Thank you for good job presenting this timely and relative information. The historical information was interesting and eye opening.  It seems that churches across America would agree with this topic. Consider the AWANA program and small groups, which include the elements you shared in your paper. There is a time allocated for interaction, discussion, and in many cases a relative game or activity that instills the lesson principles and foundation.  The foundation of both of these ministries proves to improve participant's retention of the information and continued involvement.

I appreciate your work in this area.

AWANA
http://awana.org/about/about-awana,default,pg.html

Small Group
 http://www.churchleaders.com/smallgroups/leading-small-group-leaders/141557-6-reasons-you-need-a-small-group-ministry.html

Blessings,
DPM

Thanks for sharing your research into this valuable topic.  As a classroom teacher in an elementary school I frequently use "clickers" as a tool to gauge student's engagement in the material presented.  I've found them to be a great way to encourage involvement and to make sure I am presenting information in the best way possible.  We've also recently started using classroom polls as a way to gather information relative to the direction the students would prefer we take take particular lessons - this approach has also quite dramatically improved student engagement.  Take care!

Patton makes an insightful point when she states, "Adult learners need to be treated as holistic individuals who come to the classroom with a variety of life experiences and prior knowledge. The instructor, therefore, is more of a facilitator than the all-knowing deliverer of information." Yes, that is right on point; education is so much more than the simple transfer of information. The Greek philosopher Socrates wrote, "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel." In other words, education is about passion, excitement, and intellectual stimulation, not just the compilation of knowledge. When we are enthusiastic about learning - when are "fired up and ready to go" we learn more and learn quicker. Patton's notion of active learning as an approach that helps achieve long-term goals of the adult learner is both descriptive and prescriptive.

This paper includes good thoughts on creating a student-centric class. I enjoyed that Patton mentioned the clickers in this paper. I have used the iRespond program in my classroom, and these clickers have been extremely effective at providing excellent feedback on how the students are learning and gave me the opportunity to make adjustments in my instruction, if necessary. These devices are engagement tools and formative assessment tools all in one. Patton's point about instructors' resistance to the technology is a valid statement. As a faculty member who has worked with this technology myself and helped others use it, the learning curve can be steep. However, it is well worth the journey in terms of the enhancement brought to the classroom.

Hi Cheryl,

You definitely need to get the message across to many higher education institutions that predominately have geniuses teaching classes who have not taken very many classes in pedagogy or who have not considered that relevant to their pursuits.

Another consideration should be how to get this into the online classroom. Your idea of clickers fits nicely into posing survey questions in free online programs such as survey monkey, et cetera.

An additional field of study to follow-up on your research would be multiple intelligences in the higher education classroom

1. How are college professors currently incorporating multiple intelligences in their college instruction?
2. Are there areas for strategies in multiple intelligences that lead themselves nicely to college instructions? What are these areas?

Why? I believe that college professors need to work on incorporating more activities that incorporate multiple intelligences to help the learner stay involved and motivated, especially in the undergraduate level.

Global Level: This addresses multiple needs. Today, because of online learning, we need to be able to address diverse needs of learners coming from a myriad of backgrounds, countries, and cultures.

Interest to Diversity: In reality, diversity is at the core of multiple intelligences.

Daniel, Kerrie, Mark, Jennifer, and Linda, I appreciate that you took the time to read my paper and provide me with valuable feedback.

Linda, I must tell you that (a long time ago) I sat in a classroom in the role of student with a true genius who really had a tough time relaying any information to his students. He was a great physicist but not so skilled at teaching physics. Maybe that is why I am passionate about finding ways to motivate students and make sure they get a proper education. I appreciate your follow-up ideas.

Cheryl 

Well done! 

I agree with your points about active learning because just throwing concepts out to a student and hoping they "get it" does not work. Different modalities are key so that a learner who relates best to visual can learn from a video lecture as well as the student that likes to read best. I often post a video lecture I created on the current chapter and ask the students to comment on 1 key take-away they learned after viewing as a way to apply the knowledge. 

