Active Learning Activities

Group Work Project Contracting

For instructors planning student group work projects over many weeks or months.

Silent Discussion

Conduct a discussion in your class without students ever speaking a word!

Reimagining the Reading Quiz: Peer Instruction in English

Students do a reading quiz in class and revise their answers after developing and sharing a rationale for their choice.

Snowball Starter: Goals of Science Education

In this activity, the snowball strategy links students' prior beliefs to a deeper inquiry of science education goals.

Who Are You? A Multidimensional Examination of Self-Concept

Students investigate their self-concept, compare it to a classmate, assess differences between self- and social perception.

Cross-Disciplinary Synergy 101: Uniting Expertise for Success

In teams, students interact, share information on their profession, and create cases where each discipline is needed

It’s All in the Delivery: 6 Rounds to Effective Presentation

Groups of students orally present a poem six times, focusing on six key aspect of effective oral presentations

Peerwise Assignment: Human Body

Categorizing for Review

Peer Review, Assessment & Feedback

Connotation Exercise: Interview and Presentation

Schools of Thought in Psychology

Gender and Job Inequality

Projet Specific: Webzine

In-Class Think Pieces: Course Pack

Three-Tiered Writing

Family HiStories of Migration

Students interview two members of their family to collect information about their family history and present it in class.

Reflective Reading on Islam

Students use homework questions to prompt a deeper engagement with the reading material to generate better class discussion.

Identity Dot Exercise

Projects on Junot Diaz: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”

Putting the “You” in Education: Using Self-reflections for Learning

Action-Learning Sets

Having Students Read and Apply Essay Feedback

Who am I: (Mis)conceptions of Self