Session Handout-Active Learning Principles and Strategies

Making it stick:
How to design engaging and effective learning activities
Session Description: Research on learning strongly indicates that when students actively engage content—by
discussing, arguing, connecting, contrasting, applying, evaluating, questioning, integrating, etc.—they learn more,
and, importantly, it sticks! This session focuses on tried-and-true strategies that engage students while explaining
the basic principles and rationale for these methods. These strategies constitute a flexible set of instructional tools
that can be applied in any academic discipline and used for a variety of learning objectives. You will leave this
session with ready-to-use strategies to make your classroom an active, engaged and effective learning environment.
Highlighted Principles of Active Learning
1. Understanding is strengthened by using knowledge. Learning is not simply transmitted from the
instructor to the students. Knowledge is constructed in the minds of students. Active learning helps
facilitate this process.
2. Learning is a social process. Active learning strategies often require social interactions—between
peers and with you, the instructor. You can foster relationships and cultivate an environment that
supports positive and educationally productive social interactions.
3. The role of the instructor is to design activities that facilitate learning. Different learning activities
are suited for different goals. First, consider what your learning objectives are. Then, decide what
learning activities will make the most of your limited in- and out-of-class time.
Below is a list of active learning strategies that will be modeled and discussed during this session.
Active learning Brief description/Rationale
strategy
1. Class starter What is it? •Begin class with a question or thinking prompt written on the board •Draw
students’ attention to the prompt as they enter •Incorporate the question/prompt during
the class period
Why is it worth doing? •Helps students to start thinking about pertinent ideas •Uses time
that is often wasted
2. Rapid polling What is it? •Students answer Likert-style or multiple choice questions by signaling their
response on their fingers or with colored cards.
Why is it worth doing? •Quick way of tapping opinion •Provides an opportunity for
students to actively participate and see peers’ opinions •Get and give feedback on student
understanding
3. Learning
partners
What is it? •Students perform a learning task with a person seated nearby •Products or
ideas from learning partner activities can be incorporated into large-group discussions or
activities.
Why is it worth doing? •All students actively participate •Engages students who do not
feel confortable speaking in large-group settings
New Teaching Assistantship Orientation | Teaching & Learning Center | Bradley Bergey | p. 1

4. Opinion
spectrum
What is it? •Pose a question or issue on which there will likely be varied responses
•Establish poles on a spectrum (e.g., Agree/Disagree) •Students move themselves to
physically represent their “stance” on the issue • Ask students to articulate their view or an
opposing viewpoint
Why is it worth doing? •Gets students out of their seats—can be a good break in a lecture
•Can visually see differences in opinions and how opinions shift over time
5. Jigsaw What is it? •Assign different readings to different students (e.g., some students read
section 1, others section 2, etc.) •Students who read the same reading meet to discuss
and solidify their understanding •Then, students are paired with others who have read
different materials •Students teach each other the content
Why is it worth doing? •In teaching others, students understand and retain more
•Exposes students to a greater amount of material while limiting the amount of reading for
each individual student
6. Quick whip What is it? •Each member of the class quickly shares a comment, idea or question.
Why is it worth doing? •Everyone participates •Lots of ideas are shared quickly
7. Exit slips What is it? •In the closing minutes of class, students respond to a prompt or question (e.g.,
What is the stickiest/most unclear point? The main idea for today is…)
Why is it worth doing? •Provides feedback on students’ understanding, questions, etc.
•Provides opportunities for students to consolidate what was learned •If graded, exit slips
provide an incentive to not leave early
Also discussed during this session: •Student-created case studies •Mind maps •Learning journals •Fish-bowl
discussion •10 Suggestions to improve a lecture •10 Steps when facilitating experiential activities •10 Time
savers when active learning takes time •10 Interventions when students get out of hand
Many of these tips and activities have been taken directly or indirectly from:
Silberman, M. (1996). Active learning: 101 Strategies to teach any subject. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
For workshop materials, please email me at: bradley.bergey@temple.edu
New Teaching Assistantship Orientation | Teaching & Learning Center | Bradley Bergey | p. 2