Active Learning Strategies to be used in class.docx

1. KWL Activity
Size: Individual, pairs, or small groups
Time: 10-15 minutes
Activity
1. Students are provided with a template or asked to
create the template in their notebook. Template is relatively
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simple to create in one’s own notebook and consists of the
three sections:
- What they know (K)
- What they want to know (W)
- And what they learned (L)
2. Students complete the “K” and “W” section ahead of
class. Instructor asks for examples from class.
3. Following a class, students complete the “L” section.
Instructor asks students to provide examples and identifies
where their original questions were answered or how any
unanswered questions might be addressed in a later class.
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Pointers:
 This activity is a way for the instructor to get a general
sense of prior learning, and the types of questions,
concerns or ideas the students may have.
 This activity can also be adapted by asking students to form
pairs or small group and share their answers with another.
 It’s also a great way to generate a list of questions, ideas, or
concerns posted by the students to help inform a future
class.
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2. Dotmocracy
Size: Entire class
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Dotmocracy is a tenique for voting and recognizing
levels of agreement among a group of people.
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2. For example, in a group discussion, five potential
strategies for dealing with a particular problem might be
suggested.
3. Students are then each given a certain number of sticky
dots, and asked to walk around the room, thinking about
each of the options and putting one or more dots on the
approaches they most strongly agree with.
4. At the end of the Dotmocracy period, all participants can
visually assess the opinion of the group as a whole.
5. Alternatively, students can use markers to add a
checkmark or dot as their “Vote”
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Pointers:
 This is a great activity to use after brainstorming to assess
the interests of the class and focus on one of the issues
students highlighted in greater depth later on during the
class.
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3. Student Panel
Size: Entire class
Time: 20-40 minutes, or longer depending on discussion
Activity
1. Using a central topic or question, gather a panel of student
participants that can speak to the topic. Instruct each panel
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participant they are to provide a brief overview of their perspective
or key points but not to provide all of the details, rather it is up to
the class to ask questions.
2. Provide 10 minutes of preparation time the panel
participants. While the panel participants are preparing, the
class can identify questions with the help of the instructor.
3. Once prepared, introduce the panel and moderate the
discussion, encouraging questions from different students,
and provide short feedback on the most important issues,
questions, ideas relevant to the topic discussed.
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Example
 In a business relations class, ask students “What are the key
traits of a good mediator?”
 In a hospitality class, ask panel presenters to discuss the
different roles within the workplace.
 In a solar installation class, ask panel presenters to each
represent a different aspects of a solar installation (e.g. site
assessment, client requirements, structure, testing,
customer service).
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Pointers:
 Instructors can guide the students on the types of
questions that would help stimulate discussion.
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4. Index Card Pass
Size: Entire class
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Give each student an index card or piece of paper. Ask
them to write down one question they have from a reading,
or a question more specific to your needs.
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2. Students then exchange cards, making at least 4 passes (or
more!). If they get their own card back, they can keep it or
they can make an extra pass.
3. Have students get in groups of 3-4. Each student should
read their index card, and as a group pick one index card
question they want to address. Students should then discuss
possible answers to the question.
4. After students have had time to discuss, pick a few
questions to discuss as a group.
Pointers:
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 This activity can run for just part of the class, or as the basis
for an entire class. It works well for all class sizes.
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5.Think-Pair-Share
Size: Individual and pairs
Time: 1 class
Activity
1. Students individually think about a particular question,
scenario, or problem.
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2. Next, have each student pair up to discuss their ideas or
answers.
3. Then bring students together as a large class for
discussion.
Pointers:
 This activity encourages students to think about answers on
their own first before talking with other students.
 Avoid asking simple/recall type questions: this activity works
best when students are challenged to think through a more
complex or complicated idea.
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 The benefits of the 3 step process are two-fold: first,
students are generally more comfortable presenting ideas to
a group with the support of a partner; second, students’
ideas have become more refined through this three-step
process.
