Planning and

Implementing
(Inter)Active Learning
November 6, 2018

Kevin Barry & Kristi Rudenga



Goals
• After successfully completing this workshop you will be able
to:
• Describe the benefits of interactive learning
• Identify strategies to increase student engagement and learning
• Plan and use interactive learning strategies
• Prepare for student resistance

Designing Learning Experiences

Learning Goals

Teaching & Feedback &

Learning Assessment
Activities

Modified from
Situational Factors Fink, 2003, 2013

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Traditional (Lecture) vs Interactive Method

Model In Class Students’ Instructor’s Own Time

Own Time
Traditional First exposure Process Responses to all assignments

Interactive Method Process; response to daily short First exposure/some Response to selected assignments
assignments and guidance for processing
longer assignments

Choices about first exposure (Walvoord & Anderson, 2009)

Activity: Identifying Space For Interaction

• Thinking about a class that you teach, take 2-3 minutes to
free write about:
• How have you created, or could you create, space for in class
interaction?
• What first exposure could happen outside of the classroom?

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Active Learning Definitions (1)
• “Getting all students to do something course-related in class
other than just watching and listening to the instructor and
taking notes.”
• Felder and Brent (2016). Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical
Guide.

• “… in the context of the college classroom, active learning is

anything that "involves students in doing things and thinking
about the things they are doing."
• Bonwell, C., & Eison, J. (1991)

Active Learning Definitions (2)

• “Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn
much just by sitting in class listening to teachers, memorizing
prepackaged assignments, and spitting our answers. They
must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate
it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must
make what they learn part of themselves.”
• Chickering and Gamson, (1987)

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Active Learning Definitions (3)
• ICAP Definitions
• Interactive – learners engage in dialogues that meet two criteria: (a)
both partners’ utterances must be primarily constructive, and (b) a
sufficient degree of turn taking must occur.
• Constructive – learners generate or produce additional externalized
outputs or products beyond what was provided in the learning
materials.
• Active – learners undertake some form of overt motoric action or
physical manipulation that cause focused attention
• Passive – learners being oriented toward and receiving information
from the instructional materials without overtly doing anything else
related to learning.
Chi, M., & Wylie, R. (2014)

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The ICAP Framework
Category INTERACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIVE PASSIVE

Characteristic Dialoguing Generating Manipulating Receiving

Generating additional inferences Generating new inferences or Manipulating learning materials Merely paying attention to receive
Definition and information via dialoguing information beyond what is to focus attention the learning material
with a peer presented

Knowledge-change Co-Inferring Inferring, Integrating, Storing

processes (taking turns, mutual benefit) connecting,comparing, reflecting activate prior, assimilate new isolated, encapsulated info

Expected cognitive Co-Creating, Transferring Applying Recalling

outcomes inventing new products to new contexts, interpret in similar contexts verbatim in the identical context

Learning outcome Deepest understanding Deep understanding Shallow understanding Minimal understanding

Examples - Defend a position in a group - Reflect out loud - Take verbatim notes - Listen to a lecture
of learning - Ask and answer in pairs - Summarize in new words - Highlight key information - Read an article
activities - Debate justification with a peer - Compare to another video - Pause or replay - Watch a video

Hypothesis I> C> A> P

Source: Chi, M. T., & Wylie, R. (2014). The ICAP framework: Linking cognitive engagement to active learning outcomes.Educational Psychologist,49(4), 219-243.

