Active learning techniques:

Hanford, E. (2012). American Radioworks. The Tomorrow?s College series: Don?t lecture me. URL: http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/tomorrows-college/lectures/

A radio program on the relative ineffectiveness of lecture and its replacement by active learning techniques such as peer instruction.

Mazur, E. (2009). Confessions of a converted lecturer. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwslBPj8GgI

Eric Mazur: "I thought I was a good teacher until I discovered my students were just memorizing information rather than learning to understand the material...I will show how I have adjusted my approach to teaching and how it has improved my students' performance significantly."

POGIL Project. (2012). POGIL: Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning. URL: http://pogil.org/

In POGIL, small groups of students work together to answer sets of guided, step-by-step questions. The instructor facilitates by observing and responding as needed.

University of Michigan Center for Teaching and Learning. (2010). What is active learning? URL: http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/active/what/index.html

A brief introduction to the concepts and techniques of active learning.

University of North Carolina Center for Faculty Excellence. (2009, November). Classroom activities for active learning. For Your Consideration?Suggestions and Reflections on Teaching and Learning. URL: http://cfe.unc.edu/pdfs/FYC2.pdf

Practical tips on active learning techniques including questioning, small group activities such as ?pair-share? and ?buzz groups,? and whole-class involvement such as ?the lecture check.?

Active learning assessment:

Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231. URL: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Prince_AL.pdf

Prince examines the literature on the introduction of student activities, the promoting of student engagement, collaborative, cooperative, and problem-based learning. He concludes that the literature shows support for all forms of active learning, although ?the results vary in strength? (p. 229).

Young, J. (2012, February 17). A tech-happy professor reboots after hearing his teaching advice isn?t working. Chronicle of Higher Education, 58(24). URL: http://chronicle.com/article/A-Tech-Happy-Professor-Reboots/130741/

A reminder that the most important factor in promoting active learning is instructor engagement, not technology.