Active Learning: Add to Your Bag of Tricks

http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/

Some interesting things to note from the above link

1. Active learning supplements lecture; it doesn’t necessary replace lecture

2. Active learning just means getting students engaged in some way – getting them to practice what they’re learning, getting them to work together on a project, etc.

3. Activities 1-3 are Classroom Assessment Techniques, ways to find out if you’re students are “getting it” in an informal way

4. Activity 6 (Clarification Pause) is a good addition to any lecture; give students a chance to chew over what you’re teaching, and open the floor for questions periodically; think of the lecture as a dialog rather than as a monologue

5. I like Activities 12 and 13; we don’t need fancy technology to this – fingers and flashcards will do the trick

Anyway, there’s almost too many ideas (29 of them) to consider, and certainly too many to consider in one posting. I hope you’ll take time to look these over at your leisure.