The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), Fall 2012, 11(1):A64-A71

ARTICLE
Classroom Activities: Simple Strategies to Incorporate Student-Centered
Activities within Undergraduate Science Lectures
Barbara Lom
Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035

The traditional science lecture, where an instructor delivers Specifically, this article briefly introduces the techniques of:
a carefully crafted monolog to a large audience of students readers theatre, think-pair-share, roundtable, jigsaw, in-
who passively receive the information, has been a popular class quizzes, and minute papers. Each technique is
mode of instruction for centuries. Recent evidence on the broadly applicable well beyond neuroscience courses and
science of teaching and learning indicates that learner- easily modifiable to serve an instructors specific
centered, active teaching strategies can be more effective pedagogical goals. The benefits of each technique are
learning tools than traditional lectures. Yet most colleges described along with specific examples of how each
and universities retain lectures as their central instructional technique might be deployed within a traditional lecture to
method. This article highlights several simple collaborative create more active learning experiences.
teaching techniques that can be readily deployed within Key words: student-centered learning; active learning;
traditional lecture frameworks to promote active learning. lectures

A well-worn quip attributed to Mark Twain summarizes a available as podcasts and/or videos so that students (and
lecture as the transfer of information from the professors professors) have the opportunity to review the lecture
lecture notes to the students notes without passing (Owston et al., 2011; Vajoczki et al., 2011). Consequently,
through the minds of either. Similarly, WH Auden and experiences that were traditionally ephemeral can now be
Camus have each been credited with defining a lecturer as recorded and stored in perpetuity. Not only has technology
a person who talks in someone elses sleep. Despite such made information more available, but it also makes people
popular and discouraging sentiments about lectures and more available. Now students in a lecture hall can interact
lecturers, they remain the most common instructional with guests via videoconferencing, Skype, and other
modes in contemporary undergraduate education. The technologies (Barresi, 2012). Inviting an expert to class,
familiar practice of a professor delivering knowledge to interviewing a scholar, or collaborating with students at
room full of students passively absorbing that information another institution, greatly expanding the walls of modern
has not fundamentally changed for centuries. classrooms in exciting new ways.
For centuries, professors appropriately taught through
Traditional Lectures: Legacy or Liability? traditional lectures because students could not practically
Lectures originated as a necessary component of the oral obtain full access to content central to the course. Today
tradition. Even when the printing press made it possible to information is rarely the limiting factor in a students
collect information within bound volumes, these books education. Thus, modern pedagogy is gradually shifting
were rare, precious, and expensive items well beyond the the professors role from sage on the stage to guide on
access of most students. When printing and copying the side where helping students manage their information
techniques became more accessible and affordable in the is critical to learning (King, 1993; Saulnier, 2009).
th
20 century, information rapidly became more accessible In addition to the evolution in information access and
to students, yet was rarely sufficient without an instructors delivery, in recent years numerous studies have
th
guidance. The deployment of the internet in the late 20 demonstrated that traditional lectures that rely on passive
century dramatically expanded both the amount and types learning are not as effective as active, student-centered
of information readily accessible to both students and learning strategies (Tanner, 2009). With pedagogical
faculty, effectively reducing the information divide between evidence discouraging traditional lectures, a rapidly
teacher and student. evolving technological landscape, and the trendiness of
Even with this evolution of information access, lecture bashing, then why do lectures persist at nearly all
instructors continue to be necessary components of the colleges and universities? One obvious explanation is that
learning process by organizing, explaining, and most faculty members teach the way they were taught.
contextualizing relevant information. Technology has also Most of us learned science through lectures, and
undoubtedly increased a lecturers delivery options to consequently we teach that way. An alternative
make images, animations, and videos common in todays explanation is that lectures are not all bad. They can be
lectures (though the pros and cons of PowerPoint lectures particularly effective for setting contexts, disseminating
in contemporary classrooms are hotly debated (Craig and common material, synthesizing information from multiple
Amernic, 2006; Tufte, 2003). At some institutions lectures sources, clarifying complex concepts, and modeling
are routinely recorded and then subsequently made professional practices (Bligh, 2000, Charlton, 2006;
JUNE is a publication of Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) www.funjournal.org
 The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), Fall 2012, 11(1):A64-A71 A65

Woodring and Woodring, 2007; Adsit, 2012). A third more engaging for students, more rewarding for
explanation is that lectures remain economically effective instructors, and more effective to all.
