The Ninth Post - Active Learning & Formative Assessments

What is active learning?

Promoting active learning is engaging learners to be active participants. We can help our students have effective learning experiences by giving them opportunities to apply, analyze, and synthesize prior knowledge. We can promote active learning in our classrooms through discussion, debate, group work, case studies, simulations, student presentations, team, problem or project-based learning, and patient encounters.

What are the benefits of active learning?

Active learning leads to an understanding how we learn, facilitation of learning, increased learner outcomes, increased knowledge retention, deeper learning experience. Using technology (such as Pear Deck for active learning), every student able to respond, not just one or a couple students or just the teacher responding. We can use technology to make sure all voices in the classroom are heard. It also helps us get to know students and their needs at an individual level.

What makes using formative assessments within a lesson important?

Formative assessments promote self-directed learning. We should use an assessment for learning rather than assessing how much has been learned by the students. Regular feedback is key to formative assessments. It helps make improvements during the school term rather than waiting for the end. It reveals strengths and weaknesses of the student before class units are completed so improvements can be made while still in class. And it helps teachers know what topics of content they should be spending more time on. It is important to have formative assessments within a lesson so that teachers get real feedback that they can address right away. It is best if formative assessments are taken online so that feedback is received in real time. It creates an interactive learning experience. Students can quickly ask for help and get their learning needs addressed. It helps teachers personalize their students learning because they know what they need to focus on.