12 Active Learning Strategies to Engage Students
What Is Active Learning?
Active learning is an approach to teaching that encourages students to engage in hands-on activities, problem-solving, and critical thinking. In an elementary classroom, active learning involves designing lessons that allow students to explore and discover new concepts through meaningful experiences. It is a student-centered approach that shifts the focus from the teacher to the learner, where the teacher acts as a facilitator rather than a source of information. Active learning promotes the development of important skills such as collaboration, communication, and creativity.
What Are the Benefits of Active Learning?
Active learning also involves giving students opportunities to reflect on their learning. This can be done through discussions, journaling, or self-assessment activities. Reflection on student learning helps students make connections between what they have learned and their own experiences, which can deepen their understanding and retention of new information. By promoting active learning in the elementary classroom, educators can create a more engaging and effective learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration among students.
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How Does Active Learning Help Students Meet Their Learning Objectives?
Active learning strategies help students meet their learning objectives in several ways.
First, active learning engages students as active participants in the learning process, which can increase their motivation and interest in the material. When students are actively involved in their own learning process, they are more likely to retain information and understand concepts. This can help them meet their learning objectives by improving their ability to recall and apply what they have learned.
Second, active learning methods and cooperative learning strategies often involve collaboration and communication, which can help students develop important social and interpersonal skills. By working with others, students can share their ideas, receive feedback, and learn from different perspectives. This can help them meet their learning objectives by improving their ability to work effectively with others and communicate their ideas clearly.
Third, active learning strategies often require students to apply their knowledge to real-world situations, which can further student learning and help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, a project that requires students to research and propose solutions to a real-world problem can further student thinking and help them meet their learning objectives by engaging students in applying their knowledge in a meaningful way.
Finally, active learning strategies often provide students with immediate feedback on their learning, which can help them identify areas where they need to improve and adjust their learning strategies accordingly. This can help them meet their learning objectives by helping them identify and address areas where they need to improve.
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12 Examples of Active Learning Techniques to Start Using Today
Reciprocal Questioning
To implement reciprocal questioning in an elementary classroom, teachers can have students read a text or passage and then pair them up to take turns asking and answering questions about the material. Teachers can model the types of questions students can ask, such as clarifying questions or questions that require students to make connections to their own experiences. Reciprocal questioning can also be used during class discussions, where students can ask each other questions to deepen their understanding of the material.
This strategy can turn a simple reading or traditional lecture into active learning with absolutely no prep work.
Game-Based Learning
For game-based learning, the instructor can use educational games or create their own games that align with the learning objectives. Teachers can also incorporate game elements, such as points or rewards, into other activities to increase engagement. Before playing the game, teachers can provide students with an overview of the rules and how the game aligns with the learning objectives. During and after the game, teachers can ask reflective questions to help students make connections between the game and the concepts being taught.
Teachers can also utilize websites that promote game-based learning such as the following:
You can also buy or create a jeopardy game that aligns with the course material so that students can practice skills together.
Check out a Jeopardy game for reading comprehension below. Click on the grade level you’re looking for.
Peer Teaching
Peer teaching activities can be implemented by assigning small groups or pairs of students to teach a concept to their classmates. Teachers can provide resources and guidance to help students prepare their teaching materials and facilitate the teaching process. Teachers can also provide feedback to help students improve their teaching skills and ensure that they are accurately conveying the information.
Peer instruction helps students understand concepts better because they know they're in charge of teaching their peers, so they'll want to make sure they're prepared.
Role Play
To implement role play, teachers can assign students roles or characters related to the class content or concept being taught. Students can then act out scenarios that help them understand and apply the material. Teachers can provide guidance and feedback to help students accurately portray the roles and incorporate the learning objectives.
This is a great active learning technique for students who prefer to move around during learning or who like the theater.
Socratic Questioning
Socratic questioning involves asking open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking promote analysis and reflection. Teachers can model this approach by asking students questions that require them to analyze and evaluate the material. Teachers can also encourage students to ask each other questions during a class discussion or participate in small group activities.
Students learn better when they come up with the idea themselves, rather than being told a new concept by their teacher. Socratic questioning helps them do this.
