Teaching using active learning
Why should we use active
learning?
 Students find it ‘engaging’ and ‘enjoyable’
 The focus is on the students themselves rather than
the teacher
 Students who actively engage with the material are
more likely to be able to recall information (Bruner,
1961).
Active learning
Why don’t we use active
learning?
 It takes more time to plan activities
 Some content must be taught the traditional ‘didactic’
way
 Too much active learning can become repetitive
rather than a healthy balance of the two approaches
 As teachers, are we guilty of standing and talking for
too long? Are we sometimes guilty of liking the
sound of our own voices too much? 
Starters
The ‘1 minute’ brainstorm
• Students or pairs of students asked to
write down everything they know on a
topic in one minute
• Could award a prize for the student with
the most points
What did you learn?
• Students to write down the learning objectives
or what they can remember from the previous
lesson
Guess the lesson objectives
• Students are told the nature of a topic and/ or
given books and asked to summarise what they
will be learning about.
• Could be extended so students pair up to discuss
answers then several pairs selected to report back to
class
Review Questions / Exam Style
• Give students a handout containing review
questions and/or exam style questions (or have on
desk) as they come into the classroom
• Encourage students to make a prompt start
• (Included as an example of a commonly used
didactic approach)
Delivering new content
Didactic approach
•
Even though this style is not active learning this approach is included
because it is effective to combine the two styles.
•
Could use to deliver some background content before an active
learning approach, and always use to summarise the key points
afterwards.
•
Also effective to deliver some content in this style before mini plenaries
•
Not all content can be taught through active learning
•
Using this approach helps avoid repetition
Teach a partner
• Students put into pairs
• Students given two different paragraphs and given
time to prepare
• Students teach each other the paragraphs (not just
recall)
• Can extend by having a collaborative question or
task and moving students.
• Teacher picks several students to summarise the two
paragraphs back to class
Students to summarise to class
• Students to read a paragraph or section of the
study pack
• Using a random name generator select a
student to summarise the key points back to
the class
• Ask another student to summarise what the
first student said
Think-pair- share (paragraph)
• Students given the same paragraph and
asked to highlight the key points
• Students then combine in pairs to discuss
the key points
• Teacher then picks one or more students
to report back
Jigsaw
• Set up ‘expert groups’ of information
• Assign pupils a number eg 1-4
• All of the 1s will then go and work together, all
of the 2s etc.
• After 10 minutes you will be told to return to
your home group.
• Each member of the group takes it in turn to
feedback what they have been doing as a
‘RoundRobin’ or ‘question the expert’
• can extend by coming to a group decision
about an agreed outcome
Question the Expert
• Class split into 4 or 5 groups
• Students select one student to be the ‘expert’. Other
students are given a paragraph to read.
• The teacher then gives a short explanation to the
‘experts’ who go back to their groups and teach the
same explanation.
• Extend by including a collaborative task
Exam Technique
Think – pair – share (Exam Q)
• Pairs of students given a different exam question to
answer
• Students then explain to each other how they have
answered the question
• Students then mark each others answer using mark
scheme and explain to each other.
• Select one or two pairs to summarise back to class
• Could use same exam question
Reverse Questions
• Students are given the mark scheme and
asked to come up with the question it was
based on
• Students then pair up and discuss answers
(or questions!)
• One or two students then selected to
feedback to the class
Group work / Stations
• Students work as pairs or in groups of 4
• Each table works on a different task. E.g.
Cut up a mark scheme and students have to
match up the questions to answers
• Students then move tables, or the activities
are passed around.
Snowballing / Rainbowing
• Put students into pairs and ask them to discuss and
complete a task e.g. What is the best exam question
• Then pair teams up with another pair to discuss the
task
• Then students move into another group and discuss
their findings or method e.g. What is required in a
good exam answer. At this point ensure students are
placed in different groups (use colours)
• Could extend by asking group to feedback to
class
Leading Questions
• Students work as pairs, each student given a
list of questions with model answers.
• Students take it in turns asking each other
the questions and directing each other to the
correct answer by giving clues.
• Could use model exam questions. Give a
demonstration first.
Exam paper gallery
• Cut an exam paper up into sections
• Put different questions around the
room with a mark scheme (or put
mark scheme at the front)
• Students to move round
independently and mark own work
Scaffolding
• Place several review questions (starter or plenaries)
around the room – include a mark scheme
• Students to move around and practice answering
the questions
• Students then pair up, and are given a set of the
questions each to test each other
Timed Exam Questions
• Set a time limit on exam questions (one at a time)
• At the end of each question go through the mark
scheme and allow students to self-mark
Mini Plenaries / Afl
Think-pair- share (Key points)
• Students to summarise the key points from the
lesson or part of a lesson
• Students to pair up and discuss these key points
• One or two students then randomly selected to
summarise this back to the class.
Think-pair- share (Questions)
• Students given a set of questions to think about
independently (could be the learning objectives)
• Students to pair up and discuss their answers
• One or several students selected to summarise their
answers to the rest of the class
Think-pair- share (Q + A)
• Students to come up with one question and one
answer based on the lesson or part of the lesson
• Students to pair up and ask each other their
question (could repeat)
• One or several students then selected
to report back to class
True or False
• Students given a piece of text to read independently
• They then combine with a partner to decide on true or
false statements.
