Welcome, Maple Hall instructors!
We know that you may be teaching in a classroom designed for active learning for the first time. You might be excited about being in a new space, but you might also have a lot of questions about how to incorporate active learning into your class and how the new furniture configurations in your classroom can be used to help you implement new strategies.
One of your questions might be, “What exactly is active learning?”. That is a great question! With active learning, students are actively engaged in creating their own knowledge about material through activities which require engagement beyond passively listening to lecture material.
There are many ways to incorporate active learning into a course, and we hope this page will help you become familiar with some easy ways to integrate active learning into your classes and how your students will benefit from engaging in these activities.
Active Learning Takes Many Forms
Making changes to your teaching style to incorporate active learning and using a new seating configuration may seem daunting! The good news is that there is no single active learning approach that you must use, and you won't need to completely abandon the lecture format. Instead, there are a number of practices you can use in class for students to engage in active learning, even taking just a few minutes to do a quick class poll, solicit student reflection, and ask students to share their thoughts with a partner will encourage active learning!
On this page, we will cover:
- Benefits of Active Learning
- Classroom Configurations
- Active Learning Strategies
- Learn More About Active Learning
Benefits of Active Learning
Active learning asks us to invite students to do more than just passively listen during class. Instead, they can work through complex ideas, alone or in partnership, to connect new information to their existing understanding, which allows them to expand their understanding of a concept. Active learning strategies give students the opportunity to reflect on what they already know, articulate their current understanding, synthesize and consolidate new information, and ask questions about what they still don’t understand, which is all part of the learning process.
Active learning benefits students in several ways:
Active learning attempts to engage students in higher-level thinking by asking them to analyze, evaluate, create, and engage in problem solving (Doolittle, et al., 2023).
Studies have shown active learning helps students retain information and helps improve their academic self-confidence (Davidson & Major, 2014). It also increases motivation (Adams et al., 2021).
Some studies have shown that students who engage in active learning in a class experience improved performance when compared with students who participate in a lecture-only class (Freeman et al., 2014).
By actively engaging with you and their classmates, students can develop a sense of belonging (Hayes, 2022). Research has shown that a sense of belonging is associated with improved self-efficacy (Kirby & Thomas, 2022), academic motivation (Kirby & Thomas, 2022), and persistence in higher education (Morrow & Ackermann, 2012). Since so many of our students come from traditionally underserved backgrounds, reinforcing that sense of belonging is vital.
Active learning has been shown to decrease the equity gap for underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students (Theobald et al., 2020), making it an important tool for any instructor dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Classroom Configurations
When you first entered your classroom in Maple Hall, you may have noticed that it isn’t filled with your typical, old-fashioned classroom chairs. The furniture was selected to make it easier to integrate active learning into class sessions. Some active learning strategies work best when students are physically arranged in different configurations, which is why you will see seating options for Standard Pods and U-Shape configurations in addition to the more familiar rows configuration.
Standard Pods Configuration
You may be wondering why the pods configuration is the standard configuration for some of the classrooms in Maple Hall. Pods allow small groups of students to work together easily. They are less likely to be distracted by the other groups because of the group members’ proximity to each other and the distance between each pod. This is a great configuration for many small-group activities. While ideal for small-group activities, the Standard Pods configuration doesn’t prevent you from using a more traditional lecture-style format for the times when that is more appropriate for your class.
U-Shape Configuration
This setup mimics a seminar round table design while allowing for larger class sizes, and there is still room for you to move around the classroom. It works well for a variety of active learning strategies and doesn’t eliminate the possibility of a lecture format.
In the U-shape configuration, many of the participants are able to face each other, which allows for building community and developing a sense of belonging. Some classrooms may allow for a double U-shape design, so all students could face the same way for content delivery and then the students sitting in the inner “U” could rotate to form groups with the students sitting behind them. This setup allows for easy peer-to-peer interaction and quick group formation.
Active Learning Strategies
Below are some suggestions for active learning strategies you can easily incorporate into your class sessions. Some activities are better suited for the Standard Pods configuration or for smaller classes, but most can be used in any configuration and any class size. While the classrooms allow for furniture to be moved to facilitate active learning, active learning can still be used in the larger lecture halls in Maple Hall.
We encourage you to try at least one new active learning strategy before the end of the semester. Try one that seems to make the most sense for your course, your students, your classroom, and your comfort level with implementing active learning.
We’d love to hear about your experience if you try a strategy! Take a few minutes to share your thoughts about your experience using the strategy and your students’ reactions to it by completing this short Google Form.
Small-group Discussions
The Standard Pods configuration is ideal for small-group discussions. Students often find it less intimidating to speak up in a small group than speaking in front of the whole class. With the Standard Pods configuration, students are already seated in a way that it is easy for them to enter into a discussion. The discussion can be for just a few minutes or a longer duration, depending on the topic.
For longer discussions, the Standard Pods configuration makes it easy for you to walk around the room to check in with each group (or a random selection of some of the groups) to ensure that no one student is dominating the conversation or being left out. Consider assigning a deliverable (e.g., notes, summary, worksheet) to encourage students to stay on task. Dictating group roles, such as notetaker, timekeeper, reporter, etc. may also assist students in delegating tasks fairly.
