MODULE 4
Learning Experiences using
Active Learning
3rd
2nd
1st
The Backward Design
Define
Learning
Objectives
1st
Define
Evidences
of Learning
and
Assessment
tasks
2nd
Plan
Learning
Experiences
3rd
Learning Objectives
• How to create a lesson plan?
• How to engage students in a course?
• What is the professor’s role in a learner-centered classroom?
• What is the purpose of using Active Learning?
• How to apply Active Learning to a course?
From Big Ideas to Lesson Plans
What students should be able to
What students should be able to know
know and do by the end of the
and do by the end of the course?
course?
BIG
IDEA
Learning
Nature
Objectives
Learning
Goals
of the
Experiences
Content
Content Plan
LESSON PLANS
Assessment
Activities
From Big Ideas to Lesson Plans
BIG
IDEA
Learning
Nature
Objectives
Goals
of the
Content
Content Plan
What to teach?
Main Idea behind the
concepts and skills you
want to teach
How would you
summarize this concept
in one sentence?
From Big Ideas to Lesson Plans
Nature
of the
Content
Perform
Analyze
Create
Learning
LESSON PLAN
experiences
Listen
Talk
What students should do
What is the best way
to learn this concept or skill?
to provide this
See
Other
…
experience?
Create a context that will
reproduce / illustrate the nature of
the content
Give students a role (thinking or acting) in this context
Debrief: students should talk and reflect on the experience
Lesson Plan
Directions on how to help
students to achieve the
desired results
Current
knowledge
and skills
Lesson Plan
Desired
knowledge and
skills
Where to start?
Who your students are?
• What are the course objectives?
• What do your students already know?
• What is the gap? How to bridge it?
To
From
First, learn about your students!
What do they Know?
What do they Want to
learn?
What they should
Learn?
Then, create or adjust lesson plan to fulfill students’ needs!
Components of a Lesson Plan
The lesson plan will follow the same path from backward design!
Course number and name
OBJECTIVES:
Big Ideas
Topic & Context
Learning Objectives
ASSESSMENTS:
Performance Tasks
Other formative assessment
activities
LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Time
Teaching Method
Professor Instructions and
Student Learning Activities
Material and
Resources
Creating Learning Activities
What students should do to achieve the desired results?
“I hear, I forget
I see, I remember
I do, I understand”
- Chinese Proverb
Class activities should engage students!
From “Understanding by Design”, Wiggins and McTighe
Principles of LCT
Shared power
More development
activities, teacher as
facilitator
Students more
responsible for learning
Evaluation promotes
learning
LCT strategies provide ways to engage students in active participation
and to build their own understanding
Less teacher
control
Less content
coverage
Less focus on
teacher
Less focus on
grades
Weimer, 2002
How to engage students?
By using LCT!
Teaching approaches that creates learning environments to engage
students to construct understanding based on:
Create meaning
Solve problems
Apply concepts
Relevant to
Perform authentic
students
tasks
Real-life situations
Knobloch & Ball, n.d.)
What is the professor role in LCT
environment?
Professors should act as facilitators, encouraging students
interaction and discussions
Professors will:
• Prepare more class activities -> Students will construct their knowledge
• Prepare and give less lecture -> Interact more with students
• Create environment for interaction -> Manage class discussions
(http://academic.pgcc.edu/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/weimer.htm)
LCT Approaches
LCT strategies were grouped into three approaches:
Which one should
I use?
It will depend on the
learning experience
needed to achieve
the objective
Active Learning
Students should do more than simply listen to a lecture!
Students should process and use the
information in order to retain it
Active Learning is “anything that involves students in doing
things and thinking about the things they are doing”
(Bonwell & Eisen, 1991)
Why Active Learning?
Why is it important?
The amount of information retained by
students declines substantially after ten
minutes of listening (Thomas, 1972)
Students need to be physically and mentally involved in
class activities to learn
Multiple Intelligences
Learning requires multi-modal approaches!
Why Active Learning?
Why does it help students to learn?
Students who actively engage with the material are more likely to recall
information (Bruner, 1961)
Provide immediate feedback, raise questions, and make students think,
building understanding
Different people learn in different ways
(Multiple Intelligences)
Active Learning Process
A dynamic process!
