ActiveLearninSTEM
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The document discusses various active learning strategies that can be used in STEM classes. It defines active learning as an approach where students engage with material through activities like discussions and problem-solving rather than passive listening. Some basic elements of active learning include talking, writing, reading, and reflecting. A number of specific strategies are then outlined, such as think-pair-share activities, problem-based learning, and peer instruction techniques using response cards or personal devices.
ActiveLearninSTEM
- 1. Active Learning in STEM Classes TA Project Chetan Tonde November, 21st 2013 Room 117- Busch Campus
- 2. TA Project Outline • What is “Active Learning” ? • Basic Elements of Active Learning • Basic Active Learning Strategies • How to make it work ? • Discussion and Questions
- 3. TA Project What is “Active Learning”? • Traditional learning students sit passively in a class room and absorb knowledge transmitted by an expert. – They can clarify, question, apply and consolidate new knowledge • An approach to classroom instruction in which students engage in material through talking, writing, reading, reflecting or questioning – ”being active” – Improves student understanding and retention – Effective in developing higher order cognitive skills like problem solving and critical thinking – Increased motivation and improved interpersonal skills – Achieved by: discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays, journal writing, structured learning groups. • Challenges in implementing Active Learning in Classes – Disinterested students, Time pressures, Classroom management
- 4. TA Project Basic Elements of Active Learning • Basic Elements – Talking and Listening: – Writing – Reading – Reflecting
- 5. TA Project Basic Elements of Active Learning • Basic Elements – Talking and Listening: • When students talk about a topic, – answering a teacher's question – explaining a point to another student – they organize and reinforce what they've learned. • When they listen, – to ensure that it's meaningful listening, – relating what they hear to what they already know. – students need periodic time away from passive listening in order to absorb what they've heard – they need reasons to listen “Why listen?”, reasons perhaps more important than a good grade at the end of the semester.
- 6. TA Project Basic Elements of Active Learning • Basic Elements – Writing: • provides a means for students to process new information in their own words. • particularly effective in large classrooms where breaking students into pairs or groups may be difficult • appeals to individuals who prefer to learn independently
- 7. TA Project Basic Elements of Active Learning • Basic Elements – Reading : • Students 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 • help them develop the ability to focus on important information.
- 8. TA Project Basic Elements of Active Learning • Basic Elements – Reflecting: • In a traditional lecture class students have no time to pause and reflect, • to connect what they've just learned with what they already know, • to use/apply the knowledge they've gained in any way. • Allow students to pause for thought, – to use their new knowledge to teach each other, – to answer questions on the day's topics – helps this increases their retention.
- 9. TA Project Categories of Active Learning Strategies • Individual activities • Paired activities • Informal small groups • Cooperative student projects • Your choice of these will depend on – size of your class, – physical space, – your objectives, – amount of time you have to devote to the activity, – your comfort level with the strategy
- 10. TA Project Planning your Active Learning Strategy • 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?
- 11. TA Project Planning your Active Learning Strategy • 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*? • What preparation do you need to use the activity? • What preparation do the students need in order to participate fully?
- 12. TA Project Planning your Active Learning Strategy – Key Ideas • Be creative! Invent new strategies and adapt existing ones to your needs. Start small. • Develop a plan, 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. • Tell students about why you are doing this and what you know about the learning process. • vary their seating arrangements to increase their chances to work with different people.
- 13. TA Project Planning your Active Learning Strategy – Key Ideas • 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.
- 14. TA Project Basic Active Learning Strategies • Ice Breakers • Scenarios / Case Studies • Shared Brainstorming • Think / Pair / Share • Reciprocal Questioning • 3 - 2 - 1 Format • Write / Pair/ Share • Numbered Heads Together • Note Check • Student Summaries • Roundtable • Background Knowledge Probe
- 15. TA Project Basic Active Learning Strategies • Question and Answer Pairs • Corners • Generating Questions • One Minute Paper • Problem-Based Learning • Jigsaw Teamwork • Focused Listing • Ten-Two Strategy • Rotating Chair Discussions • Two Column Method • Peer Survey
- 16. TA Project Ice Breakers • Those things that 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 course and what one thing each hopes to offer during the course, 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.
- 17. TA Project 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 to their own situations. • Approximate time: six to eight minutes. The procedure is as follows: – individuals reflect on (and perhaps jot notes) for one minute in response to a question – participants 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 – the discussion leader randomly chooses a few pairs to give thirty- second summaries of ideas.
- 18. TA Project Write/Pair/Share • The 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.