delivery mechanisms. For the price of a single faculty
members salary (and perhaps some graduate teaching Ignorance and Frustration are Important Pedagogical
assistants) institutions can enroll as many students in one Perspectives
lecture class as they have seats in a lecture hall. In a tight It is also important to note that none of the active learning
economic climate where tuition increases rapidly outpace techniques described here are in any way specific to
inflation, colleges and universities simply cannot afford to neuroscience. These strategies can be applied to lecture
reduce class sizes, even in the face of compelling courses in all disciplines. In fact, one of the best ways to
evidence. Fourth, most colleges and universities are examine new teaching strategies is to visit the classrooms
literally constructed on the foundation of the lecture. of colleagues outside your discipline or look for situations
Because lectures have such a long tradition in the where you are not an expert. To this point I offer a
academy, campus buildings and weekly class schedules personal example of how an experience far outside my
presume lectures as the primary educational activity. discipline became a powerfully simple catalyst for
Reconfiguring classrooms or calendars to accommodate transforming my own teaching and helping me think more
active, student-centered courses requires cultural and about my lectures from student perspectives. Several
facility changes that are difficult, slow, and expensive. years ago I attended a reading by the famous writer Joyce
Thus, faculty members who chose to avoid or minimize Carol Oates, who is also a professor of literature. Not
traditional lectures for other pedagogies are often still equipped with literary analysis skills, I was uncertain how
limited to teaching in spaces designed for monologues to learn from her guest lecture. She quickly put me at ease
rather than conversation. As well, most college faculty by briefly describing each poem before she read it. Her
must teach in prescribed time blocks of two 75-minute or preview of a poem as, four lines long, prepared me for a
three 50-minute periods each week. These time periods short, intense period of attention akin to a 100-yard dash. I
are longer than most effective listening attention spans, yet knew almost nothing about poetry, but I did know that in a
too short for many alternative teaching methods where poem that short, every word was essential. She told us
students take the helm of their learning. that the next poem was longer, so I knew to listen with a
more sustainable pace, akin to a 5K. Finally, one poem
Student-Centered and Active Learning Strategies she told us was on the page in the shape of a kite, and
Many creative instructors have transcended the limitations while I could not see the words on the page, recreating
of traditional lecture hall architectures and time periods; shape in my mind was an exciting challenge that
they have designed smart (and often simple) ways to target augmented my listening to the poem. On the surface, Ms.
pops of activity within their lectures much like a designer Oates gave a traditional monologue lecture in a large
strategically places colorful pillows into an otherwise performance hall, yet these small strategic cues helped me
neutral decor. Some professors use their experience and engage powerfully with material in which I had limited
intuition of what works in the classroom to guide their experience or interest. The next day in my Developmental
choices and others have designed educational research Biology course I showed videos of various embryos. I had
strategies to test the efficacy of active learning methods. viewed these sequences many times before, often just
Thus, there is a very large literature describing how faculty saying here is the zebrafish or lets look at C. elegans
members can effectively deploy student-centered and now. I found myself setting up the time-lapse videos with
active learning approaches within lecture courses (Bonwell, similar cues such as, the sea urchin moves quickly, so
1996; Mazur, 1996; McKeachie, 1999; Uno, 1999; Knight dont blink or the time scale on the tadpole is slower, so
and Wood, 2005, Handelsman et al., 2007; Felder and settle in for a few minutes here. I use this example to
Brent, 2009; Nilson, 2010). Active learning advocates argue that seemingly negligible cues by a lecturer can
contend that when students do something they learn it create significant engagement and learning gains for
better than if they hear about it. Thus, the best way to students. Moreover, I also use this example to make the
learn about active teaching is by spending time in a important point that inspiration for improving lectures can
classroom experiencing those techniques. For instructors come from unexpected places, often when the instructor is
who do not have local peers willing to let them sit in, many well outside her/his discipline and has little expertise in the
useful demonstrations of specific active learning strategies subject. I recall a teaching advice column that suggested
can be found online simply by searching the name of the all faculty members should make an effort to learn
technique and selecting the videos from the search something new or attempt something well out of our
engines results. comfort zones every year or two because we ask our
This article is by no means an exhaustive or original students to learn very new things in which they might not
description of active learning in undergraduate lectures. be naturally good. When I take a painting class or sign up
Instead, its goal is to illustrate a few examples of active for a triathlon, it is not because I imagine a career in art or
learning strategies that can be readily incorporated into a podium finish. Similarly, many of my students will never
traditional lectures with minimal needs for changes in become developmental neuroscientists, but they have
technology, time, and/or architecture. The thoughtful other reasons for taking my course. I may never be able to
incorporation of a few simple active learning strategies can use a paintbrush effectively, I might not perform up to my
go a remarkably long way to making the traditional lecture abilities on a given day, and I will never set an athletic
 Lom Active Learning Strategies in Lectures A66

record, but I will want to be as good as I can be and I will from quiet students who may be shy and/or lack
get frustrated somewhere in the process. Again, most of confidence in their own knowledge. Reading a short
my students will not be naturals and will experience segment or statement is a relatively low-stakes activity
frustrations in learning neuroscience that I may not have where a quiet students voice can be heard and/or a
experienced. Being a learner means struggling with new student who lacks confidence can make a valuable
knowledge when guided by an expert who likely found the contribution to the class.
