2.1| Active Learning

 What is Active Learning?

According to the Technology Integration Matrix, Active Learning occurs when "Students are actively engaged in using technology as a tool rather than passively receiving information from the technology."  One of the primary distinctions made in the Active Learning Characteristic is between lessons in which students passively receive information and lessons in which students discover, process, and apply learning, and with student engagement as a key component. 

The following chart shows what Active Learning looks like for teachers, students, and the classroom setting at each level of the SAMR framework, cross-walked against the five levels of the TIM.

SAMR Levels
TIM Levels	Entry Information is Passively Received	Adoption Conventional, procedural use of tools	Adaptation Conventional independent use of tools; some student choice and exploration	Infusion Choice of tools and regular, self-directed use	Transformation Extensive and unconventional use of tools
The Teachers...	The teacher may be the only one actively using technology. This may include using presentation software to support delivery of a lecture. The teacher may also have the students complete “drill and practice” activities on computers to practice basic skills, such as typing.	The teacher controls the type of technology and how it is used. The teacher may be pacing the students through a project, making sure that they each complete every step in the same sequence with the same tool. Although the students are more active than students at the Entry level in their use of technology, the teacher still strongly regulates activities.	The teacher allows for some student choice and exploration of technology tools. Because the students are developing a conceptual and procedural knowledge of the technology tools, the teacher does not need to guide students step-by-step through activities. Instead, the teacher acts as a facilitator toward learning, allowing for greater student engagement with technology tools.	The teacher guides, informs, and contextualizes student choices of technology tools and is flexible and open to student ideas. Lessons are structured so that student use of technology is self-directed.	The teacher serves as a guide, mentor, and model in the use of technology. The teacher encourages and supports the active engagement of students with technology resources. The teacher facilitates lessons in which students are engaged in higher-order learning activities that may not have been possible without the use of technology tools. The teacher helps students locate appropriate resources to support student choices.
The Students...	Students receive information from the teacher or from other sources. Students may be watching an instructional video on a website or using a computer program for “drill and practice” activities.	Students use technology in conventional ways and are closely directed by the teacher.	Students work independently with technology tools in conventional ways. Students are developing a conceptual understanding of technology tools and begin to engage with these tools.	Students understand how to use many types of technology tools, are able to select tools for specific purposes, and use them regularly.	Students have options on how and why to use different technology tools for higher-order thinking tasks. They often use tools in unconventional ways and the technology itself becomes an invisible part of the learning.
The Setting...	The setting is arranged for direct instruction and individual work. Any student access to technology resources is limited and highly regulated.	The setting is arranged for direct instruction and individual work. The students have limited and regulated access to the technology resources.	Technology tools are available on a regular basis.	Multiple technology tools are available to meet the needs of all students.	The arrangement of the setting is flexible and varied, allowing different kinds of self-directed learning activities supported by various technologies, including robust access to online resources for all students simultaneously.

Implementing Active Learning in the Classroom

As Active Learning practices move from left to right in the chart above, the focus shifts from the teacher as the primary source of instruction (the "Sage on the Stage") and students as passive recipients of knowledge towards a model where the students are the driver of instruction with the teacher acting as a guide and mentor.  However, teachers (and students!) who are used to more traditional lecture or teacher-centered models of instruction may find it difficult to suddenly shift to this model.  Fortunately, there are some technology tools which can help both teachers and students move from Substitution/Entry levels of implementation to Adaptation/Augmentation with relative ease.  Here are some examples:

• • Teachers can import PowerPoint presentations into Nearpod and add formative assessments to check for student understanding and increase student engagement during the presentation
  • Nearpod's "Time to Climb" feature is a great way to engage students in formative assessments through games and competition
  • Instead of simply showing a Youtube video, importing that video into Canvas Studio allows teachers to add simple quizzes or discussion questions to the video to increase engagement.  

Once students and teachers become more comfortable with technology tools that increase student engagement in more conventional lessons, teachers can begin to explore how to provide students with more choices of how to demonstrate their learning through a variety of technology tools.  For additional examples of Active Learning implemented at various levels of the TIM scale, please refer to this page.

Connections: Profile of a Graduate

The Richmond County Digital Learning Framework is designed to align with our Profile of a Graduate.  Implementing Active Learning in the classroom with fidelity aligns with the Profile of a Graduate in the following ways:

• • If we expect our graduates to be Productive Collaborators in team activities, we must create instructional environments where active participation in the learning process is regular and expected
  • In an environment where Active Learning consistently supports student engagement in the learning process, we are more likely to produce graduates who are Continuous Learners.
  • At the highest levels of implementation, encouraging students to explore a variety of technology tools & resources will help them become Innovative Problem Solvers.