Multimodal
delivery
Knowledge
Feedback
Questions
Application
Student’s
existing
knowledge
Professor as facilitator
Understanding
How to use Active Learning?
Multi-modal delivery engages students in class activities
that use multiple senses
Social
Visual
Active
Learning
Verbal
Real-time
feedback
Kinesthetic
Active Learning: Visual
Visual Instruction + Analysis
Show students:
• Videos
• Demonstrations
• Real objects
• Graphs / Diagrams / Pictures
• Animations / Flashes
Use technology to present concepts:
• Animations / Flashes
• Simulation
• 3D images
Active Learning: Verbal
Engaging Lectures!
Story-telling
Involving students
in the story
Teaching with
enthusiasm
Use:
• Analogies/metaphors
• Stories
• Real-life examples
Teaching with songs
Active Learning: Verbal
Humor
Communicate meaning,
relevance
Connects!
Student’s mind
Teaching in chunks
Previous experiences
Break lessons down into lessons
segments (~10 min) and
processing time (~2 to 10 min)
Active Learning: Social
Peer-to-peer learning! Promotes Students’ interaction!
In-class discussions
• In pairs
• With all students & professor as facilitator
• Think-pair-share
In-class debates
Active Learning: Social
Peer teaching or
Collaborative Learning
In-class small projects
In-class small scenarios and
discussion
Active Learning: Social
Brainstorming
Concept mapping
Ask students to create visual
representations of models, ideas and
relationship between concepts + share
+ discussion
Student-led review sessions
Active Learning: Real-time Feedback
In-class writing
One-minute Paper / Essay:
• Student will summarize last or current class, and write
questions to be clarified
• Students will write down the key idea and what needs
clarification
Stump the professor
Students will write down difficult questions about the content to ask the
professor. The objective is to ask questions that the professor is not able to
answer.
Active Learning: Real-time Feedback
Review Games
Games can include matching, mysteries, and group competitions (jeopardy,
bingo)
Active Learning: Real-time Feedback
Thumbs up / thumbs down / thumbs
sideways or flash cards
Ask students to agree disagree to a
statement, problem solution and discuss their
reasoning
Use clickers to in-class quiz, student
voting, opinion etc.
Debriefing /
reflection
Active Learning: Kinesthetic
Learning by doing! Use the body!
Perform a task
Build models
Build Models
Role-playing
Perform or
review
concepts
How to get started?
What students should
know and be able to do
at the end of the class?
Objectives
& Learning
Goals
How would you
summarize this concept in
one sentence?
What students should do to learn this concept or skill?
It may require Active Learning, Inquiry
Learning or Contextual Learning
activities!
Nature
of the
Content
Learning
experiences
LESSON
PLAN
What specific activity professor could
create that will provide students the
right learning experience?
What resources should be used?
How to get started?
A Nutrition Example
Objectives
& Learning
Goals
Nature
of the
Content
Learning
experiences
• Listen
• See
Describe and
explain the
digestion
process
Digestion is a
process; a
sequence of
events
LESSON
PLAN
• Show pictures or
video while
lecturing
• Talk about it
• Peer-teaching,
concept mapping
• Get involved in
the process
• Build a model,
role-play
• Review
• Quiz
Process / digest the
information
Use of visual aids
xx
x
x
Story-telling
xx
x
Involve students in
the story
Teaching with
enthusiasm
Use of songs
x
xx
x
x
xx
x
Explain /
communicate
x
x
x
xx
xx
Practice application
xx
x
x
x
x
x
Get other student's
view
Develop a skill
Connect /
associate
Build confidence
Draw conclusions
Generate ideas
1
Review / Reinforce
Memorize / Recall
Activity
Clarify / internalize
2
Create interest,
present idea
Outcomes of each activity
Desired Outcomes / Objectives
x
x
xx
x
x
Memorize / Recall
2
Use of Humor
xx
x
Communicate
meaning, relevance
x
Teach in chunks
In-class discussion
x
x
In-class debates
xx
Peer teaching
xx
x
x
xx
x
x
xx
x
x
x
x
x
x
xx
xx
x
x
x
x
Build confidence
Draw conclusions
xx
x
x
x
xx
xx
xx
Get other student's
view
Develop a skill
