Active Learning Activities

Finding Catharsis in Film and Media

Students analyze a film or piece of media watched in the course using two concepts: climax and catharsis.

Dragon’s Den – Brain Exploration Techniques

Students engage in a gamified activity mimicking the popular tv show the Dragon's Den.

Group Work Project Contracting

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

Electron Odyssey: Journey through the Mitochondria’s Electron Transport Chain

Students play the roles of protein complexes to see how electrons, protons, and energy moves through the ETC to produce ATP.

Learning in Everyday Life

In this integrative assignment, students analyze their everyday activities through the lens of various learning theories.

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.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the Workplace

In groups, students explore Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in its application to workplace scenarios

Don’t go NUTS: A Case Study on the Physiology of Stress

5 Senses Lab

Case Study: Anophthalmia

Case Study: Malignant hyperthermia

Case Study: Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

Case Study: Discovering the Structure of DNA

Solving World Issues: One Smartphone at a Time

The purpose of this activity is to familiarize students with the potential of online tools for problem-solving.

Schools of Thought in Psychology

Gender and Job Inequality

Summative Assessment: My Diagnosis Assignment

In this activity, students analyze 5 characters from a film in order to diagnose them using techniques learned in the course.

In-Class Think Pieces: Course Pack

Durkheim Suicide: Functionalist and Conflict Theory

In this activity, students compare 4 psychological perceptive of suicide (anomic, fatalistic, egoistic, and altruistic).

Reflective Reading on Islam

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

Don’t leave it to chance! Testing Biology Data Right the First Time

In this activity students learn how to apply statistics to biological data through a series of mini case studies.

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Amoeba

Taking the role of a biologist, students statistically determine how different drug treatments can affect amoeba cell shape.

A Case for Cystic Fibrosis (CF): A Québec Perspective

In this activity students take on the role of a geneticist helping an individual recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.