Also I liked your reference to games. In researching entertainment marketing, I found that Gamification is the hottest new strategy in business, and for good reason--it's helping leading companies create unprecedented engagement with customers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iahc9N-LrQ8

Michael Saunders

Michael,

Thank you for reading my paper and your comments. I watched the video you mentioned. Gabe Zichermann noted that in order for gamification to be engaging, a system had to have three characteristics - feedback, friends, and fun. The more these characteristics are evident, the more effective it is. 

I started using Jeopardy-style games in my classrooms since the 1990s. I find them fun and effective, as they allow for friendly competition with immediate feedback. My students always reacted positively to them. 

Thanks again for your feedback!
Cheryl

Cheryl

Thank you for allowing me to review "Active Learning: How to Be the Facilitator, Not the Authoritarian".

You had me at the beginning of the document - the change in how higher education has changed from the 1980's to now is a great hook - I think a statistic would be good following this piece - something to shock the readers and want to continue in finding out more about your research.

The thesis of your paper is supported throughout your document - the organization is solid and easy to follow. You have integrated and cited the research to support your claims -

A bit more about what is currently happening in our higher education classrooms despite your literature review findings - a strong statement here to engage the reader in the active learning strategies portion of your document. The dichotomy of what is understood by research and what is truly happening is a point that could be pushed a bit more.

Your article is not only factually correct [which is a strength] but it is also supporting the change that is needed in the higher education arenas to promote a more intentional learning environment for adult learners.

Again,

Thank-you for the opportunity to review your work

Dr. Lynne Rider

Dr. RIder,

Thank you so much for taking the time to review and comment on my paper. I am glad I was able to effectively hook readers in early on in the piece. I will most definitely take your comments into consideration in order to keep them engaged. 

Cheryl

Hi Cheryl, 

I enjoyed the historical perspective on teaching from apprenticeships to the authoritarian instructor leading the class. Just reading this made me 'scared' as the learner. The thought of someone in a authoritative position does not make for a comfortable learning environment. For future research you may consider the learners feelings and level of comfort in a lecture based, passive learning classroom versus an active based classroom experience. Is it totally the teaching methods that enhances the learners learning or does the fact that the instructor steps back into a  more friendly role, help to facilitate the learning? 

Another consideration is how the novice lecture based instruction can begin to incorporate this active learning into the classroom. Is it best to stair step the active learning techniques in between lecture or does it work better to do a total shift to active learning? The research exists but it seems for many instructors that implementation is the issue. 

Thanks for a great read!

LeAnne

LeAnne,

Thanks so much for reading my paper. Your ideas for future research are good ones; I would hypothesize that those who have traditionally stuck with the lecture method would find more success with a slow transformation to active learning implementation. It would be interesting to find out if that is truly the case.

I appreciate your comments!

Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,

I appreciate reading your paper with that kind of detailed and useful pedagogical contents needed to create student-centered learning. You noted that active learning warrants the instructor to be more of a facilitator than an authoritarian leader in the classroom. This is the bigger part of new generation of education, which calls for consistent engagement and collaboration among learners. The pervasiveness of online learning, blended learning, or flipped classroom model of classroom instruction, as a result of the use of technology to promote active learning, has gained momentum within the last decade.

You have outlined active learning classroom applications or strategies such as clickers, peer reviews, and games as part of facilitation-oriented model of instruction in the classroom. I would like to suggest the additional benefits of innovating the classroom by using Google Apps for Education (GAFE). GAFE tools grants users the ability to work together remotely on documents and projects within the cloud (Google, 2014). For example, GAFE is a major cloud computing strategy that works for students and faculty regardless of their location, time, and the type of devices used.