topic more accessible and interesting. Thus, any Readers Theatre has benefits for its readers, but also
opportunity for an instructor to understand a learners promotes active listening by the non-readers. The
perspective is helpful. Such empathy for the challenges of instructor might preface the reading by giving specific
learning combined with strategic classroom activities that instructions that require the non-readers to take notes,
focus on the learner can transform a traditional lecture into identify a stronger/weaker argument, identify an
a more effective learning experience for students without inaccuracy, categorize statements, etc. Given the many
sacrificing time or content. distractions inherent in todays classrooms where students
are easily lured away from learning by text messages and
ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES IN LECTURES social media, Readers Theatre is a small way to
1. Readers Theater encourage and demonstrate why focusing, note taking,
Explanation: and/or careful listening are critical skills for success.
The instructor selects text relevant to the days topic and
assigns students in the class to read the text out loud. The Examples & Variations:
text may be a short story, a passage, or a collection of Readers Theater can be a particularly effective technique
statements. Depending on the length of the selected text on the first day of class to demonstrate the expectation that
and the size of the class all students may be assigned most of the talking will be done by students. The
reading responsibilities or only a small fraction of the statements selected might model suitable contributions as
students may read out loud. If appropriate, the student questions, evidence-based statements, etc. Alternately,
readers may be encouraged to add drama, flair, or humor the statements read during Readers Theater could
to their readings. This technique is particularly helpful for
exemplify a variety of strong and weak discussion
starting discussions, introducing new topics, or shifting
contributions and students could then analyze which types
gears during a long class period.
of statements facilitated class discussion, which
Background: statements were less helpful, and/or how weak statements
The Readers Theatre technique is frequently used in might be improved with the addition of logic, evidence, etc.
elementary schools as an activity that encourages new The instructor might also choose to shift responsibility
readers to improve reading confidence, fluency, and for selecting the material read toward the students. For
comprehension (Martinez et al., 1998). This flexible example, in a course focusing on clinical neuroscience, the
teaching technique is also used in high schools to develop instructor could assign some or all students to find a quote
performance skills and enhance literary studies (Coger and (or video) from a patient with a specific clinical condition
White, 1973). that describes the symptoms from the patients
perspective. The students who find the quotes might even
Benefits: ask their classmates to do the reading out loud at the next
In an undergraduate science lecture, Readers Theatre is class.
an efficient way to get many students voices in the
classroom and shift speaking responsibilities from the 2. Think-Pair-Share
professor to the students. The technique can be useful for Explanation:
getting a variety of viewpoints onto the floor for discussion The instructor poses a question or prompt to the whole
in a safe and/or efficient manner. For some topics a class with the explicit instruction that all students are
traditional discussion of volunteers might be difficult to expected to think independently about their answer(s) in
cultivate and/or not reveal the full spectrum of viewpoints silence (and possibly jot notes for themselves). After a
because of limited student experiences, lack of knowledge minute or so (the duration will depend on the complexity of
in the field, the controversial nature of the topic, and/or the prompt), the instructor directs the students to pair up
homogeneous demographics. Readers Theater is efficient with a nearby or assigned student. In pairs (or trios) the
because the professor can construct a script with students compare their thoughts. Depending on the
statements that illustrate the full spectrum of viewpoints, prompt, the instructor may guide the pairs to reach a
without requiring the class to spend the time to identify the consensus, pick the most convincing response, generate
spectrum. Similarly, for controversial topics Readers many responses, etc. After the students have talked in
Theater can be a particularly safe method because it is pairs the professor gets everyones attention and asks
obvious that the reader was assigned the task and is pairs to share their responses with the full class. The
therefore not personally advocating or representing a instructor may select pairs by cold calling, asking for
controversial viewpoint. volunteers, requesting diverse responses, going around
It is also important to note that Readers Theatre is an the room, etc. The instructor may also assign students to
effective method for encouraging participation, particularly record the responses.
