Students are acclimated to receiving content through lectures, texts, and videos and then practicing and studying prior to in class assessments; however, including active learning strategies can be a more effective way to promote deep thinking about the content. Active learning is a learning technique that challenges students to engage through mental contributions, hands-on activities, and/or the process of investigation, discovery, and interpretation. Incorporating active learning strategies into your classroom gives you the ability to watch how your students think and learn, identify areas where further explanation or clarity is needed, provide real-time feedback, and enrich the overall quality of learning for your students. Some classroom activities that encourage active learning are: online discussions/debates, group projects, concept mapping, role playing, content related games, problem solving, graphic organizers (e.g., diagrams, charts, lists), and worksheets encouraging the application of new knowledge (e.g., equations, formulas).

The pages in this section provide information on common active learning strategies, reasons they are effective, best practices for implementation, examples, and resources available at UF.

Flipping a class: Learn how to teach in a flipped or hybrid format

Problem-based learning: Develop real-world problem-based assessments

Incorporating Game Design into Your Course: Find ways to gamify aspects of your courses

For More Information

CITT Instructional Development

Request Assistance

For personal assistance in implementing active learning strategies in your course, you may request assistance from the Center for Instructional Technology and Training.