How does it work?

Active learning happens when students participate in their learning process, as opposed to being deferential in their learning. Active learning can take many shapes and forms in class, and does not have to take up your entire class period. For example, a simple "think-pair-share" activity can take 5 minutes of a lecture. In this activity, the instructor poses a question for students to think about on their own for 30-60 seconds (either writing down their thoughts or just thinking to themselves), then pair with a partner to share their thinking, then open the sharing up to the whole class for discussion. Even if all students do not share during the whole class discussion, they have actively engaged in the thinking and small sharing stage. Think-pair-share is also beneficial for shy or quiet students who may be less likely to participate in traditional large-class discussion. 

Another common active learning strategy is called "muddiest points," wherein students (typically at the end of class) jot down one or two things that are unclear to them (muddy) about the day's lesson, course concept, exam material, etc. The instructor collects the responses, then reviews them before the next class. This is a great way to get students involved in their learning by giving them some responsibility in identifying what them may not know or questions they have. For the instructor, the activity is a quick, low-stakes way to assess what students may not understand. For example, if many students respond with questions about what will be on the exam, perhaps you should some time during the next class on how to study for the exam.

Below are some other techniques that range in time they take to implement and complexity, shared from the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Teaching and Learning. 

Articles

Armbruster, P., Patel, M., Johnson, E., & Weiss, M. (2009). Active learning and student-centered pedagogy improve student attitudes and performance in introductory biology. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 8(3), 203–213. 

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(23), 8410–8415.

Frymier, A. B., & Houser, M. L. (2015). The Role of oral participation in student engagement. Communication Education, 65(1), 83–104. 

Prince, M. (2004), Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93: 223–231. 

Wieman, C. E. (2014). Large-scale comparison of science teaching methods sends clear message. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8319–8320. 

Weimer, M. (2016, June 29) Six things faculty can do to promote student engagement [Blog]. 

Books

Lovett, M. C., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Ambrose, S. A., & Norman, M. K. (2023). How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Bain, K. (2004). What the Best College Teachers Do. Harvard University Press. 

Barkley, E. F. (2014). Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty, 2nd Edition | Wiley (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (2020). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Jossey-Bass.

Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Webpages

Active Learning - A guide from the University of Minnesota's Center for Educational Innovation 

Classroom Design for Active Learning - The FTLC's guide on classroom spaces on campus designed to facilitate active learning. 

Introduction to Active Learning from the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Teaching and Learning (CRTL)