Active Learning Tips
Below are a collection of active learning tips to use for teaching in whatever classroom you have. There are tips that can be used in lecture halls, small, medium and large room, and even online.
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 other. Use the chat feature to limit noise levels in the classroom)
- Blackboard Original groups for live and after-class activities. Groups can include :
- Class 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
- Syncing Blackboard Original and Ultra Course to EchoPoll & PointSolutions
- Class Collaborate Ultra Polling
- Teams Polling
- Zoom - Polls & Surveys
- 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 the 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 Learn journals – helps students to retain lecture concepts, reflect on their learning, share only with an instructor, or include peers
- Bb Learn Group assignments, working together to submit one assignment
- Peer review of student’s work, anonymously – Bb Learn 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 Designs
- Iowa State University, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching - 226 Active Learning Techniques