 The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), Fall 2012, 11(1):A64-A71 A67

Background: Students share a single piece of paper that gets passed

The Think-Pair-Share method is frequently attributed to around their circle rapidly. The goal is to generate as
Frank Lyman (1981). It is a tried and true strategy for many responses as possible from all members of the group
group learning that has been used very effectively and very in a defined period of time. A small prize (candy, extra
widely in postsecondary education (Nilson, 2010). credit point, etc.) may be offered to increase the stakes if
desired. Roundtables are often followed by a reporting
Benefits: mechanism in which the professor calls on groups to share
Think-Pair-Share offers multiple benefits. First, the their responses. The report-out instructions might ask for
moment set aside to think quietly communicates that all no repeated answers, the most predictable answer, the
students are expected to think about the issue posed. It most creative answer, etc. Finally, the instructor may
thereby reduces the chances that when an instructor poses choose to collect the Roundtable papers after the exercise
a question to the class that most students will skip thinking to get a full record of all the small group conversations.
an answer, counting on an eager or attention-seeking
classmate to save the day. Similarly, dedicating time to Benefits:
think quietly also allows students who need just an extra Like many other active learning strategies Roundtable
moment to organize their thoughts (or gather their courage) ensures that every student in the classroom is generating
a chance of contributing to the discussion. Not only does knowledge and contributing to a discussion simultaneously.
Think-Pair-Share encourage all students to think, it allows Roundtables are particularly well suited to brainstorming
all students to talk. Thus, students experience the exercises, but can easily be adapted to other situations
advantages of explaining their responses to a peer, vetting where there are multiple responses. Roundtables can
their thoughts, and revising. This one-on-one conversation quickly transform the energy within a lecture hall because
is often much more comfortable for students than if the multiple groups are simultaneously engaged in animated
same question had been posed to the class and a single conversations or contests.
volunteer response elicited. With every student talking, the
pair phase inevitably brings a burst of activity to the Examples & Variations:
classroom this phase alone can provide a quick and The Roundtable technique is best suited to brainstorming
important change of pace to a lecture where energy and/or applications or problems that have multiple reasonable
engagement are lagging. Students who might never talk in responses, such as experimental results that can have
front of the full class are actively articulating their thoughts multiple interpretations. This technique can also be used
to a peer. Finally, in the share phase of this activity the as a way to help students rapidly generate a variety of
instructor randomly calls on student pairs to report out. diverse ideas as potential starting places for assignments
This cold calling sets the important tone that during or term paper topics. The Roundtable can also be an
Think-Pair-Share all students are expected to think and to effective tool for test preparation by prompting the students
talk, while minimizing the stress of cold calling an individual to list as many key words or concepts that think they
student. All pairs have vetted their points before they are should understand to do well on an upcoming exam, etc.
raised to the full group, etc.
4. Jigsaw
Examples & Variations: Explanation:
There are numerous variations of Think-Pair-Share. It may A class is divided into multiple teams of students. The
be shortened to become Think-Pair, Pair-Share, or Think- instructor gives each team a slightly different but well-
Share. Similarly, students may be asked to share with defined task with clear instructions that each member of
more than one peer (say first on one side and then on the the team will do to represent the group at the end of the
other), expanding the activity to Think-Pair-Pair-Share. work. Each team then collaborates on the task, developing
This activity can be readily combined with voting expertise in the designated area. The instructor is
mechanisms (clickers, show of hands, etc.) to make it available for questions and guidance as the groups work to
Think-Pair-Vote. A small variation, Think-Vote-Pair, is learn their material. Then the instructor rearranges the
particularly effective when the majority of a class has groups to create new groups that are composed of one
trouble identifying the correct answer to a question in a member from each of the original groups. Within the new
quiz. Asking the students to discuss their response with a groups each student has designated expertise and is
neighbor and then re-enter their response to the question responsible for teaching the information learned in the
is a remarkably effective way to help the students refine original group as well as learning the information from the
their thinking. Finally, in the undergraduate science other groups.
