What is Active Learning?

By: Dr.Ebrahim Allam

What is Active Learning?

Think of active learning as an approach to

instruction in which students engage the material
they study through reading, writing, talking,
listening, and reflecting. Active learning stands in
contrast to "standard" modes of instruction in
which teachers do most of the talking and
students are passive.
Students and their learning needs are at the center of
active learning. There are many teaching strategies
that can be employed to actively engage students in
the learning process, including group discussions,
problem solving, case studies, role plays, journal
writing, and structured learning groups.
The benefits to using such activities are
many, including improved critical thinking
skills, increased retention and transfer of
new information, increased motivation, and
improved interpersonal skills.
 How to activate active learning ?

•Using active learning does not mean abandoning the lecture format, but it does take class
time.

• Lecturers who use active learning pause frequently during the period–once every fifteen
minutes or so–to give students a few minutes to work with the information they're
providing.

•They may ask students to respond to a question, to summarize important concepts in

writing, or compare notes with a partner.
•For some lecture-based classes, using active learning may be a bit more challenging
because of class size or room limitations such as fixed seating.

• Breaking students into groups under these circumstances may not be possible, but other
strategies such as individual writing or paired activities are quite possible and lead to good
results.
Some recommendations for implementing active learning
in your classroom.

To overcome student resistance to active learning

•Begin using active learning strategies early in the term.

Introduce the concept on the first day of class and let students
know that they will be expected to participate in such strategies
throughout the course.

•Use active learning frequently–at least once a class period

initially. After the first several sessions, students will
understand that you're serious about active learning and will
accept their role as participants readily.
•Give clear instructions. State the goal students should meet, how
much time they have for the activity, what procedures they should
follow, and with whom they should partner (i.e., "turn to the person
next to you" or "form groups of four with the people nearest you.")
 Put directions for in-class activities on a PowerPoint slide so that
students have something to refer to as they begin the activity.

•Explain to students why you're using active learning and the

benefits they can expect from it.
•Be committed to your choice to use active learning and
communicate that confidently to students. Students will be put
at ease if they understand that you're in charge and have good
reasons for what you're doing.

•Break  students into groups. This can be an effective way to

overcome student reluctance and demonstrate that you're in
charge.

•Start small and simple. Use low-impact strategies such as

think-pair-share or in-class writing exercises. These strategies
are easy to implement, take only a few minutes, and are "low
stakes" for students who may be unsure or uncomfortable. As
you and your students gain experience, you may decide to
graduate to more involved activities.
To counter student complaints about active learning
•Address student complaints about active learning immediately and with
confidence. Keep your comments positive.

•Explain to your classes why you're using active learning. Highlight what
students have to gain from such activities. Consider making such an
announcement early in the term and reprising it later if necessary.

•See student complaints about active learning as "teachable moments" that

offer students opportunities to reflect on how they learn and how to
improve those learning skills.
To maintain control of your classroom during active
learning

•It is not necessary to devote your entire session to active learning. You can
still lecture. In fact, a mix of instructional methods–lecturing for ten or
fifteen minutes followed by a three or four minute active learning interval–
is extremely effective. It's also very easy to implement and doesn't require a
great deal of additional preparation.

•Just because students are "active" (i.e., talking to one another or engaging
in some other activity) doesn't necessarily mean they will learn anything.
Simply putting students in groups doesn't constitute active learning. Any
activity you choose must be well planned and executed.
•When planning and presenting active learning strategies to
your students, make sure to consider  the goal of the activity,
the outcomes you expect of students, the procedure they
should follow, and the time limit for the activity.

•Use strategies to keep control of the classroom during

active learning activities. These might be ringing a bell or
flashing the lights to gain students' attention.
To manage time pressures when using active learning

•Consider your learning objectives carefully. Based on them, what

content is most important for students to master?

•Consider what content you must cover in class and what content
students can cover outside of class by themselves. It may be necessary
to create assignments, activities, or other support to help students
master material on their own.

•Attempt to use one or two brief active learning strategies during your
lectures. Space the activities throughout the lecture to break it up and
keep students engaged.
•Attempt to use classroom assessment techniques to determine
what students are learning and what is confusing them. These
can help you decide when (and whether) you need to spend more
time working with particular material.

•Avoid racing through material to finish it all by the end of the

period. This is almost always counterproductive. Students tend
to become overwhelmed and discouraged.

