See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301627018 Active Learning and Teaching : Challenges & Tips for Teachers Conference Paper · April 2016 CITATIONS READS 0 5,937 1 author: Himdad A. Muhammad Salahaddin University - Erbil 44 PUBLICATIONS 4 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Investigating the Impact of Flipped Classroom Model on Kurdish EFL Students' Productive Skills View project The Syntax and Semantics of Fruit/Food Idioms in English View project All content following this page was uploaded by Himdad A. Muhammad on 25 April 2016. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Contents Introduction What is active learning? When to use it/ Why active learning? Active learning techniques/ strategies? Barriers of Active learning? Solutions Tools/ways for student engagement Eight-minute lecture Final Recommendations/tips Resources & References Q&A Presentation protocols: (activity- signal to talk/signal to stop) -Are your students satisfied? Are they bored? Did they learn? Did they undrstand? For a minute or two think of a lecture that has always stayed with you….if you can… What did you learn in that lesson? Why you remember it ? One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it-you have no certainty until you try. (Sophocles,5th century ) I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Confucius People learn in different settings We spend 14% of our time in school, 53% in home and community and 33% asleep. the “average attention span,” while varying, seems to congregate around eight to ten minutes (“Attention Span Statistics,” 2015), (Richardson, 2010). THINK with me: Who is your ideal teacher? (from learner’s perspective) (from other teachers perspective) (from administrative perspective) What to do to keep students focused ? How to turn teaching into learning? Why Active Learning is important? audience attention in lectures starts to decrease every 10-20 minutes. after ten minutes. All genuine learning is active, not passive. Students remember what they understand. When to use Active learning ? -after introduction new material -To enhance learning -To incorporate learning styles -To improve comprehension (content) Active vs. passive learning: active learning is an instructional approach in which the students engage with the material . Passive learning is a traditional instructional style that involves teachers lecturing and students taking notes. Passive learning where students are recipients of knowledge, are expected to record and absorb knowledge . Passive learning = behaviorist theories where the student is viewed as an empty vessel waiting to be filled. Active learning = constructivist perspective of learning. knowledge is actively constructed by the learner and integrated with his or her existing knowledge and experience. Definition(s) of Active Learning: Active learning is "anything that involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing" (Bonwell & Eison, 1991) • Felder & Brent (2009) define active learning as "anything course-related that all students in a class session are called upon to do other than simply watching, listening and taking notes“ . • Active learning is not a theory but a teaching method that supports learning. The method uses techniques such as writing reflections, discussion, problem solving— activities that promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation that guide students towards achieving learning objectives.( Morrison , 2015) Active learning merits: Can be as short as a few minutes long. Can be integrated into a lecture or any other classroom setting relatively easily. Even large classrooms Active learning strategies complex Site visits Forum theatre Case studies Role playing group evaluation Active review brainstorming Informal Peer review groups Large group Think-pairdiscussion share One minute Self paper assessment simple Pause for reflection Active learning vs. learning styles Active learning strategy for different learners: Visual learners(mind maps)/concept maps Powerpoint/one minute paper Auditory learners (review groups/brainstorming/ summary/student to student teaching/interview Kinesthetic learner(skill demonstration/ games/student response systems) Multiple learning style (working with partners/role playing) Active learning Active Learning Obstacles/Barriers? Course content ; Pre-class preparation; Large class ; Teacher resistance Lack of materials or equipment Students resistance. Suggested Solutions: A. Course Content ; what students can do outside of class to more effectively prepare for in-class activities pre-class reading assignments. Assign videos. pre-class quizzes (to ensure that students have read the material) Classroom Environment/: Make your class dynamic “do practically anything other than lecture” Classrooms that invite students to learn actively and think critically have these features in common (Mathews 2003) : • shared responsibility for the classroom climate • Teachers model thinking for students and support students as they share their thinking strategies. • an atmosphere of inquiry and openness. • Students are given support, but just the right amount of it. • The arrangement of the space Some different ways to arrange classroom space, to help students interact with each other Best for listening to the teacher, but it is not good for interaction among students. Teachers who want students to talk to each other avoid this arrangement. Suitable for having small groups working together. The teacher is not stationary during most group activities; rather he or she circulates around the room to observe the groups, answer questions, or offer guidance. Some different ways to arrange classroom space, to help students interact with each other • Suitable for a whole class meeting or discussion. • The teacher is one discussant among many. This arrangement is used when students are seated on immovable benches. The students sitting in front of the desk turn around and work across the desk with the students behind them. Success in an active learning classroom: 1)Start with learning objectives 2)Use multiple pedagogies 3)leverage digital and analog tools 4)increase access between instructor +students Tools to encourage active learning: (active does not mean out of control , does not mean chaos…it can get there) Have a home base Use of sound signals A signal for silence ( walking , stop, stand back to