classroom, Think-Pair-Share can work particularly well with
analyzing data, understanding experiments, and Background:
considering interpretations and conclusions. Jigsaw classrooms have long been used as a cooperative
and collaborative learning strategy in all levels of
3. Roundtable education. Originally developed by Aronson for reducing
Explanation: racial conflict and promoting positive relationships across
The instructor asks students to collaborate in small groups ethnic boundaries (Aronson and Patnoe, 2011), jigsaws
on a specific prompt that can generate multiple responses. have also been adapted as short exercises within
 Lom Active Learning Strategies in Lectures A68

undergraduate science lectures and labs (Smith et al., phase of the exercise.
1991; Perkins and Saris, 2001; Doymus, 2008; Davis-
McGibony, 2010). 5. Short Quizzes in Class
Explanation:
Benefits: The instructor puts a question with a single correct answer
In a Jigsaw exercise the teacher is responsible for out to the whole class and expects all students to respond.
structuring the activity with thoughtful prompts and perhaps Quizzes are typically exercises completed by students
providing appropriate resources, but students take working independently, but can readily be adapted into
responsibility for obtaining and conveying new knowledge. team activities (such as Think-Pair-Share).
The Jigsaw format necessarily requires each student to be
both a teacher and a careful listener during the exercise, Background:
yet no one student is required to do the front lines digging Quizzing during class can accomplish several goals. First,
on all the topics. This exercise also naturally gets every quiz questions can stimulate thought during a lecture,
student in the classroom talking and interacting with peers. cueing the students to think actively about the material at
The rearrangement inherent in the Jigsaw method also hand by pulling students out of passive, receptive modes
promotes interactions with classmates a student might not into more engaged and contemplative modes. Quizzes on
otherwise encounter as well as provides a burst of physical assigned readings and/or concepts from previous lectures
activity that can help maintain attention. are also useful mechanisms for ensuring students prepare
for class by doing their reading and/or reviewing their
Examples & Variations: notes. Finally, quizzes also test comprehension during a
Jigsaws process of first developing expertise then sharing lecture, providing real-time feedback to both the student
it with peers who have different but related expertise can fit and instructor. The instructor can use the quiz results to
into a class period, but may take up the full class time spend more time on a topic not well understood or to move
depending on the complexity of the knowledge and depth on to new material. Similarly, students can use the quiz
of the task. For example, instead of a professor giving a results to gauge their own understanding in comparison to
lecture describing various neurodegenerative diseases, a instructor expectations and peer performance.
class could do a jigsaw exercise to accomplish the same
goal. The instructor splits the class into initial groups by Benefits:
disease where the students learn, clarify, or review the Typically when an instructor tosses a question out in a
causes and symptoms of one particular clinical condition. lecture hall, it is answered verbally by a single student who
After an appropriate amount of time the instructor shoots a hand into the air. Most other students quickly
reconfigures the groups so that each new group had a figure out that these eager classmates will reliably relieve
student representing each disease. Individuals in the new them of thinking or responding responsibilities in future
groups then use their expertise to teach each other about such situations. Even if the instructor ignores volunteers
the important characteristics of their assigned disease and and asks a specific student to respond, a students chance
learn about the other diseases. The instructor might then of being selected remains unlikely. Consequently, most
assign the reconfigured groups the more complicated students do not view an instructors oral question as an
cognitive task of collaborating to create a visual opportunity to engage or reflect, but rather as a moment to
highlighting the common themes and important distinctions wait out. Moreover, when an instructor hears only a single
between all the diseases considered. If class time does volunteer response, this feedback reflects how one
not permit this synthesis, then this final activity could be confident student is thinking. The bulk of the class might
assigned as collaborative or individual homework. have a very different understanding that is not obvious to
Jigsaws are also commonly used in science courses as the instructor. In contrast, when a question is reconfigured
ways to make primary research articles more as a quiz, two important benefits emerge. All students are
approachable. Initial groups may first focus on specific cued to think about the material and the instructor quickly
sections (or figures) in a paper, then reconfigure so that gets a complete view of where the classs knowledge
each group has at least one member with expertise on stands.
