Learning Activities

In this activity, students write a paragraph or two responding to a prompt that captures their current understanding of classwork at this point.

Preparation

Plan a break during or at the end of the class where students respond to a prompt designed to gauge their understanding.

Process

• Provide 1 to 5 minutes for students to respond in writing to a prompt. Examples:
• Connections students make with the topic
• Clearest or muddiest topics
• Higher-order thinking questions.
• Use the results as a formative assessment to drive instruction in the next session.
• Collect papers or have students submit via myCourses dropbox or discussion

Variations

• Use submissions papers to track attendance.
• Have groups work together in a collaborative document and share with in-room display

Large Class Considerations

• Combine with Think-Pair-Share, where groups choose the top items to share back to class.
• Collect and review all or a subset after class and summarize themes in the next class.
• Have students review each other’s work and upvote/downvote items to discuss as a whole class.
• Have students respond in a Google Form with live display

Goals

• Writing skills
• Self-assessment
• Gauging individual understanding

This activity requires some additional prep, but can cover a lot of material in one activity that gets students moving around the room.

Preparation

Develop four or more prompts around the lesson topic to place at stations around the room, for example at the top of a whiteboard or on a table tent.

Process

• Instruct students to walk around the room individually or in groups.
• At each station, students discuss and document their responses to the prompt using, for example, whiteboard markers or post-its.
• Students rotate to each station, reviewing prior students' answers, and adding their own.
• After all stations have been visited, the full class discusses final conclusions.

Variations

• Use Flipchart paper or whiteboards and markers.
• Use a collaborative document, with in-room displays to share results.
• Assign groups to summarize themes at each station before debriefing.

Large Class Considerations

• Have multiple copies of each prompt and split the room into sections where students only rotate within their section.

Goals

• Consensus

Concept maps can be a creative way for students to organize what they know in a visual form that makes it easier to see relationships and connections that might not otherwise be evident.

Preparation

• Before launching this assignment, you may want to:
• Share images of different concept maps to give students an idea of what is intended and allowable.
• Distribute colored markers, stickers, scissors or other tools, depending on how far out you’re comfortable having students go.

Process

• Ask students to create a graphic representation of how important ideas, concepts, and facts in the course connect and interrelate.

Variations

• Provide a word bank of items that must be included.
• If students work on whiteboards, be sure they capture a photo before the end of class
• Use concept-mapping or online whiteboards to create map and in-room displays to share results.
• Paper maps can be shared with a Doc Cam

Large Class Considerations

• Provide a word bank to help prevent concept maps from being too confusing.
• Each group gets a separate concept to start from. Instructors or students put it all together in one map after.
• Instructor/TA reviews and shares back a representative “to improve” and “ideal” version, o shares back summary in next class.
• Students post to myCourses discussion to see each other’s maps.

Goals

• Gauging aggregate understanding
• Collaboration
• Consensus