Waterfront View: Oceans of Opportunity for Active Learning in a Global World

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Waterfront View Oceans of Opportunity for Active
Learning in a Global World

• Tamra S. Davis, Ph.D.
• University of OklahomaTulsa
• College of Pharmacy
• And
• Melinda Smith, MBA
• Tulsa Community CollegeWest
• Business and Information Technology Division

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Contact Information

• Tamra Davis
• Tamra-Davis_at_ouhsc.edu
• 918.660.3020
• Melinda Smith
• msmith4_at_tulsacc.edu
• 918.595.8031

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Seminar Outline

• Introduction to Active Learning
• Key Elements of Active Learning
• Lesson Plans from Melinda Smith
• Lesson Plans from Tamra Davis
• SummaryQuestions?

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What is Active Learning?

• This is a hard term to define
• Everyone has a definition
• Definition for our purposes today

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Our Definition

• Active Learning is a teaching methodology that
  allows the students to engage multiple learning
  styles in order to promote higher-order thinking
  skills
• 4 key elements of AL1
• Talking and Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Reflecting
• 1Meyers, C. Jones, T.B.

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Talking and Listening

• Quoting Meyers and Jones (1993), Talk by
  teachers can be a valuable prelude to active
  learning. The problem, however, is not that
  teachers talk its that they talk too much (p.
  21).
• Allowing students to talk about their learning
  allows them to talk-through problems
• The act of listening to others as they talk
  through problems allows the students to clarify
  their personal thoughts

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Writing

• Writing clarifies thinking. . . . Writing is an
  act of creation and clarification (p. 23).
• In all writing assignments, make sure that you
  have explained the terms that are used
• i.e. Comparemeans to describe the things that
  are similar and different between two or more
  items with an emphasis on the similarities
• Justifymeans to make an argument to support a
  position emphasizing the positive reasons for
  that support

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Reading

• Critical reading is more than reading the words
  on the page or even highlighting the words
• Critical reading involves scanning the material,
  identifying the important information, sorting
  that information into categories, and then
  prioritizing the information
• Provide specific study questions before a reading
  assignment to increase critical reading skills

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Reflecting

• This may be the most overlooked element of AL
• Quiet time for reflection is an important part of
  AL and it should take place in the classroom
• Model silence for your students
• Teach reflection by asking the students to
  reflect upon a specific point of a lecture
• Then ask them to WRITE about their reflection of
  the concept

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One Examplein Theory

• The discussion board in a Course Management
  System such as Blackboard
• This activity can involve all 4 key elements
• Here is how
• Ask the students to write about a specific topic
• Give little or no direction other than what is
  required to complete the activity (at this point
  they are talking and writing)
• Now have the students read the viewpoints of
  their classmates and respond with questions and
  or comments (now they are talking ,
  listening, and reading)

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Continued

• Now give your explanation (reading
  listening)
• Ask the students to review their posts to see how
  they can be improved and to reflect in writing
  what they learned (reflecting)
• In the traditional classroom, this could be an
  active discussion that incorporates all 4 key
  elements

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Specific Example

• If you have pencil and paper, write the
  definition of the term American

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Specific Example

• If you have pencil and paper, write the
  definition of the term American
• Will someone share their definition?
• Another?

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Specific Example

• My definition
• Additional information

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Specific Example

• How was your definition ethnocentric
• Why?

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Much More Than Time Allows

• I could spend an entire 3-credit hour class on
  this topic
• We want to give you more specific examples

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Lesson Plans

• Handouts are provided on the CDs that you will
  receive at the end of the presentation
• We give you our permission to use and/or adapt
  our lessons for your classes

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Melinda Smith

• Currency Exchange Activity
• Courses
• Economics
• Math
• Political Science
• Geography
• Others?
• Link to handout

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Melinda Smith

• Read the Label
• Courses
• Economics
• Political Science
• Geography
• Communications
• Link to handout

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Melinda Smith

• Random Acts of Kindness
• Courses
• Any course would be appropriate
• Link to handout

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Tamra Davis

• Puzzle Mania
• Courses
• Leadership
• Communications
• Management
• Geography
• Others?
• Link to handout

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Tamra Davis

• Meet and Greet
• Courses
• Leadership
• Communications
• Geography
• Management
• Philosophy
• Humanities
• Others?
• Link to handout

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Tamra Davis

• Other Activities
• Across the Board
• Involve to Solve
• Walk the Talk

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Other AL Strategies

• Think-Pair-Share
• Brain Dump
• Active Notetaking
• Concept Mapping
• Reciprocal Teaching
• Microsituations Teaching

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Questions?
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Works Cited

• Meyers, C. Jones, T. B. (1993). Promoting
  active learning Strategies for the college
  classroom. San Francisco Jossey-Bass Publishers