•Remember that just because you say it, doesn't mean they learn
it. If student learning is your goal, resolve to spend more time on
less material.
To handle dysfunctional groups

•Successful cooperative learning doesn't just happen. It takes

careful planning, a well designed activity, and an instructor who is
willing to intervene to help groups function properly.

•Design group activities to include positive interdependence,

independent accountability, face-to-face interaction, use of group
social skills, and group processing.

•Assign group roles for students - discussion leader, time keeper,

note taker, etc. Explain these clearly at the outset of the activity.
To ensure quality peer review of writing
•Recognize that peer reviews often falter because students fail to understand
the process of peer review or they lack buy-in to the concept. Develop
strategies to address these concerns in your students.

•Teach students how to conduct a peer review. Focus on the reasons for doing
them, the process to follow, and how to give (and receive) constructive
feedback.

•Create a rubric or checklist for students to use during peer review.

•Grade students' revision and peer review work. Consider portfolio grading or
having students submit a revision essay outlining the comments they offered their
peers and how they used peer comments to improve their own writing.

•Intervene as quickly as possible when groups struggle with peer review.

•Make it clear to your students that they should not expect to rely solely on the
instructor's comments for their reviews. Peer commentary is important.
Elements of Active Learning

There are four basic activities through which all students learn,
and specific active learning strategies use one or more of these
elements.
Talking and Listening

When students talk about a topic, whether answering a teacher's question or

explaining a point to another student, they organize and reinforce what they've
learned.

When they listen, we want to ensure that it's meaningful listening, relating
what they hear to what they already know. In a lecture class, students need
periodic time away from passive listening in order to absorb what they've
heard.
And they need reasons to listen, reasons perhaps more immediate
than a good grade at the end of the semester.

Did the teacher ask a question before the lecture segment that was
thought-provoking enough to cause the students to search for the
answer in the words that followed? Were they told beforehand that
they would have to explain the points in the lecture to a fellow
student?
Writing
Like talking and active listening, writing provides a means for
students to process new information in their own words. It is
particularly effective in large classrooms where breaking
students into pairs or groups may be prohibitive. It also
appeals to individuals who prefer to learn independently.
Reading

Students do a great deal of their learning through

reading, but they often receive little instruction
in how to read effectively. Active learning
exercises such as summary and note checks can
help students process what they've read and help
them develop the ability to focus on important
information.
Reflecting
In the all-too-typical lecture class, the lecturer stops talking at the
very end of the period. Students gather up their notes and books and
run for their next class. One can almost see the knowledge
evaporating from their brains. They've had no time to reflect, to
connect what they've just learned with what they already know, or to
use the knowledge they've gained in any way. Allowing students to
pause for thought, to use their new knowledge to teach each other, or
to answer questions on the day's topics is one of the simplest ways to
increase retention.
Categories of Active Learning Strategies

There are four broad categories of learning strategies that one might use
in an active learning classroom:

•individual activities
•paired activities
•informal small groups
•cooperative student projects

You choice of these will depend on the size of your class, your physical
space, your objectives, the amount of time you have to devote to the
activity, and your comfort level with the strategy. Many of the Active
Learning Strategies listed in this tutorial can be adapted to individuals,
pairs, or groups.
Planning an Active Learning Activity
When planning an active learning activity, answering the following questions will
help you clarify your goals and structure.

•What are your objectives for the activity?

•Who will be interacting? Will students pair up with someone beside them or
someone sitting behind/in front of them? Should they pair up with someone
with a different background? Someone they don't know yet?

•When does the activity occur during the class? Beginning? Middle? End? How
much time are you willing to spend on it?

•Will students write down their answers/ideas/questions or just discuss them?

•Will students turn in the responses or not? If they are asked to turn
them in, should they put their names on them?

•Will you give individuals a minute or so to reflect on the answer before

discussing it or will they just jump right into a discussion?

•Will you grade their responses or not?

•How will students share the paired work with the whole class? Will you
call on individuals randomly or will you solicit volunteers?
•If students are responding to a question you pose, how
are you going to ensure that they leave with confidence
in their understanding?

(Often, if various student answers are discussed without

the instructor explicitly indicating which ones are "right,"
students become frustrated. Even with a question that has
no absolute "right" answer, students want to know what
the instructor's stand on the question is.)

•What preparation do you need to use the activity? What

preparation do the students need in order to participate
fully?
Keys to Success

•Be creative! Invent new strategies and adapt existing ones to your needs.

