3A: Introduction to Active Student Engagement

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Module 3A : Intro to Active Student Engagement | Module 3B: Designing for Engagement | Module 3C: Test Out Active Engagement

Expected Time for Module 3A: about 1 hour

Module 3A Description: Active learning strategies in the classroom are here to stay! Instructors have integrated active learning into traditional classrooms, hybrid classrooms, online classrooms, K-12 classrooms, workshops and training, etc. So learning more about active learning will be time well spent since these are strategies that can be integrated into any type of instructional planning you are involved in. Active learning is an especially important component of the flipped classroom and can be used to plan application, analysis, and synthesis activities in the classroom after students watch and interact with the online lectures. In this module you will view and hear about what active learning really means and why it might be a good strategy for you to use in your face-to-face classroom as part of your flipped classroom.

As you watch the videos and read through the articles, reflect on how these types of learning experiences might work in your discipline or classroom. Different disciplines have different traditions and strategies for engaging students. At the end of this 3A module, discuss what you have learned, ask questions about active learning, and bounce ideas off your peers. What strategies are you especially interested in learning more about?

Module 3A Objectives: At the end of this module, participants will have:

Gathered new ideas for engaging students in the classroom
Articulated active learning strategies that work in your discipline

What is Active Learning? How can you engage students in meaningful learning activities?

Active learning has been shown to increase student learning outcomes. Check out this latest Press Release Links to an external site. from NSF. Fewer students fail when they engage in active learning activities in your class.

Watch these online lectures about active learning and what students have to say about active learning:

Link to Dr. Felder's Active Learning Link Links to an external site.

NWIA Community College Active Learning Link Links to an external site.

What a student says about engagement in the classroom Links to an external site.

A student description of Team-Based Learning (TBL) -
a more structured active learning Links to an external site.

Read some of the following articles on active learning and about how to engage students in the learning process:

Engaging students in the classroom and beyond - Links to an external site. Video examples of Arthur F. Thurnau Professorships
K-12: Engaging students in learning Links to an external site.and Golden rules for engaging students Links to an external site.
"Active Learning: An Introduction," video by Dr. Richard Felder and Rebecca Brent
"What is Active Learning," from the University of Minnesota
"Quick Before It Dries," from Steve Adams, University of Minnesota, Duluth
The Active Learning Resource Page on the Center of Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan Links to an external site.

INTERACT WITH PEERS!

Use this link to the 3A Discussion Forum to discuss the whys and hows of engaging students in active learning activities in your classroom. If you are new to active learning this is the place to ask more questions, get advice and recommendations from peers and learning about what other people are doing to engage their students. If you have experience using active learning strategies in your teaching, share your best strategies or lessons learned with your peers.

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