45 minutes
Presenters: Nancy Winfrey, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
In this post we look back at a Nancy Winfrey’s workshop that introduced a design framework for leveraging active learning in the classroom. In the framework students use their prior knowledge as a neurological anchor for learning new content, through relevant application tasks for reflection and discussion. Nancy explains how with each structural sequence, students move through a pedagogically sound learning cycle supported by current neuroscience research on how the brain “learns.” This structure can be used repeatedly- with new content- making planning easier and generating a predictable, and therefore safe, learning environment for students.
The design framework provides scaffolding for the process of perspective transformation, as students
- Utilise critical reflection to examine their frame of reference in relation to the learning objective,
- Work with their peers in meaning making dialogue, and
- Articulate the new behavior they intend to implement- the contextualization of content for their specific use.
This process connects what students already know with the relevance, or usefulness, of new information. As a result, students move forward building confidence in their ability to think through and apply learning in new scenarios, they build agency as they collaborate in dialogue with their peers, and the immediate application and contextualization is a motivating factor in engagement. Likewise, instructors move forward with confidence knowing that they are guiding students through a process squarely grounded in learning theory, the neuroscience of learning, and with observable outcomes right in the classroom.
The Active Learning Network 