Season Your Lectures with Active Learning

1. Season Your Lectureswith Active Learning Michael J. Quinn 1 June 2007

2. Complete this sentence:Three things I’d like to know about active learning are _________________.

3. Structure of This Lecture • Critiquing lecturing • Defining active learning • Implementing active learning

4. Listening Teams • Questioners • Agreers • Nay-sayers • Example-givers

5. IHow come the more I talk the less my students learn?

6. Advantages of Lecturing • Spark interest • Provide unavailable information • Convey large amounts of information • Reach large audiences • Model ways of thinking • Maintain control • Protect students • Help auditory learners Source: Sutherland and Bonwell

7. Disadvantages of Lecturing • Passive students • Inadequate feedback • Flagging attention • Poor retention • Burden on lecturer • Non-auditory learners Source: Sutherland and Bonwell

8. Students Tune Out Source: Pollio

9. As lecture continues, retention of new material declines. Source: Johnson, Johnson, and Smith

10. Retention of New Material Source: McKeachie

11. Lectures Assume Homogeneity

12. Listening Teams • Questioners • Agreers • Nay-sayers • Example-givers Source: Silberman

13. IIActive learningto the rescue!

14. Fundamentals • Learning is an active process. • Different people learn in different ways. • We often don’t know what we think until we try to say it or write it. • Just because you’ve said it doesn’t mean they’ve learned it.

15. Genuine Learning Test Reception Recap Explain

16. Engage More Parts of Brain • Talking and listening • Reading • Writing • Reflecting

17. “When learning is active, students do most of the work” [Silberman].

18. Counter the Objections • “That’s not how I learned the material.” • “Active learning is great for children, but college students don’t need it.” • “It’s too slow paced— I’ll spend a lot of time watching instead of talking.” • “I won’t be able to cover all the material.”

19. IIIFit active learning to your needs and personal style.

20. Ask Students to... • Restate information • Give examples • Recognize instances • Make connections • Apply concepts • Predict consequences • State converse

21. In-class Writing Assignments • Be specific — ask students to • analyze – compare • contrast – define • describe – evaluate • justify – prove • summarize – synthesize Source: Fulwiler

22. Learning Partners • Compare class notes • Discuss an example • Solve a problem • Critique each other’s writing • Question partner about reading • Recap lecture • Develop questions for teacher • Test each other

23. More Examples • Pop quiz (manual or electronic) • Response cards (anonymous) • Whips • Games (Family Feud or Jeopardy) • Complete outline of lecture

24. Use in Moderation!

25. Complete this sentence:Three different ways I can add active learning to my lectures are ________________.

26. References • Fulwiler, T. Teaching with Writing. Boynton/Cook. 1987. • Holt, J. How Children Learn. Pitman. 1967. • Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., and Smith, K. A. Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Interaction Book Company. 1991. • McKeachie, W. Teaching Tips: A Guidebook for the Beginning College Teacher. D. C. Heath. 1986. • Meyers, C., and Jones, T. B. Promoting Active Learning: Strategies for the College Classroom. Jossey-Bass. 1993. • Pollio, H. R. “What Students Think About and Do in College Lecture Classes.” Teaching-Learning Issues No. 53. University of Tennessee. 1984. • Silberman, M. Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. Allyn and Bacon. 1996. • Sutherland, T. E., and Bonwell, C. C. Using Active Learning in College Classes: A Range of Options for Faculty. Jossey-Bass. 1996.