Teaching Strategies
How have you employed Active Learning in your learning environment?
Thomas,
Helping the student make the connection between their LIFE and their education does make a big difference. In the end, it is what matters, "What's in it for me".
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
Rick,
Point taken. Thank you.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I to have many students such as you describe- not truly vested but marking time for one reason or another(VA etc.)I've had some success in reaching them by finding what attracted them to my field to begin with; finding similar materials or units (i.e. type of motorcycle) and working them in to validate why they need to master the skill I'm offering. Many need help widening their perspective to realize they could use the training after all.
Dr. Hansen:
In theory, yes I would agree that Active Learning supports student engagement, and Active Learning has better success potential than other styles. But in the end, even Active Learning is not a silver bullet. Instructors can only make up so much ground on the student engagement effort, but if the student is disengaged, he's disengaged.
Case in point - take a VA student who is only sitting in class because he's drawing the Housing Allowance (BAH). They're present in class because they have to abide by attendance policy - they lose their BAH if they don't attend. But if they are on VocRehab or Post 9/11, an academic failure doesn't cost them. They just reseat the class...and draw more BAH money. They have no inclination to learn anything or engage.
So if the student is not, in his heart, vested in their own success, no amount of Active Learning will make them learn anything.
/rab
Rick,
A great post and so right on regarding putting active learning into use. I have to differ with you on the students. Only a few are not vested or take longer to become vested. Students want to know how their education is going to help them attain their goals or their goals are not well defined. Active learning does help in addressing this because it engages the student.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
For the last three years, I have been in charge of a Computer and Network Systems Technology program, with the charge of creating the best entry-level IT students I can make. Having a great team, we have sought to implement many of the suggestions and styles of Dr. Richard Felder from the University of North Carolina, a foremost expert on the concept of Active Learning.
1) The Rule of Twenty - I have encouraged my instructors to not allow any activity in the classroom to go beyond 20 minutes. While this rule is not hard and fast, the point is to not have the students doing the same activity for long periods o time, but rather, keep it flowing and variable.
2) Banish the Lectern - I have found that when instructors are anchored to the podium, the students will lose focus in their work. Without the lectern and/or instructor condo, my team moves around the classroom to help students in need of assistance.
3) Put the students in Groups by Seating - I have eliminated the rows of students and created table layouts so that students are grouped together, helping them to better engage with one another.
Did these items help? Well to some degree, yes. I believe many of our students are not so vested in the program - that they just don't have the drive. Active Learning does stave off the apathy at times, but it's a constant battle to hold the students engaged to the material. The biggest challenge is that they must find the value in what they are learning. Active Learning helps, but many times, students who just don't want to learn will also with the Active Learning.
/rab
David,
Sounds like a thorough process. Take the rebuild company to another level. Assign students as supervisors and other roles.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
With my Basic auto lab groups, when were doing our engine measuring, I try and get them to imagine that were an engine rebuild company. we just took in the engines we have, So before we can rebuild them we need to know really what's wrong with them. This way I can get the student to look harder and closer at the engine and be more precise with there measuring and end up with a more complete and better lab score. instead of just doing the measure to do the measure.
Steven,
This is a style you most likely developed over the years. Have you seen improvement over the course of time?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I teach a highly technical course, so I constantly try to switch between the 3 major learning styles to help my students. I will usually teach new material in a tier pattern consisting of lecture, video or graphics, physical demonstration, and then student hands-on activities. Showing the material in different ways, at least 3 times helps with understanding the information, as opposed to simply repeating the material.
