Teacher Training Session on Active Learning

1. Active Learning Strategies in EFL Classes
META Conference, 2014 5 April 2014
Presented by:
Stella Grama
English Teacher
“Prometeu-Prim” Lyceum
Chisinau
Correspondence to:
stellagrama@yahoo.com
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2. Presentation Goals:
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 Defining the concept of Active Learning.
 Comparing and contrasting Active
Learning (AL) with Passive Learning;
 Analysing the benefits of incorporating
active learning strategies in EFL classes;
 Evaluating suitability of an AL exercise for
a specific learning situation.

3. Contents:
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1. Introduction.
2. Active learning concepts.
3. Active learning versus passive learning.
4. Benefits and disadvantages of active
learning.
5. Implementing active learning strategies in
EFL classes. Practical issues
6. Conclusion.
7. References.

4. Why Active Learning?
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- fast changing world;
- new technologies, new jobs;
- the need to be flexible to daily life challenges;
- the “skill” of parroting information back to
the teacher does not meet students’ needs any
more.
- different learning styles;
- modern national curriculum focused on
various competences;
- the need to learn effective decision-making
and improve interpersonal communicative
abilities;

5. Compare
Passive Learning
 focuses on
cognitive aspect;
 aims at covering
the content;
 the student listens
and takes notes;
 low attention level;
 student isolation.
Active Learning
 emphasizes the
relations between
knowledge and
feelings, attitudes and
behaviour;
 aims at developing
various competences;
 the student reacts
emotionally, observes,
discovers, acts;
 students get involved;
 encourages interaction.
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6. Active Learning:
- refers to any instructional method that engages
students in the learning process.
- “implies deep learning on the part of students as
they construct knowledge and create meaning
from their surroundings” (Haack K., 2008);
- “involves students in doing things and thinking
about what they are doing. Strategies that
promote active learning allow students’
involvement in higher order thinking skills”
(Bonwell C.C. & J.A. Elison, 1991);
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7. Concepts of Active Learning
-“active learning exercises help students get to know
each other, which transforms passive learners into
active participants during the transmission of
information in classrooms.” (D. Wenger, 1992)
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- the aim of active learning methods is “to create
favourable conditions for active engagement of
thinking processes” (J. Piaget);
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8. Teacher’s Role
Passive Learning
 presents information;
 does most of the talk in
class;
 uses textbooks,
blackboard and chalk,
shows diagrams,
pictures and sketches;
 explains the material;
 answers students’
questions;
 expects all the students
to be good listeners.
Active Learning
 facilitates experience;
 allows the students to
discuss, ask questions,
give feedback;
 uses various modern
teaching aids;
 lets students explore
the content and build
information;
 asks students to find
solutions;
 considers all the types
of learners.
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9. Learning Pyramid
Reading - 10%
Listening - 20%
Looking – 30%
(viewing art, graphs,
maps)
Seeing and hearing -
50%
(movies, illustrations,
demonstrations, Power
Point presentations)
Speaking - 70%
(holding a speech, group discussions,
debating)
Saying and doing - 90%
(live practice, role-playing, simulations,
tutoring)
Cone of Learning
adapted from Edgar Dale, 1946 9

10. Characteristics of Active Learning
It includes a variety of strategies that may be
used in the classroom:
 individual activities;
 pair-work;
 informal small group discussions;
 cooperative projects.
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11. Categories of Active Learning Strategies
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12. The choice depends on:
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 the content to be covered;
 values and objectives of the
teacher;
 time available for preparation;
 learning stage;
 classroom space;
 seat arrangement, teacher’s desk;
 number of students in the class;
 students’ level.

13. What helps to make Active Learning
successful?
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14. Useful Tips
 introduce the concept of AL step by step;
 give clear instructions each time a new
strategy is used;
 announce the goals;
 allot time for each activity;
 start with low-involving strategies and
allow students to get used accustomed to
a new teaching style;
 make students feel safe, encourage
participation.
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15. Benefits
 students have the opportunity to share ideas,
learn how others think and react to problems;
 more captivating lessons;
 increases students’ comprehension of real-life
contents;
 creates a positive attitude towards the process
of learning;
 reserved students are determined to
participate;
 multiple cognitive perspectives that lay the
foundation for the development of various
competences.
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16. Cooperative environment brings:
celebration of diversity;
acknowledgement of individual
differences;
interpersonal development;
active involvement of students in
learning;
more opportunities for personal feedback.
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17. Major problems:
some students refuse to work in groups;
there are activities that provide more noise
than positive results;
sometimes conflicts may appear when
students work in groups;
it is not easy to master group energy;
a lesson designed according to AL principles
requires more time for preparation.
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18. Building Active Learning Classrooms:
Setting
objectives
Exploring
alternatives
Organizing
activities
Collecting
feed-back
Self-
evaluation
Lesson
planning
Implementing
strategies
Improving
activities
Students’
needs
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19. Specific actions:
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1. Pre-instruction decisions
- group size
- group structure
- seat arrangement
- content selection, teaching aids;
- taking decisions about the way students have
to work.
2. Explaining the task
- specifying learning task,
- giving clear instructions;
- allotting time for the activity;