• Then teacher takes feedback.
Gallery
• Several questions posted around the room e.g. 6-8
• Students asked to walk round and stop on a question
of their choice (need at least one student on each
question)
• Students asked to summarise answers
Post it! (Questions)
• Students write down one or several questions on
post its
• All the post its put on the whiteboard
• Students then select a post it and answer the
question
Split Group Questions
• Display several questions to the class and ask
students to choose only one to answer
• Select students to summarise their answers back to
the class
Learning Activities
Discussion
• Students given time during a presentation to
discuss their opinion or knowledge with each
other
• Can give points to discuss on slides
• One or two students randomly selected to
feedback
Role Play
• Ask students to come up with their own role
play or perform a set role play to model a
process.
Practical Work
• Practical work in Biology allows students to
get ‘hands on’ and engage with the material
• Demonstrations can also be used to
illustrate key points
Modelling
• Modelling is another ‘hands on approach’.
E.g. Students to build the structure of a
protein using a modelling kit
Memory
• Students get into groups of 3’s
• Make two student’s the ‘architects’ and one
student the ‘team leader’.
• The leader’s have to view a diagram under a
time limit and return to the group explaining
how to draw the diagram. Only the
architects can draw.
Students to present (groups)
• Students put into groups and asked to
prepare a short presentation on a topic
• Ask each student to speak for at least 30
seconds
• Allow time for students to ask questions
Peer or Self Marking
• Students take more responsibility for their work
• Helps students to become more familiar with mark
schemes
• Allows teacher to set more work (as marking is
reduced)
Group Brainstorming
• Class of students shown several different questions
or themes to brainstorm.
• Group of students brainstorm one of the questions
on a piece of A3
• Brainstorm posters passed around different groups
with chances to add to or disagree with other
groups brainstorms
Discussion Ladders (Debate)
• Select a controversial topic
• Put students into two lines facing each other
• Give them a set amount to time to argue in favour of
one side then swap – students must listen when not
their turn
• Then students move down a place and argue again
• Then students move down a place and argue
the opposite way
Ceph method
• Students given questions to ask based on a
powerpoint lecture
• Could have question ‘points’ in the powerpoint
labelled
• Students have to ask the question in the correct place
during the presentation.
Home and Away
• Students put into pairs and given 5 paragraphs each
(different)
• Students work independently and draw a picture
based on one of the paragraphs
• Students then have to guess each others picture and
explain why they have drawn what they have drawn,
allow students to see other paragraphs
• Then students move to another pair and repeat
Post it! (Points)
• Students write down several points on post its.
• All the post its put on the whiteboard
• Students then view group answers
Scenario
• Students given a role e.g. Doctor and have to
decide on the best strategy
• Give students a range of options to discuss
Feedback
• Have three posters of A3 around the room, entitled
 What helps me learn
 What I have enjoyed
 What I would like to be different / improved
• Ask students to go around and write answers on
them.
Games
Splat!
• Students put into two teams
• Students go up against each other to answer a
question
• First student to splat the whiteboard is able to answer
• 2 points for a correct answer, 1 if its passed across
Jeopardy
• Students answer questions in teams to score
points
• Use mini whiteboards
http://www.superteachertools.com/jeopardy
Quiz Busters
• Two teams answer questions to win squares. The aim
is to make a line across.
• All students answer on mini whiteboards with two
team captains making the decisions
http://www.teachers-direct.co.uk/resources/quiz-busters/
Bingo
• Students given cards with different key terms on
• Only one card can win
• Teacher reads out descriptions
Speed Dating
• Give students set questions and answers, and move along the
line to a timer
• Students have to ask each other questions to build up a tally
• The ‘couple’ with the highest tally wins
Hangman
• Students put into two teams (boys and girls)
• Leader from one team plays other team
• Turn is passed over when students cant get an
answer
Who am I?
• Students work in pairs
• Each student is given a name or description that they
have to guess. Questions include ‘I’m I found in the
nucleus?’
• The other student can only answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The
first student to guess their name wins.
• Can be played in small groups
Plenaries
Quiz 1- 10
• Students to number 1 – 10
• Students answer questions read by teacher
• Students give themselves a mark out of ten
and teacher asks for a show of hands who
got 5 or more, 6 or more etc.
Mini Whiteboards
• Students answer plenary questions using mini
whiteboards
Answer the learning objectives
• Students to ‘answer’ the learning objectives at the
end of a lesson
• Could then pair up to compare answers (optional)
• Several students selected to summarise answers
Questioning Technique
Questioning
• Use a random name generator
• Ask students who don’t have their hands up!
• Once a student has given an answer, ask another
student to summarise what they have just said.
• Questions can be used as a behaviour management
technique
Teaching Tools
Random Name Generator
http://classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine
Shuffle!
• Every other student (or students who you want
separating) is asked to stand up
• Students then told to walk round and count 4 seats
and sit down
• Effective for ‘think – pair – share’ as students have
chance to talk with ‘new friend’ and ‘old friend’
Youtube Countdown Clock
• 30 Second countdown - useful for quickly
directing students to collect/ put away mini
whiteboards or put lab coats on.
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/timer.html