- 19. TA Project Student Summaries • During a class session, the instructor pauses and asks students to explain to a partner the central concepts just presented. • The instructor can request that students write or think individually prior to discussing with a partner
- 20. TA Project 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. – participants 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; – the participants pair up; A asks a prepared question and B responds; then B asks a prepared question and A responds; – the leader may ask for a sampling of questions and answers in order to bridge to a full group discussion.
- 21. TA Project One Minute Paper/Free Write • Ask participants to write for 2-3 minutes on a topic or in response to a question that you've developed for the session. • The moments of writing provide a transition for participants 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 participants 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.
- 22. TA Project Focused Listing • These listings are great follow ups to short presentations on a topic • participants are asked to absorb information that is new and that is vital to the discussion to follow. • As a full group, students take five to ten minutes for students to speak and record on a flip chart/white board as many associations as possible for this prompt.
- 23. TA Project 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 – eg, "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 another. • You might ask half the room to be initially responsible for the 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 participants 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 participants can begin a next stage of discussion.
- 24. TA Project Scenarios/Case Studies • Provide participants with a "local" example of a concept/theory/issue/topic being covered in the discussion. Participants discuss and analyze the scenario/case (provided by facilitator), applying the information covered in a presentation to some situation they may encounter outside of the workshop. • Participants 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 workshop leader can draw questions and synthesis from the material. • Participants can also develop (individually, in pairs, groups) their own work-based case studies and exchange them with others for discussion and analysis.
- 25. TA Project Reciprocal Questioning • The facilitator provides question stems, such as the following: • Comprehension Question Stems – Describe...in your own words. – What does...mean? – Why is...important? – How could...be used to...? • Connector Question Stems – Explain why...and how... – How are...and...similar? – How are...and...different? – How does...tie in with...that we learned before? • Participants then develop specific questions from the given stems and provide answers. Students can work individually, with a partner, or in a small group.
- 26. TA Project Numbered Heads Together • Here participants work in groups (large or small). To begin, a group member asks a question, then others in the group put 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 heads together and makes sure team members know the answer. Then Team One selects a Team Two person to answer the question.
- 27. TA Project 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.
- 28. TA Project 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.
- 29. TA Project 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).
- 30. TA Project Ten-Two Strategy • Presenter 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.
- 31. TA Project 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: Example of An Idea Usefull Information Unresolved Question
- 32. TA Project Shared Brainstorming • Presenter 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 presenter 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.
- 33. TA Project 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
- 34. TA Project 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.
- 35. TA Project Background Knowledge Probe • BKPs 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.
- 36. TA Project Generating Questions • Have students/participants create five types of questions from a reading assignment, with each question moving to a "higher" level of thinking. • 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.
- 37. TA Project Jigsaw Teamwork • A Jigsaw is an active learning exercise in which, – a general topic is divided into smaller, interrelated pieces (e.g., the puzzle is divided into pieces); – each member of a team is assigned to read and become an expert on a different piece of the puzzle – then, after each person has become an expert on their piece of the puzzle, they teach the other team members about that puzzle piece – finally, 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. • If any piece of the puzzle is missing, the team is generally a group and not a team.
- 38. TA Project 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: – When you would like to participate, raise your hand; – The person speaking will call on the next speaker (aiming to call on a person who has not/has less frequently contributed); – The person called on will first briefly restate/summarize what has been said then develop the idea further; – 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.
- 39. TA Project How to make it work ? Challenges ? • To overcome student resistance to active learning – Begin using active learning strategies early in the term – Be true to your word and use active learning frequently – Give clear instructions. – 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. – Manually break students into groups. – Start small and simple. Use low-impact strategies such as think-pair- share or in-class writing exercises.
- 40. TA Project To counter student complaints about active learning – Address student complaints 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. – Make an announcement early in the term and reprising it later if necessary. – student complaints offer opportunities for them to reflect on how they learn and how to improve those learning skills.
- 41. TA Project To maintain control of your classroom during active learning – It is not necessary to devote your entire session to active learning. Use al mix of traditional and active learning – Initially keep it short and simple. Use low impact strategies such as think-pair-share or focused writing. They are easy to implement and almost certain to be successful – 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 four elements: the goal of the activity, the outcomes you expect of students, the procedure they should follow, and the time limit for the activity. – Consider using 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.
- 42. TA Project To manage time pressures when using active learning – Consider 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. – 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.
- 43. TA Project 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. Explain these clearly at the outset of the activity.
- 44. TA Project 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.
- 45. TA Project Discussion ? Questions ?
- 47. TA Project References • Most material for this talk can be found at, – University of Minnesotta, Center for Teaching and Learning, http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/active/index.html
Editor's Notes
- #12: *(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.)
- #40: . 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. –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.