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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

Events

Upcoming events Meeting the challenge of getting students reading! Webinar, Wednesday 2nd Dec, 4:00pm-6:00pm (GMT) Facilitated by Paul Stevens, Matt Lea, Martin Hughes & Roy Hanney, Solent Active Learning Network Book here A workshop evaluating strategies for the promotion of high-quality academic reading through active learning. The workshop asks the question: How can we support… Continue reading Events

Resources

The Online Active Learning Resource 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… Continue reading Resources

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