In STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) instruction, inquiry and authentic problem solving connect the disciplines to encourage higher-order thinking and increase student engagement. For instruction to be successful in facilitating meaningful student thinking about authentic problems, however, the instructor needs to use strong…

While shown to be less effective than active learning strategies, traditional methods of content delivery in post-secondary classrooms are the most prominent. Flipped classrooms, an example of an active learning approach, have been shown to be effective in long-term student outcomes. Team-Based Learning (TBL), a specific application of the flipped…

The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding of how students listen and attend to multiple solutions proposed by their classmates during the activity of comparison. This study examines ten consecutive lessons in each of the two eighth-grade classrooms in Tokyo that are organized in the style of "structured problem solving".…

This article describes how our university built a unique classroom environment specifically for active learning. This classroom changed students' experience in the undergraduate executive information technology (IT) management class. Every college graduate should learn to think critically, solve problems, and communicate solutions, but 90% of…

Based on the popular television show the "Iron Chef," an innovative marketing activity called the "Iron Inventor" is introduced. Using the creative problem-solving approach and active learning techniques, the Iron Inventor facilitates student learning pertaining to the step-by-step processes of creating a new product and…

Statistics courses that focus on data analysis in isolation, discounting the scientific inquiry process, may not motivate students to learn the subject. By involving students in other steps of the inquiry process, such as generating hypotheses and data, students may become more interested and vested in the analysis step. Additionally, such an…

An active learning class exercise is presented that gives students the personal experience of the decision-making limitations of mental models. This innovative exercise was shown to increase student learning through greater understanding of the concept and higher retention of knowledge. The results suggest that student critical thinking skills…

This article describes the implementation of high-altitude balloon (HAB) research into a variety of undergraduate atmospheric science classes as a means of increasing active student engagement in real-world, problem-solving events. Because high-altitude balloons are capable of reaching heights of 80,000-100,000 ft (24-30 km), they provide a…

With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games prominent in the media, children were exposed to images of athletes skiing down snow-covered slopes, coasting furiously on bobsleds, and skating gracefully across the ice. Therefore, the authors capitalized on their children's natural curiosity about the world around them by exploring the concept of motion in a…

Active-learning techniques have been advocated as a means to promote student engagement in lower-division biology courses. In this case study, mini-lectures in combination with active-learning activities were evaluated as strategies to promote a culture of learning and participation in a required botany course. These activities were designed to…

Although not all teachers can invite scientists into classrooms on a regular basis, they can invite them into their students' worlds through literature. Here the author shares how she used the nonfiction selection, "Science to the Rescue" (Markle 1994), as an opportunity for students to investigate socially significant problems and empower them to…

We examined the relation between self-explaining and encoding among kindergartners. For 5 days, children (n = 27) took turns solving addition problems with an adult expert who always used an advanced addition strategy. During the game, children explained the expert's answers (Explain-Expert), explained their own answers (Explain-Novice), or did…

Describes how an 11th-grade English teacher promoted active learning in her class through a hands-on project that required group problem solving, decision making, and technical writing skills. Discusses how the students simulated a toy factory by working collaboratively in teams to design, build, and market a LEGO toy. (RS)

Describes active learning activities that can be useful in college faculty development workshops, including three activity types: introductory exercises (personal introductions, goal-setting, warm-ups); problem-solving activities (brainstorming, hands-on exercises, reflection); and closure (consolidating concepts, cognitive mapping,…

Research has shown that although university instructors of English as a Second Language are aware of the benefits that active learning can bring the student, teacher-centered, traditional lecture method classes are still the norm. Resistance to change is due in part to large class sizes, limited instruction hours, and the perception that proactive…