back, listening opportunity, talk) Activity Ways to increase engagement: Incorporate movement into your class Pick up the pace Frequent and effective feedback 3-2-1Use 5-7 second thinking time for answering method of summarizing(3 things they learned, 2 interesting , 1 question , share with peers) Periodically pause mid sentence (wait for students to complete /fill in the blanks) Keep students engaged: (engaged, stay focused towards the end of the year) Daily activities, start at once , short , meaning full Connect with their concerns Tips for teacher who want to succeed: Add passion to your teaching Be ready to get tired Support your students/colleagues Build learning communities/groups. (English Club) Active learning could be recurrent -Academic reputation is accumulative Success story: Eight minute lecture: (lecture within lecture) Distribute your time into chunks (obtain focus) Manage your time How to implement the eight-minute lecture 1. Prepare students 2. Redesign/rewrite lecture 3.Image, video, or interactive activity An example from last semester ( PhD course) On Trends in Modern Linguistics . The learning objectives for the first 90-minute class period on the topic were to be able to discuss the….. In preparation, students read a textbook chapter . Final tips/recommendations: for the universities and ministries: Study hall re-designs Class size: reconsideration Technology integration Continuous in-service Teacher training Curriculum re-design Teaching Excellence incentives Nation-wide active learning campaign Resources & References: Statistics Brain Research Institute. “Attention Span Statistics.” April 2, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.statisticbrain.com/attentionspan-statistics/. Richardson, H. “Students only have ‘10-minute attention span’.” News.bbc.co.uk. January, 2010. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8449307.stm. Wilson, K. and Korn, J. H. “Attention during lectures: Beyond ten minutes.” Teaching of Psychology 34, no. 2 (2007): 85–89. Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom (ASHE–ERIC Higher Education Rep. No. 1). Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development. Resources & References: Davis, B.G. (2009). Tools for teaching (2nd ed). San Francisco: JosseyBass Publishers. Deslauriers L, Schelew E, Wieman C. (2011). Improved learning in a large-enrollment physics class. Science, 332, 862-864. Felder, R.M. & Brent, R. (1996). Navigating the bumpy road to student centered instruction. Retrieved, September 8, 2011 from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Res ist.html Felder, R.M. & Brent, R. (2009). Active learning: An introduction. ASQ Higher Education Brief, 2(4). Johnstone, A.H. & Percival, F. (1976). Attention breaks in lectures. Education in Chemistry, 13, 49-50. Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning really work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education. 93(3). 223-231. General Resources Active and Cooperative Learning, R.M. Felder. Links to active/cooperative learning journal articles and websites. http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Student-Centered.html "Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom," Charles C. Bonwell & James A. Eison. Discusses the value of active learning and ways it can be incorporated into the classroom. http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/hbcu/documents/Active_Learning_Creating_Excite ment_in_the_Classroom.pdf Active Learning for the College Classroom, Donald R. Paulson & Jennifer L. Faust. Describes 29 active learning techniques. http://web.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/main.htm Active Teaching and Learning (Module 3 of Getting Results, an online course for instructors on course development, funded by the National Science Foundation, produced by WGBH in Boston and The League for Innovation). Rationale and strategies for active learning in the college classroom, including teaching and learning in the lab. http://www.league.org/gettingresults/web/module3/index.html Scenes from a Classroom: Making Active Learning Work (University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning Services). A tutorial with guidelines and keys to success for planning active learning activities. Includes scenarios depicting typical problems and their solutions. http://cei.umn.edu/tutorials Active Learning in Large Classes: Video Resource (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Center for Instructional and Professional Development). This site provides an interactive tutorial on active learning. Seven video clips, each accompanied by a Word document tutorial, demonstrate active learning strategies in action in large classes: clickers, learning teams, discussions, and other in-class activities. Requires QuickTime for videos. http://www4.uwm.edu/cipd/ Active Learning with PowerPoint University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning Services). A tutorial on ways to use active learning strategies with PowerPoint presentations; includes 12 active learning strategies. http://cei.umn.edu/tutorials "Student Diversity Requires Different Approaches to College Teaching, Even in Math and Science," Craig Nelson, Indiana University (In American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 40, No. 2, November/December 1996, 165175). Describes research by Triesman and others demonstrating the positive effect of using collaborative small groups with students from non-traditional backgrounds, such as Blacks, Hispanics, and rural whites, who are struggling with college coursework. Argues that traditional approaches are biased against such students, while active learning strategies can lead to “massive differences in overall student achievement.” http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~slm/AdjCI/Startclass/Diversity.html The World Café. Free resources for designing small group roundtable discussions based on seven integrated design principles. The site offers a tool kit, hosting guides, and an online community for practitioners. http://www.theworldcafe.com/tools-store/hosting-tool-kit/ Final Activity ( Describe/reflect on this presentation in short) Strengths vs weaknesses Your assignment for next year conference (See if you can apply active learning in your teaching and share your experience with a large audience ) Thank you for your attention View publication stats
