{"id":5817,"date":"2017-02-14T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T09:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=5817"},"modified":"2017-02-21T15:43:37","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T15:43:37","slug":"active-learning-and-teaching-for-large-groups-with-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2017\/02\/14\/active-learning-and-teaching-for-large-groups-with-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech for active learning in large groups."},"content":{"rendered":"

How can we promote and manage active learning during lectures? How can we measure student understanding and make sure that students are engaging with material?<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1972, Donald Bligh (1) undertook an extensive study on the use of the lecture as an educational format. He found that it was effective but not more effective than other methods used for transmitting information and that it is relatively ineffective for many other aspects of education including the promotion of higher order thinking. Bligh also observed that concentration levels of students typically drop after 10 – 15 minutes of passively listening to a lecture. Since these studies took place, technology has provided us with an increasingly sophisticated, interactive and accessible range of formats for transmitting information and facilitating active learning. This article looks at a few tried and tested strategies for using technology to enhance learning for teaching large groups of students. <\/span><\/p>\n

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flickr photo by Samantha_Bell https:\/\/flickr.com\/photos\/samanthabell\/8737957816 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license<\/p><\/div>\n

The \u2018flipped\u2019 classroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This model changes the dynamic of learning and teaching to enable more active learning and can be applied to both small and large group teaching across a range of disciplines. The basic premise of this model is that pre-class independent study is typically focussed on transmission of knowledge, whilst time in class is spent on active learning to provide opportunities to apply concepts and reinforce understanding. This approach is commonly used in conjunction with the peer-instruction and team-based learning methods mentioned in this article. <\/span>7 things you should know about flipped classroom<\/span><\/a> provides a useful introductory guide.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have recently set-up a flipped learning group for staff at University of Sussex, please <\/span>see our webpages<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for details if you would like to be involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

The peer instruction process<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Eric Mazur, physics professor at Harvard University developed the <\/span>peer instruction method<\/span><\/a> during the early 90\u2019s as an alternative to the traditional lecture. Due to the realisation that whilst his students had developed <\/span>surface knowledge<\/span><\/a> required to pass an exam, they lacked a genuine understanding of the basic concepts of the subject. During the <\/span>peer instruction process<\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0the tutor poses a question and then facilitates a round of discussions, questions and answers between pairs and the class. Responses are communicated using a <\/span>student response system<\/span><\/a>. This method provides each student the opportunity to contribute, receive feedback, develop their own understanding and consolidate learning. You can see an example of this in action in the following <\/span>video clip<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Team-based learning<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Larry Michaelsen (2) developed the team-based learning method as a scalable solution for making deep discussion, peer evaluation and problem solving activities manageable for large classes. In this approach, students study preparation material individually before class; during the class, they participate in a multiple choice test, individually and then as a team. This is then followed by a mini lecture to clarify responses and a series of concept application exercises. Technology can be used in a number of ways to support this approach, from using <\/span>online quizzes<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>student response systems<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>online collaboration tools<\/span><\/a> to facilitate in-class activities to using <\/span>virtual learning environments<\/span><\/a> and multimedia to provide preparation material. See case-studies from the <\/span>University of Texas<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>University of Bradford<\/span><\/a> for more information on this approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Backchannel communication<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A backchannel is an online space for communication which complements (and potentially continues before and after) a lecture, presentation or teaching session. Increasingly, students are taking it upon themselves to bring laptops and mobile devices into the classroom to look up information, take notes and chat with peers – often in isolation from the rest of the class. Setting up a dedicated backchannel for a class to share notes and ask questions can be a powerful way to enable interaction, collaboration and develop a sense of community. Technologies for facilitating this might include the use of social media platforms, creating a class twitter hashtag for students to contribute to or using websites such as <\/span>TodaysMeet<\/span><\/a>, Moodle (Study Direct) chat to create a safe and private channel space for real-time discussion. <\/span>7 things you should know about backchannel communication<\/span><\/a> and Nik Peachey\u2019s <\/span>Managing the digital classroom – Using a backchannel<\/span><\/a> provides useful introductory information on this topic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Task management<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It can be a challenge\u00a0to effectively organise and manage large groups\u00a0of students participating in\u00a0learning activities. Here are a few tools which can help to ease classroom management.<\/span><\/p>\n