Three Highly Productive Active Learning Activities That Can Be Done in Groups!

If your students are anything like most students, you may already know that group assignments are often the last activity any of them want to engage in. 

Many students are apprehensive about:

• meeting and interacting with their peers

• feeling they don’t have enough to contribute

• time constraints (as it relates to meeting up outside of class)

• receiving a grade based on the performance of the whole team

Some of these fears are valid, especially the idea that one member might complete the majority of the assignment but the group will all receive the same score, no matter the contribution of each member. This is especially an issue since the entire purpose of group work is to have students “work together”. Taking these concerns into consideration, below are three uniquely effective group exercises that promote active learning, which might change the way both you and your students approach group work.

Chain notes. For this exercise students are placed into groups of 3 to 4 students. The instructor will compose several questions, placing them on separate sheets of paper. Each group receives one question. The group answers the question to the best of their ability, taking input from all members, then passes their sheet of paper to the next group so they can expand upon what was written by the last group. This project is brilliant in that it moves at a pace that helps students focus on the task at hand and not on themselves and it also implies that there are no wrong answers, just building blocks.

Mystery quotation. For this exercise students get to show their understanding of a particular quote, the theoretical perspective related to the quote, who might have said it and why. The instructor chooses a quote or blurb that students are the least familiar with from the assigned reading material. For example, if the class was studying the works of notable sociologists, the quote might be, “The history of all previous societies has been the history of class struggles”. Drawing on their previous knowledge about these sociologists and their theoretical perspectives, the students will decide who most likely made this statement and what message they might have been trying to convey. Once the group believes they’ve compiled a solid argument, one member is able to present. The unique aspect of the mystery quote is the combination of brainstorming, social interaction and application. This exercise mimics the collective work spaces many students will soon enter after college.

Idea Speed Dating. For this exercise the group would be the entire class (20-30 students). Each student prepares an elevator pitch related to their chosen position on a topic or why they chose a particular topic for a class research paper. As in speed dating, students sit across from each other for one minute or less, share their pitch and then move on to the next. After students complete this exercise a few times, they gain a better understanding of their own positions and they often find clarity as it relates to their paper topics. It’s also just fun to move around and learn something new about others.

Group exercises can be a perfect opportunity to socialize with peers, enjoy the expansiveness that is unique to team work and it can help prepare students for collaborating while not being afraid to share their new ideas.

Share in the comment section below:

Do you have any fun group exercises that promote the beneficial aspects of group work? How was your project received by students?

Jameelah Ra'oof MIS, MS 

Coordinator of Teaching, Learning & Academic Excellence

Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)

Texas Woman's University

940.898.3427

Stoddard Hall - Room 305A

Tips for Approaching Sensitive Topics in the Classroom

Tips for Approaching Sensitive Topics in the Classroom

So you’re enjoying your lecture, the students are responding well and you’re just skipping through a field of daisies, when suddenly you (or one of your adoring students) unknowingly steps on a metaphorical landmine. Landmine might be a bit dramatic, but if you’ve ever mentioned a topic in class that sparked outrage among your students, landmine might not sound so dramatic after all. Below are a few tips describing ways to approach sensitive topics, especially when teaching one of the many areas that fall under the umbrella of social science.

• Know what issues are hot button issues. I am often guilty of not knowing the ins and outs of the most pressing social events. Some of what’s happening in the world may not affect me in the same way it might affect many students. For example, if we are discussing topics related to depression or suicide, I’ve found that it is good practice to be aware of recent court cases, new laws being considered and of course major political shifts that students may want to react to in an open discussion. Often the classroom is their only face-to-face outlet to address many social or personal concerns.      

• Stay away from personal opinions as much as possible. I would say this is arguably one of the most obvious ways to stay out of hot water, but alas, instructors are human and with that responsibility comes many biases that we aren’t always aware of until it’s a problem. The best way to not take sides is to first analyze where you really stand on the issue. By doing this, you know how to approach the topic from an honest place. Some good self-reflection before teaching on a sensitive topic can save an instructor from a ton of misunderstandings.  Be mindful that we can be just as biased as our students are.

• Allow students to lead discussions. In an effort to minimize the impact of my own predispositions, I made it a regular practice to allow students to discuss these topics freely (in a respectful manner of course). My only job was to ask questions that might provoke the student to probe through their own deeply held positions or that might lead them to a profounder understanding they might not have previously considered. Sometimes it’s okay to remove yourself from the hot seat. Allow them to engage with each other, since ultimately their peers have the ability to provide a great sounding board for how the workforce, their community and how society in general might receive their ideas and beliefs.

  

• Don’t shame students In front of the class for their beliefs. One of the biggest mistakes an instructor might make while expressing support for a misunderstood or marginalized group, is to verbally ostracize a student who might be expressing themselves in a way that could be perceived as offensive to others. The desire to verbally penalize a student who is being negligent with their words could be tempting. However, being able to show students how to hear ideas and belief systems they don’t agree with and still have the capacity to engage in a mutually beneficial dialogue is priceless. Promoting the importance of an individual to freely share their own perspectives, even if you don’t agree, is an earnest desire for instructors who aspire to be excellent.

• Be prepared to share information for student support services. The same way instructors might direct students to the right department as it pertains to their academic needs, we must do the same when we are attempting to address the whole student. There are several student support services here on campus that may understand a sensitive issue in a unique way. If instructors aren’t comfortable approaching some topics that must be discussed, they can always call on a willing participant from the student services department to assist. Some students might be triggered negatively during a class discussion. Having up-to-date contact information for campus services accessible for students before, during or after the class could be a tremendous help.

Being mindful, respectful and establishing consistent classroom discussion boundaries can truly improve the culture in not only the classroom but ultimately campus-wide.

In what ways have you approached sensitive topics in the classroom? 

Jameelah Ra'oof MIS, MS 

Coordinator of Teaching, Learning & Academic Excellence

Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)

Texas Woman's University 

940.898.3427

Stoddard Hall - Room 305A