Active Learning and Other Teaching Strategies

The following are consulting opportunities in this category:

Student Cognitive Development—Implications for Teaching and Learning

with Susan K. Wolcott

Every semester we develop our syllabi around the knowledge and skills we hope students will master during our courses. Unfortunately, students often run into problems meeting our expectations, and we sometimes struggle to understand the reasons behind their difficulties. We often complain that students don’t seem to be as prepared or motivated as students in the “old days.” How can we improve our students’ learning?

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Effective Strategies for Teaching Evolution and Other Controversial Issues

with Craig E. Nelson

This session will examine key strategies for teaching evolution more effectively. These include more realistically addressing the nature and limits of science, more explicitly presenting the overall case for evolution, and asking how we can tell weak from good from outstanding science.

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Critical Thinking and Active Learning: Teaching Thinking Skills in the Classroom

with Charles Bonwell

All instructors want students to become proficient at thinking logically, solving problems and making decisions. To facilitate these goals, this session focuses on ideas and tools for creating learning environments that foster thinking skills for students in all disciplines. Specific topics will include:

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Classroom Assessment and Active Learning: Making the Connection

with Charles Bonwell

Classroom assessment is designed to help individual teachers find out what, how much, and how well students are learning. When coupled with the principles of active learning, classroom assessment becomes a powerful way to obtain immediate feedback on classroom objectives as well as to provide information on the effectiveness of particular teaching approaches. This highly interactive workshop models both active learning and classroom assessment techniques while exploring

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Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom

with Charles Bonwell

Since educators agree that active learning is more effective than passive learning, why does so little active learning actually occur in a typical classroom? This highly interactive workshop will explore both the promise and the potential problems of using active learning techniques, while modeling ways that faculty can transform students from passive listeners to active learners. Specific topics will include:

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