Active Teaching for Active Learning

Grant Simpson and Martha Burger

West College of Education

Opening Question:

Take a moment to reflect on your experience with active learning.

Come up with a positive and a negative example. Jot them down.

Goal: Get students Goal: Get students engaged in learning -engaged in learning -

Thinking, talking, moving, Thinking, talking, moving, or emotionally involved so or emotionally involved so that what you teach gets that what you teach gets into long-term memory.into long-term memory.

In other words, so they will go In other words, so they will go from thisfrom this

The secret to being a bore is to tell everything. Voltaire

To this.To this.

You have jotted down your reflections and experiences with active learning.

Now, turn to a partner and share your knowledge and experience.

Do you have anything to share with the class?

What is active learning?What is active learning?

We might think of active learning We might think of active learning as an approach to instruction in as an approach to instruction in which students engage the which students engage the material they study through material they study through reading, writing, talking, reading, writing, talking, listening, and reflecting. listening, and reflecting.

University of Minnesota Center for University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and LearningTeaching and Learning

Active learningActive learning

Analysis of the research literature . . . Analysis of the research literature . . . suggests that students must do more suggests that students must do more than just listen: They must read, than just listen: They must read, write, discuss, or be engaged in write, discuss, or be engaged in solving problems. Most important, to solving problems. Most important, to be actively involved, students must be actively involved, students must engage in such higher-order thinking engage in such higher-order thinking tasks as analysis, synthesis, and tasks as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Chickering and Gamson evaluation (Chickering and Gamson 1987). 1987). – University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and LearningUniversity of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning

Basic Elements of Active Basic Elements of Active LearningLearning

Active learning strategies use one or Active learning strategies use one or more of these elements:more of these elements:

Talking and listeningTalking and listening WritingWriting ReadingReading ReflectingReflecting

- - University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and LearningLearning

Categories of Active Learning Categories of Active Learning StrategiesStrategies

Individual activitiesIndividual activities Paired activitiesPaired activities Informal small groupsInformal small groups Cooperative student projectsCooperative student projects

- University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning- University of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learning

Take out a sheet of paper and list as many characteristics of good lecturing as you can.

Active lecturingActive lecturing

Parts of a lectureParts of a lecture

– BeginningBeginning– Middle (the meat)Middle (the meat)– EndEnd

Beginning of the lectureBeginning of the lecture

Gain students’ attention, motivate them Gain students’ attention, motivate them to learnto learn

Use activity, question, picture, music, or Use activity, question, picture, music, or video clip to draw them into the topicvideo clip to draw them into the topic

Tell them what they will learn – Tell them what they will learn – objectivesobjectives

Access students’ prior knowledgeAccess students’ prior knowledge– Use activities that allow students to relate Use activities that allow students to relate

what they already know to the concept to what they already know to the concept to be studied. be studied.

What do you know about the ways students learn?

Start with your clearest thoughts and then move on to those that are kind of out there!

Middle (meat) of the lectureMiddle (meat) of the lecture

Pause every twelve or fifteen Pause every twelve or fifteen minutes for students to process minutes for students to process the information actively. the information actively. (Research shows that people (Research shows that people can’t attend to lectures for can’t attend to lectures for longer than about 12 or 15 longer than about 12 or 15 minutes.)minutes.)

Middle, cont.Middle, cont.

You either have your learners’ You either have your learners’ attention or they can be making attention or they can be making meaning, but not both at the same meaning, but not both at the same time. Teachers who don’t allow time time. Teachers who don’t allow time for students to process information do for students to process information do an enormous amount of reteaching. an enormous amount of reteaching.

Use active learning strategies to Use active learning strategies to prevent students from wandering off. prevent students from wandering off.

Middle, cont. Middle, cont.

Strategies may be used with any size Strategies may be used with any size class in only a few minutes’ time, done class in only a few minutes’ time, done alone or in pairs. (Use a timer to keep alone or in pairs. (Use a timer to keep to schedule.)to schedule.)

Build in the pause as you plan the Build in the pause as you plan the lesson, or build it into your PowerPointlesson, or build it into your PowerPoint

Adapt strategies that fit the particular Adapt strategies that fit the particular lesson. Many strategies are adaptable lesson. Many strategies are adaptable to multiple uses.to multiple uses.

Think about how you might use active learning strategies in your lectures.

Turn to a partner and discuss.

Share your findings with the large group.

Take a few minutes to compare notes with a partner:

Summarize the most important information.

Identify (and clarify if possible) any sticking points.

Take a minute to come up with one question.

Then, see if you can stump your partner!

End of the lecture – wrapping it End of the lecture – wrapping it upup

Summarize information, provide Summarize information, provide closure, and ask students to connect closure, and ask students to connect the information to themselves, their the information to themselves, their own values, and its application in the own values, and its application in the worldworld

Ask students for the muddiest point of Ask students for the muddiest point of the day (or something similar). the day (or something similar).

Review and closure activities that Review and closure activities that foreshadow the next lessonforeshadow the next lesson

Summarize the most important points in today’s lecture.

what would it be?

3 things you gained

2 things you will use in your class right away

1 thing you want to learn more about

ResourcesResources

Active Active LeareningLearening: Creating Excitement in the Classroo: Creating Excitement in the Classroomm by Charles C. Bonwell and James A. by Charles C. Bonwell and James A. EisonEison

University of Minnesota Center for TeUniversity of Minnesota Center for Teaching and Learningaching and Learning

Active Teaching for Active Learning

Grant Simpson and Martha Burger

West College of Education