This document discusses engaged and active learning. It begins by asking what engaged learning means and whether some learning activities are more engaged than others. It then prompts the reader to blog about memorable learning experiences. It discusses research showing benefits of active learning. It notes that beliefs about learning can encourage or discourage active learning strategies. It shows a video about student experiences and prompts discussion of how online teaching can address engagement issues. It suggests high impact practices and active learning techniques like learning communities, reflection, group work, and web 2.0 tools to engage students. It ends by asking readers to discuss active learning activities they find interesting and could use in their own courses.

1. Engagement
Taimi Olsen
Tennessee Teaching and
Learning Center
UTK

2. What does “engaged learning”
(also called “active learning”) mean?
 Isn’t all learning about being
engaged and active (otherwise,
it’s not learning)?
 Is
it possible that some learning
activities are more “engaged”
and “active” than others?

3. Blog
Stop here and blog an answer: what learning
experiences—in or out of the classroom—are most
memorable to you?
For instance, I still remember doing a dissection in a
college biology class—but not much more than that…
Read one other reflections in your group.
Post a comment in response.

4. Research about Active
Learning
 Active / engaged learning has been identified as
beneficial (Chickering and Gamson, 1987; Bonwell
and Eisen, 1991; Barkley 2010)
 Online courses are often cited by students as
“more engaging” (NSSE, 2006)
 Our beliefs about learning, and the beliefs and
habits of our disciplines, can encourage or
discourage us to adopt active learning strategies
(Kumar and Robin Lightner, 2007).

5. What should we consider?
 The level of
challenge;
analytical, critical, a
nd creative
thinking, along with
reflection; the
importance of
interacting with
us, the instructors;
and the use of
collaborative and
active learning.

6. What Students Experience

7. Blog
Stop and answer:
How can teaching online address some of these issues
raised by the video?
This question will be posted on the instructor blog.
Post your answer as a comment
Comment on one other answer

8. Take the Engagement
Quiz
Stop and take the engagement quiz (NSSE, 2004)

9. The Networked Student

11. What Could We do to Engage
Students? Learning Communities (groups

set for a semester or longer)
Reflection about learning
 High Impact

 Community service or Clinical
Practices work
 Did a paper or project
 Active Learning  Worked with other students
 Discussed ideas from readings
or class with others
Social media
 Web 2.0

(twitter, chats, blogs)
 Videos and images for
discussion (Flikr, Youtube)
 Social bookmarking
 Group Projects (wikis)

12. Discussion Forum
What types of active learning would you find
interesting as a learner? What types of activities
could enhance your course and your learning
outcomes for your students?
Post your answers on the discussion forum.
Read and respond to two other answers.