In addition to the strategies mentioned in your paper, please permit me to add that GAFE can be a strong contributor in that regard. The GAFE suite of apps are used with the primary objective of enhancing teaching and learning. Google Sites, for example, provides faculty and students both communication and collaboration capabilities to achieve optimum productivity within the classroom environment. It does not matter the models of traditional brick-and-mortar or technologically-oriented virtual learning. In this view, GAFE can be a strong determinant to implementing successful active model of instruction by stimulating faculty-student engagement and collaboration. This technique has been used to enrich learning outcomes and student performance. Practically speaking, instructors can also employ the components of Google Apps (e.g. Google Sites, Drive, Emails, Calendar, Group, Hangout, etc.) to encourage active learning. Do let me know what you think of using GAFE with respect to active learning. Excellent paper!

-LJ

References 

Google. (2014). Discover a better way of learning: Free web-based email, calendar & documents for collaborative study anytime, anywhere. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education

LJ,

Thanks for your comments! GAFE is truly innovating the classroom, as you noted. I am pretty excited to see the progression of GAFE, not only for active learning strategies but as a learning management system (LMS). It just might be the open LMS system of higher education's future. See these weblinks for more...

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/05/06/google-developing-free-lms-as-part-of-apps-for-education.aspx

http://jonathanwylie.com/2014/05/06/googles-classroom-lms-app-what-we-know-so-far/

I really appreciate you reading my paper.

Cheryl

You are welcome, Cheryl! Yes, GAFE has become such an innovative LMS that it canot be ignore in in revolutionalizing the classroom such as what your paper attempts to present. Thanks for the additional information. Great paper!

-LJ

Thank you, Cheryl, for your submission. I really enjoyed your content. In your abstract, you mention how new approaches have occurred. Looking, though, at the reference list 13 of them were older than 10 years. It would be great to find some additional current ones. I was also a little confused when you mention "this literature review" also in the paper the last sentence of the first paragraph reinstated this. Please provide a solid thesis that delineates the purpose of the paper. It seemed like the purpose was to share active learning strategies vs. a literature review. If it was a literature review-please include this in the title. 

Your last paragraph before the "why active learning" heading-I don't think needs to be included. It seems to reiterate the literature review theme and seems a bit out of place. But... from the paper I really gathered the great active learning tips you provided. On page 9 you have a standalone sentence. 

A great paper! Enjoyed it and learned a lot. 

Lisa,

I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my submission. I will attempt to address some areas of concern. 

I did use the words "new approach" in the abstract. The entire sentence read, "Within the past few decades, a new approach has gained popularity" [emphasis added]. Yes, 13 of the 43 references were older than 10 years.

I was not aware that one sentence paragraphs were always unacceptable, although I know that they are discouraged when used repeatedly after headings. I was under the assumption that they could be used sparingly. Writer, educator, and editor Christopher Daly (2011) advises, "When it comes to one-sentence paragraphs, give yourself permission to use them. Just don't abuse them" (para. 12). If this is not the case, I will certainly change that paragraph. 

Cresswell (2014) posits, "the literature review can take several forms" (p. 28). Cooper described one type as one that will "integrate what others have done and said" (as cited in Cresswell, 2014, p. 28). I felt this type applied to my paper, and in integrating what others have done and said regarding active learning strategies, I was concomittently sharing those strategies with the readers. Perhaps my assumption is incorrect and the identification as a literature review is unwise.

Thanks again for your time and valuable feedback.

Cheryl

References

Cresswell, J. W. (2014). Research design (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Daly, C. (2011). Can you write a one-sentence paragraph? The Better Editor. Retrieved from http://thebettereditor.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/can-you-write-a-one-sentence-paragraph/

Cheryl, I think you did a wonderful job. The reason I mention literature review-if this is your intention to do a lit review-mention it in the title so it will come up when students or others search. Otherwise, you are correct, a literature review can be part of the building process of your paper. Again. well-done! 

