Active learning strategies

The following are some simple active learning strategies. What about incorporating some into your lectures (or any teaching/learning situation)? These are relatively low-risk strategies. However, you need to explain to your students why you are using a particular strategy and how it works. You also need to establish some mechanism for gaining the attention of the class when you want to move on, especially where you have them engaged in brief discussions, e.g., “I will clap my hands when I want you to direct your attention to the front.”

Think-Pair-Share

The lecturer poses a question and asks the students to think about it. Then students are asked to turn to a partner and discuss their answers. Pairs can then be called upon to provide a response. This is a simple technique that works and takes very little time. The strategy can be modified by asking students to write a response to the question before sharing with their partner and the class. This is particularly beneficial for a student where English is not their first language.

Short Writes

‘Short writes’ take many forms. Sometimes they might be referred to as a ‘Minute-Paper’ or the ‘Muddiest Point’ (Angelo & Cross, 1993). Students are given a question or statement and asked to respond in a sentence, short paragraph or even as a concept map or drawing. The question or statement might be, for example, “what one thing did you learn in today’s lecture?”, “what one thing do you still not understand about today’s topic?”, or “summarise in one sentence the concept we discussed today”. This strategy can be used for recall or revision that increases student retention of material, to provide feedback to students on their own learning and, if collected, provides feedback to the lecturer on their teaching.

Comparing Lecture Notes

The lecturer provides a couple of short pauses during the lecture and encourages students to compare lecture notes to ‘fill in the blanks’, that is, information they might have missed. This serves a number of purposes. It provides a break in the lecture so that the lecturer might re-engage the students with the material. It lets students make more complete lecture notes (how often do you see them asking their neighbour “what was that he said?”) and might also facilitate some peer teaching. It is also a good opportunity for the lecturer to regroup.

Short Quizzes

Used as a formative learning strategy, short quizzes have benefits similar to ‘short writes’. They might give a clearer indication to students as to how much they understand the material. The quizzes can also be done as a pair or group activity to utilise the benefits of peer tutoring.

Photos, Cartoons, Newspaper Articles, Video Clips, Other Visual or Audio Props

Having a tool-kit of props can stimulate and engage students at any time during a lecture. The props might link the course content to real-world situations, to student experiences or simply provide an amusing slant on the subject of the class.

A Short Stretch

As the eyes begin to glaze over, perhaps all that is needed is a 30-second stretch.

• Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.