Active Learning Activities

Group Work Project Contracting

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

Running on Water: Activating Prior Knowledge of Static Equilibrium

Students watch, discuss, then analyze the veracity of a video in which hydrophobic shoes allow people to run on water.

Silent Discussion

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

Sensation and Perception Lab

The lab explores the senses of taste, smell, touch, proprioception and vision.

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.

Mechanics in Motion: Iterative GIF Creation

In groups, students create GIFs to demonstrate and explain how mechanic principles apply in real-life scenarios.

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

Controversy in the Science Classroom: Nature of Science Quiz

Peer Review, Assessment & Feedback

Solving World Issues One Smartphone at a Time

Schools of Thought in Psychology

Projet Specific: Webzine

In-Class Think Pieces: Course Pack

Building Effective Teams

Three-Tiered Writing

Reflective Reading on Islam

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

If You’re Not Part of the Solution You’re Part of the Precipitate

Bringing Context to Life: Annotating Research for Reading Novels

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

Forget the Math! Draw pictures to learn the wave theory of light

Holding Your Seat: A Mindfulness Exercise