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 Back To Module ListModule Main | Module Description | Instructional Proficiencies | Instructional EventsStrategies for Active Student Responding Author Susan L. (Fister) Mulkey, M.ED., Susan L. (Fister) Mulkey Educational Consulting & TrainingModule Description Historically, the process of learning has been largely viewed as a passive experience where knowledge is received and stored for future use. However, during the last 20 years, research into the human brain has led to theories which indicate that a far more active model of acquiring knowledge is associated with higher achievement and greater academic performance for students. Active student engagement requires students to use multiple learning skills and higher order thinking to construct meaning and knowledge.
Active student responding refers to the use of strategies that provide opportunities for learners to make frequent responses to the lesson content. An active student response is defined as a detectable reply to a lesson-related antecedent such as a prompt or a question by the teacher. Research has shown that students who are actively engaged in their instruction will retain more information on both short and long term assessment. More specifically the research shows that students assessed for information after being "on-task" (listening, paying attention, etc.) and engaged through active involvement with the information, will retain more information. Studies conducted by Taylor, Pearson, Peterson and Rodriguez (2003) examined 792 students in 88 classrooms in grades 1-5 in nine high-poverty schools. They found significant positive correlations between active learning environments and growth in reading comprehension with negative correlations in passive learning environments.
It is clear that providing students with multiple opportunities to respond increases student responses and engagement in a learning activity and will increase student performances. Observational studies of what students actually do in the classroom are somewhat disturbing. Less than half of a seven hour school day is spent doing the real work of learning (Harmin, 1995). One study of six inner-city elementary classrooms found that students spent the largest portion of the day passively attending to the teacher and less than 1% of the day actively responding. Again, there is a strong relationship between increased student engagement and academic achievement.
Much of the debate surrounding the use of lecture-based classes as a method for teaching has focused on the passive role assumed by students in lecture. The communication channel is primarily instructor-to-student. Numerous studies have shown that student performance in science classes improves with increasing levels of active participation by students in classroom discussions. Cooperative learning techniques, classroom discussion, and “turn-to-your-neighbor” activities are all methods designed to improve not only instructor-to-student communication, but also student-to-instructor and student-to-student communication.
A common strategy used by teachers to engage students during group instruction is to present a question to the entire class and then call on one student to respond. The student who responds is generally the only student who has an active learning opportunity. Further, the students who generally respond are more often the higher achieving students rather than the lower achieving students. The result can be that the students who need the most practice get the least, and those that need the least practice get the most.
Clearly, there is no question that active student responding techniques increase student engagement and produce more learning. Increasing student responses is an important goal for teachers of any grade level or subject area. Active student responses can be verbal or non-verbal, covert or overt, and can occur with individual students, partners, small or large groups. Active student responding strategies can include choral responses with individuals or groups, the use of response cards or boards, the use of guided notes, as well as a variety of partner activities. This module will provide a basic course in strategies for increasing active student responding and student performance. Key topics highlighted in the module will include benefits and advantages in using active responding strategies, a description of several strategies, guidelines for using the strategies, with tips and other supports for strengthening active responding techniques. Instructional ProficienciesStandard 2: Performances #2
Standard 4: Performances #2, #3, #4
Standard 5: Performances #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #8, #9, #10
Standard 6: Performances #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #12
Standard 8: Performances #1, #2, #3, #4
Impact of Training/Professional Development
Module Instructional Objectives
At the completion of this module the learner will be able to:
Instructional Events To complete this module, you will need to:
Task for Completion and Discussion
There are three “Task for Completion and Discussion” activities that you will be asked to respond to throughout this presentation. These tasks will assist you by providing opportunities for deeper understanding, additional practice, and reflection on the content with others in your “discussion thread.”
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