Active Learning Tools

Active Learning

Active Learning Methods | Motivation & Engaging Learners | ABCD Voting Cards | Gallery Walk | Scratch Quizzes (IF-AT) | Mini White Boards | Think-Write-Pair-Share | Muddiest Point | Jigsaw | Guided Inquiry | Low-Stakes Quiz/Assignments | Exit Slip | Collaborative Testing

ABCD Voting Cards

• Using ABCD Cards, Georgianne Connell, WWU
• Voting Card Sample (PDF for print purposes)
• App for iOS Devices, Apple iTunes (made by CIIA, WWU)
• App for Android Devices, Google Play (made by CIIA, WWU)

Gallery Walk

• What is Gallery Walk?, Carleton College
• Why Use Gallery Walk?, Carleton College
• How to Use Gallery Walk, Carleton College
• Gallery Walk, The Teacher Toolkit

Scratch Quizzes (IF-AT)

• What is the IF-AT?, Epstein Educational Enterprises
• Order IF-AT Quizzes, Epstein Educational Enterprises
• IF-AT aka Scratch Cards, LearnTBL

Mini White Boards

• 8 Great Ways to Use Whiteboards in the Classroom, Liz's Lessons
• Using Mini Whiteboards to Transform Classroom Practice, Stuff I'm Learning at School

Think-Write-Pair-Share

• Classroom Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, All About Adolescent Literacy
• Think-Pair-Share Workshop, UNC Chapel Hill
• Active Learning is as Easy as Think-Write-Pair-Share: Podcast, UNC Charlotte

Muddiest Point

• Classroom Assessment Technique: Muddiest Point, Western Washington University, CIIA
• Muddiest Point Assessment, PDC Community College, Virginia.
• Muddiest Point Activities, (Pages 14-17) Texas Tech University

Jigsaw

• The Jigsaw Classroom, An overview with 10 Easy Steps and tips for implementation, Social Psychology Network.
• Jigsaw Strategy, Penn State University
• Jigsaw Strategy: Instructional Strategy for Active Learning and Motivation (Instructional Video), ReflectionEdu
• Lesson Plan for Jigsaw Activity, E Workshop

Guided Inquiry

• Directed Inquiry versus Guided Inquiry, Discovery Science Education
• Guided Inquiry (eBook), Google Books, by Carol C. Kuhlthau, Leslie K. Maniotes, Ann K. Caspari
• See also: Inquiry-based Learning

Low Stakes Quiz/Assignments

• Low Stakes Assignments, Depaul University
• Benefits of Low Stakes Writing, excerpt from Assigning and Responding to Writing in Disciplines
• Methods for Low-Stakes Assessment, University of Texas

Exit Slip

• A Favorite Formative Assessment: The Exit Slip, Edutopia
• Sample Exit Slips, Lehman College

Collaborative Testing

• Collaborative Testing: Evidence of Learning in a Controlled In-Class Study of Undergraduate Students, Univ. of British Columbia
• Group Exams and Quizzes: The Benefits of Student Collaboration, FacultyFocus.com
• Variations of the Group Quiz that Promote Collaborative Learning, Indiana University, Purdue University

Relevant Books

• Barkley, E. F., (2009). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty, Jossey-Bass. Available at CIIA & Western Libraries.
• Bean, John C., (1996) Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom,  Jossey-Bass, Available at CIIA & Western Libraries.
• MacGregor, Jean, Strategies for Energizing Large Classes: From Small Groups to Learning Communities: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Jossey-Bass, 2000.
• Silberman, Mel, (1996)  Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject  Pearson, 1996. Available at CIIA & Western Libraries.
• Stanley, Christine A., Engaging Large Classes: Strategies and Techniques for College Faculty, Jossey-Bass, 2002.
• Weimer, Maryellen, Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice, Jossey-Bass, 2002.