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Active Learning: Creating ExcitementCreating Excitement

in the Classroom

Jim Eison, Ph.D.Jim Eison, Ph.D.Adult, Career and Higher EducationAdult, Career and Higher Education

University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida

We Will Start Shortly

Please use the next few minutes to Please use the next few minutes to discuss with a partner how this discuss with a partner how this observation does or does notobservation does or does notobservation does or does not observation does or does not relate to the way you teachrelate to the way you teach

Tell me and I'll listen. Tell me and I'll listen.

Show me and I'll understand. Show me and I'll understand.

Involve me and I'll learn. Involve me and I'll learn.

Teton Lakota IndiansTeton Lakota Indians

Warm-Up Activities

Students are more likely to Students are more likely to engage engage when they are primed to start.when they are primed to start.

Frequent use of Frequent use of icebreakers and icebreakers and warmwarm--ups can ups can have have lasting lasting impactimpact..

Workshop Assumption

The first objective of any The first objective of any act of learning, over and act of learning, over and beyond the pleasure it beyond the pleasure it y py pmay give, is that it should may give, is that it should serve us in the future. serve us in the future. Learning should not only Learning should not only take us somewhere, it take us somewhere, it should allow us later to should allow us later to go further more easily. go further more easily.

Jerome BrunerJerome Bruner

Guiding Questions

What are active learning What are active learning instructional strategies?instructional strategies?

Why are active learning Why are active learning instructional strategies instructional strategies important?important?

Guiding Questions

What prevents faculty What prevents faculty from using active from using active learning strategies?learning strategies?learning strategies?learning strategies?

What are some highWhat are some high--impact & lowimpact & low--risk risk active learning active learning strategies?strategies?

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What Have I Just Demonstrated?

Previewing “Guiding Questions” Previewing “Guiding Questions” for a class can help studentsfor a class can help students

see its organizational see its organizational structurestructure

find greater value in find greater value in the material & activities the material & activities that follow that follow

Two Questions Two Questions (Mitchell, 2001)(Mitchell, 2001)

When you tell, When you tell, who does the thinking?who does the thinking?

When you ask, When you ask, who does the thinking?who does the thinking?

Your Next Question isYour Next Question is

What instructional strategy is all What instructional strategy is all but certain tobut certain to

awaken studentsawaken students

arouse attentionarouse attention

focus concentration focus concentration

stimulate instimulate in--class class discussion?discussion?

Ideas Please

One Certain Way to Increase Engagement

Surprise Quiz: Directions

You will have You will have five (5) five (5) minutes to work minutes to work in groups of three on this. Pleasein groups of three on this. Please

Be clear and concise in Be clear and concise in your sharingyour sharing

Use all available timeUse all available time

Relax and enjoyRelax and enjoy

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Surprise Quiz: Question

As you now understand the term, As you now understand the term, what are “active learning what are “active learning i t ti li t ti linstructional instructional strategies”strategies”

Background

Active learning Active learning instructional strategies instructional strategies i l t d t ii l t d t iinvolve students in involve students in doing things and doing things and thinking about the thinking about the things that they things that they are doing. are doing. (Bonwell & Eison, 1991)(Bonwell & Eison, 1991)

Active Learning Instructional Strategies

Can be used to engage students inCan be used to engage students in

Critical and creative thinkingCritical and creative thinking

Speaking with a partner, in a small group, Speaking with a partner, in a small group, or with the entire classor with the entire class

Expressing ideas through writingExpressing ideas through writing

Exploring one’s attitudes and valuesExploring one’s attitudes and values

Giving and receiving feedbackGiving and receiving feedback

Reflecting upon the learning processReflecting upon the learning process

Active Learning Instructional Strategies

Work Done By Individuals

Work Done In Groups

Work Done In Class

Work Done Out of Class

What Have I Just Demonstrated?