Practice application
x
Connect /
associate
xx
Explain /
communicate
Generate ideas
Review / Reinforce
1
Process / digest
the information
Clarify / internalize
Activity
Create interest,
present idea
Outcomes of each activity
Desired Outcomes / Objectives
x
Clarify / internalize
Process / digest the
information
Review / Reinforce
Generate ideas
Explain /
communicate
Draw conclusions
2
In-class small
projects
x
x
x
xx
xx
x
xx
In-class small
scenarios discussion
x
x
xx
xx
xx
x
xx
Brainstorming
x
Concept mapping
Students
presentation
x
xx
xx
xx
x
xx
Connect /
associate
Practice application
Develop a skill
Get other student's
view
1
Build confidence
Memorize / Recall
Activity
Create interest,
present idea
Outcomes of each activity
Desired Outcomes / Objectives
x
xx
x
xx
xx
x
x
xx
x
xx
xx
xx
xx
x
x
2
Activity
Debrief, reflection
xx
Review games
xx
xx
xx
x
x
x
xx
Thumbs up/down
x
x
xx
Quizzes
x
xx
x
x
x
Draw conclusions
xx
x
x
x
x
Get other student's
view
Develop a skill
Practice application
Connect /
associate
Build confidence
Explain /
communicate
1
Generate ideas
Review / Reinforce
Stump the
professor
Process / digest the
information
In-class writing
Clarify / internalize
Memorize / Recall
Create interest,
present idea
Outcomes of each activity
Desired Outcomes / Objectives
x
x
x
xx
Outcomes of each activity
x
xx
xx
xx
x
xx
xx
xx
xx
Get other student's
view
x
Role-playing
x
Develop a skill
x
x
Practice application
x
xx
Connect /
associate
x
Build confidence
x
Explain /
communicate
Perform a task
Generate ideas
Process / digest the
information
xx
Review / Reinforce
Clarify / internalize
x
Memorize / Recall
x
Activity
Create interest,
present idea
Build models
2
Draw conclusions
Desired Outcomes / Objectives
1
x
x
Bottom line: different activities will lead to different outcomes!
Depending on the nature of the task, different outcomes can be achieved.
Is my lesson plan engaging and
effective?
Is it providing students a path to achieve the objectives?
Where is it going? Why?
Hook the students and Hold their
attention
Equip students with opportunities to
Experience and Explore the big ideas
Provide opportunities to students
to Reflect, Rethink and Revise
Evaluate work and their progress
Tailor to students’ needs,
interests and styles
Organize activities for
maximum engagement and
effectiveness
Summary
BIG
IDEA
From Big Ideas to Lesson Plans!
Learning
Nature
Objectives
Learning
Goals
of the
Experiences
Content
Content Plan
LESSON PLANS
Assessment
Activities
Summary
Learn about your students
Plan activities that will bridge the gap
Current
knowledge
and skills
Lesson Plan
Desired
knowledge and
skills
Write your Lesson Plan
Summary
Which activities?
Activities are effective and
engaging?
Summary
Active Learning
Social
Visual
Active
Learning
Verbal
Real-time
assessments
Kinesthetic
Learning Objectives
• How to create a lesson plan?
• How to engage students in a course?
• What is the professor’s role in a learner-centered classroom?
• What is the purpose of using Active Learning?
• How to apply Active Learning to a course?
References
• Understanding, Unpacking Standards, Big Idea, Essential Questions
Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay. Understanding by Design. 2nd Edition. ASCD, Virginia,
2005.
• Multiple Intelligences
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences
• http://www.shapingyouth.org/blog/?p=2071
• Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the classroom, by Charles C.
Bonwell, Ph.D.
• Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology website, by Kathleen
McKinney (http://www.cat.ilstu.edu/additional/tips/newActive.php)
References
• Review and Summary of Learner-Centered Teaching by Maryellen Weimer
(http://academic.pgcc.edu/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/weimer.htm)
• Active Learning Strategies:
• http://www.phy.ilstu.edu/pte/311content/activelearning/activelearning.html
• http://activelearning.uta.edu/FacStaff/ALtechniques.htm
• http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/active_learning.htm
• http://www.thiagi.com/interactive-lectures.html