Written by Tom McKinnon, Co-Director, Teaching and Faculty Support Center
Twenty-five years ago when I first got into college teaching, college professors lectured from bell to bell. That was what college teaching was all about and a good teacher was one who lectured eloquently. Being a college professor was a dignified profession and our biggest fear was that colleagues or students might label our course "Mickey Mouse" if we deviated from the lecture. Now we know more about how students learn and research tells us that students learn better not when they are passive recipients of information but when they are actively engaged. The focus has changed from teaching to learning. No longer do we talk about how to become a better teacher as much as how to promote better learning. Ideally, we identify learning outcomes we want to encourage and develop a strategy to achieve them.
With this in mind, the Teaching and Faculty Support Center put together a program we euphemistically refer to as a "roadshow" for departments as requested on "Techniques for Active Learning. " We begin the discussions by making the case for engaging students in active learning. Research indicates that more effective and lasting learning is achieved when students are engaged in talking, writing, and being physically active than is achieved by passive listening. Active learning puts more emphasis on process and skill development than on transmission of information. Students engage in higher ordered thinking and once they overcome their passivity, are more motivated. In the grand tradition of academics, faculty in the departments that we visited questioned these assertions. We have had some very interesting discussions and the objections to adopting active learning strategies can be summarized in the following five good reasons:
This is a very serious objection, especially when the course is part of a sequence with later courses built on it or presents material that is part of a professionally qualifying exam. It seems to me that we make two assumptions here that may not hold. First we assume that students cannot learn unless we tell them. In reality, there are a number of alternative ways for students to gain course content, such as out of class reading and writing assignments or development of projects. The second faulty assumption we make is that when we tell students, they learn. Research has shown that in a 50 minute lecture, student attention and retention drop of significantly after ten to fifteen minutes. This means that while you may be giving valuable information in your lectures, the students may not be hearing or storing it. Punctuating a 50 minute lecture with low-risk active learning strategies can break up the attention cycle and greatly enhancing retention.
Students typically do prefer the accustomed lecture where they passively take notes and then give them back on the test. However, once students become comfortable with being actively involved, they are more motivated and put more attention, time and energy into the course. One way to help students make the initial transition to active learning is to provide a clear explanation and strong rationale for the change in class format. When students are informed that new active learning strategies are being used to increase attention, retention, and ultimately, student success, they are more likely to approach them with a positive attitude.
Preparation time for implementing active learning strategies will be greater than it might be for rehashing old lecture notes, but probably no greater than for developing a new lecture. Once the active learning strategies have been developed and are in place, preparation time will drop significantly.
The focus of active learning strategies that involve cooperative learning is not content transmission, but content processing. Through active learning, students are able to work through the content, incorporating it into their existing base of knowledge while the professor guides their discovery. Students usually adapt to the new roles more readily than do professors, who sometimes have a hard time relinquishing the position of "sage on the stage" for the role of "guide on the side."
Some active learning strategies are not appropriate for a large class just as some may not work well in a very small class. However, there are a number of strategies that do work well in large classes. Research has shown that some strategies, such as cooperative learning, help to reduce the anonymity students may feel in a large class and lead to higher student retention and attendance rates as well as greater student success.
These objections are not trivial, and justly deserve thoughtful consideration. But it should be pointed out that using active strategies is not an all or nothing proposition. Start small by using low-risk strategies to punctuate the lectures, or develop a project in one area with which students seem to be struggling. There are a lot of reasons not to use active learning, and to do so often requires that we step outside of our "comfort zone." Yet, as many of us have found, those small steps can be the first down a road to a more positive and satisfying learning experience for students and professors alike.
Professor Carl Schorske has suggested that the test of a good teacher is "Do you regard learning as a noun or a verb?" If as a noun, as a thing to be processed and passed along, then you present your truths, neatly packaged, to your students. But if you see learning as a verb, the process is different.
"One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it-you have no certainty until you try." -Sophocles
A good way to begin using active learning in the classroom is to incorporate "lecture interruptions" into your established lectures. Below are some low-risk suggestions:
Ask a question of the class requiring higher level thinking skills. Encourage students to think about the question and their answer for a couple of minutes. Students then pair with a classmate to discuss answers. Volunteer groups then share their conclusions with the class.
As a lecture interruption or in the closing minutes of a class session, ask students to take out a sheet of paper and for one minute, summarize main points of lecture or note any muddy points of the lecture. Collect these and use feedback to target problem areas.
Ask students to get out of their desks and line up according to their position on a value issue that pertains to the lecture. (Strongly against at one end, strongly supporting at the other end). Break the line in the middle, move the bottom half parallel to the top half. This creates dyads for discussion consisting of one extreme opinion coupled with a moderate opinion. Ask the pairs to discuss a question and report to the class later.
Develop questions pertaining to the lecture and place each in a "traveling file." Divide class into discussion groups, and give each group a different file. Have them discuss the question and record their answer, placing their answer in the folder. After an established time limit has passed, have groups trade folders with another team and repeat the process. Do this until all groups have considered all questions. Instructor may then choose to read the responses in the folder and discuss the question.
Suggestions taken from "Busy, Noisy, and Powerfully Effective" by Iahlynn Karre - available for your perusal at the Teaching and Faculty Support Center
A classroom exercise from Charles Leflar
I draw a 5 X 5 or 5 X 6 matrix on the board; 5 categories with 5 or 6 graduated point values below each topic. I arrange my question and answer sheet in the same matrix format for ease.
Flip a coin to see which team chooses the first category and point value. Read the answer for that point value in the matrix while watching the class. Whichever individual, on either team, first raises his/her hand is the one who must provide the question (As in the Jeopardy TV show format). If they get it right, they may choose again. If not, the other team may try to answer for the points. After a point value has been chosen from the matrix, mark through it so it will not be chosen again.
Keep score on the board. Give positive points for correct answers and deduct points for wrong answers. This is necessary to prevent teams with a lead from quickly raising hands to keep the other team locked out. It also makes the scores more volatile and the game more interesting. A 5 X 6 matrix takes about 45 minutes to complete.
In my experience, this format works best towards the end of the semester when the students know each other (and you) and feel comfortable in the class. A small prize may be awarded to the winning team.
Sometimes I include a category of personal data (no. of children, favorite restaurant, etc. . .) just for fun. As in the game, I include "daily doubles" and "final jeopardy." Students love it!
Robert Hawkes, a professor at Mount Allison University, E-mailed current and former students with this question:
What advice would you give faculty on teaching first year students?
Here's what they said:
The class should be interesting. Variety and surprise are the key elements. Unpredictable things should happen occassionally.
The teacher should relate the material to the real world. Analogies and examples are critical to the understanding of most subjects.
Be clear and organized. In planning the class, ask what you want students to see as key themes. Don't allow students to lose sight of the forest for the trees.
Stress and repeat main points. Students aren't listening to every word you say; therefore, its important to stress important points several times in different ways.
Empathize with students. This doesn't mean being soft or undemanding, just understanding.
Make adequate time for office hours. Put a schedule on your door and allow them to sign up for a block of time. Leave your door open whenever possible. Institute a hotline to you the night before any major test.
Finally, ask for feedback. Always try to make each class better than it was last year or last week.