Active Student Learning at the Introductory Level

Nayana BoseCenter for Teaching

The Classic Model

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Cover Material

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STRESS

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Comfort in the Familiar

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How Students Think• All students are visual learners• Attention span of 15 – 20 minutes• Brain processes information in categories• Students cannot multitask • Debrief them after an activity

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Starting a New Topic

• Pose a problem • Case study – Real world problem• Know student’s thoughts and misconceptions • Video, film, news clip – follow up with

questions

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Participation

• Explain why you want them to participate • Encourage participation – structure debate• Allow other students to answer questions • Ask questions throughout -

thought-provoking counterintuitive

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Problem Solving

• Think – Pair – Share• Write a question• Illustrative quotations• Slides/Maps/handouts – ask them what they

see before you tell them what you see

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Varying the Format

• Brainstorming• Case Discussion -

Large number of right answersShow how experts solve problemsAbstract theory in real world setting

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Pre-Class Assignments

• Assign texts, videos, audio lectures• Online exercise before class• Explain why you are doing this• Class – Discussions

Case StudiesProblem solving –

Think+Pair+Share • Follow up

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Follow Up

• Minute Paper• Muddiest Point• Discussion Boards• Concept Maps

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Activity

• Choose a topic that you would like to teach • Write down your plan to teach it over a few

classes. 10 – 12 minutes.• Form a group of 4.• Explain your plan (and your reasoning) to your

group.

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Links to Teaching Guides on Flipped Class and Large Lectures

• http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/teaching-activities/flipping-the-classroom/

• http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/preparing-to-teach/teaching-large-classes/