Active Learning & Teaching Methodologies Full document

1 LEAVING CERTIFICATE APPLIED AACCTTIIVVEE LLEEAARRNNIINNGG && TTEEAACCHHIINNGG MMEETTHHOODDOOLLOOGGIIEESS SUPPORT SERVICE 1 Contents Introduction 2 What is Active Learning 2 Chinese Proverb 4 Learning Pyramid 5 List of Active Teaching Methodologies 6 Brainstorming 7 Questionnaires 10 A Visitor to the Classroom 15 Personal Interview 20 Learning Logs/Diaries 22 Vox Pop 25 Out of school Visits 28 Report Writing 30 Making a Presentation 32 Case Studies 33 Group Work/Team Work/Discussion Groups 35 Learning Centres 38 Evaluation Sheet 42 2 Introduction The promotion of the use of a broad range of Teaching Methodologies and participant centred Learning is a key underlying principle in Leaving Certificate Applied.

2 The programme is characterised by the use of Teaching styles which actively involve the participants in locating and using relevant information, and which promote personal responsibility, initiative, independence, reflection, self-evaluation, self-confidence and co-operation. In Leaving Certificate Applied each course consists of a number of modules. All these modules are outlined in the Leaving Certificate Applied Module Descriptor for the relevant course. Each modules includes suggestions for the Teaching approach under the heading Teacher Guidelines . This booklet contains practical examples of Active Methodologies that are useful across all course areas and aims to compliment teacher guidelines and student Learning outcomes in all modules. What is Active Learning ? Active Learning involves students directly and engages them actively in the Learning process itself.

3 Students are involved in all stages of planning, design, execution and evaluation. Benefits: focus is on the learner and Learning information retention communication skills higher level thinking skills teamwork motivation new Learning resources variety of Learning styles 3 Suggested Strategies: students are involved in goal setting activities are problem- centred and student- driven Teaching is developmental rather than directive teacher does less than 50% of talking and no more than 75% of the decision making positive feedback from teacher and student Why does it work? students are exposed to alternative problem solving strategies less intimidating generating answers in small groups individuals may quit groups tend to stay going students learn best what they teach 4 I hear, and I forget I see, and I remember I do, and I understand Chinese Proverb 5 WHAT IS THE Learning PYRAMID?

4 AVERAGE RETENTION RATE LECTURE 5% READING 10% AUDIO VISUAL 20% DEMONSTRATION 30% DISCUSSION GROUP 50% PRACTICE BY DOING 75% TEACH OTHERS/IMMEDIATE USE OF Learning 90% 6 Active Teaching Methods Out of School Active Teaching Methods in School Surveys Market research Questionnaire design Research material Observing locality ordinance, map reading Vox pop Visits Institutions Exhibitions Work places Cultural Trade fairs Businesses Activity Centre finding routes, looking for evidence looking for Irish signs in an area/audio taped tours Planning trips Visual recording Interview Research Monitoring Work Experience Work shadowing Competitions Outdoor pursuits Internet (cyber caf ) Broadcasting Community work/local issues Resource collecting Inter school debates and issues Giving directions in a foreign language/Irish Giving a performance Going to a performance and watching for certain key elements lighting/colour/costumes etc.

5 Meeting another school group of LCA with a task. Students part-time work Local radio station Library Television Home Practical work Team involvement Group projects Questionnaires School library Computer data bases Collage Practical work Periodicals Experimentation Class feedback 2 s & 4 s planning Other staff members Individual interview Brainstorming Group discussion Case studies Sharing your own experiences Group work Role play Individual students class presentation Visitor Posters/brochures Tape work Imagery tree pyramids Vox pop Using the video Enterprise Running a radio station Performance Diary keeping Surfing the net Exhibition Using equipment 7 BRAINSTORMING Brainstorming is a method used with a group to generate a large number of ideas quickly. It actively engages students in the Learning process and encourages full participation as one persons ideas spark off ideas for another.

6 Brainstorming is a valuable activity because it is unlikely that if students worked alone that they would come up with the same volume of ideas. The teacher needs to preselect the topic or issue and facilitate the session, limiting it in time to between 5-10 minutes. Brainstorming has many uses it can be used to revise a topic, introduce a new topic or solve a problem. The ground rules are All ideas are to be equally valued No criticism of contributions allowed No interruptions while contributions are being made No evaluation of contributions Steps involved: Method 1 One topic or question posed to the whole group 1. The teacher initiates the process by asking all students in the class to tell him/her everything they know about a specific topic 2. All ideas are allowed. The object is to keep the ideas flowing. 3. Nobody should comment on, criticise or evaluate anyone else s ideas.

7 4. Points are recorded by the teacher on a flip chart, blackboard or overhead projector. 5. When the brainstorm is completed ideas generated can be organised into groups or categories. Method 2 Different topics or questions with a common theme are posed to sub groups within a larger group. 81. The teacher prepares a set of questions around a common theme 4-6 questions. 2. The larger group is divided into smaller groups and each group is given one of the questions to brainstorm. 3. Each group appoints one person to record their brainstorm and report back to the larger group at the end. 4. The ideas can if wished be recorded by each group on large sheets of card using thick markers. The card should be pre prepared by having the question already stated at the top. The card can then be held up at the end for everyone to see while the appointed person summarises the points. 5. This method of brainstorming is very useful where several angles of a topic need to be covered in a short period of time.

8 6. The teacher acts as a facilitator and moves from group to group while the brainstorms are taking place. Prioritising ideas that have been brainstormed or generated through discussion There are often times when a class needs to prioritise a set of ideas or select the best idea the name of a Mini Enterprise. The final decision can be particularly difficult as it is natural for everyone to feel that their idea is the best one. A consensus may not be possible without some agreed method. The 5 point scoring system This method is deal where one idea needs to be decided on the name of a Mini Enterprise Each person is given 5 points which they can award in any way they wish, except that they cannot award points to their own idea they could give all 5 points to one suggestion and none to the others or 3 points to one suggestion and 2 to another. They could even if they wanted give 1 point to each of 5 different suggestions.

9 They must use up all of their 5 points. The points are added up and the idea with the most points is obviously the winner. In the case of a tie it can be put to a vote. 9 Prioritising where each person has produced a list of ideas and they need to combine and reduce to form a group list. The easiest way to do this is to make one long list combining all of the groups ideas. Each time an idea is repeated a tick is placed beside it. If you are looking for a total of 10 ideas you can start by placing on the list the idea that has the most ticks, the next closest and so on down. If you fail to complete a list of 10 you can use the five point scoring system as outlined above, on the list of ideas that remains. This should result in a final democratic list being formed. 10 QUESTIONNAIRES What is a questionnaire and how does it work? A questionnaire is a list or set of questions that are written down with a space left after each question for an answer.

10 It is a method that is used to get specific information from people It can be used when carrying out a survey The same set of questions are presented to several people. Each person gives you their answers and then you summarise their answers in the form of a report. There are several different ways that you can present the questions to people you can use the questionnaire as a: Face to face interview: people answer the questions on a one to one with you. You write down the answers as they give them to you. This can be done in a persons home, at a shopping centre, on the street, outside a cinema, record shop etc. Telephone interview: you telephone several people, call out the questions and write down their responses to each question Mail out: you post the questionnaire to several people, ask them to fill it in and post it back to you. Internet survey: you post your questionnaire on a popular web site and wait for the responses to come in.