Encouraging students to think and giving them "permission" to think is key. If they are coming from a lecture-style background, this concept may feel new and unfamiliar.
Rubrics very helpful I clarifying expectations, makes it easier for instructor and reduces disillusionment with the student.Also important to set the "tone" for the class from the onset.
I really like the idea of the rubric!
Modifying the course material to enhance active learning will be a challenge for most teachers due to the risk of stepping outside the box to find relevant resources to offer students to challenge their critical thinking skills, making the course more student-centered.
Reply to Cynthia Strycharz's post:
Hello Cynthia, Group activities are a great way for students to learn from each other, comminicate, and hold each other accountable. I teach nursing and I do assign a handful of group assignments throughout the nursing course. Students present and teach the class their topic. They may do a Kahoot and/or give a quiz to evaluate students learning! Its great to see student's creativity.
Instructors that have never used active learning must keep an open mind when they decide to use active learning in thier classrooms. Instructors should be using three to five strategies should be used in the active learning classroom. The strategiers must be choosen carefully to get the best student performance and learning possible.
When a potential student signs up for a class, they may not be aware of how much work is involved in an online, active learning, class. It is the responsibility of the instructor to outline this and time management skills, in the course syllabus. There should also be a question and answer area for the students to see the most FAQ's and to be able to ask additional questions about the course and clear up any misunderstanding about the course and the course requirements on the first day of their online class. Students that are use to the "Traditional Teaching Classes" may have a hard time adjusting to an online, active learning courses. It's the instructors responsibility to help students adjust and understand what is expected of them. An online course is more work than the traditional class course. I personally, know this first hand. My undergraduate courses were done in a Traditional Class format, but my Graduate degree was done online. The online courses took much more time to complete than a traditional course, but both ways suited my needs for the period of time in my life.
The shift in education with an incline towards a “student centered” approach requires the student to do more than just listen. This requires the instructor to provide more guidance and direction for the e- learner. Strategies that are “low risk” should be integrated slowly into the course. In addition, the instructor should communicate frequently and consistently with the leaner by providing positive statements. In the future, using reverse instruction in the class may serve as beneficial as it affords the e-learner the opportunity to be responsible and reliable for the course content.
I have learned that rubrics are a vital tool that can be used to allivieate the stress of grading.
I thought it was interesting how the author compared the active learning lesson planning to being like a director of a movie set and directing the outcome while keeping in mind that students to develop their own creativity.
Great insight and recommendations for active learning. The example of rubrics were helpful and I liked the movie/producer analaogy of how we guide the student to develop better outcomes. I learned how important it is to provide frequent feedback to the students throughout the term, including more positive feedback and encourageement.
Rubrics are essential for online testing, however, keep them easy to understand and very descriptive.
I already use rubrics but will need to learn to develop rubrics that work for active learning assignments. Feedback is very important and must be continual throughout the course.
I would incorporate all tools available to utilize for the online course and use rubrics for grading parameters.
Dr. Anton Hawatmeh
I have learned that as a teacher in the online enviroment there is a lot to consider. However it does say that the instution should provide someone who can build online course for the classroom. So I am not sure why we as instructors need to know all the options.
Adding references to students own lives help keep them engaged. Students can see the relevance of the material instead of just "facts" being presented to them.
I try to use a rubric for all of my class assignments, it let's the student know what is expected.
I learned how important is provided Rubrics to the students at the beggining of the course so the students will have clear instructions to follow.
Giving students autonomy doesn't mean the teacher is losing control.
Strategie for active learning requires high standards with targeted feedback for further engagement at the level expected to meet competency. The end result is that the student knows 'how' to apply knowledge, not just with memorizing a fact or concept.
