1  Active Learning

Check out these two excellent videos of Professor Noel Perkins from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor explaining the active learning techniques he uses to teach dynamics: Part 1, Part 2. We will be using these techniques ourselves. The techniques include:

• Having an agenda for the day. Students can add topics they want to discuss too.
• Frequently checking student understanding:
  • “Raise your hand if you understand 90% of this or above.”
• Encouragement:
  • “Ask me a question.”
  • “Persevere. Someone else is going to have this question.”
  • “I had a great question from one of your classmates.”
• Think → Share:
  • “I would like you to do the first step on your own. Take a min.”
  • “Show of hands: I did it, or I know how to do it.”
• Think → Pair → Share: * “I would like you to take 5 min to talk to your neighbor and come up with a strategy that will solve this problem.”
  • “Show of hands: my neighbor convinced me this will work.”
  • “Show of hands: I am not convinced yet.”