Teaching Tools: Active Learning

while Physically Distancing

We are all looking for practical strategies to make our teaching engaging and
impactful during these unusual times. The chart below outlines some common
teaching goals and the face-to-face (F2F) active learning techniques often
used to achieve those goals, along with corresponding approaches for online
synchronous, online asynchronous, and physically-distanced settings.

GOAL: Engage Content Learning + Support

Communication Skills Development
Online— Online— F2F
Synchronous Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
THINK-PAIR- Use breakout meeting Pose an equivalent Divide the class
SHARE rooms in online video question to the into pairs or ask
conferencing platforms to asynchronous students, students to
simulate small group either in video or text, and choose a partner.
discussions. ask the students to respond Allow time for
in a small group discussion sharing- either
forum. The group reports from a distance
can be shared to the larger or using digital
class discussion forum. tools.When
sharing with
class, consider
instruction about
how to project
voices so all
classmates hear.

SMALL GROUP Use breakout meeting Pose an equivalent Set up small

DISCUSSION rooms in online video question to the groups of 3-5
conferencing platforms to asynchronous students, students. Pose a
simulate small group either in video or text, and question. Could
discussions. Students may ask the students to respond also use a google
also use collaborative in a small group discussion doc to help with
document tools (e.g., forum. The group reports communication.
Google Docs) to record can be shared to the larger Could make
thoughts. class discussion forum. breakouts a little
longer and send
Give group assignments Ask students to use digital
groups out of
and workshop formats for pin boards, like Padlet, to
class for easier
small teams to hold online share content and have
socially distanced
brainstorm meetings and discussions.
discussion
create things or solve
 problems together using elsewhere on
collaboration tools between campus with set
live sessions. return time. Give
students roles
like recorder
(maybe write
group’s report in
Google Docs/on
handheld white
board, or reporter
(give oral report).
Make sure to
remind students
to project their
voices when
giving an oral
report so that all
classmates hear.

TURN & TALK Use the chat feature. Ask a Assign partners and pose a Assign partners
question and let the question, asking them to in the classroom
students reply with a brief share their ideas, in a that can talk 6 ft
response. Read them out discussion forum, via email, apart.
loud to the whole class or or other tools like flipgrid or Alternatively,
cut/paste the chat into a marco polo. students can
word cloud generator to "talk" through
share (try Wordle). Could texts on
also use meeting rooms group.me or
with a reporter to share. through a shared
google doc or
slide show, when
distance would
make the volume
in the room
difficult for some
students to learn.
Another option is
to assign a
Google Slidedeck
to groups of
about 8 students.
Provide
instructions in the
slide deck. Here
is an example.

PARTIAL Create a set of class notes
OUTLINES/SLIDES with blanks for important
information and share on
PROVIDED FOR the LMS. Encourage
LECTURE students to fill in the blanks
during the class session.
Create a set of class notes Create a set of
with blanks for important class notes with
information and share on blanks for
the LMS. Encourage important
students to fill in the blanks information and
during the class session share on the
and while viewing course LMS. Encourage
materials. students to fill in
the blanks during

PAUSING IN Break up your synchronous
LECTURE presentation by stopping for
a quick activity, such as
asking students to respond
to a question in chat,
complete a sentence, or
answer a question in a poll.
POSTERS & Use shared spaces for
GALLERY WALK small groups to record
ideas using collaborative
tools such as Padlet and
Google
docs/slides/draw/Jamboard,
and then view those with
the whole class.
the class session.
In your recorded videos, Pause during
insert points for students to your lecture to
pause and reflect on what ask a question,
was just said, complete an give a poll, or ask
activity such as answer students to
questions using a quiz identify the three
function (try Edpuzzle for things they have
this). learned so far in
the class.
Use shared spaces for If regulations
small groups to record allow, put poster
ideas using collaborative boards around the
tools such as Padlet and room. Dismiss
Google one group of
docs/slides/draw/Jamboard, students to go a
and ask students to review single poster
these ideas as part of the board and record
module’s activities. a response. When
they finish and
return to their
seats, dismiss a
second group.
Continue until the
entire class has
been able to
record responses.
Read/ review the
posters with the
class or save and
use to start the
following class
period. This
activity
encourages
movement,
individual
response, and
can serve as an
assessment of
students opinions
or understanding
(depending on the
questions). You
may need to think
about options for
students that are
not moving
around the room.
One option is to
consider using
virtual poster
boards (such as
 Padlet).

