The Center for Faculty Excellence

Teaching Tips - In the Trenches

Use
Active Learning To Enhance Your Class

"Tell me and I'll listen. Show me and I'll understand. Involve me and I'll learn."

Active
Learning changes the student from a passive recipient of information
to a full participant in learning the material you think most important.

Why
Use Active Learning?

Research shows that active
learning is the equal of lectures in helping students master content and
is superior in developing students' thinking and writing skills. It also
finds students prefer active-learning strategies.

Does
Active Learning Mean Never Lecturing Again?

Not at all. But you may
chose to modify your approach to lecturing.

Start
Slowly.
 

Modify
Your Lecture By:

  • Pausing to enhance
    retention and comprehension because it focuses on clarifying and assimilating
    the information.
  • Use frequent tests
    and quizzes -- some ungraded. They help students retain almost twice
    as much information.
  • Use demonstrations
    to stimulate curiosity and improve understanding of difficult material.
Active Learning