Student participation and engagement are key areas of focus for instructors. Active learning strategies can be successful among students when the instructors teaching the material are thoughtful and diligent in the design of learning. Active Learning strategies deal with how students encounter the topic, how they are engaged with it, and how they reflect upon it.  

Student engagement can be successful when instructors are willing to expand their practices to accommodate the needs of the active learning process. These methods include creative activities, group projects, brainstorming sessions, and discussions. Such activities will help the students engross themselves in the study material and help them quickly and effectively retain new information. Students tend to remember information much more effectively through an activity they had taken part in compared to a topic that the instructor just taught.  

Active learning can be enacted as a form of student participation within the classroom. Both students and instructors need to be fully invested in this concept, as the outcome of these techniques is highly valuable. These techniques put the student in charge of their education. The best thing about this process is that it can be done in a physical classroom or in an online setting. Instead of just listening to someone speak, students are expected to read, write, and discuss the core concepts they are currently learning. 

Strategies for Implementing Active Learning Within a Course 

• Game-based learning can be fun and engaging for students. It can include crossword puzzles, IQ games, roleplaying, and Four Corners. Four Corners is a game that presents several answer options to a single question; this is a practical approach to multiple-choice questions. Such activities redefine student engagement. 
• Problem-based learning is a method where the student’s critical thinking skills will be tested along with their approach to solving the problem. This method helps students to deal with real-life problems as well. 
• Collaborative learning is a technique where groups of students work toward solving a problem, by allowing them to inculcate each other’s viewpoints to solve the problem. 
• Discussion-based learning involves everyone in the class talking about a particular topic so that the students can gain knowledge from different viewpoints. This activity can also be completed online, through the Discussion board feature, available in our LMS.
• The jigsaw method involves students forming groups of three to four to work on a task related to the lesson content. Each student will be assigned one task within the group, where each student will be aware of the material, and can teach it to their fellow group members. 
• An activity that is both creative and engaging is that of visual lists. Students can create a list related to a particular topic using pictures, symbols, and images. 
• Live word clouds can also summarize a topic in a few words. This will help students to break down complex topics into a few words, which can be used to remember that topic. 
• Reciprocal questioning is when the student takes up the role of a teacher, creates or gathers a few questions from the topic, then asks the rest of the class the questions. This technique promotes curiosity and discussions among classmates. 
• The pause procedure is a technique in which the instructor arranges pauses of two to three minutes between ten to fifteen minutes of lecture time.  This allows the students time to review and reflect on their notes, then discuss their queries. 
• The Muddiest point technique helps identify the unclear point in a topic. When the students can rate their understanding of a topic, it becomes easy for them and the instructor to identify the concepts that need further study. 
• The Learning Cell is a very effective activity for active learning.  It is when a pair of students are expected to study and learn together by asking and answering each other’s questions. They will then discuss the similarities and differences in their notes after the class. In this way, students can focus on the points they had difficulty understanding. This activity also involves the instructor going from group to group, asking questions, and giving feedback to the students (Raudys, 2022). 

Active learning encourages student interaction and confidence because participating in such activities motivates them to take risks. Instructors can utilize these techniques to help students overcome their difficulties, by using the knowledge they have gained from the activities and their experiences.  If you are interested in adding these strategies to your courses, please reach out to the SCSU Online and Distance Learning team. Reach out to us via email or through Bookings. 

References: 

Albracht, L., & Hurson, L., (2019, August 28). Active learning strategies. Center of Teaching and Learning, Baruch, CUNY.   https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/activelearning/activity-list/ 

Faculty Focus. (2021, July 22). How to implement active learning strategies and activities in your classroom. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning.  https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/how-to-implement-active-learning-strategies-and-activities-into-your-classroom/   

Fauxels. (2019a). Group of people sitting indoors [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-sitting-indoors-3184361/

Fauxels. (2019b). Woman wearing gray cardigan and eyeglasses [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-gray-cardigan-and-eyeglasses-3184295/

Raudys, J. (2022, September 13). 8 active learning strategies and examples. Prodigy Education. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/active-learning-strategies-examples/

Williams, A., & O’Dowd, D. (2021, January 19). Seven practical strategies to add active learning to a science lecture. Neuroscience Letters | Science Direct. https://www-sciencedirect-com.scsuproxy.mnpals.net/science/article/pii/S0304394020305875 

 

Nishika Gopathi is a Graduate Assistant for Online and Distance Learning at St. Cloud State University. She is a student of Information Assurance.  She likes to paint and travel in her free time.