The term participatory learning is commonly interchanged with active learning. In traditional teaching, it is common to engage students in learning by information transfer through an instructor-led lecture. Active learning is a modern method of teaching in which the learner is actively engaged and participating in their own learning. The video below outlines some of the benefits of active learning, when compared to passive learning, and references some of the literature evidence for this methodology.
In a recent meta analysis, Kozanitis and Nenciovici (2022) stated that students in humanities and social science programs demonstrated improved learning when active learning was implemented in the classroom, as measured through assessment scores. Furthermore, active learning has been shown to significantly help reduce performance gaps for underrepresented populations in STEM and is particularly effective when coupled with inclusive teaching practices (Theobald et. al., 2020).
In the BOPPPS framework, active learning activities are adapted to the current level of student understanding based on the pre-assessment and is followed by the post-assessment.
“There are at least four main kinds: a) interaction between the instructor and the learners; b) interaction among learners themselves with the instructor facilitating; c) action by the learner individually while completing a task; and d) reflection by the learner individually while thinking, writing, or doing a task.” (ISW Handbook, 2021, p. 22)
Choose 2 of the following sections to review for ideas you could use to implement active learning in your classroom.
Case-Based Whole Class Discussion
The instructor presents a real-world scenario or case study and guides students through a discussion using structured questions and multiple perspectives.
Dotmocracy
Students vote on ideas, questions, solutions, etc. using stickers or markers placed beside options posted around the classroom. The most supported ideas become the focus for further discussion or activities.
Collaborative Note Taking and Annotation
Students work together to create shared notes or collaboratively annotate digital resources such as readings, images, videos, or diagrams while learning from the instructor. This provides students with simultaneous opportunities to respond to, and learn from, each other in addition to the instructor.
Real-Time Scenario Walkthrough
The instructor guides students through a realistic scenario step-by-step while students suggest actions, decisions, justifications, and next steps. The instructor provides explanations and corrects mistakes, as necessary.
Interactive Demonstrations
The instructor performs demonstrations or simulations while students actively make predictions and observations throughout the activity. The instructor provides explanations as necessary.
Peer Review
Students provide constructive feedback on each other’s work to provide peer-based education and perspectives. The students are provided with guidance and rubrics from the instructor that clearly outline what they are supposed to provide feedback on.
Think-Pair-Share
Students first think about a question individually then discuss their ideas with a partner before sharing with the larger class. This is designed to accommodate all types of learners and personalities by providing multiple means of engagement with the course content.
Jigsaw Activity
Students are split into multiple groups. Each group is tasked with researching and understanding one portion of an overall topic. The groups are then tasked with teaching the rest of the class their portion of the topic. This could be done via class presentations or by creating new learning groups where each portion of the topic has a representative to share knowledge with the overall group.
Structured Debate
Groups of students prepare arguments from assigned perspectives and participate in a moderated debate followed by audience questions and discussion. Debate groups can then be switched and students required to represent alternate or directly opposing perspectives.
Flipped Classroom
Students review instructional materials (such as videos, readings, online course content etc.) provided before class, allowing in-class time to focus on active learning during which the newly-learned material is applied or analyzed in an interactive way. The instructor may still have short segments of instruction, but most of class time involves the students working with the material.
Problem-Based Learning
Students work collaboratively to solve a complex, authentic problem that requires applying prior knowledge and developing new understanding through research and inquiry. This could occur in a single class or be a project that spans a full course.
Annotation Activities
Students independently annotate content (e.g. readings, graphs, diagrams, tables) to develop their ability to analyze and evaluate key ideas, evidence, patterns, and themes. Providing paper versions can introduce a break from technology during class.
Simulation Exploration
Students interact independently with digital simulations of models and virtual labs to explore and experiment with concepts in a hands-on manner. This is a great way to introduce students to areas that they are unable to physically access during education such as simulations of industrial facilities, environmental areas, or communities of people.
Sketching and Diagramming
Students create sketches, flowcharts, mind maps, or diagrams to visually represent systems, processes, conceptual relationships, themes, ideas, etc. Hand drawing these can provide a break from technology during class.
Individual Quiz Activities
Students complete low-stakes practice quizzes to check their recall and understanding and receive immediate formative feedback. Paper quizzes can provide a break from technology, or tools such as Google NotebookLM can provide AI generated practice quizzes from class materials.
Problem-Based Worksheets
Students independently work through application-based problems before reviewing approaches and solutions with the class.
Reflective Journaling Students reflect on how course content connects to their personal experiences, interests, or skill development.
Perspective Reflections
Students examine how different individuals, groups, or stakeholders may interpret or respond to a situation or issue. Students can be required to reflect on these from multiple perspectives, including those that are opposite to their own.
Learning Progress Reflection
Students reflect on how their understanding of a subject has changed over time and identify the specific strategies that optimally supported their learning.
Exam Wrappers
After completing assessments, students reflect on how they studied for the exams, what worked well, and what they would change for their next exam preparation.
Real-World Transfer Reflection
Students reflect on how concepts from class apply to professional practice in industry, community issues, or everyday life.
Nguyen et. al. (2021) conducted systematic reviews examining the uptake of active learning and found that despite being well researched as a valuable educational tool, the implementation of active learning by instructors is still somewhat limited due to concerns around student response and potential resistance. From their research they identified 8 core strategies to aid instructors in implementing active learning into teaching environments, shown in the image below.
Finally, Henderson et. al. (2018) found that student evaluations of teachers typically improved when instructors implemented active learning techniques. They identified a balance between lectures and active learning, with 20-60% of class time spent on lectures typically providing optimal results. Student evaluations sometimes decreased if too much time was dedicated solely to lecturing or if too much time was dedicated solely to active learning.
Return to your BOPPPS template and continue your lesson planning by completing the Participatory (Active) Learning section. Choose one active learning technique from the list above for each of your intended learning outcomes. Remember that active learning should help your learners achieve the intended learning outcomes and the learning should be measurable by your chosen assessment.
At this stage, review your learning outcomes, assessments, and participatory learning activities to ensure they are constructively aligned. If you can answer the following 3 questions affirmatively, you have achieved constructive alignment.
ISW Handbook. Instructional Skills Workshop Network. (2021). https://www.iswnetwork.ca/resources/isw-and-fdw-handbooks/
Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., & Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476–6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117
Nguyen, K. A., Borrego, M., Finelli, C. J., DeMonbrun, M., Crockett, C., Tharayil, S., Shekhar, P., Waters, C., & Rosenberg, R. (2021). Instructor strategies to aid implementation of active learning: a systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00270-7
Kozanitis, A., & Nenciovici, L. (2022). Effect of active learning versus traditional lecturing on the learning achievement of college students in humanities and social sciences: a meta-analysis. Higher Education, 86(6), 1377–1394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00977-8
Charles Henderson (Western Michigan), Raquib Khan (Western Michigan) & Melissa Dancy (Colorado), Will My Student Evaluations Decrease If I Adopt an Active Learning Instructional Strategy?, Am. J. Phys., Vol. 86, No. 12, 2018.