Think-Pair-Share
This is a short, collaborative discussion strategy that works really well with the Standard Pods configuration, but can also be done in any other configuration. This activity encourages critical thinking, results in thoughtful responses to questions, and provides a safe environment for students to participate and engage by expressing their thoughts.
- Pose an open-ended prompt or question that is aligned with student learning objectives to the class.
- Allow students 1-3 minutes to think about the prompt/question on their own and perhaps write down their thoughts.
- Pair students for 2-5 minutes to discuss their responses.
- Bring the class back together to share key points of their discussion to the entire class.
Four Corners
This activity requires making space in the corners of the room, so you may need to move some furniture before you start. During Four Corners, students think critically about their response to a prompt, discuss their ideas with classmates, and physically move around the room.
Read a prompt to the class that has four possible options for a response. The prompt can be a controversial statement, question, or example of a concept/topic covered in the course. The four possible options can be different answers to the question, different opinions (e.g., strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree), or multiple-choice options (e.g., A, B, C, D).
Designate each corner of the room as corresponding to each of the four response options. Ask students to indicate their responses by moving to the corner of the room that matches with their thinking.
Ask students to discuss with others in their corner why they chose that option. At any time, students can leave one group and join another if they change their mind.
Ask each group to briefly summarize and share their reasons for choosing that option with the class. Students can leave one group and join another if they change their mind after hearing the summaries.
If there is a correct answer, be sure to share this, and the reasoning why, at the end of the activity.
Polling
Polls can be done in any classroom configuration with or without technology. A quick class poll gives students the opportunity to synthesize what they know about a topic and share their current understanding with you and their classmates. This is beneficial for the students and also gives you valuable information about whether you need to review information or are ready to move to the next topic.
Using an informal show of hands, answers written on paper, or a polling app, ask students a yes/no or multiple choice question. You could poll students regarding their familiarity with or comfort level regarding the upcoming topic. Anything that gets them to access prior knowledge is helpful!
Pair and Compare
This is a quick active learning strategy that works well for large lecture classes, but can also work with classes of any size and in any classroom configuration. Pause for a few minutes during your lecture, and ask students to compare their lecture notes with neighboring classmates. They can help each other fill in any blanks and explain information to each other. This helps students articulate their current understanding and perhaps identify areas of confusion. You can walk around the room to help answer questions or address disagreements.
Periodic Recall
Not all active learning needs to involve talking with a classmate or sharing with the entire class. Periodic Recall is a simple and quick strategy, which works with any class size and in any classroom configuration. Ask students to flip over and put away their notes. Ask them to write down a few of the most important points from the lecture just from memory. They can also compose two to three questions they have about the content. This encourages students to synthesize what they have learned and actively engage with the content.
Exit Tickets
An exit ticket is a great way to end your class session. It works with any class size and in any classroom configuration. A few minutes before the end of class, ask students to answer a question, such as
- “What was the most important thing you learned during class today?”
- “What was confusing from today’s lecture?”
- “What questions do you still have?”
Students physically submit their responses using index cards or half pieces of paper on their way out the door (the "ticket" to exit). Or have students use their devices in class to submit responses using a university-supported tool like Canvas survey or a polling app (or you can use other tools like Padlet, GoogleDocs, etc.).
Students benefit from exit tickets because they provide time for students to consolidate what they learned and check for understanding. You also benefit because they provide you with valuable feedback on what went well (or less well), which you can use to help you plan for the next class session.
How can I learn more about active learning?
FacDev's Get Up to Speed with Active Learning program is one way to learn more about active learning. This self-paced, asynchronous program provides guidance, resources, and support for planning and implementing specific active learning strategies. It is designed for faculty who are new to using active learning as well as experienced faculty who want to deepen their knowledge and learn new strategies.
Visit the program’s webpage to learn more!
Other universities are also encouraging faculty to incorporate active learning into their courses, visit FacDev’s Active Learning Resources page for a few resources that you might find helpful.
References
Adams, S., Bali, M., Eder, Z., Fladd, L., Garrett, K., Garth-McCullough, R., Gibson, A. M., Gunder, A., Iuzzini, J., Knott, J. L., Rafferty, J. & Weber, N. L. (2021, June 8). Caring for students playbook. Every Learner Everywhere.
Davidson, N., & Major, C. H. (2014). Boundary crossings: Cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and problem-based learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3 & 4), 7–55.
Doolittle, P., Wojdak, K., & Walters, A. (2023). Defining active learning: A restricted systemic review. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 11.
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410–8415.
Hayes, C. (2022). Active Learning Initiative, at 10, elevates teaching and belonging. Cornell Chronicle.
Kirby, L. A. J., & Thomas, C. L. (2021). High-impact teaching practices foster a greater sense of belonging in the college classroom. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(3), 368–381.
Morrow, J. A., & Ackermann, M. E. (2012). Intention to persist and retention of first-year students: The importance of motivation and sense of belonging. College Student Journal, 46(3), 483–491.
Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J. A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M. E., Littlefield, C. E., … Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476–6483.