Hello Cheryl,

I appreciate this topic very much. I enjoyed your paper! As a writing instructor, I have struggled to understand the demonization of the "sage on the stage." I only remember a handful of college classes in that format. Most of my classes were in a room of 15 to 20 other students in thoughtful discussion with our instructor. Writing teachers, for as long as I have been in college (early 80's), and for as long as I have been teaching, always incorporate writing and sharing during class. I wonder if this whole movement is lost on writing teachers. I wonder and worry if my classes are "active" enough, but we workshop, share drafts, practice writing, research topics together and basically write our essays for part of every class. Surely, we are not saying there is an even more active way to learn writing than writing? Is writing an exception to the active learning movement? Perhaps because writing is as much a skill as a content to learn, it is outside this debate? Is there a way to be transformational that is still one step further along than choosing experiential exercises, or is the transformation assumed as long as an activity is present? Is there more to say about activities that not only engage students, but are also more likely to "Transform" them?

I am sure we might bristle at the term, "Authoritarian," but at least in the writing classroom, the instructor is traditionally a kind of facilitator that acts as a mentor welcoming students into a community of scholars. We are an authority for standard practices. Discussion, clickers, peer review, and games are all easily (and I would say usually) used in a writing class. Does the literature have anything special to say about the traditional smaller writing classroom?

Good work on your paper. Active learning and peer reviews help the students to feel like they have some control over what they are learning. I think this helps to motivate students in doing well and in understanding the weekly objectives. Encouraging students to take charge of their own education is a great concept. :)

Renee and Kristen,

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my paper. 
Renee, it surely sounds as though you were exposed to active learning as a student and incorporate it into your own classes. As for active learning in the small, traditional classroom, many feel as though it is less appropriate for the larger class. This perception is explained by Huerta (2007), "Many professors argue that active learning is fine for upper-level and small courses, but that it is inappropriate for large, lower-level lecture courses" (p. 238). It can be incorporated in classes of all sizes and types of courses, including writing, as you already know. 

Kristen, I agree with you in that students feel more in control over the learning experience and are often more motivated in an active learning environment. 

Cheryl

Reference

Huerta, J. C. (2007). Getting active in the large lecture. Journal of Political Science Education, 3, 237-249.

Thank you for this relevant and interesting topic. I was one of the traditional brick and mortar students back in the day that was lectured to by authoritarian educators. Even when I tried to be an active learner and participate more in my own learning I found no avenue to do so. As a holistic medical provider I have adopted the philosophy and approach to my patients that each is an individual and not only responsible for their own care ultimately but also have unique needs that contribute to that end and require specialized approaches. As an educator I have taken this same approach and was glad to read in your article the trend for education as a whole in this direction. Each student learns in their own way and has their own motivation for doing so and so the shift from delivering information should be in collecting information to determine what each individual student needs in regards to how that information is delivered and discovering ways to explain that information in ways students can understand and with real work case based scenarios to relate the material to actual experiences they may have or will have. I have found polls extremely effective to assess individual needs. In many cases students already have a good sense of what works for them. As an online instructor I have found the wide range of technology available to assist in active learning can be daunting but worth the effort to learn as many online active learners benefit from these tools. Thank you for your perceptive thoughts in this article!

Cheryl,

You did an excellent review of the literature and demonstrated that not all experts are in agreement on the topic of active learning in the classroom. I am a strong believer in making the classroom as interactive as possible. The various forms of games, the use of the clickers, the small collaborative groups are all strategies that I see being used in k -12 classrooms. This paper has inspired me to want to explore ways to make my online classes more engaging. However, my forums are very active and I use CATs to throw out a few questions to get them to think deeper about our topics.

I like your statement, "Today, in order to improve pedagogy, the traditional instructor-cnetric role of lecturing to students is augmented with active learning strategies in the classroom." (p.3) This statement represents reality for most of us as we struggle to get the completed work done with fidelity in the 8-week courses. My students do enjoy the collaborative groups, once they get their first anxieties settled. They admit learning a lot from them. So, other strategies can work also.

Great content.

Barbara Lee