1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,148 2 00:00:04,148 --> 00:00:05,690 LINDA HODGES: Active learning differs 3 00:00:05,690 --> 00:00:09,380 from what we view as traditional in that it's 4 00:00:09,380 --> 00:00:15,260 an approach in class that's sort of two-way instead of one-way. 5 00:00:15,260 --> 00:00:18,980 Classically, lecture is the faculty member 6 00:00:18,980 --> 00:00:23,030 sharing their knowledge, in some ways, their expertise 7 00:00:23,030 --> 00:00:24,890 and their ways of thinking with a class, 8 00:00:24,890 --> 00:00:30,020 but without receiving anything back 9 00:00:30,020 --> 00:00:33,830 from the students as to whether the students are understanding 10 00:00:33,830 --> 00:00:37,320 that, or student perspective. 11 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,130 And also, the traditional approaches 12 00:00:40,130 --> 00:00:42,740 don't allow time in class for students 13 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:45,680 to actually process some of these ideas. 14 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,630 And we know that that's critical. 15 00:00:47,630 --> 00:00:51,830 So active learning is a moment, an activity, 16 00:00:51,830 --> 00:00:53,960 an approach that you take in class 17 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,873 that allows students time to process information, new ideas, 18 00:00:58,873 --> 00:01:01,040 so that they can move it out of their working memory 19 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,099 and into more lasting memory. 20 00:01:04,099 --> 00:01:07,370 And it's a moment when hopefully, they 21 00:01:07,370 --> 00:01:11,780 are receiving some feedback on their understanding of what you 22 00:01:11,780 --> 00:01:13,400 have dealt with to this point. 23 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,040 And you're getting feedback from them 24 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,048 on whether they understand what's going forward. 25 00:01:19,048 --> 00:01:21,590 And I also like to say that it can be a moment where you give 26 00:01:21,590 --> 00:01:25,670 them some deliberate practice in some skills of the discipline, 27 00:01:25,670 --> 00:01:28,610 right there at the moment where you're there 28 00:01:28,610 --> 00:01:30,860 with your experience to help them, 29 00:01:30,860 --> 00:01:33,860 instead of relying so often, as we do, 30 00:01:33,860 --> 00:01:36,500 of having them really work on difficult ideas 31 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:40,310 and processing and so forth at home by themselves, 32 00:01:40,310 --> 00:01:42,690 or at best with some students. 33 00:01:42,690 --> 00:01:46,340 So active learning is a time when you give students 34 00:01:46,340 --> 00:01:48,170 something to do that's course-related, 35 00:01:48,170 --> 00:01:52,670 that's related to a goal that you have for the course, that 36 00:01:52,670 --> 00:01:56,090 gets them involved and thinking about that idea 37 00:01:56,090 --> 00:01:59,600 and doing something with it, and hopefully receiving 38 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,550 some feedback on that. 39 00:02:01,550 --> 00:02:05,810 So if faculty are interested in exploring more active learning, 40 00:02:05,810 --> 00:02:09,533 they need to reach out, I think, to their colleagues 41 00:02:09,533 --> 00:02:11,450 in the teaching learning centers or colleagues 42 00:02:11,450 --> 00:02:14,750 in the department that seem like-minded, and find 43 00:02:14,750 --> 00:02:20,810 a way in that can start small because we know that even 44 00:02:20,810 --> 00:02:23,330 though certain sorts of active learning strategies 45 00:02:23,330 --> 00:02:28,190 work better if done well, even small things can be 46 00:02:28,190 --> 00:02:30,950 very productive in the class. 47 00:02:30,950 --> 00:02:33,830 And as I mention frequently, I consider, 48 00:02:33,830 --> 00:02:35,570 for example, the use of these clickers, 49 00:02:35,570 --> 00:02:40,190 these handheld remote devices, as an entree drug 50 00:02:40,190 --> 00:02:44,325 to active learning because they're fairly low risk. 51 00:02:44,325 --> 00:02:46,700 You can interact with students and have students interact 52 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:48,410 with each other, and you can gather feedback 53 00:02:48,410 --> 00:02:49,827 from students with these clickers, 54 00:02:49,827 --> 00:02:53,780 without you as a person having to do 55 00:02:53,780 --> 00:02:56,450 a lot of interaction or mediation 56 00:02:56,450 --> 00:02:58,160 among those interactions. 57 00:02:58,160 --> 00:02:59,750 And so I think that helps. 58 00:02:59,750 --> 00:03:03,050 You've got to lower the risk associated with the activity. 59 00:03:03,050 --> 00:03:04,580 You've also, of course, got to make 60 00:03:04,580 --> 00:03:08,960 it acceptable to the administrative hierarchy, 61 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,220 in the tenure promotion, hiring retention processes 62 00:03:13,220 --> 00:03:15,590 at the university, too. 63 00:03:15,590 --> 00:03:17,120 We're not going to get acceptance 64 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,030 as long as time you spend teaching 65 00:03:20,030 --> 00:03:21,800 isn't valued in that regard. 66 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,070 But starting simply, and trying some technique 67 00:03:25,070 --> 00:03:27,290 and getting some success, we know 68 00:03:27,290 --> 00:03:30,350 from the literature on how you diffuse an innovation 69 00:03:30,350 --> 00:03:32,990 because you start small, you get a success, 70 00:03:32,990 --> 00:03:35,240 and you build on that. 71 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,760 And there has to be some immediate value added back 72 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,430 to you. 73 00:03:39,430 --> 00:03:44,192