•Start small and be brief.

•Develop a plan for an active learning activity, try it out, collect feedback, then
modify and try it again.

•Start from the first day of class and stick with it. Students will come to expect active
learning and perform better.

•Be explicit with students about why you are doing this and what you know about
the learning process.

•Request students vary their seating arrangements to increase their chances to work
with different people. Have students occasionally pair up with the student behind
them, since friends often sit side by side.
•Use questions from in-class activities on tests. For example, include a
short essay question that was used in a think/pair/share.

•Negotiate a signal for students to stop talking.

•Randomly call on pairs to share.

•Find a colleague or two to plan with (and perhaps teach with) while
you're implementing active learning activities.

•Continue learning through workshops, reading, and practice.

Basic Active Learning Strategies

Engaging students in individual or small group activities–pairs

or trios especially–is a low-risk strategy that ensures the
participation of all.
The sampling of basic activities below can be adapted to
almost any discussion or lecture setting.
Using these strategies, or variations on them, ensures that
you'll hold your students' attention in class and throughout the
semester.
Ice Breakers

These activities get people talking quickly and personally

about their goals, fears, expectations for the session before
them.
Ask them, for example, to consider what one thing each
hopes to gain from the workshop and what one thing each
hopes to offer during the workshop, then have the group
get up to rove the room for five minutes gathering a sense
of what others have come to gain and to offer.
At the end of the workshop, this might become a way for
individuals to measure what they've accomplished and
gained overall.
Or, as another example, you might consider having
participants fill out a 3x5 card with their names and
phrases/words in response to questions you've given all of
them; the participants then don these cards as name badges
and walk around the room meeting as many people as
possible, interviewing others about the ideas/information on
the card or large-size name tags; after five minutes you can
ask participants to return to their seats and jot down names
of folks who might be contacts after the session or jot down
an individual goal for the session.
Think/Pair/Share

Have students turn to someone near them to summarize

what they're learning, to answer a question posed during the
discussion, or to consider how and why and when they
might apply a concept.  This works well with pre-planned
questions and with ideas that emerge during a larger group
discussion. The objectives are to engage students with the
material on an individual level, in pairs, and finally as a
large group.
The activity can help to organize prior knowledge; brainstorm questions;
or summarize, apply, or integrate new information. Approximate time: six
to eight minutes. The procedure is as follows: 1) individuals reflect on
(and perhaps jot notes) for one minute in response to a question; 2) they
pair up with someone sitting near them and share responses/thoughts
verbally for two minutes, or they may choose to work together to create a
synthesis of ideas or come to a consensus; 3) the discussion
leader/instructor randomly chooses a few pairs to give thirty-second
summaries of ideas.
Write/Pair/Share

The format for this strategy is identical to the think-pair-

share, except that students process the question asked of
them by writing about it rather than reflecting. After a brief
time to note their thoughts, each student turns to a partner to
discuss. The activity closes with the instructor calling on
random students to summarize their responses. As with the
think-pair-share, the instructor may choose to skip the
summary portion of the exercise depending on
circumstances.
Student Summaries
During a class session, the instructor pauses and asks
students to explain to a partner the central concepts just
presented. The activity can be altered in several ways. The
instructor can request that students write or think
individually prior to discussing with a partner, making the
activity resemble a think/write-pair-share.
Question and Answer Pairs

The objective here is to engage individuals with readings and

then to pair them to answer particular questions. This helps to
deepen the level of analysis of presentations/readings, and helps
engage participants in explaining new concepts, as well as
considering how/where to apply the concepts to their own
thinking/work setting. Approximate time: five to ten minutes.
The procedure: 1) students respond to a
presentation (video, panel, readings) and
compose one or two questions about it; they
may do this in class or you may ask students to
bring questions with them; 2) the students pair
up; A asks a prepared question and B responds;
then B asks a prepared question and A
responds; 3) the instructor may ask for a
sampling of questions and answers in order to
bridge to a full group discussion.
One Minute Paper/Free Write

Ask students to write for 2-3 minutes on a topic or in

response to a question that you've developed for the session.
Again, this is particularly useful in those moments in which
instructors are asking students to move from one level of
understanding to another, from presentation of new ideas to
application of ideas, from considerations about self to
situations involving others. These  moments of writing
provide a transition for students by bringing together prior
learning, relevant experience and new insights as a means of
moving to a new (aspect of the) topic.
The writing offers students a moment to explore ideas before discussion, or
to bring closure to a session by recording ideas in their minds at that
moment. A minute of writing is also a useful thing when discussion takes a
turn you didn't expect – when a particularly good question comes from the
group, when discussion keeps circulating around a basic idea rather than
inching its way into potential applications or deepening of ideas.  This is
useful with other active learning tools.
Focused Listing

