3 Active Learning Activities to try in the Classroom this term

3 Active Learning Activities to try in the Classroom this term

Maintaining student engagement throughout the term can be a challenge for even the most experienced educator. When learning begins to feel stagnant, it can lead to disinterest and a lack of motivation.

To counteract this, incorporating active learning methods can breathe new life into your classroom and keep your students excited about their studies. In this blog post, we'll explore three active learning strategies to try this term.

 

‘Moving Answers’

  • Objective: Reinforce understanding and promote collaborative discussion.
  • Setup: Divide your students into small groups or pairs. Assign each pair a specific question related to the recently completed topic.
  • Activity: Each pair answers their assigned question to their full ability, relying on their notes and knowledge learnt in class. One learner from each pair becomes a 'mover,' while the other remains at their station. The stationary learner shares their answer with incoming movers, who gather responses from all pairs. By the end, all questions should have matching answers.
  • Discussion: After all questions are answered, facilitate a class discussion. Encourage students to debate, expand, amend, agree or disagree with the responses. This activity is particularly effective for summarizing key information after completing a topic.

This dynamic exercise not only solidifies individual comprehension but also encourages a collaborative environment where students learn from one another. The movement adds an element of physical engagement, making the learning experience memorable and enjoyable.

 

‘Silent Recap: A Dynamic Classroom Exercise for Memory Recall’

  • Objective: Recall on key information learnt, a crucial skill for upcoming exams.
  • Setup: To begin, choose a selection of topics, concepts, or focus areas relevant to your recent lessons. Write each one on a separate piece of paper and dot these around your classroom.
  • Activity: Each student will move around the room, adding their own contributions to each topic page. Responses should be concise, whether they're key words, names of theories, or any relevant information. The silence encourages individuals to think independently, which is great practice for their exams but puts less focus on those strict ‘exam conditions’.
  • Discussion: After all questions are answered, start a class discussion. Encourage students to debate, expand, amend, agree or disagree with the responses. This activity is particularly effective in generating insightful discussions and consolidates the key information related to the topics.

Like the ‘Moving Answers’ activity, this dynamic exercise solidifies individual comprehension and encourages practicing memory recall, mimicking the demands of exams. Silent Recap serves as an effective tool for summarizing key information after completing a topic. The collective responses provide a comprehensive overview that can be revisited as a study aid.

 

‘Topic Bingo: Unlocking Quick Recall Skills’

  • Objective: Quick recall on key information learnt, a crucial skill for upcoming exams.
  • Setup: Provide your students with a list of 10-15 key words relevant to your recent lessons. Prepare corresponding 'hints' for each keyword, presented as questions or definitions – the catch is, these hints must not contain the actual keyword. Each student will then draw a 3 x 3 grid, making a 'Bingo' board, with a random selection of key words placed in each square.
  • Activity: Once the boards are ready, read out the hints in a random order, prompting students to locate the corresponding key word on their 'Bingo' board. Keep the momentum going until a learner has filled their board and has shouted ‘BINGO’. Check their board by asking them to name their key words and provide their own definition/explanation of the key words they’ve ticked off on their board.

Whether you're covering multiple subjects or narrowing down into a specific area of study, Topic Bingo is versatile and easily adaptable to suit your teaching objectives. The game not only adds a layer of excitement to your classroom but also targets the quick recall skills essential for exam success.