each portion of the article. Jigsaws also work well for
helping students write scientific manuscripts for the Examples & Variations:
laboratory portion of a course. Initial groups focus on key Quizzes can be implemented in a wide variety of ways
components of each paper section (introduction, methods, from high-tech classroom response systems (a.k.a
results, discussion, etc.) and then rearrange to collaborate clickers) to low-tech shows of hands. Clicker systems offer
on the writing of a full report. the benefit of rapidly collecting, recording, and displaying
responses without individual attribution. Thus students
Jigsaw exercises may also fit well with learning
selecting the wrong answer are not outed, yet still know
activities outside of class. For example, in advance of a
where they stand in comparison to their classmates.
Jigsaw activity, an instructor might assign different
Moreover, clickers allow a variety of question formats such
readings to subsets of students. In this way the first phase as true/false, multiple choice, and numeric responses.
of the Jigsaw is independent acquisition of expertise, which Clicker software can sometimes be clunky and the
allows class time to focus on the collaborative teaching hardware expensive, but they have been used to good
 The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), Fall 2012, 11(1):A64-A71 A69

effect in many courses (Wood, 2004; Keller et al., 2007; Papers also serve as a way to identify points of confusion
Crossgrove and Curran, 2008; Bruff, 2009) and new that might not be immediately obvious.
options that allow students to use their cell phones as the Benefits:
responding devices are emerging. Moreover, performance This technique prompts students to assess the days
on clicker quizzes can be used to record attendance and/or lecture before they leave the room. It encourages them to
count toward a students course grade, providing incentive identify key points and questions as a regular exercise. In
to attend and participate in class. addition to the well-known benefits of repeating,
A lecturer does not need a classroom response system summarizing, and reviewing information as effective
to reap the benefits of quizzing in class. Raised hands, components of learning, minute papers can also decrease
mini whiteboards, a folded sheet of paper with A, B, C, D the impersonal, unidirectional nature of traditional lecture
options, or colored index cards can accomplish the same courses. Through Minute Papers, all students have an
pedagogical goals quite well without the expense or risk of accessible opportunity to raise questions or a safe way to
failure inherent to technology (Lasry, 2008; Fallon and admit confusion.
Forrest, 2011; Whitney, 2011). These low-tech alternatives Minute Papers also provide the instructor with a
retain the advantage of providing the instructor with quick valuable glimpse into how students experienced the
feedback from the full class, but without the automatic lecture, revealing that concepts the instructor intended as
record individual grades, potentially reducing incentives for clear or important might have been regarded as confusing
students to perform well. In addition, these low-tech or trivial by the students in the room. Thus, an instructor
response systems do not provide the inherent can use feedback from Minute Papers to assess the
confidentiality of clickers that reduce the fear of everyone effectiveness of the lecture as well as to identify areas that
knowing which students selected the wrong answers. need additional clarification in the next class period
Instructors can, however, enforce simple rules with the low- (Angelo and Cross, 1993). When an instructor
tech alternatives to reduce this anxiety considerably. For acknowledges feedback from Minute Papers in subsequent
example, asking students to close their eyes before raising classes, this action not only improves lecture efficacy but
their hands, requiring that students hold their cards or can also enhance relationships between the student and
whiteboards under their chins, and chastising wandering professor even with large enrollments. A professor
eyes all readily allow the instructor to scan the responses acknowledging that Minute Paper information was used in
quickly and then report the outcome without students the design and delivery of subsequent lectures sends a
knowing how specific peers responded. powerful message that student learning is valued, even in
Finally, in-class quizzes do not need to be oral. They very large lecture halls.
can also be very short (often timed) written exercises that
come at the beginning or end of a lecture period. Written Examples & Variations:
quizzes can also be placed in the middle of a lecture as a Minute Papers can be varied in frequency or timing. Some
change of pace or signal closure to a topic. Written instructors use Minute Papers in every lecture where they
quizzes offer the advantages of engaging students in a also serve as a means of taking attendance. Other
confidential way with a record of individual performance. instructors employ Minute Papers frequently, but not daily.
