Active learning: Peer instruction, discussion groups and collaborative problem solving

           All high school educators dread a roomful of blank faces or silence after they open up a topic for class discussion. According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Educational Resources (CER), devoting time to active learning projects is one way to get students thinking, talking and sharing information in the classroom. The CER publishes a series called the The Innovative Instructor that explores these methods.

            The publication “Bring on the Collaboration!” describes a class structure where the instructor leads a short overview of the day’s topic and gives students a challenge to meet by the end of the class, such as answering a question or solving a problem. Students break into small groups to do research online, chart out ideas and discuss ways to meet the challenge. Groups upload their work to a Blackboard site, where the teacher can review it. At the end of class, each group shares what they’ve learned with their peers.

             Innovative methods of teaching can help high school students get the most out of their education. These are just three ideas for directions you can go in your quest for innovative learning foryour students.