Active Learning Techniques for Engaging Courses

1. US 197B: Week 2 10 Minute Presentations Learning Objectives Active Learning Technology in the Classroom

2. The 10 Minute Presentation • Should be active learning/activity-oriented • Please do NOT plan to lecture for this presentation; you should plan on treating us as students in your course • Can be from drawn from any day of your course plan • You will have a few minutes before your presentation begins to put it into the context of your course and what your students already would have learned at this point in your class • Opportunity to try something new and untested • Please use this an opportunity to test out an idea that you think may be risky or that you are uncertain as to how it will play with your students

3. Learning Objectives

4. Learning Objectives and Course Design • What do you want your students to learn? What do you want your students to be able to do by the end of the course? • What activities -- whether in class or out of class – will help students meet those learning outcomes?

5. Learning Objectives • “Objectives, then, would be expectations that delimit the direction of the students but do not predefine an end point for their learning or try to guarantee a particular interpretation or outcome.” --Gruner O’Brien, Millis, Cohen, The Course Syllabus: A Learning Centered Approach

6. Learning Objectives • Statements of what students will be able to do as a result of the learning in the course • Open-ended, flexible descriptions of questions, situations, problems that students will consider, out of which various kinds of learning will arise • May use active verbs

8. Sample Learning Objectives • Analyze how changes in communication technologies interacted with and transformed the process of electing political leaders • Assess the impact of uses of new media on political communication, political campaigns, and democratic self-governance • Recognize the relationship between campaign uses of media and the costs of running for office • Understand the arguments for and against campaign finance reform

9. On a sheet of paper: • Please write at least two of the learning objectives for your spring course

10. Active Learning

11. Active Learning • “Active Learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing.” -- Michael Prince, “Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research”

12. Active Learning • Students involved in their own learning • Students engaged in variety of class activities • Students involved in higher order thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) • Students reflect on learning, learning process • Students explore own attitudes, values • Emphasis less on transmitting information than on developing student skills

13. Examples of Active Learning Techniques • Think-Pair-Share • Mitten-discussion • Crowdsourcing • Structured debates • One-minute reflections

14. Classroom Discussion Tips: I • Establish expectations early • Let students know how discussion will proceed • Will you wait for volunteers? Cold call students? • Prepare strong questions in advance • High level questions • Divergent questions • Structured questions • Single questions

15. Classroom Discussion Tips: II • Wait for the answer • 5-10 seconds • Encourage student to student interaction • Admit when you don’t know the answer • Listen actively • Give signals to students that you are listening • Acknowledge student contributions • Restate/paraphrase what speaker has said • Invite student to elaborate • Ask for clarification • Expand on point • Connect with comments of other students

16. The Smart Classroom

18. SmartClassrooms V.1 Standard Equipment Laptop Cable Cubby Control Panel VHS/DVD Deck Classroom PC

19. SmartClassrooms V.2 Standard Equipment Laptop Cable Cubby (DVI & VGA cables) Control Panel XLR mic input & Composite A/V inputs Blu-ray Deck Classroom PC

20. SmartClassrooms V.2 Standard Equipment Control Panel Laptop Cable Cubby (DVI & VGA cables) Blu-ray Deck XLR mic input & Composite A/V inputs Classroom PC

21. SmartClassrooms V.2 Standard Equipment Computer with DVD Drive and USB Ports, USB Microphone (for recording with UCI Replay) i>clicker Base Station* Laptop Cables: VGA & DVI video,1/8” mini audio Blu-Ray Player 16:10 Format Data Projector Speakers Overhead Transparency Projector* Auxiliary A/V Input (RCA jacks) XLR Microphone Input Touch-Panel Controller Help Phone

22. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation The touchpanel contains a motion sensor and should “wake up” when you get near. If not, simply tap the blank screen.

23. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation Now, simply select a source to display.

24. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation When you select DVD you’ll see this screen.

25. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation These panels now allow you to control the DVD player. This is the ‘Transport Control’ screen.

26. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation This is the ‘Menu Control’ screen.

27. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation When you select Podium Computer you’ll see this screen.

28. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation DVD/CDROM Drive USB Inputs Media Card Reader Power The installed computer is always net-connected. In addition to the front USB inputs, there are two USB extension cables located in the cable cubby.

29. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation When you select Laptop Computer you’ll see this screen.

30. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation Power Outlets in Cable Cubby VGA Video Cable USB Cables (for podium PC) Ethernet Cable 1/8” Mini Audio Cable

31. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation Volume Indicator Volume Up Mute VolumeDown Volume controls are universal. They control the volume for whatever device is being projected.

32. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation Lights The buttons control different banks of lights in the room. Tap once to turn OFF, tap again to turn ON.

33. SmartClassrooms V.1 Equipment Operation Some rooms have a slightly different touchpanel, where the six buttons from the right side are now on the screen.

34. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation Classrooms refreshed since Summer 2012 have almost all new equipment, including a new style of touchpanel.

35. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation Just as with the other touchpanels, your first step should be selecting a source to display.

36. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation Lighting controls work exactly as they do on the other touchpanels.

37. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation Audio Mute silences all program and microphone audio.

38. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation Turn the Volume knob to raise or lower program volume.

39. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation Video Mute blacks out the projected image (but does not turn off the projector).

40. SmartClassrooms V.2 Equipment Operation The Help button gives the same information as listed next to the phone.