Active Learning
Many of our instructors come to our centers and ask "how can I add some excitement to my class"? Our response...Active Learning! The concept behind active learning is that it involves direct engagement by students in activities designed to make them think, develop meaningful skills and enhance their enjoyment of the classes they attend.
This web page is dedicated to providing you with ideas you can use in your classes to make them more interactive both face-to-face and online!
The JigSaw Strategy
This activity is ideal for developing team work and helping students understand how each individual plays an important part in the accomplishment of a common goal. The Jigsaw technique is one type of cooperative learning structure.
A Jigsaw activity involves breaking a class up into groups and giving each group a unique section of an assignment or project. Each group member has the responsibility of becoming a subject matter expert on the subject the group was assigned. These members are then assigned to other groups to act as experts and share the information they learned. At the end of the activity, all of the groups present their conclusions to the class as a whole.
Learning more about it...
http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/alex/jigsaw.pdf
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/jigsaws/steps.html
https://utah.instructure.com/courses/148446/pages/jigsaw
Think-Pair-Share
A Think-Pair-Share activity consists of an activity that requires students to think individually, work together in pairs and then present their findings to the class. It usually only takes a short time to prepare and takes a small amount of class time. It's ideal for motivating students about your class and also encourages students who might not participate often.
Learning more about it...
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/tpshare.html
http://www.wired.com/2014/05/empzeal-active-learning/
https://utah.instructure.com/courses/148446/pages/active-learning
Fish Bowl
The Fish bowl activity provides a way for students to practice under peer review and also as part of an audience. A group of students are given a topic and the rest of the class watches, listens,or reads a transcript of the discussion. Another discussion occurs concerning the outcomes and process of the first.
Learning more about it...
http://www.scienceteacherprogram.org/genscience/Chien04.html
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activities/fishbowl.html
Muddiest Point-using Muddy Cards
This is a CAT (Classroom Assessment Technique) activity that helps students reflect on information that's been presented to them. It allows them to ask questions about a specific point or area of a lesson or presentation that they may not have understood. It gives the instructor valuable feedback on what the class comprehended or if there were areas of their presentation that could be improved upon. It's simple to do! It basically asks the students to identify what was the most confusing or unclear point about the lesson simply by jotting them down on an index card. The cards are then turned in, and the instructor clarifies the information.
Learning more about it...
www.cdio.org/files/mudcards.pdf
CATS (Classroom Assessment Techniques)
These are a series of techniques used to help determine what students are learning and how well they are learning it. Some interesting techniques include... Memory Matrix, Word Journal, Concept Maps. Check out some others by clicking on the resources below.
Community Building Activities
Building a strong classroom community starts on the first day of class and continues throughout the whole semester as you build relationships with your students. Below are links to a community building infographic and the learning acitivites Find Someone Who, Can You Describe This?, and Visual Telephone.