Think-Pair-Share
Think-pair-share involves having students think individually about a question or concept, pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts, and then share their ideas with the class. Teachers can provide clear prompts and questions to guide the thinking process and encourage students to answer questions and listen actively to their partner's ideas.
I have used this strategy the most because it requires absolutely no prep. I have also used this when I need a minute to prepare the next part of the lesson or when another teacher pops into my classroom for a quick question. It keeps students engaged, makes them think about the lesson, and gives me a minute to either give feedback or take a second for myself.
The Muddiest Point
The muddiest point is an activity where you ask students to write down the most confusing or difficult concept from a lesson or activity. Teachers can collect student responses during class time and address them during the next class, providing clarification and additional resources to help students better understand the material.
It can be interesting to see students' feedback. There have been times when I thought I was teaching a particular point very well, but after getting feedback from my students, I realized I was missing something in my instruction.
Three-Step Interviews
Three-step interviews involve students working in pairs, with one student interviewing the other about a topic or concept. Then, the roles are reversed, and the other student interviews the first student. Finally, the pair shares their new knowledge and ideas with another pair. This activity encourages collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills.
This is similar to the think-pair-share strategy. It's fun to see students share new information with each other and get excited about what they're learning.
The Pause Procedure
The pause procedure involves pausing the class periodically during the course of a lesson or activity to allow students to reflect on and process the material. Teachers can use this time to ask reflective questions or provide feedback on student understanding.
This can definitely draw out your lesson timewise, but it is so cool to see how deep you can get your students to go with their learning when you give them space to process and reflect.
Summarization
To implement summarization, teachers can have students summarize the key points or concepts from a lesson or activity in their own words. This can be done through written summaries, one sentence summaries, class discussions, group work, a minute paper, or small group activities. Summarization helps students develop comprehension and retention skills by requiring them to synthesize and organize information.
Summarization is a great check-in before you continue your lesson. It gives you feedback as to whether your students are understanding the lesson, or if there's a gap that you need to go back and fill before continuing.
Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning is an active learning strategy that involves presenting students with a complex problem or real-world scenario or case studies that requires them to apply their knowledge and skills to solve problems and find a solution. This strategy promotes critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and collaboration, as students work together to analyze the problem and develop a solution.
To implement problem-based learning, teachers can provide a scenario or case study that aligns with the learning objectives and guides students through the problem-solving process. Teachers can also facilitate discussions and provide feedback to help students stay on track and ensure that they are accurately applying the concepts being taught.
This active learning strategy works particularly well at the end of a unit, where students can put their new learning into practice as they solve a real-life problem.
Provide Opportunities for Feedback and Reflection
Providing opportunities for feedback and reflection is crucial when using active learning strategies in the classroom. Teachers should create a supportive and non-judgmental environment where students feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback. Teachers can encourage feedback and reflection by modeling these practices themselves and by providing clear and specific feedback to students.
Feedback can be given in various forms, including verbal feedback, written feedback, or peer feedback. Teachers can also ask students to use self-assessment tools or rubrics to help students assess their own progress and identify areas for improvement.
Reflection is also an important component of active learning strategies. Teachers should provide time for students to reflect on their learning experiences and think about how they can apply what they have learned in real-world contexts. Reflection can be done through writing assignments, class discussions, or individual reflection activities.
Teachers can also guide students in setting learning goals and creating action plans for achieving those goals. By providing opportunities for feedback and reflection, teachers can help students develop metacognitive skills and become more self-aware and motivated learners.
Getting students to think about their own learning is a great skill that will help them throughout their academic lives.
Conclusion
Active learning is a student-centered approach to teaching that emphasizes hands-on activities, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Implementing active learning strategies in the classroom promotes collaboration, communication, and creativity among students, while also improving their ability to recall and apply what they have learned.
These strategies, such as reciprocal questioning, game-based learning, peer teaching, role play, and others, help students meet their learning objectives by engaging them in the learning process, developing their social and interpersonal skills, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving, and providing immediate feedback on their learning. Teachers can use these active learning techniques to create a more engaging and effective learning environment that fosters student success.
Further Reading:
Check out more information about these and similar strategies, on Prodigy’s article here.
Find out how to engage your students from the beginning with lesson hooks here.
Learn how to differentiate content, process, product, and learning environment here.
Download a FREE eBook on classroom management here.
