As we’re entering the flow of the fall semester, you might find yourself wondering how to keep your students awake, engaged, and – oh yeah – actually learning! Lectures can be helpful for us to convey information, but if you really want to see students reach those learning goals, it’s time to try something besides solely lecturing. Cue active learning.

Why Use Active Learning?

Active learning isn’t just a buzzword they pay us to use in teaching centers (although I WISH!) – it’s a proven technique that enhances student performance (Freeman et al. 2014; Wenderoth 2007) and retention (Kendrick 1996) across academic disciplines. When we lecture at students, they are not very involved in the learning process. But with active learning we involve students directly in their learning. We can encourage them to think critically, practice skills, collaborate with others, and apply the knowledge. Consider the difference between watching the Great British Baking Show (lecture) and getting in the kitchen and making a three-layered cake (active learning).

And research backs this up. Studies have shown that students in active learning environments perform better (Freeman et al. 2014; Prince 2004), retain more information (Millenbah and Millspaugh 2003), and report positive impact of attitudes toward learning (Valverde et al. 2002). With all that evidence on your side (which aligns with the IU 2030 Strategic Plan), why not give it a try?

The Crowd Crumple Activity

Often when I’m meeting with instructors, they have a desire to practice active learning in their classrooms… they’re just not sure how. I want to explain a fun and easy activity: The Crowd Crumple. This activity is a simple way to get your students out of their seats, talking, and thinking about the course content. Plus, the activity is as straightforward as crumpling up a piece of paper – literally. Here’s how it works:

1. Brainstorming: Distribute a sheet of blank paper to each of your students. Ask them to write down a question they’re wondering about the day’s content. (So, not a question about assignment deadlines or policies.) Ask your students to be specific and thoughtful (and to use clear handwriting)! What do they imagine could be a future exam question?
2. Chaos Time: Once everyone has a question written down, ask your students to crumple their paper into a ball. Yep, scrunch it up! Feel free to channel your inner-child, destructive ways for this part.
3. Sharing Out: On your signal, have students toss their paper balls into the air. Let the papers fall where they may. Then, ask each student to pick up a nearby paper ball.
4. Discussion: In pairs, have students uncrumple the paper they’ve picked up and discuss the questions, trying to decide on answers between the two of them. If you’d like to have a class discussion, you can call on a few people and have them share their questions, their responses, and facilitate a class discussion. And/or if you’d like to use this to check student comprehension, ask students to write their response to the question on the piece of paper, along with their names.

The Crowd-Crumple is an engaging way to generate questions and ideas from students who might not normally speak up. It’s interactive, gets folks moving, and adds a bit of fun to the learning process.

Who’s Doing this at IUB?

Dr. Gabrielle Stecher in the English Department spoke at our annual New Faculty Orientation to Teaching and shared a version of this strategy that she adapted from Benjamin Widiss and uses with her students. Gabrielle asks her students to anonymously respond to the prompt, “Write down your biggest or most persistent question or concern about [insert topic here].” She follows steps 2 and 3 as outlined, but then takes it a step further by having students find 2-3 classmates whose questions might spark a productive conversation with their own. Once grouped, she encourages them to identify whether one question can serve as an “umbrella” for the others. If not, they collaboratively craft a new umbrella question that encapsulates the questions from all group members. These questions often inform Gabrielle’s essay prompts and she compares how these questions change from year to year. She shared, “It is fascinating to capture how questions about a single text evolve and take shape depending on the course’s unique context (student demographics, course level, adjacent readings, et cetera). Recording and reflecting on these questions can become revealing evidence of learning!”

Join Us for the Active Learning Block Party!

If this activity has you inspired, you’re in luck! We’re hosting an “Active Learning Block Party” on Monday, October 14th and we’d be thrilled for you to join us. The block party is a wonderful opportunity to learn 50 active learning techniques and chat with other instructors.

So, register for the event, mark your calendar, and prepare to have some fun! Whether you’re a seasoned instructor or just learning about active learning, there’s something for everyone at the event. Until then, keep learning about active learning (no crumpling paper required)

Works Cited

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.

Kendrick. J. R. (1996). Outcomes of service learning in an introduction to sociology course. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 3: 72-81.

Millenbah, K. F., & Millspaugh, J. J. (2003). Using Experiential Learning in Wildlife Courses to Improve Retention, Problem Solving, and Decision-Making. Wildlife Society Bulletin (1973-2006), 31(1), 127–137.

Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231.

Valverde, C., Allen, K., Small, C., & Carr, W. (2022). Active Learning Interventions in a Predominantly Black, Urban College Increase Positive Attitudes toward Class Participation. International Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Learning, 30(1), 17–30.

Wenderoth, M.P. (2007). Prescribed active learning increases performance in introductory biology. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 6: 132-139.