A focused listing activity is a great follow-up to short presentations

(whether via video or in-person speaker) during which students are asked
to absorb information that is new and vital to the discussion that
will follow. For example, an early American Literature class focused listing
might start with asking: "What is literature?" or "Based on your reading of
Thomas Jefferson's letter about 'the novel,' what phrases describe the
founders' fears about young women and men reading novels?" Then, as a
full group, take five to ten minutes to for students to speak and record on a
flip chart/white board as many associations as possible for this prompt. you
can begin to extend concepts of the course.
This activity works well to introduce a topic, as an exercise
joining/synthesizing two sets of information (lecture plus
follow up reading or two lectures), and/or as something to
return to as a wrap up so that participants can compare
before/after thinking.  This will also give you a chance to see
if/where students have picked up on topics/ideas as you had
anticipated, to gather a sense of interests/insights of the
specific group before you, to establish a base from which
Two Column Method

Before solving a problem or applying concepts, a discussion leader can help

participants more fully consider a problem or issue or concept by employing
a two-column method of generating and recording responses to a prompt –
e.g., "A Positive Classroom Looks and Sounds Like/ Doesn't Look Like
This." Head two columns on the board/flip chart with "Looks/Sounds Like"
and "Doesn't Look/Sound Like" and ask the participants for ideas,
observations, recalling of presentation information that will support one side
of the board or the other.
 You might ask half the room to be initially responsible for  two minutes of
listing "Favorable to A" and the other half to provide "Favorable to B"
listing; then you could take a minute to have students generally add to this
base of information and/or generate a "Creating C from A & B" column. This
technique can be quite effective in moving a group discussion from basic
ideas toward considerations of how to apply those ideas; the listing can
provide a base of ideas from which potential problems as well as
benefits/successes/possibilities can be identified so that students can begin a
next stage of discussion.
Scenarios/Case Studies

Provide students with a "local" example of a

concept/theory/issue/topic being covered in the discussion.
They discuss and analyze the scenario/case, applying the
information covered in a presentation to some situation they
may encounter outside of the workshop.  
Students can briefly present their findings to other small groups or to
the whole group or simply record ideas on an overhead/white board
so that instructor can draw questions and synthesis from the material.
Students can also develop (individually, in pairs, groups) their own
work-based case studies and exchange them with others for
discussion and analysis.
Reciprocal Questioning
The instructor provides question stems, such as
the following:

Students then develop specific questions from the given

stems and provide answers.  They can work individually,
with a partner, or in a small group.
Numbered Heads Together

Here students work in groups (large or small). To begin, a

group member asks a question, then others in the group put
their heads together and make sure everyone knows the
answer. To close, the question asker picks one from the
group to answer the question. This can also be done with
two or even several teams, where Team One asks Team Two
a question. Team Two puts their heads together and makes
sure team members know the answer. Then Team One
selects a Team Two person to answer the question.
Roundtable