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 From: Chi, M., & Wylie, R. (2014). The ICAP Framework: Linking Cognitive Engagement to Active Learning Outcomes.
Examples of Learning Activities by Mode of Engagement
PASSIVE Receiving
LISTENING to a lecture Listening without doing
anything else but oriented
toward instruction
READING a text Reading entire text passages
silently/aloud without doing
anything else
OBSERVING a video Watching the video without
doing anything else
TABLE 2
Example Activities, Knowledge-Change Processes, Knowledge Changes, Cognitive Outcomes, and Learning Outcome by Mode of Engagement
CATEGORY Characteristic PASSIVE Receiving
Example activities Listening to explanations;
Watching a video
Knowledge-change Isolated “storing” processes in
processes which information is stored
episodically in encapsulated
form without embedding it
in a relevant schema, no
integration
Expected changes New knowledge is stored, but
in knowledge stored in an encapsulated
way.
Expected cognitive Recall: knowledge can be
outcomes recalled verbatim in
identical context (e.g., reuse
the same procedure or
explanation for identical
problems or concepts).
Learning outcomes: ICAP Minimal understanding
TABLE 1
ACTIVE Manipulating CONSTRUCTIVE Generating
Repeating or rehearsing; Reflecting out-loud;
Copying solution steps; Drawing concept maps;
Taking verbatim notes Asking questions
Underlining or highlighting; Self-explaining;
Summarizing by copy-and- Integrating across texts;
delete Taking notes in one’s own
words
Manipulating the tape by Explaining concepts in the
pausing, playing, fast- video; Comparing and
forward, rewind contrasting to prior
knowledge or other
materials
ACTIVE Manipulating CONSTRUCTIVE Generating
Taking verbatim notes; Self-explaining;
Highlighting sentences Comparing and contrasting
“Integrating” processes in “Inferring” processes include: “Co-inferring” processes
which the selected & integrating new information
emphasized information with prior knowledge;
activates prior knowledge & inferring new knowledge;
schema, & new information connecting, comparing &
can be assimilated into the contrasting different pieces
activated schema. of new information to
infer new knowledge;
analogizing, generalizing,
reflecting on conditions of a
procedure, explaining why
something works.
Existing schema is more New inferences create new
complete, coherent, salient, knowledge beyond what was perspectives can emerge
and strengthened. encoded, thus existing
schema may become more
enriched; procedures may be
elaborated with meaning,
rationale and justifications;
and mental models may be
accommodated; and schema
may be linked with other
schemas.
Apply: knowledge can be Transfer: knowledge of
applied to similar but non- procedures can be applied to perspectives can allow
identical contexts (i.e., a novel context or distant
similar problems or problem; knowledge of
concepts that need to be concepts permit
explained) interpretation &
explanations of new
concepts.
Shallow understanding Deep understanding, potential Deepest understanding,
for transfer
INTERACTIVE Dialoguing
Defending and arguing a
position in dyads or small
group
Asking and answering
comprehension questions
with a partner
Debating with a peer about the
justifications;
Discussing similarities &
differences
INTERACTIVE Dialoguing
Discussing with a peer;
Drawing a diagram with a
partner
involve both partners taking
turns mutually creating. This
mutuality further benefits
from opportunities &
processes to incorporate
feedback, to entertain new
ideas, alternative
perspectives, new directions,
etc.
New knowledge and
from co-creating knowledge
that neither partner knew.
Co-create: knowledge and
partners to invent new
products, interpretations,
procedures, and ideas.
potential to innovate novel
ideas
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Activity: Identify instances of ICAP elements
• Take 3-5 minutes
• Think of one instance from a class that you have taught or taken
that exemplifies each ICAP element:
• Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive
• For each instance, reflect on the impact on learning

• Take 3 minutes
• Discuss your reflections in pairs

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 Selected Methods for Active Learning in the Classroom

• Think (Write)-Pair-Share (http://bit.ly/w-p-s): Have students work individually on a

problem or reflect on a passage. Students then compare their responses with a partner and
synthesize a joint solution to share with the entire class.
• Brainstorming: Introduce a topic or problem and then ask for student input. Give students a
minute to write down their ideas, and then record them on the board.
• Free write: students spend a set amount of time individually writing ideas without concern for
grammar or spelling.
• Polling: Poll students about a topic by asking questions that can be answered by yes/no or
agree/disagree, multiple choice, etc. PollEverywhere.com, Response Cards or Fingers can be
used to observe responses. Made interactive by incorporating Peer Instruction (students
discuss responses and come to consensus before second round).
• Peer Review: Students are asked to complete an individual homework assignment or short
paper. Each student then takes their partner's work and, depending on the nature of the
assignment, gives critical feedback, and corrects mistakes in content and/or grammar.
• Case Studies: Use real-life stories that describe what happened to a community, family, school,
industry, or individual to prompt students to integrate their classroom knowledge with
their knowledge of real-world situations, actions, and consequences.
• Clarification Pauses: Throughout a lecture, particularly after stating an important point or
defining a key concept, stop presenting and allow students time to think about the
information. After waiting, ask if anyone needs to have anything clarified.
• Cooperative Groups: Pose a question for each cooperative group while you circulate around the
room answering questions and keeping the groups on task. After allowing time for group
discussion, ask the pre-identified group spokesperson to share their discussion points with the
rest of the class.
• Hands-on Technology: Students use technology such as simulation programs to get a deeper
understanding of course concepts. For instance, students might use simulation software to
design a simple device or use a statistical package for regression analysis.
• Self-Assessment: Students receive a quiz (typically ungraded) or a checklist of ideas to
determine their understanding of the subject. Concept inventories or similar tools may be
used at the beginning of a semester or the chapter to help students identify misconceptions.
• Role Playing: Here students are asked to "act out" a part or a position to get a better idea of
the concepts and theories being discussed. Role- playing exercises can range from the
simple to the complex.
• Team-based Learning: Groups of four to five students form teams. Class starts with individual
quiz followed by group quiz (same questions) where teams submit consensus answers. Points
are accumulated throughout the semester.

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Activity: Plan for Implementation
• Take 3-5 minutes
• Begin planning for implementation of one or two learning
methods/activities that would place your students in the
Interactive or Constructive ICAP modes.

We Never Said It Would Be Easy

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Helping Your Students (and Yourself)

From “We Never Said It Would Be Easy” – http://bit.ly/Felder-Easy

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 Bibliography
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Bonwell, Charles C., & Eison, James A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the
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Chi, M., & Wylie, R. (2014). The ICAP Framework: Linking Cognitive Engagement to Active
Learning Outcomes. Educational Psychologist, 49(4), 219–243, American Psychological
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Chickering, A., & Gamson, Z. (1987). “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate
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Felder R., and Brent, R. (2016). Teaching and Learning STEM. Jossey-Bass.

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