College students have expectations of the role of teacher and their role as students. Active learning challenges these expectations. There may be resistance to change and a sense that the expertise of the teacher is lost to the students. One technique which is low risk but highly effective is the modified lecture . The lecturer pauses at least three times during a fifty-minute lecture to allow discussion among students.
Students think when they are asked to write or speak and when they work together.
It can take as little as 5 minutes or be the basis of a 15-minute discussion. Participation is encouraged by each person in the class. Active learning is promoted. Creating Excitement in the Classroom . George Washington Univ., 1991.