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Active Learning Strategies in TEAL Instructional Spaces

“Learning is not a spectator sport.”

Chickering and Gamson, 1987

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Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) instructional spaces are designed to engage students and promote active learning, encouraging students to think deeply about the things they are doing (Barkley, 2010). According to organizations like the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU), which support high-impact strategies promoting student engagement and deep learning, the rise in active learning instructional spaces such as TEAL are excellent.

So why does active learning matter and how does a TEAL instructional space support this?
Active learning helps promote higher order thinking skills such as application of knowledge, analysis and synthesis. It engages students in deep rather than surface level learning, and enables them to apply and transfer knowledge better.

TEAL spaces aim to provide more opportunities for innovative use of creativity and comprehensive peer-to-peer and instructor interaction which helps to increase student motivation, promote collaboration and enabling access to knowledge and skills for all.

A recent study indicated that active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). This study collected data on exam scores and failure rates in a range of STEM courses that had been taught by the same instructor via both traditional lecturing and active learning. The results revealed that on average, active learning reduced achievement gaps in exam scores and passing rates. Active learning benefited all students but offered disproportionate benefits for individuals from underrepresented groups (Theobald, 2020).

Why has UC Merced added TEAL Labs?

As one of the newest higher education institutions in California, UC Merced supports innovative teaching methods like access to 4 TEAL labs for teaching: two 35-seat rooms and two 90-seat rooms. These Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) are physical instructional spaces that infuse technology with active learning.

TEAL Enables Learning image

Technology Enhanced Active Learning: Enabling Learning Beyond Traditional Boundaries

TEAL Active Learning Strategies

Classroom + Active Learning + Technology

How is a TEAL space different?

Technologies include active learning group tables, each with a display and functionality for students to share their ideas in their groups. This active-learning pedagogy supports group work, facilitated discussions, simulations, coding demonstrations and hands-on experiments to support student learning outcomes. Additionally, Students can connect their own laptops or tablets to the displays or use the visual presenter (doc cam) provided at each table. The technology in the spaces givers instructors the flexibility to direct students to work in groups, direct student attention to what the instructor is sharing, or direct student attention to what another group is sharing.

Active Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Learning

What is Active Learning?

Using the Learning principles, Dale’s Cone of Experience (figure 1, below) shows the passive and active parts of learning. Passive learning includes using methods such as lectures, reading, audiovisual, and demonstration to retain information. Active learning includes using participatory learning and teaching methods such as making the content relevant to the audience, having group discussions, and having participants practice by doing and showing/ teaching others how to retain information.

Figure 1: Dale's Cone of Experience

Dales Cone of Experience Diagram

Research indicates that varying learning methods improve retention and recall of information. Dale’s Cone of Experience developed by the National Training Laboratory, suggests that learners remember about 10% of what they read from textbooks, but retain nearly 90% of what they learn through actively engaging with it through group discussions, practice by doing, or teaching others. This method also suggests that some methods of study are more effective than others and that varying learning methods lead to deeper learning and long-term retention.

TEAL instructional spaces blend technology with active pedagogy with the following benefits:

  1. Technology Design: Room and AV design focused on collaborative and applied learning tasks
  2. Classroom Layout: There is no front or back of the room; large rectangular 9-student work tables are placed along the outside of walls
  3. All-Inclusive: Each station has connectivity for laptops, tablets, and document cameras
  4. Small Group Work: Layout allows small group work leading to active learning and problem solving
  5. Interactions: Instructors can choose to interact with one group’s work, or transfer focus between groups

Active Learning Activities in a TEAL Space

There are many active learning strategies available to enhance student engagement. These can vary on a spectrum from simple to complex as defined below in figure 2. This diagram shows many strategies, labeled from Simple to Complex. We have highlighted a few activities and describe in the next section, how they might be implemented. Active Learning Activity Descriptions

Figure 2: Active Learning Activities from Simple to Complex.

learning activities

Adapted from Chris O’Neal and Tershia Pinder-Grover, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan.

Examples of Active Learning Activities in a TEAL Space

Table 1 (below) contains examples of active learning strategies that can be implemented in a TEAL space utilizing the room technology. Activities can range from simple to complex as described above in Figure 2 and there are a variety of options that can be used depending on the preparation and delivery time required for a class.

