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What is the Active Learning Network?The Active Learning Network is a group of people from around the world who share an interest in active approaches to learning. This site is designed to be a collaborative platform to showcase active learning projects, research and discussion taking place nationally and internationally. If you have a project that you would like us to showcase, please let us know! The group was initiated by Dr Wendy Garnham (@W_Garnham), a Teaching Fellow in Psychology, Tab Betts (@TabbanBetts) and Dr Paolo Oprandi (@Paolo_Oprandi), senior learning technologist from Technology Enhanced Learning at University of Sussex. All opinions stated are our own. Interested in joining? Use our sign-up form.
How do we define Active Learning?“In active learning, rather than the teacher ‘transmitting’ knowledge through lectures or reading, learners engage in a series of activities which require them to produce observable evidence of their learning. Where possible, these individual, pair and group tasks should aim to develop higher order thinking skills, emotional connection with content and tactile or physical engagement with the environment.” – Tab Betts, Learning Technologist, University of Sussex “Active learning is a process whereby students engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content. Cooperative learning, problem-based learning, and the use of case methods and simulations are some approaches that promote active learning.” – Centre for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan

Exciting events and opportunities coming up for the Active Learning Network

Large Class Teaching – a proposal for a working group or workshop – expressions of interest required! Dr Victoria Walden is interested to explore methods for large class teaching in Media, Film and Music (as our maximum seminar group sizes have just increased). I’m hoping to run a working group or workshop day sometime during… Continue reading Exciting events and opportunities coming up for the Active Learning Network

Creating an inclusive environment for discussion in large groups

Our blog-post this month is provided by Professor Alison J. Sinclair, FRSB, SFHEA, Professor of Molecular Virology and Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/26183 @ASLAB I embrace active learning and over thirty-years of practice I have found this approach to effective to facilitate both student and… Continue reading Creating an inclusive environment for discussion in large groups

Outdoor learning: Introducing the Twalk, Twitter in the wild

#Sussextwalk19 #LearnToTransform pic.twitter.com/u9wOqYGDm9 — Paolo Oprandi (@paolo_oprandi) September 16, 2019 Lectures and seminars are the staple of higher education teaching and learning. Seminars are usually the dedicated teaching space for students to engage in discussions and activities that relate to the topics introduced in lectures. In doing so they generate contextual and personal knowledge of… Continue reading Outdoor learning: Introducing the Twalk, Twitter in the wild

Here’s to an Autumn Term of active learning, fun and innovation!

The Active Learning Network Satellite Groups The Active Learning Network is expanding! First of all, we would like to welcome our newest satellite groups to the network: Alison McManus at Durham University will be leading the network there. Roy Hanney will be doing similar at Solent University, Southampton and Gustavo Espinoza-Ramos will be leading a… Continue reading Here’s to an Autumn Term of active learning, fun and innovation!

It’s not just students who have fun with active learning- so do our conference delegates!

Tuesday 11th June heralded the start of the 3rd Active Learning Network conference here at Sussex. With everything from the use of magic to building metaphors with Lego to walking, standing and crawling to “stand-up pedagogy”, the conference showcased a variety of innovative and engaging active learning methods leaving us with a number of tools… Continue reading It’s not just students who have fun with active learning- so do our conference delegates!

Events

Cryptic Crosswords in Higher Education: Getting to Grips with Puzzling Terminology Webinar, Monday 18th May 11:00am Facilitated by Liza Weber, Centre for German Jewish Studies, University of Sussex Book now This masterclass in the art of cryptic crosswords applies to all disciplines, from the sciences to the humanities and everything in-between. At its core is a… Continue reading Events

Resources

Assessing reflection We enter into higher education to learn something new; deepen our understanding of a field of knowledge and research. However, learning is a skill in itself and in order to improve our capacity to learn we need to reflect on when and how we learn. Our students’ ability to reflect on their learning… Continue reading Resources

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