Active Learning Strategies

Buzz Groups

Small groups of 3-5 people assemble to discuss, decide, or answer questions, topics, or problems, presented verbally or in writing.

Buzz groups can be charged with completing statements, generating or prioritizing lists, completing a quiz, solving a problem, responding to a case study, etc.

They might then convene with the larger group to report, compare results, and/or articulate what can be learned from the exercise.

Carousel Brainstorm

Place large pieces of chart paper, each with a different question or topic related to the subject, at each table or small group.

Give each small group a different colored marker. Have each group choose a recorder. Then have the teams brainstorm responses to the question or topic listed on their sheet of paper as the recorder records.

After 4-5 minutes, have the teams rotate their sheets of paper to the next table. At each rotation, groups read over what has already been suggested and add ideas of their own.

You may continue rotations until each group has contributed to every chart or you may choose to limit the activity to 3 or 4 rotations.

Teams then receive their original charts for review. Post the charts and have a gallery walk so everyone can see the good ideas and take notes if they wish.

Flip Chart Fill Up

A flip chart and markers are placed on each table. Groups are challenged to fill the flip chart with words and/or pictures related to an assigned topic.

Suggestions might be: create a group resume; draw a picture illustrating a key concept or theory; create a definition; draw a poster; write a poem; create a graffiti board, etc.

Fishbowl

Ask a portion of the group to form an inner circle and have the remaining participants form a listening circle around them. The inner circle discusses the question/topic or does a role play.

The outside circle participants act as observers. The leader identifies the roles for each group.

An observation checklist can be used to focus the observers to look for specific things. The observers provide feedback.

Roles can be reversed so everyone has the opportunity to be a participant and observer. As a variation of concentric circles, you can have participants remain seated at a table and have different tables be the observers.

Guided Conversation

This is a way to examine attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Divide participants into dyads. Request that conversations be kept confidential between the partners. Give each person a guided conversation sheet that contains questions related to their experiences with a topic. Ask partners to address each question in turn before moving on.

It is helpful to have them cover the unanswered questions so they do not look ahead and can listen carefully to each other. Process the conversations by asking for personal insights and experiences that arose from the conversation.

Roundtable Brainstorming

Divide participants into small groups of 6-8. Give each participant an envelope with a sentence stem written at the top.

The topic of the stem is related to the training topic. For example, "A problem I am having with teacher buy-in is..." Participants complete the sentence with a clear explanation of a problem they are experiencing.

They then pass their envelopes to the left. Each person now reads the problem(s) they received and writes a possible solution on a 3x5 card. They put the card into the envelope and passes the envelope to the left again. Continue passing envelopes and generating new solutions until envelopes return to their originators.

Everyone can now read the solutions they were given. End the activity by having each participant share with their small group the solution(s) they will try.

How Many

Ask a series of "How many of you have..." questions during your presentation. This technique spotlights the background of the audience and connects them to the information being taught. The process creates personal meaning for the participants.

It's A Toss Up

Use this activity as a meeting starter or to allow participants to give short comments about a topic.

Participants throw a ball, beanbag, or other object to someone in the group. When that person is finished, they throw the ball to someone else to speak.

This can be used when a facilitator wants everyone to have a chance to express ideas or opinions. Rules are: Only the person with the ball can talk; no interruptions, corrections, or helping; suspend judgement.

Pop Up

To introduce a section of material and learn what participants already know, invite them to "pop up" out of their seats one by one and state something they know or believe to be true about the topic.

For instance, ask them what they know or believe about adult learners. It's a good idea to allow a minute of wait time after giving the question and before asking for responses.

Questions and Wait Time

This simple strategy entails interspersing your lecture with carefully considered questions.

After asking the group a question, wait a minute before asking for responses. This allows everyone to consider their answers and results, which increases participation and better responses!

Think-Pair-Share

Pose a question that requires analysis, evaluation, or synthesis.

Participants think and write possible responses for a minute or two. Each person then discusses their ideas with a partner. You may wish to have them share key ideas with the entire group.

Human Scavenger Hunt

Divide participants into groups of 6 people. Have each group stand or sit together.

Facilitator reads one of the descriptions (uncover one at a time on chart).

Each group talks and finds the members in their group that fit the description and quickly send those people up to collect a ticket or award the group a point.

Add up the tickets or points at the end and award prizes (popcorn, candy kisses, etc.)