A question is posed by a group leader, teacher/facilitator or

another participant. Each person writes one answer (or another
sort of response, as directed by group leader) on paper (or
flipchart or transparency) that's passed around the group. Each
group shares/presents their answer to the entire class.
Corners
The leader of the day places content (or flipchart with
question) in each corner of the room. Groups of 3-6 people
move from corner to corner and discuss answer(s) to each
posed question. The groups develop a consensus and write
their answer directly on each flipchart. When the flipchart has
an answer already written by a previous group, the next group
revises/expands/ illustrates that response with additional
information, if possible. Different colored markers can be
used for each group to see what each group wrote for each
question.
Problem-Based Learning
Present a problem to the class/group. The problem needs to be
based on an authentic situation that the participants could
actually encounter. Partners or small groups must apply the
presented information to address the problem. They may
address the problem deductively (determine what is causing
the problem) or inductively (analyze the issues and identify
the problem).
Ten-Two Strategy
The instructor shares information for ten minutes and then
stops for two minutes to encourage listeners to pair and
share their ideas, fill in any gaps or misunderstandings, and
allow each other to clarify information.
Peer Survey
Each participant is given a grid that is to be filled in
according to the needs of the group. Students/group
members can be instructed to fill in the grids on their own
or the can collect statements from peers and then share in
small/large groups. Groups can then generate and share
conclusions. Grid topics or categories can be
tailored/designed as needed/preferred; here's a sample
grid:
Shared Brainstorming
The instructor disseminates sheets of paper to each
small group of 3-5 people. On each sheet is a
different question. Team members generate and jot
down answers to the given question. The instructor
then instructs each group to rotate to another sheet
containing a different given question to answer.
Depending on the time available, this procedure is
repeated, giving each group the opportunity to respond to
as many questions as possible. At the end of this activity,
each group returns to their original question sheet,
reviews the given responses, generates a summarization
of ideas, and shares their conclusions etc. with the entire
group.
3 - 2 - 1 Format
Presenter instructs students to jot down and share with partner or
small group:
3 ideas/issues etc. presented
2 examples or uses of the idea/information covered
1 unresolved/remaining question/area of possible confusion
Note Check
Students pair with a partner/small group to briefly (2-5
minutes) share notes. They can clarify key points
covered, generate and/or resolve questions, generate a
problem to solve, solve a problem posed by the
instructor, or write a paragraph synthesizing key ideas
as set out in partner's notes.
Background Knowledge Probe (BKP)

Background knowledge probe questionnaires ask for basic,

simple responses (short answers, circling/showing of hands
in response to multiple choice questions) from students who
are about to begin a course, a unit, or study of a new
concept. Such probes are meant to help teachers determine
effective starting points/appropriate levels of instruction for
a given subject and/or class. Used to both open and close
course activities, a BKP helps students focus attention on
what will be important material.
Generating Questions

Have students/participants create five types of questions from a

reading assignment, with each question moving to a "higher"
level of thinking. Begin with a question asking for an important
fact stated directly in a text. Then develop a question that
revolves around two relationships, ideas, characters or events
addressed in the reading. At the next level ask students to write
questions requiring answers built from inference – an analysis
drawn from two pieces of information close together in a text or
from relationships among many pieces of information spread
throughout the assigned reading(s).
Students can create higher level questions based on patterns
they perceive in seemingly unrelated pieces of information –
a symbol, a theme that recurs. The last of this question-
developing thread might ask students to create a question
based on the reading and everyday life, issues, contexts. This
can be a great activity for those days when students have been
assigned short but intense readings that they will be expected
to discuss in detail in class. Have students write the five
questions (noting page numbers when they refer to textual
passages or ideas) on a note card, which can be passed
around, used as a guide during discussion, and/or turned in at
the end of class.
Jigsaw Teamwork

A Jigsaw is an active learning exercise in which (1) a general topic is divided

into smaller, interrelated pieces (e.g., the puzzle is divided into pieces); (2)
each member of a team is assigned to read and become an expert on a different
piece of the puzzle (e.g., one person is given a Team Building Issues puzzle
piece/article, another the Team Composition & Roles piece/article, and so on);
(3) then, after each person has become an expert on their piece of the puzzle,
they teach the other team members about that puzzle piece; and, finally, (4)
after each person has finished teaching, the puzzle has been reassembled and
everyone in the team knows something important about every piece of the
puzzle. Functioning as a successful team requires the integration of many
different activities. If any piece of the puzzle is missing, the team is generally a
group and not a team.
Rotating Chair Discussions

The Rotating Chair group discussion method works well in several situations;
groups well versed in the ordinary usefulness of this process of building ideas
will comfortably engage rotating chair practices for handling difficult
discussions. The ground rules for Rotating Chair are four: (1) When you
would like to participate, raise your hand; (2) The person speaking will call
on the next speaker (aiming to call on a person who has not/has less
frequently contributed); (3) The person called on will first briefly
restate/summarize what has been said then develop the idea further; (4) As a
speaker, if you wish to raise a new question or redirect the discussion, you
will briefly summarize the points made in the prior discussion, and where
possible create a transition from that thread to the one you're introducing.
Students gain the most from Rotating Chair discussions by not only
participating as speakers, but by also being attentive listeners, jotting
down notes about ideas so that ideas develop in those spaces between
speaking, learning from others' ideas rather than listening for a "right
idea" or "right answer" to emerge, and trusting that the opinions and
experiences that you offer in speaking will increase the knowledge
base and problem-solving capacity in the classroom.