1. Active Learning
A Systematic Approach
P.S.Kabaly
Lecturer-Business Studies
Al Musanaa College of Technology

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A mediocre
Teacher tells
A good teacher
explains
An excellent
teacher
demonstrates
The great teacher
Inspires

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Rationale
 Contemporary topic in Higher Education
 Relevant for all Academic departments

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Objectives
 To revisit Active learning
 To reinforce Active learning
 To initiate discussion on Active learning for
mutual benefit

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Structure of this presentation
 Purpose of Learning
 What is Active Learning?
 Why Active Learning?
 Understanding the Teaching (Facilitating)
Process
 Integrating Active Learning in the Teaching
(Facilitating) Process
 Concerns about Active learning
 Discussion

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Purpose of Learning
 Is to change one’s knowledge,Skills and
attitude,so that they can transfer the learning
that they have acquired to the broader world.

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What is Active Learning?
 “Anything that involves students in doing and
thinking about what they are doing”
Bonwell&Eison-1991
“ It Involves providing opportunities for
students to meaningfully talk and Listen, read
and reflect on the content, ideas, issues and
concerns of an academic subject”
Meyers&Jones-1993

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What is Active Learning?
 Active Learning is “The process of making
students the center of their learning”
Warren-1997

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Why Active Learning?
 “Active Learning is linked to higher student
motivation” Garcia&Pontrich 1996;
Stipek et all 1998
 “better learning has resulted through well
designed practice of theories associated with
active learning”
Johnson&Johnson1993,Young 1997

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Why Active Learning?
 Well designed active learning is an effective
way of student
learning(Biggs,2003;Ramsden,2003)

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Why Active Learning?
“I hear I forget; I See I remember; I do I understand”
Chinese proverb

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Distinct dimensions of
Teaching(Facilitating) Process
 Context Setting
 Class Preparation
 Class delivery
 Continuous Improvement

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Distinct dimensions of
Teaching(Facilitating) Process
 Context setting : refers to establishing a
receptive, candid atmosphere for learning
that facilitates student interaction and
engagement.
 Class preparation : refers to the
thought,planning,and creativity on both
content and process that is essential for class
delivery

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Distinct dimensions of
Teaching(Facilitating) Process
 Class Delivery: refers to the actual
facilitation of a specific classroom session.
 Continuous improvement: refers to the
process of obtaining feedback from students
and adjusting class planning and class
delivery accordingly

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Context Setting
Action steps Benefits Implementation tips
Get to know students Facilitates peer
interaction
Use Name cards
Communicate
expectations and
ground rules
Ensuring student
understanding and
commitment
Explain to them that
the course will be
delivered interactively
and their active
participation is valued
Assembling physical
environment
Helps class discussion
and interaction
Student seating and
other facilities
Communicate the
objectives, outcomes
and action plan
Helps the student by
giving direction and
what to expect
Handing over the
Delivery plan and
assessment plan

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Class Preparation
Action steps Benefits Implementation tips
Planning an agenda for
each class
Stays on track with
objectives and outcomes
to be acheived
Determining the main
topics and post it on the
board permanently during
the session.
Determining the most
effective delivery mode(s)
for each agenda.
High impact delivery Select the delivery mode
which can maximize the
impact.
Allocation of timing Enables effective pacing
of the class
Estimation of time
requirements
Planning visual aids Making the content easy
to follow
Determining the
appropriate visual aid
Guiding questions for
each class
Focuses the student
thinking
Asking the students to
prepare a set of questions
for the next class

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Class Delivery
Action steps Benefits Implementation tips
Leverage student’s
experiences and inputs
Broadens the sources
of learning and makes
the content more
relevant
Asking students some
leading questions,
encourage students to
share their
experiences.
Managing students
participation
effectively
Maximizes student
involvement
Encourage students to
respond to each other,
asking them to bring
relevant materials for
class discussion.
End the class with
wrap-up
Emphasizes key
learning
Asking students to
prepare “one-Minute
papers”

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Continuous Improvement
Action steps Benefits Implementation tips
Seeking verbal
feedback
during each session
Helps in adjusting
delivery
Simple questions
Written, anonymous
feedback on content
and delivery
( Mid-term )
Provides ideas for
improvement and
adjustment
Preparing a feedback
back form and
administering it.
Comprehensive end-
term feedback.
Provides input for
future modifications.
Comprehensive
feedback on content,
delivery, evaluation.

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Some Useful Techniques for
effective Class delivery
 Student presentations
 Cases
 Role Plays
 Debates
 Videos
 Team Assignment
 Guest Speakers
 Current events and stories
 Lecture
 Brainstorming

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Some Innovative Techniques
for effective class delivery
 Student documentation of Course
Participation
 Game shows (Who want’s to be a
Millionairre?)
 Drama as a delivery tool ( Public Speaking
and Job Search Techniques,OB..,)
 Team teaching
 Problem based learning
 Student-Teacher Joint Research

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Traditional Vs Modern Teaching Paradigms
Passive( Traditional) Active (Modern)
Knowledge transferred from
faculty to students
jointly
constructed
Students Passive containers Active
Constructors
Faculty Role Classify and Sort Develop
competencies
and talents

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Traditional Vs New Teaching Paradigms
Passive( Traditional) Active (New)
Relationship Impersonal Personal
Learning
Activity
Competitive and
Individualistic
Mixture of
Individual and
Co-operative
Assumptions Any expert can teach Requires
considerable
training

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Concern:Lecture is the only way to cover
the mandatory content of my course
 Students are not attentive to what is being said
in a lecture 40% of the time
 Students retain 70% of the information in the
first ten minutes of a lecture, but only 20% in the
last ten minutes
 4 months after taking an introductory course ,
students knows only 8% more than than the
students who had never taken the course
Meyers & Jones 1993

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Ways to introduce “Active
learning” in Lecture sessions
 Start the lecture with “questions”
 Students can be provided with a set of questions
as well as instructions to look for answers within
the lecture.
 Short Lectures ( 12-18 minutes)
 Pause periodically and have students clarify their
notes with a partner
 Students can be asked throughout the lecture to
make connections between current material and
course materials covered previously.

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Ways to introduce “Active
learning” in Lecture sessions
 Think-pair sharing
 Knowledge pooling
 Debates
 One-minute paper
 Student generated exam questions
 Student led review sessions
 Reading Quizzes
 Students can be asked to note down
questions,which can be used as a starter for the
following session.

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Concern : Active learning can only work in
smaller classes.
 Many of the methods/techniques can be
tailored to large classes.
Kolinsky(1998)

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Concern : If the class is discussion based
and participatory,it goes off-track and hard
to manage.
 Initially one may feel uncomfortable ,but with
planned participation ,overall direction can be
kept on track

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Concern: Creating active learning environment
takes too much effort,planning and preparation.
 Benefits are worth the effort
 It makes classes more meaningful.
 Reduce time on doubts clearing
 Students appreciation

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Concern : Creating active learning is an art that
cannot be easily learnt
 Following the action steps and
implementation tips,this becomes easy.

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Concluding Remarks
 Even if it is not possible to use a wide range
of active learning activities,introducing few
can have significant impact.
 There is nothing more satisfying for us as
educators to know that our students are
excited about the course and their
expectations are met.
Facilitating active learning environment will
make that happen

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Selected References
 Creating active learning in the classroom: A Systematic
approach
Auster & Wylie ,Journal of Management
Education(2006).
 Active learning facilitated by using a game show format
Sarason & Banbury, Journal of Management
Education(2004).

32. Shokran
Nanri
Salamat
Shukriya
Dhanyabad
Thank You
kabbaly@yahoo.com