Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Active Teaching - Active Learning: Teaching Techniques and Tools
Active Teaching - Active Learning: Teaching Techniques and Tools
Active Learning
Teaching Techniques and Tools
4-H 0259L
Reprinted November 2005
are a big plus in teaching, especially when the young people
Learners have the ability to retain: prepare materials to share.
10% of what they read
20% of what they hear Hearing and seeing
30% of what they see When young people see and hear new material, they retain
50% of what they see and hear approximately 50 percent of it. Observing demonstrations,
70% of what they say as they talk seeing movies or videos, and participating in tours are all
90% of what they say as they do a thing ways members can see and hear. These generally are popular
teaching methods.
Saying
Young people retain approximately 70 percent of what
they explain personally. When young people become an
active part of the learning process, the amount they learn
Methods of instruction increases dramatically. Discussion groups and judging
and ability to recall experiences are two important ways members can express
Recall Recall their ideas.
3 hours 3 days
later later Saying and doing
Telling (when used alone) 70% 10% When young people are involved actively in saying
Showing (when used alone) 72% 20% and doing, they retain approximately 90 percent of the
Telling and showing together 85% 65% material. Most people learn best by actually doing. Provide
opportunities for the members to practice and explore what
they have learned.
Keys to learning
Every 4-H leader should give as much responsibility
as possible to group members. The more they do for
themselves, the more they learn. How can a leader best
involve group members in this learning process? The
following ideas may help.
Explore (Do)
Youth explore and learn when they are involved in a Experiential Learning Model
hands-on learning activity.
Reect
Participants reect on the activity when they can share
and think about it. Questions relate to what happened during
the activity and what was important about the activity.
Possible learning questions:
What did you like about this activity?
Active TeachingActive Learning 3
Did everyone in the group agree on how to do the
Example4-H members activity?
participate in a What was the most fun about doing the activity?
4-H Judging Contest. Why is it important for us to know about ___________?
Explore (Do)When participating What was the most challenging part of the activity?
in a judging contest, youth are asked to Apply
step into the role of judge and to compare,
To complete the process, youth need to apply what they
select, and tell why. Typically, participants
have learned to everyday life. Questions relate to why the
are presented with a situation and asked to
activity was important and to applications of the activities
compare four items or animals and decide
outside the world of 4-H.
which is the best choice, next best choice,
Possible learning questions:
and so on.
When else have you had fun and learned new things at the
ReectThe activity leader may ask same time?
questions such as: What did you learn about working with others from this
What did you like about participating activity?
in the judging contest? If you were to do this activity again, what would you do
What did you learn about differently next time?
thoroughbred mares by judging that What did you learn about _____________ that will help
class? you in the future?
How did you place the class of What will you remember to do next time when you ___ ?
heifers, and why?
As you teach 4-H club or group activities, use experiential
ApplyFor this application, the learning to help the young people think about what they
leader may ask the following questions: learned and how to apply it to their lives.
What did you learn in the foods
judging contest about decision making
that you could apply in everyday life? Teaching styles
Tell me about another time that you A good teacher has many characteristics. In 4-H,
would organize your thoughts and leadership styles are explained as being placed on a line or
explain a choice you made. scale. On one end is a directive or autocratic leader. At the
How might you use the skills you other end is a nondirective style, and in the middle is the
learned in judging if you were to democratic style. Your teaching approach is probably related
purchase a car? to your leadership style. You may use a directive teaching
approach or a facilitative teaching approach. You may even
use a combination of both approaches.
A directive teaching approach
is similar to the classic model of
a classroom teacher. The teacher
informs or trains students on how
to complete an activity or task. A
facilitative teacher serves as a coach
and believes that students have
something to bring to their learning
experience.
4.
You come home and nd that an animal has
eaten one of the houseplants. The dog and cat
dont show any symptoms of illness. What can
you do in this situation? What resources can
help you?
Learn
Actual experience (4-H projects)
most
Working with models
Judgingdramatic participation
Discussions
Demonstrations
Field trips, tours Doing
Exhibits, displays
Movies, video cassettes
Slides, lmstrips Seeing
Radio, recordings,
still pictures
Illustrated talks,
charts, graphs,
posters, maps
Talks,
Learn least printed Listening
matter
Robin VanWinkle, 4-H Extension agent, Douglas County; Woody Davis, 4-H Extension agent, Columbia County;
Tammy Skubinna, 4-H Extension agent, Benton County; and Lillian Larwood, 4-H Extension specialist; Oregon
State University.
2002 Oregon State University. This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of
May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and Oregon counties. Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and
materialswithout discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital
status, disability, or disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal
Opportunity Employer.
Published July 2002. Reprinted November 2005.