6. Buzz Groups
Size: Groups of 3-6
Time: Unrestricted
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Activity
1. Break class into small groups. Each group discusses the
topic or question on their own for a few minutes to
generate arguments, answers, or ideas.
2. Once time is up, have each small group share one idea,
answer, or argument with the class. Record ideas on the
board.
Pointers:
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 Keep in mind that the larger the group, the less opportunity
each student will have to participate in their small group
discussion.
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7.One Minute
Paper/Reflections
Size: Individual
Time: 1-minute (but really up to 3-5 minutes) at the end of a
class or on completion of an assignment
Activity
1. Provide students with one question for brief reflection.
Emphasize that responses should be concise.
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2. Each student then records and submits their answers.
3. As needed, follow up on comments. Be sure to
summarize and respond to any important questions or
issues that arise in the students’ responses the following
class. (e.g. concepts that did not seem clear to students).
Pointers:
 Ending your class with short writing assignments is a
powerful way to assess the degree to which students
understood the presented material.
 Minute papers can also be used in the middle of lecture
components if class concentration begins to wane.
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 This is a great activity to use when:
o You encounter a sticky/high-anxiety discussion topic. It
allows students to decompress, and reflect on the topic
and what happened in discussion.
o Students have just participated in an experiential
learning activity, returned from a field experience, or
worked on a group project and you would like them to
reflect on what they learned from the experience.
Example Questions
What was the most important thing you learned in class today?
What questions remained unanswered in your mind today?
The clearest point of today was…? Summarize the main point
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of todays lesson in one sentence. How do you think you will
use what we learned today in your everyday life/day to day
work/future career?
8. Case Studies
Size: Small Groups (2-4)
Time: 1 class or long project
Activity
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1. Provide the students with a real-world case for the
students to study (e.g. a news article, account of a decision
or procedure, video, etc.). Alternatively, have students find
their own case to examine.
2. Individually, or in small groups, have students analyze
the case using guidelines and a framework provided by you
(the instructor).
3. Have students present their analysis to the class, or
require groups to turn in written answers. If presenting in
class, try to facilitate discussion such that students connect
the case with material in class.
4. After student analysis has been completed, ensure that
the group has concretely discussed how the case study
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illustrates application of theoretical or background
concepts from course material.
Pointers:
 This is a great activity for students to work on the practical
applications of more theoretical or abstract course
material. For example, students can come up with pros and
cons for two possible options or solutions to a case,
utilizing two different perspectives presented in the class to
attempt to solve an issue.
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9. Complete Turn Taking
Size: Entire class, or small groups (at most 8 per group).
Time: One class (8 questions can be addressed in a 50-minute
class).
Activity
1. Each student should be asked to bring a couple of
questions to class. These can either be questions to clarify,
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issues they think were left unresolved, or ideas or positions
not yet considered.
2. Have the entire class arrange themselves in a circle.
Alternatively, students can be in small-medium size groups.
3. One student reads a question aloud. The student to
their left then has one minute of uninterrupted time to speak
and give their thoughts. This person signals that they are
done speaking by saying, “OK, I’m done.”
4. The next person to the left goes, has one minute of
uninterrupted time to speak, and signals they are done by
saying, “OK I’m done.” Finally, the third student to the left
goes, following the same pattern.
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5. After three people have had a chance to speak, the
conversation is opened up to the whole group for two
minutes of discussion.
6. The next student gets to ask a question, and this cycle
continues.
Pointers:
 A benefit of this activity is that it allows students to speak
uninterrupted. It also allows the students to work through
some of their issues, questions or concerns with the text
together.
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10. Respond, React, Reply
Size: Small Groups (2-4)
Time: 1 class
Activity
1. Break students up into small groups.
2. Provide students with a prompt. The prompt can be a
targeted question, written passage/text, or argument.
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3. Each student then responds to the prompt on their own in
writing. After each student has had a chance to write their
response, have them read and share their response with the
group.
4. Each student then reacts to each of the other group
members’ responses.
