WORKSHOP: Teaching Large Classes: Active Learning in Lectures

This workshop will introduce you to the theory behind Active Learning, model a range of Active Learning strategies, and give you some practical tips and techniques to help you develop appropriate Active Learning activities for your lectures. Studies clearly show that in ‘traditional’ lectures, students’ attention declines rapidly after 15 minutes. Thus, while students retain 70% of the first ten minutes of a lecture, they only retain 20% of the last ten minutes. ‘Active Learning’ aims to involve students in the learning process, so that they are not simply passive (and inattentive) recipients of knowledge. Active Learning strategies can be as simple as asking students to vote on the answer to a question and they can have marked impact upon students’ attention and retention.