Having students discuss important Having students discuss important questions prior to providing your questions prior to providing your informed perspectiveinformed perspectiveinformed perspectiveinformed perspective

Then, contrasting the Then, contrasting the two sets of ideastwo sets of ideas

We have now examined We have now examined Guiding Question OneGuiding Question One

Guiding Question Two

Why are active learning Why are active learning instructional strategies instructional strategies ggimportant?important?

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The $64,000 Question

For those who can still remember For those who can still remember popular television games shows popular television games shows of the 1950’s today’s question isof the 1950’s today’s question isof the 1950 s, today s question isof the 1950 s, today s question is

What’s wrong with What’s wrong with a 50a 50--minute lecture?minute lecture?

Ideas Please

What’s Wrong With a 50 Minute Lecture?

While a well crafted lecture offers a While a well crafted lecture offers a time efficient way to “cover a lot of time efficient way to “cover a lot of

t t” it i tt t” it i tcontent” it is not an content” it is not an effective way to effective way to promote student promote student understanding understanding and retention of and retention of new informationnew information

What’s Wrong With a 50 Minute Lecture?

The lecture method is relatively The lecture method is relatively poor for maintaining poor for maintaining

tt titt tiattention attention (Bligh, 2000).(Bligh, 2000).

What’s Wrong With a 50 Minute Lecture?

During any lecture, level of student During any lecture, level of student engagement will engagement will vary greatlyvary greatlyvary greatlyvary greatly

Across timeAcross time

Among studentsAmong students

Information TransmissionInformation Transmission(Richard (Richard HartelHartel))

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What’s Wrong With a 50 Minute Lecture?

Lectures alone are too Lectures alone are too often a useless expenditure often a useless expenditure of force The lecturerof force The lecturerof force. The lecturer of force. The lecturer pumps laboriously into pumps laboriously into sieves. The water may be sieves. The water may be wholesome; but it runs wholesome; but it runs through. A mind must through. A mind must work to grow work to grow (Elliot, 1869).(Elliot, 1869).

What’s Wrong With a 50 Minute Lecture?

All genuine learning All genuine learning is active, not passive. is active, not passive. It involves the use of It involves the use of the mind, not just the the mind, not just the memory. memory.

(Adler, 1987).(Adler, 1987).

Guiding Question Three

What prevents faculty What prevents faculty from using active from using active l i t t i ?l i t t i ?learning strategies?learning strategies?

Group Brainstorming

Let’s use the next three minutes to Let’s use the next three minutes to identify some of common obstacles identify some of common obstacles li iti f ltli iti f ltlimiting faculty use limiting faculty use of active learning of active learning instructional instructional strategies?strategies?

Commonly Reported Obstacles

You cannot cover as much contentYou cannot cover as much content

Most faculty view themselves as Most faculty view themselves as good lecturersgood lecturers

Active learning strategies take Active learning strategies take too much timetoo much time

Students resist nonStudents resist non--lecture lecture approachesapproaches

Guiding Question Four

What are some What are some highhigh--impact impact and lowand low--risk risk active learning active learning instructional instructional strategies?strategies?

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Surprise Quiz: Question Two

Complete the following sentence Complete the following sentence using twelve words or lessusing twelve words or less

One lowOne low--risk highrisk high--impact active impact active learning strategy that I personally learning strategy that I personally use or know of is . . . . . use or know of is . . . . .

Make Lectures Interactive

Interactive lectures are presentations Interactive lectures are presentations that provide students with multiple that provide students with multiple brief opportunities for structuredbrief opportunities for structuredbrief opportunities for structured brief opportunities for structured engagement.engagement.