5. Then, the student replies to each of the reactions to their
own response.
Pointers:
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 In creating your prompt, make sure it cannot be answered
with a simple “Yes/No.” Try to create questions that will
generate discussion.
 Be sure clear expectations and structure are provided to the
students (e.g. how long responses/reactions/replies should
be, as well as the structure they should take; how this
activity will be evaluated; reminders of classroom rules; etc.).
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11. Pro-Con Grid
Size: Groups of 2-6
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Pick a topic that lends itself to the idea of making lists of
pros and cons/advantages and disadvantages for some
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issue (see pointers for suggestions). Break students up into
small groups.
2. Have the groups come up with at least three points for each
side. Additionally, let students know whether they should be
putting their lists together in point form or full sentences.
3. Once students have had time to complete the activity, bring
the class back together to share and discuss points on each
side.
Pointers:
 This activity can help students in developing analytical and
evaluative skills. It also requires students to go beyond their
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initial position and reactions, and come up with points of
discussion for the other side of the issue. Finally, it also
requires students to weigh the points of competing
positions and clai
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12. Think Aloud
Size: Pairs
Time: 1 class
Activity
1. Choose 2-3 paragraphs of new text for students to read.
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2. Students work in pairs (student A gets text 1, and student B
gets text 2).
3. One student reads a passage of text aloud, and while
reading they stop frequently to “think” aloud. The reader
stops after every few sentences, and reflects on what they
have read. Explain this may feel awkward at first.
4. Model this activity very briefly for students with a sample
text.
5. Once student A finishes their text, student B then performs
their think aloud. Give students 15-20 minutes to perform
this part of the activity.
6. Bring the class back together as a group. Go over each of
the texts, then perform a think aloud as a class, asking
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students to contribute what they were thinking about at
each point.
7. Finally, conclude class with a “Meta-moment”: ask students
what they thought of the activity, and what they will take
away to their next reading. (This can take the form of a 1-
minute paper!)
Pointers:
 At the end of this activity, students will have developed their
ability to engage in a close reading of the learning materials
and will be able to explain their thinking process.
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13. Round Table
Size: Entire class or large small groups
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Have the class move their desks into a circle so that
everyone can see each other.
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2. The discussion facilitator poses a question. Each person,
in turn around the circle, provides a comment. If a student
does not wish to comment, they may “pass.”
3. Repeat for a variety of questions.
Pointers:
 This activity ensures that all students have an opportunity
to speak if they wish. However, the question posed cannot
be a simple yes/no, and must have several points or issues
that can be raised.
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14. Cumulative Brainstorming
Size: Entire class or large or small groups
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. The instructor writes a different issue, question, or
problem onto four or five large sheets of paper, and then
hangs those sheets around the classroom.
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2. The instructor asks the students to form groups of
about five members each.
3. Each group goes to a different sheet of paper and for
three or four minutes they jot down some ideas pertaining
to the issue that is written on it.
4. Each group then rotates around to the next sheet of
paper and they jot down their ideas pertaining to that issue.
They can add new ideas, they can propose counterpoints to
the ideas written by the previous group, or they can
endorse an idea written down by the previous group by
putting a check mark beside it.
5. The groups keep rotating from sheet to sheet until each
group has commented on all the issues. Each group then
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returns to its original sheet and assesses or synthesizes
what has been written there.
6. A member from each group reports back to the class as
a whole.
Pointers:
This collaborative activity promotes deep learning by
encouraging students to build on or critique each other’s
ideas.
Cumulative brainstorming can also be done in a small group:
each student in the group jots down an idea pertaining to a
different problem or issue. Each student then hands their
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sheet of paper to the student on the left (clockwise), who adds
an idea or comment to the sheet of paper they have just
received. This continues until all the students have commented
on all the sheets.
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15. Crowdsourcing
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Tell your students that you will write onto the
whiteboard everything they know, or think they know,
about a given topic. You can have them call out the
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information or, have them raise their hands before
speaking.
