Discovering the Active Classroom

Andrew Middleton & Ian Glover

Learning Enhancement & Academic Development

@andrewmid @irglover #telfest

Introduction

Learner

Explore what is meant by active learning and consider strategies you

can take for developing an Active Classroom

Outline of the workshop

Active learning: meaning, benefits and challenges

ALCs and PBL

Technology in the classroom

Active lectures

Our work

Learner

Spaces for Learning Toolkit

SCALE UP

PC Labs Evaluation

Third Space, Place & Social Spaces

Adjacent spaces

‘Studio for All’

Studios and BeaconsDesign principles for

student-centred active learning

Whiteboarding

Digital Placemaking

Stand Up Pedagogy#Twalks

Spaces for Active

Learning

Technology Enabled Learning Labs

Flexible & Active Classrooms

Academic accommodation

Timetabling and Zoning

Student - Engagement - Learning

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Student Engagement Network

RIBA Design - Commissioning

Define ‘Active Learning Spaces’

Activity #1: Can you define ‘Active Learning Spaces’?

Collect responses and build a definition

Bonwell and Eison’s Characteristics of Active Learning (1991)

Students are involved in more than passive listening;

Students are engaged in activities e.g. reading, discussing, writing;

There is less emphasis placed on information transmission and

greater emphasis placed on developing student skills;

There is greater emphasis placed on the exploration of attitudes and

values;

Student motivation is increased (especially for adult learners);

Students can receive immediate feedback from their instructor;

Students are involved in higher order thinking (analysis, synthesis,

evaluation).

On Active Learning

The active classroom is a place of ‘becoming’ in which students are

motivated through their involvement in work that matters to them.

Students learn by building upon and applying what they already

know, developing experiments to explore, test and create new

knowledge, and by making meaning from their experience (Bruner,

1960)

Learning is as much social as it is cognitive and concrete, and calls

for students to continuously make and review decisions by applying

what they know to situated problems (Brown, 1999)

Hence, Authentic, Experiential and Situated Learning

Active Learning Benefits

Activity #2: Whiteboard Activity - ‘Go Fishing’

Objective: create a list of exactly 7 benefits of Active Learning.

Everyone: generate post-its rapidly to identify the benefits of active

learning

Two volunteers: collect, synthesise and list 7 Benefits

Note:

Everyone involved

Use of roles

Manageable contained and constrained activity

Fun, accessible and challenging

Participants are on the same page?

Active Learning Challenges

Activity #3: Peer Co-operation

Objective: analysis and co-construction of knowledge

Listen to ‘Common challenges when teaching in an Active Learning

Classroom – and how to address them’

Two volunteers: make notes of key points using whiteboards

Others: Use Padlet, a Google Doc, Paper

Now:

Clarify, improve and capture notes

Discussion: what happened?

Peer co-operation, generative learning context, co-production, ownership of knowledge

The teacher’s role (setting, clarifying, supporting, challenging, giving feedback)Reference: Petersen, C., & Gorman, K. (2014). Strategies to Address Common Challenges When Teaching in an Active Learning Classroom. New

Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2014(137), 63-70

Introduction to SCALE UP

Robert J. Beichner 2011 Prize Winner, YouTube

https://youtu.be/MdymI61hLPY?list=PLnc5lgJfUsQFkHzh7EFRKwfy83Bs5L57L

Circular tables accommodating groups

Groups of 9 and divisible by 3

Technology-rich, integrated into small group work

Short learning activities interspersed with class-wide discussion

Use of the GOAL framework for problem solving (Gather, Organise, Analyse,

Learn) or the use of other use of specific problem-solving frameworks

Flipped teaching model

Student-led learning

Facilitative teaching role

Continuous opportunities for in-class formative feedback from peers and tutors

Strategic, tutor-allocated group formation e.g. mixed ability groups

Use of group roles e.g. manager, scribe, questioner, or other roles

Inquiry or problem-based learning approaches

The SCALE-UP approach

Problem-based Learning is key to Active

Learning

Activity #4: Create yourself a problem!

Using scenarios to form problems (see

handout) in your triad roles (Co-ordinator,

Scribe and Moderator) create a scenario

as the basis for a problem-based learning

activity in your discipline.

Tour the tables - using post-it notes,

provide feedback on the work of at least

two other tables

Problem-based Learning (PBL)

Triads for Active LearningManager/Organiser

Directs the sequence of steps in the

problem and manages time

Reinforces the merits of everyone’s ideas

Ensures that each group member

participates

Scribe/Note-taker/Recorder

Writes actual steps on the whiteboard

Checks for understanding of all group

members

Makes sure all group members agree on

each step of the problem

Questioner

Makes sure all possible problem-solving

strategies are explored

Suggests alternative approaches or raises

concerns with suggested processes

Provides reasoning and explanations of

steps to group members as necessary

McNeill et al. (2017). SCALE UP Handbook. NTU. Online at: https://www4.ntu.ac.uk/adq/document_uploads/teaching/181133.pdf

Capturing in-session activity and outputs

Smartphone/tablet photos and video summary

Audio summary

Collaborative Resource Creation

Google Drive

Padlet

Example Technologies for Active Learning

Online ‘Ideation’ and Brainstorming Popplet Answer Garden

Digital Whiteboarding Explain Everything (mobile) Paint, Photoshop, Visio, …

Checking Understanding Responseware Kahoot

Activity #5 - Whiteboarding

Visualising and scoping using concept mapping

Ideas for - ‘Active lectures’

Active Lectures

Map the discussion - then create a video commentary of key points

“Moving to an active learning paradigm”

e.g.

Active Learning Classrooms?

Whiteboarding?

Problem-based Learning?

The digital classroom?

Groupwork?

Institution and infrastructure?

Summary discussion