Active Learning
Engaging Students Through Active Learning
Active learning is any instructional activity, in class or online, that compels learners to directly engage in processing subject matter. This is based on the premise that the person who does the work, does the learning. More than just listening to a lecture, active learning requires students to participate in some way through direct experience, active discussion, or hands-on problem-solving activities.
There are many ways to include active learning in your classes, from very simple to more complex, but research shows that even some active participation interspersed with lectures can reduce failure rates and increase test performance. Short interludes where students are asked to practice, discuss, or make something have been shown to significantly improve enjoyment and increase retention. Remember: no one learned to ride a bike by listening to someone tell them about it.
IFLEX Active Learning Classrooms
iFLEX (which stands for Illinois Flexible Learning Experience), refers to newer classrooms on this campus intentionally designed for small-group and hands-on learning activities. IFLEX classrooms feature chairs and tables on wheels, multiple writing surfaces, and enhanced AV technology. Favored by instructors who have flipped some or all of their course content, or who regularly facilitate active and collaborative learning activities during class, IFLEX classrooms allow instructors to seamlessly switch between lecture, discussion, group activities, and technology-supported projects. A limited number of IFLEX classrooms are located across the campus and may be reserved on a first-come basis through arrangement with your department scheduler.
Active Learning Activities Make Thinking Visible
Think-Pair-Share (TPS) is a widely used technique that gets everyone participating and focused on course content. Start by posing an open-ended question to the entire class. Give students a couple minutes to think individually and formulate their own responses, which strengthens their ability to recall and process content. Then ask them to pair up with a neighbor to discuss their ideas, which helps students articulate their thoughts and detect gaps in their understanding for another few minutes. Finally, call on select pairs to share their insights with the larger class, which gives instructors a chance to correct misconceptions and add nuance. The alternative Think-Write-Pair-Share variation adds another layer of information processing. Both strategies break down the large group into more manageable, interactive segments, so that all students have an opportunity to speak and be heard.
Students use mini-whiteboards or work collaboratively on larger boards to respond to questions, solve problems, brainstorm, or illustrate ideas during class with dry-erase markers and sticky notes. This can be done in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class. Whiteboard activities promote active participation and immediate feedback. The temporary, low-stakes nature of writing on whiteboards encourages students to take risks and revise their thinking. It also allows instructors to quickly assess understanding and adjust instruction in real time.
Best in IFLEX classrooms with multiple whiteboards. Effective for a problem too big for one person to solve alone, or to introduce a new topic. Student groups are asked to Create an initial product—a sketch, working solution, or concept map based on a course topic and draw it on their team whiteboard. Then they Rotate around the room considering other group products, gallery-style. At each station they add a question or feedback to Critique the other groups. Finally, students return to their home station and consider peer suggestions, after which they may Revise their original work. CRCR fosters a cycle of peer learning and reflection where students engage with one another’s ideas, practice giving and receiving feedback, and improve their work through iteration.
Concept mapping is a visual learning tool where students work alone or with peers to graphically represent concepts and the relationships between them. Typical concept maps use circles or boxes for concepts and arrows for connections and can be used as a formative assessment to provide a "window into student thinking" for instructors. This activity supports student engagement by promoting higher-level thinking skills (analysis, application, critical evaluation, and synthesis), and peer interaction which enhances deep learning and student motivation.
Students research and assemble a chronological sequence of events, processes, or ideas related to course content. This can be done individually, in groups, or as a class and may be digital, physical, or drawn in notebooks. Timelines help students organize and synthesize information, recognize cause-effect relationships, and develop a deeper understanding to see how ideas develop over time. In a similar activity, Bridging Snapshots, students assemble images that explain an historical event, how a process unfolds, or the development of an idea or movement. Building a timeline improves process-oriented thinking and recall of ideas or events.
Works best in IFLEX active learning classrooms with multiple monitors. The classroom is set up with multiple stations, each featuring a different activity, task to be completed, group presentation, or image to be analyzed (gallery). Students rotate through the stations in small groups or individually. Moving between stations keeps students engaged, while promoting collaboration and deeper exploration of content. Sometimes called Divide and Conquer, each station can be used to scaffold a complex learning task or to explore multiple aspects of a single topic. Particularly effective for small groups sharing research posters or reporting results.
A popular end of a lesson activity, the One Minute Paper, or sometimes called the One-Minute Takeaway, asks students to spend one minute writing a brief response to a prompt such as, “What was the most important thing you learned today?” or “What question do you still have?” This technique encourages personal reflection, emphasizes the value of putting thoughts into words, and reinforces learning. The One Minute Paper can be used at any time to gather instant feedback on student understanding and identify areas needing clarification.
Students complete a short problem-set or submit the answer to a thought question at the end of class. Exit tickets may be written on paper, submitted digitally, or answered verbally but they must be completed before students leave the classroom. Exit tickets provide formative assessment data for instructors and help students consolidate and reinforce key takeaways from the lesson. The similar Entry Ticket can be given at the start of class to check if students have completed essential readings or prework needed for that day. Entry or Exit Tickets can also be used to collect questions or concerns students may be having with difficult concepts.
Students chart their progress during a class period or learning module to describe what they Know about a topic (usually at the start of the lesson), what they Learned (during or after a lesson), and what they still have questions about, or Want to Know (at the close of a lesson). KLW charts activate prior knowledge, encourages independent thinking, helps students track their learning progress, and encourages curiosity and prediction. KLW can also be used periodically to provide a snapshot of where the class is struggling, or after a practice exam to pinpoint knowledge gaps.