2. The activity continues until the students can’t think of
anything further, or until the topic is sufficiently explored
for the time being.
3. The instructor then asks the students to organize the
information into categories.
4. The instructor then comments on the various pieces of
information that students have contributed, making
connections, elaborating, and correcting any errors.
Pointers:
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This activity helps students feel involved and engaged in the
process of accumulating and then synthesizing information.
16. Give one, get one
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Have students fold a piece of paper lengthwise to form
two columns and write “Give One” at the top of the left-
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hand column and “Get One” at the top of the right-hand
column.
2. Ask students to brainstorm a list of all the things they
already know about the topic they will be studying by
writing the items down in the left-hand column. You may
want to give them a specific number of bullets to guide the
amount of responses.
3. After making the list, have students stand and find a
partner. Each person should “give one” of their ideas by
saying it out loud. Partners take turns sharing.
4. Have students write any new information they get from
these discussions in the “get one” column of their lists,
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along with the name of the person who gave them the
information.
5. Students should rotate around the room, talking to two
or three partners.
6. Once everyone has given and received information, the
whole class can discuss the information students have
listed.
Pointers:
(Irvine et al, 2006)
This activity is designed to help students access prior
knowledge. It promotes connection between students and
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allows the teacher to also get some feedback about prior
learning.
This activity can be easily scaled up by inviting students to
connect with the people in the vicinity of where they are
sitting. It will be important to be clear to students how many
people they should connect with and the procedure that they
should use to determine who to connect with.
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17. Exit Ticket
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. At some point during the class, identify a question that
you would like to have students answer and let them know
that answering this question will be their ticket out the
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door. You can even provide them with a small piece of
paper that has the question written on it.
2. Remind students before the end of class and then give
students a few minutes at the end of class to write their
response.
3. Make arrangements to collect the tickets. You might
have students place them in a box at the door or, you may
want to stand at the door and collect them yourself.
4. As with any learning activity and assignment, teacher
feedback is important. It is the essential element to making
the activity successful. You must do something with the
work in order for the student to know that his effort has
been noticed and honored. This could include sending a
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summary to students by email or responding to their
responses at the beginning of the next class.
Pointers:
This activity is also called an exit ticket and it provides an
opportunity for the students to give low risk/stakes written
feedback to the teacher. It allows the teacher to also get some
feedback about student learning and even measure the
effectiveness of different learning strategies being used in
class.
Follow up by the instructor can happen in the next class.
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18. 3-2-1
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
1. Instructor provides each learner with the 3 • 2 • 1
graphic organizer, including prompts e.g., 3 – Important
points from today’s lecture. 2 – Limitations of this
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perspective. 1 – Question I still have is…? Or 1 point that
was unclear was…?
2. Learners reflect on the questions posed and record their
ideas on the 3 • 2 • 1 graphic organizer (e.g., after viewing a
video, listening to a panel presentation or guest speaker,
engaging in a service-learning activity, reflecting on a
personal experience, etc.).
3. Learners then share their ideas with others (e.g., Think
Pair Share-Technique #5).
4. The instructor listens for patterns in the students’
responses and uses these to debrief or link to the next part
of the instruction.
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Pointers:
3 – 2 – 1 is a graphic organizer that learners use to record
ideas, observations and/or reflections related to a specific
learning experience.
This is an activity that would work well with a larger scale
classroom because it involves individual reflection. Students
can respond individually in their seats. Students can either
share some of their responses in class and/or you can collect
their papers as an ‘exit ticket’, compile their responses and
then provide a response to students either online or in the
next class.
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19. Quiz/Test Questions
Time: Unrestricted
Activity
Students are asked to become actively involved in the creation
of tests and quizzes. The examples they come up with maybe
assigned for extra value or used on a regular class schedule to
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provide feedback to the student regarding whether they
understand the content or not. In asking students to think up
exam questions, we encourage them to think more deeply
about the course material and to explore major themes,
comparison of views presented, applications, and other
higher-order thinking skills.