Questions to Ask:

• A person in your group who lives the closest to here
• Two people with the same middle name
• Two people who have the same first and last initial
• A group of three people with different colored eyes
• A group of people who can spell a word by putting together the first letters of their first names
• Two people with the same birthday or birthday month
• The person in your group who was born the farthest away from here
• A group of people whose ages add up to 100
• A group of people who have attended school for a total of 43 years
• A group of people whose shoe sizes add up to 40

Interview Your Neighbor

Ask participants in pairs to interview each other for three minutes, making notes of key points they may wish to report back.

Then do a round robin asking everyone to introduce their neighbor to the rest of the group.

Small groups can report back to the whole group and larger groups can report to a group of six.

My Point of View

Open-ended sentence stems immediately involve the participant.

Examples are:

• My name is...
• What I want to get out of this workshop is...
• My strengths in counseling others are...

These stems can be used at any point in a presentation and are especially effective as a starting activity.

Directions:

• Both persons should read the open-ended question(s).
• Take turns answering and allow as much time as each person needs.
• The partner listening may ask questions, clarify answers, etc.

Backward Brainstorming

Design a vignette that presents a problem, in detail, and then indicates that it has been resolved. After reading the scenario to the group, participants individually write their ideas about what happened to resolve the problem.

After four minutes of writing, round robin brainstorm their responses and record them on chart paper.

Dots on Key Points

Provide a sheet of small self-adhesive dots on each table.

After you have lectured 10-15 minutes, pause, and ask participants to review their notes and place dots next to the key points. Then have them turn to a neighbor and share their work.

An alternative to adhesive dots is to provide highlighting pens or have participants draw stars next to key points.

Jigsaw

Each participant in a team is assigned a different piece of material on which to become an expert.

Participants meet with members from other teams who are assigned the same topic and discuss how to effectively teach the topic to their teams.

They then return to their teams and each person, in turn, teaches their material. Each person is responsible for learning all parts through this method.

Mind Maps

This is also known as webbing and is used to activate prior knowledge and/or review content.

Have participants put a key word in the center of a clean piece of paper. Then ask them to place related words around the key word. Ask them to organize their web as they develop it.

Minute Papers

At the end of a section of material, ask participants to free write for two to three minutes.

Pose questions such as, "What were the most important points from this section of the workshop?" or "What questions do you still have about the material?"

Note-Taking Handouts

Provide a handout that contains a skeleton outline or the key points to be covered in the presentation. Leave plenty of space under each point for participants to fill in explanatory notes and examples from the presentation.

You may also include thought questions with space to provide a handout with fill-in-the blank spaces. As you lecture and fill in blanks on a corresponding projector, they complete their handout.

Numbered Heads Together

This is an effective review and summarization strategy. The trainer asks a question to small equal sized groups of participants.

Participants put their heads together to make sure they all know the answer.

The trainer calls a number, and the participant in each group who has that number writes their response on a piece of paper and shows it to the trainer. All teams with the correct response earns a point. Keep score as you go and offer prizes to the team with the highest point total.

Paired Verbal Fluency

This strategy can be used to activate thinking about a topic or provide an opportunity for review at any point in the presentation.

The steps are as follows:

• Establish partners. Have each dyad decide who will be partner #1 and partner #2.
• Assign the topic each partner will discuss in turn. Partners listen carefully to each other.
• When you say "Go" partner #1 begins, explaining what they learned/heard/know.
• After the designated amount of time elapses, you say "switch" and partner #2 takes over, trying not to repeat anything said by the other person.

Three to four rounds are usually sufficient. The time for each partner should not exceed one minute. Decreasing the time for each round keeps the energy high.

Three-Step Interview

Participants learn each other's opinions and ideas on a topic given by the trainer. They interview each other in pairs. Then each person tells the small group what they learned from their partner.

Turn to Your Neighbor And...

The trainer states "turn to your neighbor and...", then, follows up with a specific direction or cue, such as:

• Identify the key points from the last few minutes
• Discuss what I just said
• Generate practical examples for the point I just made
• Share a time when you've encountered examples of these ideas
• Decide which of the options I listed is the best and why

Walk Around Survey

This is an effective activity for multi-day workshops. It is best done at the beginning of the day to provide a bridge to previous learning.

Have participants divide a paper into six equal sections. Each of the six slots in the grid has a place for a name and an idea.

Signal the group to get up and move around the room collecting ideas, insights, or recall pieces of information from six different people. As they do so, each person should write his/her name and idea in a slot on the recording form.

At the end of the allotted time, have everyone return to their home groups to compare notes.

3-2-1

This is a summarization strategy that can be used with individuals or small groups.

On a chart or projector, the presenter vertically lists 3-2-1 stems for participants to expand on. The stems are flexible and can be tailored to each presentation.

For example: 3 ideas I will use, 2 points to ponder, and 1 action I will take and use immediately.