The research on the mind gives us the theoretic base for advocating active learning. A large body of literature tells us that when the goal is to foster higher level cognitive or affective learning, teaching methods which encourage student activity and involvement are preferable to more passive methods. Active learning lets you give your students opportunities in class to practice with the concepts you want them to learn. Particularly effective for getting students actively engaged in the classroom are collaborative learning techniques. By making the classroom a social learning experience instead of a solitary one, instructors can reduce the student passivity through which some students seem to hide out in large classes.
Research confirms that breaking down the walls of anonymity promotes learning.
I was really, really shocked, but delighted, to see what a tremendous wave of energy this released in the class. When you plan your classes, you will want to decide how often to add a change-up and what activity to use. Variety is a powerful force. Having a handful of activities you can use comfortably will keep the students guessing, wondering what you will do next. All rights reserved worldwide.