Beyond simply using example questions as a quiz or test, ask
the students to evaluate the question submitted; in discussing
questions, they will significantly increase their engagement of
the material to supply answers. Students might be asked to
discuss several aspects of two different questions on the same
material including degree of difficulty, effectiveness in
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assessing their learning, proper scope of questions, and so
forth.
Pointers:
This activity can be adapted for large scale classrooms with the
use of small groups. Small groups can work together to
generate the questions. The small groups can share with the
larger groups either by sharing in the larger group or by
posting their questions to an online discussion board. Follow
up by the instructor can happen in the next class or online
through a generation of a composite document.
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20. Jigsaw
Time: 30-45 minutes
Activity
1. Instructor selects articles, excerpts from books or other
text appropriate to course content. Provide one reading
per person, or longer articles can be divided into
appropriate sections.
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2. Divide the students into small Cooperative Jigsaw
groups (e.g., 3-6 persons in each group).
3. Have each member of the Cooperative Jigsaw group
silently read the text assigned. Each person will have a
different reading. Time: 5-10 minutes.
4. Create new small (2-3) “Expert” groups with the
individuals who have read the same material. Allow time for
learners to discuss what they have read and how they
might teach this when they return to their Cooperative
groups. Time: 5-10 minutes.
5. Recreate the original Cooperative Jigsaw groups. Have
each person teach the rest of the group the material from
the text read. Time: 5 minutes / person.
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6. Conclude with a key question(s) for the groups or
discuss applications or implications of the ideas within the
groups or with the entire class. Maybe combined with other
take-up evaluation techniques to ensure that individuals
understand the content.
Pointers:
A jigsaw provides a way for students to learn new content and
also provides an opportunity for them to teach each other
what they have learned and discuss implications of the
reading.
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21. Flash Review
Time: 30-45 minutes
Activity
1. Create a list of 10-15 questions based on major
themes/ideas of course content.
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2. Integrate the open-ended questions into a simple
PowerPoint Presentation and set the slides to transition at a
20 (to 30) second interval.
3. Instruct students to get into pairs and to discuss the
correct answer for each question as it emerges.
4. While the slides are progressing, circulate through the
classroom and listen to the discussion that the students are
having about each question. Make a note of places where
they are having difficulty, where there are blockages.
5. Back in the larger group, ask students to share the
‘answers’ and to indicate areas where they feel that they
need clarification.
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6. Address the areas that they need clarification from what
they have shared and/or from what you heard while you
were circulating.
7. Follow up with a list of the questions and the answers
generated through the activity, as well as areas for further
support and send the materials to students as an email or
post them online.
Pointers:
It can sometimes be difficult to gauge the different areas that
students need clarification on. This activity provides you with
an opportunity as an instructor to determine different areas of
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the course content that are causing ‘blockages’ for students.
Once the blockages have been determined, you can address
them with the class.
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22. Continuum Line
Time: 10-30 minutes
Activity
1. SET UP: You will need a medium to large space for this
activity. An open space is ideal, but not required as students
will be moving around.
2. INSTRUCTION: Tell the class that the room is a continuum,
with one wall being the “strongly agree” side and the opposite
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wall being the “strongly disagree” side. Now, present an issue
or open question where students must decide the extent to
which they agree or disagree with the prompt. Tell them to
move to their ‘position’ along the continuum.
3. Once students have found their positions on the
continuum, take some time discussing the prompt and the
similar or different positions.
4. This can be repeated for a variety of topics or open-ended
questions.
5. CLOSE: Once you are done with all the prepared prompts,
have students go back to their normal arrangement and
continue or close the lesson.
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Pointers:
This is a great large group activity that helps generate
discussion, clarify concepts, and get students thinking about
their own perspective in comparison to others. This is an
excellent activity for opening discussions about “grey-area”
concepts where opinions can differ.
Variations on the Continuum Line
 This activity usually takes 10 minutes or much more depending
on the group size and number of prompts.
