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. 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.”