Active Learning Workshops

Trainee sitting at tables in a classroom

What is Active Learning?

Active learning is not a new concept. Though coined by Bonwell and Eisen (1991), aspects of active learning can be found in studies by Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dewey*.

Active Learning is a broad set of methods designed to actively engage learners with the course materials through a variety of instructional strategies. In contrast to more traditional didactic instruction where the instructor primarily teaches in the form of lecturing and students are more passive receivers of the information, in active learning environments, learners are active participants in their learning through self-reflection, interacting with classmates, and/or the instructor.

What are the Benefits of Active Learning?

  • Engages learners at higher levels of thinking
  • Higher conceptual understanding and application of the course materials and content (Hake, 1998)
  • Learners who experience active learning retain more than during passive instruction (Tabrizi, 2017)
  • In STEM+M fields, learners on average have higher exam scores when instructed using active learning techniques (Freeman, 2014)

What Professional Development Opportunities are Available?

As a BCM educator, a variety of active learning-focused professional development opportunities are available to you. The Center for Teaching and eLearning, Huffington Department of Education, Innovation and Technology is offering a variety of active learning workshops from designing your lessons, and selecting the technology to the delivery of your instruction. 

A full listing of the workshops is below. We recommend that you take the workshop(s) in order to optimize the effectiveness, however, depending on your school or program affiliation, you can take as many workshops as you’d like.

Download the Center for Teaching and eLearning Workshop Schedule AY 2025-2026

Part 1: Active Learning and Designing Your Instruction

Facilitators

  • Dr. Nancy Moreno
  • Dr. Alana Newell
  • Dr. Sherita Love

In this foundational workshop, we’ll explore your current teaching methods and reframe them through a focus on active learning. Learners will also be introduced to the Session Strategy Planning Template and the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge framework.

By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to:

  • Describe a rationale for applying active learning into teaching
  • Plan for using student-centered approaches in own teaching
  • Find and select tools and resources for planning active learning sessions

Facilitator(s)

  • Mr. Raffy Macapinlac
  • Ms. Jessica Klotman
  • Dr. Sherita Love

In this interactive session, we’ll identify and explore active learning strategies to increase student engagement and achievement in large group facilitations.

By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to:

  • Describe and identify active learning approaches that support various levels of educational goals
  • Analyze a course session or learning activity for active learning approaches
  • Apply an active learning strategy to an educational goal for a new or existing course session or learning activity

Facilitator(s)

  • Dr. Andrew Bergmann

In this interactive session, we’ll identify and explore active learning strategies when delivering problem-based learning instruction.

This workshop is an alternative to the following active learning workshops:

  • Rethinking your Teaching
  • Active Learning Strategies in Facilitating Large Group Instruction
  • Delivering Your Instruction

The Active Learning Bootcamp will be divided into two parts.

  • Part 1:  Rethinking Your Teaching and Delivery
  • Part 2: Active Learning and Delivery Strategies for Large Groups"

View schedule and register.
 

Part 2:  Active Learning and Academic Technology

Suggested pre-requisite: all of Part 1: Active Learning and Designing Your Instruction

Facilitator(s)

  • Dr. Sherita Love
  • Dr. Tyson Pillow

In this workshop, learners will explore ways to advance learning objectives and improve outcomes through active learning and academic technologies.

By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to:

  • Identify uses for major academic tech
  • Given the active learning strategy, select the best tech

Facilitator(s)

  • Center for Teaching and eLearning Team

In this interactive workshop, learners will explore effective layout as well as formatting skills and tools that can create dynamic and impactful slides, including audio, animation and transitions. Learners will also be introduced to the active learning PowerPoint template.

By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to: 

  • Use design and layout templates to encourage and support engagement
  • Format slides for effective message delivery
  • Organize layers and understand effective layering techniques
  • Use animation, embedded video and other multi-media to enhance engagement

Facilitator(s)

  • Ms. Jessica Klotman

Poll Everywhere is a tool that can be used to engage your learners in online and in-person instruction. Integrating Poll Everywhere in your instruction can enhance student participation, amplify classroom teaching and allow you to assess student understanding. 

By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to:

  • Recognize the pedagogical benefits of using Poll Everywhere to engage learners in in-person, online and in hybrid settings
  • Identify different question types in Poll Everywhere
  • Create a poll, select appropriate settings, embed it into a presentation and access student data

Facilitator(s)

  • Ms. Jessica Klotman

Padlet is a collaborative tool where learners actively engage by creating and sharing posts related to course content. Like a virtual bulletin board, learners can post, comment and upload a variety of media (e.g., files, images, videos, links, drawings, gifs). During this workshop, participants will learn to create a Padlet as well as best practices for increasing engagement in-person, online and in hybrid formats.

By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to:

  • Recognize the pedagogical benefits of using Padlet to engage learners
  • Create a Padlet board, attach a variety of media, use recommended settings, respond to a post and share a board with others
  • Apply best practices for using Padlet to build community and increase collaboration

Part 3: Delivering Your Instruction

Suggested pre-requisite: all of Part 2: Active Learning and Academic Technology

Facilitator(s)

  • Dr. Sandra Haudek
  • Dr. Sherita Love
  • Dr. McMillian

In this interactive session, we will identify and explore active learning strategies to increase student engagement and achievement in large-group facilitations. Learners will also get the opportunity to test your technology connection between campuses.

Facilitator(s)

  • Dr. Andrew Bergemann

In this interactive session, we’ll apply active learning strategies when delivering problem-based learning instruction. This is a continuation of Part 1.

*References

Bonwell, C.C. & Eisen, J.A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University: Washington DC.

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.

Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 66(1), 64-74.