Such quizzes do not provide instant feedback and require Writing for a minute or two most often functions as a cool-
grading after class. down exercise to close out a lecture, but Minute Papers
can certainly be used in the middle of a class period to
6. Minute Papers change pace or signal a topic shift. As well, Minute Papers
Explanation: can be useful for students at the start of a class period as
In a few minutes of class the instructor asks the students to well as a warm-up activity (Nilson, 2010). For example,
write a quick response to a question regarding the days short periods of expressive writing about their anxiety
lecture. This exercise is typically done at the end of class before an exam have been shown to improve exam scores
and turned in as students exit. Minute Papers prompt (Ramirez and Beilock, 2011).
students to review the days lesson before they leave the A lecturer using Minute Papers has additional choices in
room. Questions for Minute Papers might include, what how this technique fits best with the pedagogical goals of a
was the take-home message?, what was the most specific lecture. Minute Papers may or may not be
confusing concept?, what question could you ask about anonymous. Some students will be more likely to admit
todays material?, what will (or will not) stick in your brain confusions, questions, or misunderstandings when the task
from todays class?, or what points do you want to make is anonymous, yet other students may not take the
exercise as seriously under this condition. Also, an
sure you retain for the next exam?.
instructor can choose that Minute Papers be graded or
ungraded. Some instructors assign a token amount of the
Background:
courses participation or attendance grade to Minute Paper
This technique has been widely used in large and small
assignments to discourage students from skipping class or
lecture courses (Harwood, 1996; McKeachie, 1999; sandbagging the exercise. Finally, returning the Minute
Bressoud, 1999; Stead, 2005). As a short writing exercise, Papers is another instructor choice. Some instructors read
Minute Papers provide both the teacher and the students Minute Papers but do not return them to their students,
with a quick summary of what was learned in class. Minute while others return Minute Papers so students have their
 Lom Active Learning Strategies in Lectures A70

own summaries and questions for their studying. A few you have some good ideas on paper for lab projects, you
instructors even use the Minute Papers to write short should prioritize those ideas on how well you will be able to
comments before returning them as an additional way to test each hypothesis with the instruments we have in lab.
build relationships and start conversations with students as Finally, the responsibility to state the goal does not
individuals. always need to fall to the instructor. Asking the students to
clarify the goal works particularly well at the end of an
Stating Goals as Part of Active Learning Strategies activity. For example an instructor might ask, why do you
Regardless of the specific active leaning strategy used, think that we just spent so much time discussing how Cajal
stating the goal of the exercise is a critical component of and Golgi viewed the nervous system differently? or why
successful implementation of any active classroom do you think we read this research article for class today?.
strategy. To enhance student buy-in and engagement, Encouraging students to look for the reasons behind their
revealing an activitys purpose is essential, particularly for activities and assignments can help them take ownership
new activities. Students are generally more receptive to a of their own learning.
new method when they have insight into why they are
doing it. While the purpose of an activity may seem Practice Matters
obvious to the instructor, students are frequently unable to Just as students use repetition and refinement in their
discern an activitys purpose on their own. Thus, a simple learning processes, faculty members should not expect
statement of the learning goal can go a long way to that an active learning strategy will work flawlessly the first
establish trust, value, and participation. I often think of this time out. It takes time to develop expertise in front of a
need for transparency as similar to a coach telling athletes, classroom with new techniques. The specificity of the
we are going to warm up our legs with these stretches so prompts, in particular, often requires refining that is only
we have more stamina when we run up hills today in possible by repeated attempts. Few instructors expect
practice. For example, an instructor might explain, we their students to understand a difficult concept on the first
are starting with a readers theatre today so that we can pass, yet hold themselves to perfection on the first attempt
get a spectrum of important perspectives on this issue out at an active learning strategy. Many active learning
on the table rapidly and focus our discussion time more advocates advise instructors to start small with a goal of
effectively or we will be seeing graphs like these all implementing one strategy or revising one lecture, rather
semester, so if you can explain an I/V curve to your than completely overhauling a course. As an instructor
neighbor, you will be more likely to know how to interpret gains comfort and experience with techniques such as the
an I/V curve on a test. ones highlighted in this article, lectures will likely become
Establishing the goal of an activity demonstrates to the more active and useful experiences for the students.
students that the instructor is explictly thinking about their
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