Classroom Opinion Polls: Simple but Effective Active Learning
Effective active learning for me is active learning that does not present itself as such. Until I began my MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) degree, I had never encountered the phrase active learning. I definitely participated in active learning activities in school. I just did not know that there was a name or broader goal and thought process behind those activities. Now that I am technically in a teaching profession, it is important for me to stay up on engaging learning strategies in case I ever have to teach an information literacy class. In this blog I will investigate one active learning activity that I have personally found helpful while a student. But first, what exactly is active learning?
What is Active Learning?
As opposed to the older way of doing things, active learning is not instructor focused. Although lectures are still valuable in some instances, and I personally enjoy and gain a lot from this type of teaching, the current trends are leaning more towards student focused teaching. This type of teaching lets the student take ownership of how they interact with the course materials and their learning experience. Active learning invites participation so that students can learn actively together. This can look like large or small group discussions, planned activities, reflections, or incorporating a new technology into an activity. The goal of active learning is to engage the student in the lesson to ensure focus and understanding of the material.
Do you remember an instance where you participated in an active learning activity in a classroom or professional setting? Was that experience helpful to you as a learner?
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As an introvert and a generally nervous person, I am not typically the first to participate or raise my hand in class. I think as I have gone through my academic career, this has shifted a little bit and now, if I have an answer to a question or an idea, I will usually work up the courage to participate. But it was always stressful in classes where the grade was heavily based on participation, and I would often get feedback from professors to participate more. Something I always appreciated as a student was less stressful forms of participation like small group activities or discussions. This allowed me to participate on my terms and was not as anxiety inducing as speaking in front of a whole classroom.
One active learning strategy the Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching presents is the classroom opinion poll. This strategy can be used in multiple contexts. One useful application is to get a headcount at the start of class, to take attendance but also to get things going right away with either a fun question or one that kicks off the lesson for the day. This strategy allows everyone to participate and hopefully get a discussion started. Polling immediately invites participation to further discuss the intricacies of the class’s differing opinions. As a student I always enjoyed this activity because not only does it invigorate the class and get them in the mood to engage with the day's lesson, but it also brings the class together as this voting body. Although the class's opinions may differ, in a learning environment this is an opportunity to learn and explore where fellow students are coming from and why they think the way they do.
Although this is a simple active learning strategy, it does not have to be complicated and highly technical to get students engaged and thinking. Opinion polls could be done anonymously as well through technology with a polling feature which would provide interesting data, but I like that this strategy can also be done with nothing more than the people in the room.
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Hi Emma
ReplyDeleteI liked how you chose a different active learning strategy with opinion polls. I think opinion polls are important for students because it gives them a voice in the learning community, and it helps them make their own decisions. I had experience as a student when the teacher gave the class a choice in a lecture or in an activity and I became a more active student because of that.
I like how you pointed out that active learning takes on many forms. Opinion polling which I am going to expand to include classroom response systems are a great way to try and get a higher rate of participation and student input. Classroom response systems where content questions with correct answer are asked provide some immediate feedback to the teacher on initial student understanding. Opinion polling can provide input as well, and as you mentioned can be a great hook into a lesson without the stress of a 'right' answer.
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