 Once students take their positions on the continuum you can
have them discuss their perspectives with each other, have a
larger class discussion where they present their opinions, or
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both! Though be mindful some students may feel
uncomfortable publicly demonstrating their opinion.
 Ensure you are able to facilitate the discussion respectfully,
especially if discussing potentially sensitive topics. If this is the
case, you may want to instruct students that if a certain topic is
too overwhelming, they can step out or choose not to
participate and just listen.
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23. Mind Maps
Time: 10-30 minutes
Activity
1. MATERIALS: Students just need some type of writing
surface and writing instrument.
2. INSTRUCTION: Mind maps can be integrated in teaching in
so many ways and at different points of a lesson or course. Ask
students to draw and identify connections between various
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concepts discussed in a single class, or across multiple classes,
by drawing a schematic map. This map could include key ideas,
terms or sketches, with lines drawn between these entries to
indicate relationships.
3. CLOSE: You can end the mind map activity in a variety of
ways as well. If you want to assess students’ understanding,
consider collecting the mind maps.
Pointers:
Mind Maps are an excellent and very popular teaching
technique. In particular, they can help facilitate discussion,
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improve collaborative thinking, connect concepts, and break
down larger concepts or ideas.
Variations on Mind Maps
 You can dedicate as much time as you want to mind maps
depending on the concept, students’ knowledge, and the
context of your lesson. They could be a 10-minute activity to a
class-long activity. You can even make a mind map an
assignment.
 You can easily integrate mind maps in other activities, such as
having larger class discussions, having group presentations,
etc.
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 In addition to writing, students can develop a metaphor or
draw images to simplify and explain a given concept.
 Consider sharing mind maps that students have made with
each other to prompt further discussion and critical thinking.
24. Guided Note Taking
Time: 10-30 minutes
Activity
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 Provide students with the note-taking structure, whether
ahead of time by email or Web or in class as a handout.
 Present your lecture on course content using the same note-
taking structure.
 As information is presented during the lecture, ensure the
students are filling in missing content to complete the guided
notes. You may do so by asking key questions or even asking
specifically, “Based on what you have learned, what do you
think goes in this spa ce?”
Pointers:
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Guided Note-Taking uses the concept of scaffolding to provide
students with a structure for taking notes during a lecture.
Scaffolding is a fundamental aspect of learning. It is the
process by which individuals learn new information by building
on what is known. Guided Note-Taking provides students with
a format for active listening, and research suggests that being
active can improve learning. Students have specific questions
to answer or blanks to fill in, and this can improve their
willingness and ability to pay attention. Through scaffolding,
students identify the most important concepts introduced
and begin to make distinctions between these concepts and
less important ones. The information missing from the note-
taking structure is only provided during lecture, Guided
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Note-Taking shows students which information is most
valuable and gives them an incentive to come to class and
pay attention. Thus, this can also have a positive effect on class
attendance (which typically improves performance).
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25. Muddiest Point
Time: 10-30 minutes
Activity
 Determine what you want feedback on: the entire class session
or one self-contained segment? A lecture, a discussion, a
presentation?
 If you are using the technique in class, reserve a few minutes
at the end of the class session. Leave enough time to ask the
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question, to allow students to respond, and to collect their
responses by the usual ending time.
Let students know beforehand how much time they will have
to respond and what use you will make of their responses
 Pass out slips of paper or index cards for students to write on.
 Collect the responses as or before students leave. Stationing
yourself at the door and collecting "muddy points" as students
file out is one way; leaving a "muddy point" collection box by
the exit is another.
 Respond to the students' feedback during the next class
meeting or as soon as possible afterward.
80 | P a g e

Pointers:
The Muddiest Point is just about the simplest technique one
can use. It is also remarkably efficient, since it provides a high
information return for a very low investment of time and
energy.
The technique consists of asking students to jot down a quick
response to one question: "What was the muddiest point in
________?" The focus of the Muddiest Point assessment might
be a lecture, a discussion, a homework assignment, a play, or a
film.
81 | P a g e

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