Active learning involves students actively engaging in experiences and reflections to deepen their understanding of course material (Fink 2013). A wealth of evidence, across various disciplines, supports that students engaged in active learning outperform their peers in lecture-based settings (Freeman et al 2014; McKeachie et al. 1987; Prince 2004). In support of active learning and in alignment with the IUB 2030 Strategic Plan to integrate more evidence-based teaching practices, the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning annually offers instructional development grants for courses taught in the next academic year through our Active Learning Grants. These grants support the implementation of teaching strategies that actively engage students. In this blog post, we want to spotlight the five awardees, to inspire your active learning pursuits.
Meet the Awardees
Beatrix Burghardt, from the Department of Second Language Studies, is utilizing their grant to enhance SLST-T 155 Academic Speaking for Multilingual Students, a course designed for multilingual learners of English seeking to improve the clarity and fluency of their speech for effective participation in academic settings. Beatrix aims to cultivate a learning environment that promotes the use of appropriate digital tools, such as vocabulary and translation apps, for completing oral academic assignments. They are planning opportunities for students to learn about relevant digital tools, analyze their affordances and constraints, and reflect on the implications of using such tools in academic contexts. Beatrix will implement a semester-long assignment where students can explore digital learning tools hands-on.
Bethany Murray from the School of Nursing is directing their efforts towards NURS H360, Clinical Care II: Interactive Processes, aiming to address the lack of opportunities prelicensure nursing students have to interact with individuals with developmental disabilities. The grant will support the implementation of a new immersive community-engaged learning experience, where students will work at a treatment program serving adults with developmental disabilities. Student will practice motivational interviewing techniques to assist clients in improving their health. Rather than brief observational experiences, Bethany will facilitate a five-week active learning experience, enabling students to collaborate more deeply with agency care providers and foster meaningful nurse-patient relationships.
Teuta Özçelik from the Slavic department is dedicated to enhancing the Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Elementary courses, SLAV S101 and 102, with a focus on improving students’ vocabulary acquisition and contextual understanding of that vocabulary. Teuta’s approach involves incorporating songs into the curriculum on a weekly basis, encouraging students to memorize and explore the lyrics and engage in discussions about them to enhance vocabulary retention. Additionally, students will participate in peer teaching and performances to encourage student agency in the learning process. Teuta plans to assess the effectiveness ofthis strategy through various methods including formative assessment, performance assessment, peer and self-assessment, as well as surveys.
Erik Wennstrom and Nicholas LaRacuente, from the Computer Science department, are collaborating on the course CSCI-C241 Discrete Structures for Computer Science. In this course, students become familiar with common proof strategies, basic properties of sets and numbers, and various combinatorial and graph structures. Their goal is to enhance students’ ability to address proofs, thinking both critically and creatively and preparing students for upper-level Computer Science courses. To achieve this, Erik and Nicholas plan to restructure their discussion sections, shifting from AIs assisting with homework to facilitating group activities focused on proof techniques. These activities will include peer review, small group discussions, and identifying common flaws in proof strategies.
How can you get involved?
Feeling inspired by the active learning work of others? While our grant application period has closed, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved with implementing new active learning strategies. Check out our new active learning webpage! Designed as a comprehensive resource hub, this webpage is tailored to instructors interested in incorporating active learning techniques into their teaching. It features evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of active learning, with peer-reviewed studies from various disciplines, along with implementation techniques and highlights of instructors successfully using active learning at IUB. Explore the webpage and take advantage of the wealth of information available to enhance your teaching endeavors!
Next Steps
We encourage you to draw inspiration from our colleagues here at IUB and to engage with the teaching center’s initiatives, taking advantage of the opportunities available to enhance your teaching practices. Keep an eye out for our annual grant deadlines if you’re interested in securing funding to support your teaching endeavors. If you’re looking to study the effectiveness of your teaching, explore our Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) programming, including the upcoming ISSoTL Conference in French Lick, Indiana. And remember, you can always schedule a one-on-one consultation with CITL consultants to discuss your unique teaching context and explore tailored strategies for improvement.
Works Cited
Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. Jossey-Bass.
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.
McKeachie, W. J., Pintrich, P. R., Lin, Y., & Smith, D. A. F. (1987). Teaching and learning in the college classroom. A review of the research literature. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231.
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