Active Learning Tips

Group Work Tools

• Breakout rooms during class using the web conferencing platform you have selected (note: students need to bring laptops and headsets to class to interact with each. Use chat feature to limit noise levels in classroom)
• Blackboard groups for live and after class activities. Groups can include :
• Bb Collaborate Ultra for students to web conference. Or students can create their own Zoom group meetings
• Blogs, Discussion, email, file exchange, journals, tasks, wikis and VoiceThread

Interactive & Collaborative Activities

• VoiceThread activities during and outside of class
• Polling questions
• Turning - Instructor Resources
• Bb Collaborate Ultra Polling
• Teams Polling
• Zoom - Polls, Create, Save and Run
• Case studies to read prior to class and discuss in groups
• FAQ Discussion Forum
• Short online video lectures to supplement the class lecture and prepare students for activities during class. 
• Discussion forum
• Students post questions answered by other students and instructor
• Assign discussion leader(s) bi-weekly asking leader(s) for the week to share a reflection for everyone during class
• Instructor provides feedback on student responses during class and outside for a few posts
• Bb Learning journals – helps students to retain lecture concepts, reflect on their learning, share only with instructor or include peers
• Group assignments, working together to submit one assignment
• Peer review of student’s work, anonymously – Bb Self and Peer Assessment
• Think-Pair-Share with small groups (more activity ideas included in Additional Resources below)

Additional Resources

• Active Learning Continuum - Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan
• Strategies to Support Active and Collaborative Learning - McGill University, Montreal, Canada
• Berkley Center for Teaching & Learning Active Learning Strategies