Table 1: Sample Learning Activties for TEAL Spaces

Active Learning Strategy Description Technology Integration Ideas
Think-Pair-Share

Students use the collaborative learning approach known as think-pair-share (TPS) to work together to solve a problem or respond to a question regarding the given content. Students must (1) think independently about a subject or respond to a question; and (2) share ideas with classmates as part of this method. Partner discussions increase engagement, concentrate attention, and get students interested in understanding the content.

This enhances collaborative learning opportunities that provide students with an opportunity to look at the problem from multiple perspectives while they evaluate their own learning and peers’ learning process.
  1. Instructors provide a prompt using their laptop for the Turning audience response system (clickers).
  2. Students are then given a few minutes to think about their response and then record their response (without talking to others) either using low tech device such as paper or a Turning clicker/app.
  3. Instructors then ask students to share their thoughts or defend their answer with a partner.
  4. The instructor then asks students to answer the same question again and shares the responses as well as answering any important questions/thoughts/ issues that arise in the students' responses.
Triad Groups Triad groups use active learning methods in which student is assigned specific role and responsibilities. The roles may rotate and vary over a period of time. Usually, the assigned roles are note-taker, writer, moderator and presenter.
  1. Instructors provide a prompt using their laptop/tablet or a visual presenter (doc cam).
  2. Students take advantage of the group tables to engage in small group discussions.
  3. Prior to group discussion instructor shares link to access O365 “Springboard” or other technology to highlight discussion points.
  4. Instructor, rather than asking few selected groups to share their responses engages students to submit their group discussion highlights using Word online through O365 or in paper form or cue-cards. This ensures that students feel validated by their participation in the exercise since the instructor may not be able to get to all.

*The layout and technology available in TEAL allows collaboration and streamlining information with peers and instructors able to access the discussion points. Also, this method allows peers to access group discussion notes at a later point and learn from it.
Brainstorming Brainstorming is a cooperative learning strategy that enables students to generate ideas on a certain topic, or category while the facilitator records the answers using different methods. This encourages students to draw upon their prior knowledge and experiences.
  1. Instructors provide a prompt using their laptop/tablet or a visual presenter
  2. TEAL also allows the instructor to share an educational video using audio visual technology for the class OR assign a different video to be viewed on small tables as part of brainstorming activity. During small group discussions in small groups/tables, this allows instructor to walk around the small groups to listen to the discussion points that can be integrated during class discussion. If using collaborative technology such as O365 to record discussion points instructor can also access notes on their machine.
  3. If students decide to draw or take notes on paper this can then be shared via the visual presenter for class discussion late.
Inquiry Learning Inquiry-based learning is a learning process that engages students by making real-world connections through exploration and high-level questioning. This interaction encourages students to engage in problem-solving and helps them in “how to think” instead of “what to think”.

Instructors can use the 5E inquiry model which includes: 1) Engage, 2) Explore, 3) Explain, 4) Elaborate, 5) Evaluate.

  1. Instructor can use PPT or other options to introduce questions and engage students such as a partial quote, media clips, etc. and prior knowledge can be tested using CatCourses/Canvas quizzing functions or Turning audience response system.
  2. Students can be motivated by hands-on-application of technological tools such as O365 “springboards” for students to engage in their learning, and research and create resource lists in Microsoft Excel, use research folders organized in Box, and share findings in presentation tools such as PowerPoint.
  3. Reflection is an integral part of the learning cycle. Students can self-assess using checklists and rubrics. The instructor can gather quick assessment data using polls. An example would be a creative exit ticket / quick survey such as “share the muddiest point” or “what/how will you apply this information this week” etc. This can also be done in groups using Microsoft Whiteboard and allowing students to write or draw their answers directly to the whiteboard.

References

Adapted in part from these sources:

  1. Barkley, E.F. (2020). Student Engagement Techniques: A handbook for college professors. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  2. Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. The Wingspread Journal, 9, 1-10.
  3. Kevin Yee (2017). 226 Active Learning Techniques. Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Iowa State University. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA Retrieved from https://www.celt.iastate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CELT226activelearningtechniques.pdf
  4. McGreevy, K.M.; Church, F.C. (2020). Active Learning: Subtypes, Intra-Exam Comparison, and Student Survey in an Undergraduate Biology Course. Educ. Sci. 10, 185.
  5. O'Neal, C., & Pinder-Grover, T. (n.d.). How can you incorporate active learning into your classroom? Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan. https://crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/Active_Learning_Continuum_CRL...
  6. Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J. A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M. E., Littlefield, C. E., … Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117

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