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Specific actions:
3. Lesson management:
- supervising each group of students;
- interfering if necessary:
- giving interesting, attractive tasks;
- making sure pair or group work is efficient.
4. Receiving feed-back:
- allowing students to evaluate the learning
activities;
- stating the difficulties they encountered
while working;
- students have to evaluate their personal
contribution to the lesson.

21. Practical Issues
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22. What do all these pictures have in common?
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23. Lesson Topic: Health
Hazards, Grade IX
Association
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24. Lesson Topic: Daily Programme. Grade VIII
Action Map 24

25. Lesson Topic:
Technology vs Environment.
Grade XI
Consequence Wheel
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26. To slow down global warming,
scientists believe it is crucial to stop
cutting down the Amazon rain forest,
mainly because…
A-A) Many plant and animal species will
disappear if the rain forest ecosystem is
destroyed.
A-B) Removal of the forest will lead to
wide-spread erosion and degradation of the
environment.
B-C) Living trees remove carbon dioxide
(CO2) from the atmosphere.
C-D) Deforested land will be used for
purposes that add to global warming.
Revolving Circle 26

27. Lesson Topic: Daily Life. Grade VIII
K-W-L 27

28. Lesson Topic: Education in GB and Moldova. Grade VII
Venn’s Diagram 28

29. Lesson Topic: Life in The Country. Grade VI
T-chart
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30. Lesson Topic: Climate and Weather in GB. Grade VI
T-chart 30

31. Lesson Topic: Food and
Meals. Grade VI
Reciprocal Interview
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32. Lesson Topic: Food and
Meals. Grade VI
Reciprocal Interview
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33. Lesson Topic: Body Image.
Grade VIIICES Diagram
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34. Text Analysis: The Filipino and The Drunkard.
Grade XI
Question Generator 34

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Matching Quotes
1. Select quotations on the topic (statements also
possible).
2. Divide each of them into two parts, give the
first part a number and the second one - a letter.
3. Mix all the slips up and ask students to choose
one.
4. They stand up, walk around the class and try to
find their pairs. When ready, they take a place
and discuss the affirmation.
5. They share their ideas with the class.
Teacher should offer clear instructions, set
time limit and interfere when required.

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 discuss with students and establish rules
(describing expectations, respecting time
limit, respecting other people’s opinions, etc.)
 offer a separate seat when somebody is rude;
 use a sign of silence and don’t give new
instructions unless students make silence;
 you can write the word “STOP” on the
blackboard;
 when a team is noisy, put a “sign for
interruption” on their desk;
 tell students they are to report the activity
back to class.
Tips for preventing conflicts:

37.  21-st century - modern teaching methods;
 lesson plans adapted to students’ needs;
 teacher as a facilitator of learning;
 student-centered activities;
 high learning motivation;
 professional growth.
Conclusions
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38. References:
1. Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active
learning: Creating excitement in the classroom.
ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, no. 1.
Washington, D.C.: The George Washington
University, School of Education and Human
Development.
2. Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching (2nd ed.).
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
3. Finkel, D. L. (2000). Teaching with your mouth
shut. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers.
4. Johnson, D. W. & Johnson, R. T. (1994).
Learning together and alone: Cooperative,
competitive, and individualistic learning (4th ed.).
Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
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39. References:
5. Dale, E. (1969). Audio-visual methods in teaching.
Third edition. NY: Holt Rinehart Winston.
6. MacGregor, J. (2000). Strategies for energizing
large classes: From small groups to learning
communities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
7. Meyers, C. & Jones, T. B. (1993). Promoting active
learning: Strategies for the college classroom. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
8. Silberman, M. L. (1996). Active learning: 101
strategies to teach any subject. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.
9. Smith, B. & MacGregor, J. (1992). What is
collaborative learning? National Center on
Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment,
University Park, PA. 39

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