topic, you would like to see how much the class already knows
about the topic.
2. Divide students into groups of equal size.
3. Instruct groups to take 7-10 minutes to pool their knowledge and
list all the facts they know about the topic.
4. Explain that groups will earn group points toward their group
grades based on their list of facts.
5. As groups develop their lists, circulate and observe the lists.
Announce when groups have only one minute left.
6. Call time. Tell groups to raise hands during the lecture when the
lecture covers a point on the group's fact list. Assign a scorekeeper.
7. Deliver the lecture, stopping when group members raise their
hands. Allow groups to report what their group said about the fact
they listed that corresponds with your lecture point.
Value
This Active Learning strategy gets students turned
on to the topic from the start. Students pool their
knowledge, share experiences, and learn from one
another. Students remain tuned in during the
lecture, listening with added interest and incentive.
Groups build cohesion by contributing to the
knowledge pool to earn points for their group. The
teacher benefits from seeing how much the class
knows about the topic.
Obstacles or Barriers that
prevent faculty from
using active learning
strategies
Obstacles or Barriers that prevent faculty
from using active learning strategies
A. You cannot cover as much course content in the time
available.
B. Devising active learning strategies takes too much preclass preparation;
C. Large class size prevents implementation of active
learning strategies;
D. Most instructors think of themselves as being good
lecturers;
E. There is a lack of materials or equipment needed to
support active learning approaches;
F. Students resist non-lecture approaches.
Problem Solving
Do you want students to solve
problems? Make evaluative
decisions? Create new
approaches?
Applying Concepts
3-TV Commercial
Cognitive processing: integrate, apply, review concepts
Description:
Student groups create a 30-second TV
commercial that illustrates concepts
previously covered in class. Mel
Silberman suggests using this strategy
with students who already know one
another as a team building exercise.
Instructions:
1.
Divide students into teams of equal size, no larger than 6 per team.
2. State the objective you want to accomplish by engaging students in this.
3. Conduct brief warm-up discussion about favorite TV commercials and the
characteristics that make a commercial effective (association with a famous
person or organization, success, etc.).
4. Instruct teams to develop a 30-second TV commercial that advertises one or
more of the major principles or concepts covered in class. Explain that teams will
present their commercials to the class by describing, drawing, acting out, or
whatever means they choose to communicate.
5. Tell teams they have 15 minutes to work. Facilitate, answering questions and
announcing when teams have two minutes remaining for wrap-up.
6. Call time. Invite teams to present their commercials.
7. Applaud the creativity and application of concepts.
Value
This Active Learning strategy engages
students in team problem-solving that
requires implementation of principles or
procedures learned earlier in class.
Key: require students to make a choice as a
team and apply principles of the course to
justify their choice.
Value
These active learning strategies
engaged students in brief, pointed
discussion. Everyone in class is
actively involved in discussion.
Planning an Active Learning Activity

What are your objectives for the activity?

Who is interacting? Will students pair up with someone beside them? Or
perhaps someone sitting behind/in front of them?

Should they pair up with someone with a different background? Someone
they don't know yet?

When does the activity occur during the class? Beginning? Middle? End?
How much time are you willing to spend on it?

Will they write down their answers/ideas/questions or just discuss them?

Will they turn in the responses or not? If they are asked to turn them in,
should they put their names on them?
In closing…
“Empowering others is at the heart of great
teaching. It requires the ability to inspire and
engage, mentor and collaborate. Without selfawareness, and particularly emotional
awareness, we are unable to be attentive to
our own feelings and, therefore, have little
chance of understanding and empowering the
feelings and motivations of others.”
Shelton, Claudia Marshall. “Emotional Awareness: Fundamental to Effective Teaching.”
Independent School. Vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 62-4, 66-71, Spring 2003.
What does research say ?
A. The amount of information retained by students declines
substantially after ten minutes (Thomas, 1972).
B. Research comparing lecture versus discussion techniques was
summarized in (McKeachie, et. al., 1987). The review
concluded that after the end of a course, measures of
problem solving, thinking, attitude change, or motivation for
further learning, the results tend to show differences favoring
discussion methods over lecture. (p. 70)
C. Numerous researchers and national reports also discussed the
use of active learning strategies in the classroom.
References

Cynthia M. Craig (2001):Making the Connections:Brain –Based
Teaching and Learning. Presented at NADE
Dr.Rita Smilkstein (2001): How the Brain Learns:Research,
Theory and Classroom Application. Presented at NADE
Diana Hestwood (2000):Low-Cost, Low-Tech Ways to Effectively
Reach Developmental Algebra Students. Presented at NADE
Pat Wolfe, Ed.d (Aug, 2001) Brain Research and Education: Fad

Marion Diamond, (2001) Brain Growth and Enrichment.



or Foundation?
Web based resources:



Ryder, M.
(Constructivismhttp://carbon.cudenver.edu/
~mryder/itc_data/constructivism.html
Hsiao, J. .(n.d.). CSCL theory. Learning
Technology Center, University of Texas at
Austin. Available from the Internet at
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/Dhs
iao/theories.html#construct
Mindtools Lpt. (2007). Brainstorming.
Availble from the Internet at
http://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html