Make Lectures Interactive

Student concentration during Student concentration during presentations often declines presentations often declines

ft 15 i t B k fft 15 i t B k fafter 15 minutes. Break forafter 15 minutes. Break for

The Pause ProcedureThe Pause Procedure

A ConcepTestA ConcepTest

A ThinkA Think--PairPair--ShareShare

Another Easy Yet Powerful Way to Start

Ask exciting questionsAsk exciting questions

Questioning Strategies

Can stimulate Can stimulate studentstudent

critical thinkingcritical thinking

creative thinkingcreative thinking

curiositycuriosity

A Question to Ponder

What What would you include on would you include on a “Top a “Top Three List” of the Three List” of the primary purposes primary purposes and priorities of teaching?and priorities of teaching?and priorities of teaching?and priorities of teaching?

1.1.

2.2.

3.3.

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J. Michael Bishop’s List

What are the purposes and What are the purposes and priorities of teaching? . . .priorities of teaching? . . .

First, to inspire. First, to inspire.

Second, to challenge.Second, to challenge.

Third, and only third, Third, and only third, to impart information.to impart information.

Use Clickers

The thoughtful use of clickers (or, The thoughtful use of clickers (or, personal response systems) can personal response systems) can energize both television audiences energize both television audiences as well as students during lectureas well as students during lectureas well as students during lecture as well as students during lecture presentations.presentations.

Use Clickers

Recent research has reported that Recent research has reported that thoughtful clicker use canthoughtful clicker use can

Increase regular class attendanceIncrease regular class attendance

Promote deeper student understandingPromote deeper student understanding

Improve classroom test performanceImprove classroom test performance

Enhance students’ selfEnhance students’ self--confidenceconfidence

Raise student satisfaction (ratings)Raise student satisfaction (ratings)

Use Classroom Assessment Techniques

Classroom Assessment Techniques Classroom Assessment Techniques (Angelo & Cross, 1993) are(Angelo & Cross, 1993) are

straightforwardstraightforwardstraightforwardstraightforward

learnerlearner--centeredcentered

teacherteacher--directeddirected

used to improve used to improve learninglearning

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS)

CATS are commonly anonymous, brief, CATS are commonly anonymous, brief, inin--class, ungraded, formative assessment class, ungraded, formative assessment strategies For example the “Minutestrategies For example the “Minutestrategies. For example, the Minute strategies. For example, the Minute Paper” asks students Paper” asks students

•• What important question remains What important question remains unanswered?unanswered?

•• What was the most important thing you What was the most important thing you learned during this class?learned during this class?

Assign Short In-Class Writing Activities

InIn--class writing class writing simultaneouslysimultaneouslyengages attention engages attention and and demands demands concentrationconcentration

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Assign Short Out-of-Class Writing Activities

Short Short outout--ofof--class class writing activities writing activities can enhance both comprehension can enhance both comprehension andand longlong--termtermand and longlong--term term retentionretention

MicrothemesMicrothemes are are brief brief essays limited essays limited to one side to one side of a 5" x 8" of a 5" x 8" index cardindex card

Use Demonstrations Effectively

An inAn in--class demonstration’s class demonstration’s impact upon student learning impact upon student learning can be maximized dramaticallycan be maximized dramaticallycan be maximized dramatically can be maximized dramatically by a simple by a simple modification modification of procedureof procedure

Frequently Asked Frequently Asked QuestionsQuestions

Concluding Thoughts

Teaching is less about Teaching is less about

what the teacher does what the teacher does

than about what the than about what the

teacher gets the teacher gets the

students to do. students to do.

David PerkinsDavid Perkins

Concluding Thoughts

Don't be afraid to Don't be afraid to

give up the goodgive up the goodgive up the good give up the good

to go for the great!to go for the great!

Kenny RogersKenny Rogers..

For Additional Information Contact

Jim Eison, Ph.D.Jim Eison, Ph.D.Dept of Adult, Career and Higher Ed.Dept of Adult, Career and Higher Ed.p gp g

University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida

4202 East Fowler Ave, EDU 1624202 East Fowler Ave, EDU 162

Tampa, FL 33620Tampa, FL 33620

jeison@coedu.usf.edujeison@coedu.usf.edu