Active Learning
Lecturing has been my style of instruction for maany years. These days I have been inondated with active learning, active learning and more active learning being talked about for all class room activity. Because of this module I have seen how I can still lecture but do it in a way that will be more receptive to my students.
Hi Thomas,
Awesome! How creative to come up with your on active learning assignments. I like how you are receptive to your students feedback to make the assignment even more effective.
Patricia Scales
Paticia, you brought up a great point about retention. That is really what we try to accomplish: Retention of the material. Not everyone is an auditory learner. It is ironic that we develop models for what we cannot touch and/or see, and yet ignore what we can touch and/or see.
I do fully agree with you. Student participation is a must. There is nothing more concerning, then the student sitting in the back row in stone silence. This can happen rather easily if the course is just one long lecture.
Speaking from a psychology background, the human attention span is approximately 15 minutes; therefore, there is no reason to expect a student to be passively engaged for any amount of time beyond that. I have found that even drawing a picture on the white board of what we are discussing with the students picking the characters can actively involve them. This does really work when discussing a complex concept.
I agree that active learning makes the time go by a lot quicker. I teach business classes, and try to keep a balance of 45% Active Learning, and 55% lecture and testing. The first time students have me for an instructor, they complain alot. However, after that first course, they become more aquainted with this style and actually look forward to it. Some of these activities took many months to develop, but the end results are well worth it.
I have found that the students themselves can offer the best solutions to quirks in the activities. It does require that I set my pride to the side, and accept their critisism of the activities. It also requires flexibility on my part. I found that the first time through things do not go the way that I had anticipated. After applying student feedback and sugestions, things usually flow quite smothely about the third time through.
Active learning works, it really does. What I am enjoying most about this training session is obtaining a vocabulary to describe what I do.
Hi Mohammad,
Short lectures are really more effective. Students tend to get real bored and tired with long drawn out lectures. Lectures should be a mix of activities as well.
Patricia Scales
Lecture is the common method of teaching. We should kip in mind that duration of lecture must not exceed 30 minutes and students participation is a must. It could be either individually or, in group format.
Hi Joan,
Active learning is the best. It adds so much excitement to the course, which is a great retention tool.
Patricia Scales
I agree that it is a little hard in the begining after years of lecturing, but once you get active learning set up it is great for the adult student and the instructor the time flys by.
