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Active Learning Ideas

Each student is responsible for leading a class discussion on the book that they are reviewing. To lead the in-class discussion, you need make a 10-15 minute presentation on the book (describing the book's objectives, content, and approach as well as evaluating its strengths and weaknesses) and must also:

  • Create at least two discussion questions to help structure the discussion. These questions can be incorporated into your active learning exercises if you wish. Remember that your classmates will not have read the book.

  • Use an active learning exercise to engage your classmates.

  • Facilitate the discussion, including keeping the discussion on track, making sure that multiple perspectives are considered, and that the discussion is inclusive.

    This web page is intended to help you construct active learning exercises. As the name suggests, active learning involves active rather than passive participation by students. This might involve writing, talking with classmates, or other activities. The key is that students are actively engaged--not just passively listening (or daydreaming). Here are some ideas for active learning exercises. You are encouraged to adapt these, or create your own.

  • Think-Pair-Share: Give the class a question. Ask each student to individually THINK about the question and write down an answer. The students then form PAIRS to exchange their answers and develop one (probably superior) answer. The pairs then SHARE their answers with the rest of the class. This can be used to answer specific questions, to discuss passages from readings, to categorize different issues, to summarize the most important lessons, and other things. Be creative--there are many possibilities (as the next two examples indicate).

  • Think-Rap-Match: Similar to think-pair-share except pairs of students work on a worksheet created by the discussion leader (that might involve matching, for example).

  • Think-Rap-Map: Similar to think-pair-share except pairs of students work on creating a mind map, concept map, or sequence chain.

  • Think Aloud Pair Problem Solving: Pairs of students are given two (or four) discussion questions or problems. One student "thinks aloud" to the other student and tries to answer the question. The other student listens, encourages, and offers suggestions if the other is stuck or going astray. Switch roles with another question or problem. Present answers to the class.

  • Round Table or Round Robin: In groups of 3-5, students sequentially add another idea or response around the circle and build off of the previous thoughts. This can be done as a brainstorming exercise to generate ideas or reactions to a certain statement. Ideas are not evaluated until the end. Or this can be done as a written exercise: have students write out brief responses to a question and then have them share ideas through a round robin.

  • Send-A-Problem: Give students two problems or discussion questions. Students individually and then in pairs work on the first problem/question and then the second. The pairs must create a written solution or answer for each problem/question on a separate piece of paper. Have each pair quietly make up a team nickname and put it on each piece of paper without revealing their team name to other groups. The discussion leader then re-distributes the solutions so that each pair has two solutions to the same problem/question. Each pair must then determine which answer is better and share their evaluation with the class.

  • Three Step Interview: Student A interviews Student B and vice versa. Then Student A summarizes Student B's responses/views/thoughts to Students C and D, etc. until everyone has summarized their partner's responses. The interviews can be based on personal experiences, personal opinions, or reactions to written passages.

  • Buzz Groups: Essentially like think-pair-share, but with larger groups (four maximum). The discussion leader must make sure that everyone is engaged. One variation is to have one person from each group summarize the group's discussion for a different group. Or the "messenger" could bring back ideas from a different group. To help insure participation, the exercise can use "talking chips"--each person gets five poker chips, paper clips, or the like and tosses one into the pot when s/he makes a contribution. All must use up their talking chips.

  • Muddiest Point: Towards the end of a discussion or presentation, each student is asked to write down the muddiest point--that is, the issue that remains least clear or most confusing after the discussion/presentation. Students can then pair up and try to help each other clear up their muddiest points. Points that remain muddy can be discussed by the entire class.

  • Minute Paper: Similar to the Muddiest Point exercise, but students write about the most important thing they learned and the most important unanswered question. This can then be turned into a discussion exercise by sharing responses.

  • Misconception/Preconception Check: To generate reflection prior to a presentation, ask students to write down responses to a few questions. These questions should be things that students have an idea about, but perhaps incorrectly. Have the students exchange papers and read each one aloud. Summarize the answers on the board. Now ask a final question-where did you get these answers? Discuss.

  • Concept Induction: The discussion leader draws two or more boxes on the board. Each box represents a category or concept, but the specific categories and concepts are unknown to the students. The leader puts one example into each box and pairs of students discuss how the examples are different from each. The leader then adds another to each box and the process repeats until the pairs of students can create their own definition for each box and create new examples.

    Sources

    Thomas Anthony Angelo and K. Patricia Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993).

    Elizabeth F. Barkley, K. Patricia Cross, and Claire Howell Major, Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005).

    David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, and Karl Smith, Active Learning: Cooperation in the Classroom (Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company, 1991).

     

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    This page was last modified on September 3, 2005.
    jbudd@csom.umn.edu