Picture yourself in France in a cave with prehistoric

drawings on the wall. These drawings tell a story and

were perhaps the first use of technology for educational
purposes.

Active Learning
Richard M. Felder
North Carolina State University
<www.ncsu.edu/effective_teaching>

Experimental study: Gave 50-minute lecture,

tested immediately afterwards. Results:

% retained

t (min)

50

t =time in lecture when information

was presented

In-Class Teams
Form teams of 2-4, choose recorders. Give
teams 30 seconds--5 minutes to
Recall prior material
Answer a question
Start a problem solution
Work out next step in a derivation
Think of an example or application

 Figure out why a given result may be

wrong
Brainstorm (object is quantity, not quality)
Generate a question
Summarize a lecture
Collect some or all answers. This always
works, regardless of class size.

Think-pair-share
Students think of answers individually, then form pairs
to synthesize response. Pairs share responses.

More time-consuming, more instructive than immediate

group work.

Cooperative Note-Taking Pairs

At several points in the lecture,
pairs summarize & compare
what they have in their notes.
Goal: More accurate & complete notes.
Especially helpful in courses where students
need note-taking support.

Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning

Each student prepares questions on the
lecture or reading using high-level generic
question stems. Examples:
What is the main idea of ___?
What conclusions can I draw
about ___?
What is the difference between
__ & __?
How are ___ and ___ similar?
How does ___ affect ___?
What is a new example of ___?

What if ___?
Explain why
Explain how
How would I use ___ to ___?

In class, groups of 3-4 students take turns

answering their questions.
Whole class comes together to discuss
unanswered or interesting questions.

Writing Assignments
Assign frequent, short writing
assignments
Students write to learn
gaining deeper understanding
of course material
May be kept in a learning log

Problem-Based Learning
Present real-world problem
or scenario. Ask groups to

define the problem

build hypotheses to initiate the solution process
identify what is known, what must be determined, and what to do
generate possible solutions and decide on the best one
complete the best solution and defend it
reflect on lessons learned

Minute Paper
Stop the lecture with two minutes to go.
Ask students to write
1. the main point(s)
2. the muddiest (least clear) point(s)
Collect the papers. Use responses to plan
the next lecture.

TAPPS (Thinking-Aloud
Students in pairs (dyads)--one problem
Pair
Problem Solving)

solver, one listener

Problem-solver talks through solution.
Listener questions, prompts, gives clues.
Instructor asks questions to make sure
everyone is together.
Pairs reverse roles and continue.

Time-consuming, but powerful.

Implementing
Active Learning
Explain what youre doing and why
Call randomly on individuals to report (while
working and after work is complete)
Vary format (pairs, groups, think-pair-share,
intervals between exercises)
Put some course material on handouts,
leave gaps & insert questions. Use time
saved to do more active learning.

What might happen if you

start using active learning?
Initial awkwardness (the students & you),
noncompliance
Rapidly increasing comfort level except for a
few students who remain resistant
Much higher levels of energy & participation
More & better answers
Greater learning

References
R.M. Felder & R. Brent, Learning by Doing, Chem.
Engr. Education, 37(4), 282-283 (2003).
www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/Columns/Active.pdf
R.M. Felder, Any Questions? Chem. Engr. Education,
28(3), 174-175 (1994).
www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/Columns/Questions.html
R.M. Felder, It Goes without Saying, Chem. Engr.
Education, 25(3), 132-133 (1991).
www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/Columns/WithoutSaying.pdf