In-Class Ideas

Active Learning

What is Active Learning?

Ask yourself… 

  • Are you looking for ways to have more engagement in your classes?
  • Are you wondering how you can help students become more involved in their own learning?
  • Are you wanting to move away from the more traditional lecture mode but are not sure how to?

‘Active Learning’ is, in short, what students can do in a classroom beyond passively listening to an instructor’s lecture.

What does this involve? This includes everything from providing students with multiple and varied ways to absorb and understand what they hear, to providing students with short writing exercises where they can respond and react to lecture material, to implementing complex group exercises where students can apply course material to “real life” situations and/or to new problems. Our goal is to help you find ways to integrate ‘active learning’ techniques which you can use to enhance and supplement your lectures.

A good introduction to Active Learning this video discusses what active learning is and provides examples of how active learning can be used in both face to face and online classes.

The Benefits of Active Learning

There is a large amount of research attesting to the benefits of active learning.

Research attests to the fact that we learn by doing. (Blooms Taxonomy) When students apply what they have learned, it helps them to not only process the information, make sense of it, but it also allows learners to ‘own’ it.  Students come to their own understanding.

Research emphatically shows that active learning methods:

  • create deeper learning and higher achievement
  • create better recall by students
  • develop high order reasoning skills in students
  • students are more engaged

Active Learning opportunities allow you to check student learning:

  • You get more immediate feedback on whether students understand the material and can address lack of understanding
  • It fosters active, constructive student participation
  • Your lessons have more impact, and are more interesting
  • It gives you the teacher ‘pause time’ to observe your students, assess their learning and decide if you need to make any adjustments in your lesson
  • You facilitate students to develop their reasoning skills, higher order thinking and demonstrate their understanding.

The new Science Teaching and Student Services building at the University of Minnesota will have 10 Active Learning Classrooms. Active Learning Classrooms allow for students to experience a more interactive and conversational educational environment.

To learn more check out:

Extend Your Learning