Active Learning

Which of the following definitions best reflects this module's definition of active learning?

• Students taking notes on a lecture

• All students in class being asked to speak, write, or reflect on something

• All students in class working in groups on an assigned activity

• All students being physically active in class

Instructor asks a question and calls on a student to respond

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

Instructor asks a question, gives the students 10 seconds to work on it individually, and calls on a student to give his/her response

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

Instructor asks a question, gives the students 10 seconds to work on it individually, then has them form pairs and gives the pairs 30 seconds to try to reach consensus on the correct answer, and finally calls on a student to give the pair's response

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

Instructor poses a problem, gives students two minutes to work in pairs on beginning the problem solution, and calls on students in several pairs to report on what their pairs did

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

Instructor poses a problem, gives students 10 minutes to work in groups of five to solve the problem, and calls on students in several groups to report on their groups' solutions

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

Instructor lists several superpowers (ability to fly, ability to see through walls, etc.), gives students a minute to work in groups of three to reach consensus on which power they would choose, and calls on a student to give his/her group's selection and the reasons behind it.

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

. Instructor puts up a multiple-choice conceptual question, students use their cell phones to record their answers and the instructor displays the distribution of responses, then the students discuss their responses with each other in pairs and revote. The instructor gives the correct answer and the class discusses why the other answers were wrong.

• good active learning practice

• questionable active learning practice

• not active learning

The optimal class session contains

• mostly lecturing

• mostly activities

• an equal blend of lecturing and activities

• a variable blend of lecturing and activities

You want to show a complex problem solution to your class in a way that best equips the students to solve a similar problem themselves. The technique recommended for this purpose in the module is

• showing the step-by-step solution in class, giving students the chance to ask questions after every step

• thinking-aloud pair problem solving (TAPPS)

• think-pair-share

• using personal response system (clicker) technology