FISHBOWL Students can take turns role Students can record Students can
playing/miming a solution themselves with role take turns role
and others can watch and play/miming a solution and playing or miming
respond in chat or live others can respond in a a solution for
discussion. Encourage discussion forum. others to critique,
students to turn off watch, etc
webcams so focus can be
Students in
on the student miming.
fishbowl can be
Students in fishbowl can be remote
remote (participating in a (participating in a
chat, Google doc, or Zoom chat, Google doc,
conversation as a small or Zoom
group), while other students conversation as a
are outside the fishbowl small group),
observing. This is a good while F2F
approach to engagement- students are
those that are “in the outside the
fishbowl” for the lesson fishbowl
commit to having their observing and
video/audio on. The then the
professor leads the whole professor leads
class discussion among the whole class
listeners afterwards. discussion
among listeners
You could also run a
afterwards.
"pictionary" version online.
Tools like Skribbl allow
users to join private rooms,
and even to create a
specific word bank (i.e.,
containing terms from
class).

GOAL: Engage + Check Understanding

Online— Online— F2F
Synchronous Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
POLLING Use the polling feature in Use the polling feature in Use an online
Zoom or another online poll your LMS and share out the polling feature
to ask questions and show results in a class and share results
responses in real-time. announcement, email, or with the
within the LMS. class.Students
without a device
can use colored
cards, Plickers,
hands, or vertical
movement to
indicate their
choice.
GOAL: Monitor/Assess Understanding
Online—
Synchronous
QUICKWRITE Pose a question or two in a
discussion forum and have
students respond.
Instructors may ask for
some students to share a
selection of responses or
summary of their responses
with the whole class.
MUDDIEST POINT Encourage students to
identify any unclear or
“muddy points”. Muddiest
points can be added in
Zoom chat or on a shared
screen.
GOAL: Reflect on Learning
Online—
Synchronous
FOUR CORNERS Students have 4 colored
cards that can be. held up
to the webcam when asked
a question to display their
answer. A Zoom poll could
also be used.
Online— F2F
Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
Pose a question or two in a Pose 1-2
discussion forum and have questions and
students respond. have students
Instructors may follow up by write a response.
sharing a selection of Students can turn
responses or summary of these in at the
their responses with the end of class.
whole class. Instructors may
ask some
students to share
a selection of
responses or
summary of their
responses with
the class.
Pose a question in a Have students
discussion forum or other use post-it notes
shared space or submit a to share their
video chat (one tool that muddiest point
could work is Flipgrid). and the instructor
can discuss with
the class.
Online— F2F
Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
Have students make a Students have 4
choice using the poll feature colored cards (or
in your LMS. raise hands or
stand up/vertical
movement to
indicate
agreement).
These are held
up when asked a
question to
 display their
answer. Could
also do this
online in a
collaborative
document. Can
use online polling
technology.

WHAT’S On Zoom use slides, Using slides, present a list Using slides,
MISSING? present a list of ideas, of ideas, terms, equation or present a list of
terms, equation or rationale. rationale. Students must ideas, terms,
Students can respond with respond in the discussion equation or
what is missing using chat, forum with what is missing. rationale.
poll or live discussion. Can also be done using a Students respond
lesson or quiz. with what is
missing using a
collaborative
document or poll.
Can also be done
individually in
notes and then
discussed in
share-outs.

AHA WALL In real time ask students to
post an “aha” in the chat
and use these to guide
discussion or future
instruction.
Ask students to post an Consider placing
“aha” in the discussion poster boards on
forum and use these to the wall and
guide discussion or future asking students
instruction. to put their ideas
up using post-it
notes, using
social distancing
directions. Or
each student has
a personal,
handheld dry-
erase board.

GOAL: Strengthen Understanding

Online— Online— F2F
Synchronous Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
PRO/CON LIST Together create a pro/con Together create a pro/con Generate a
list using a collaborative list using a collaborative pro/con list using
google document in real google document collaborative
time or on a shared screen documents, such
as Google docs.

CONCEPT MAP Use an online tool (such as Use an online tool (such as Use an online
Mindmeister or Google Mindmeister or Coggle), to tool (such as
*visual communication Draw) to have students have students work Mindmeister), to
 work collaboratively in real-
time to add to the concept
map.
VISUAL PROMPT Offer a visual prompt and
ask students to respond.
*visual communication This can be done using
tools like Voicethread,
A.nnotate, or Flipgrid.
Students can record a short
video responding to a
teacher video.
ENTRY/EXIT At the beginning or end of a
TICKET class/ module, ask students
to respond to a question in
the chat or discussion forum
or use a polling program to
ask questions.
GOAL: Active Engagement + Planning for Future
Learning Connections
Online—
Synchronous
BRAINSTORMING Use the chat feature or
CHALLENGE collaborative writing spaces
such as Google docs to
brainstorm ideas and review
in class.
COLLABORATIVE Students individually
SUMMARIES compose a summary of a
topic, then share those with
collaboratively to add to the have students
concept map over the work
course of a module. Google collaboratively in
Draw may be a tool that real-time to add
would be useful. to the concept
map.
Offer a visual prompt and Offer a visual
ask students to respond. prompt and ask
This can be done using students to
tools like Voicethread and respond using
A.nnotate live poll
technology (such
as
Polleverywhere
or Slido.
At the beginning or end of a At the beginning
class/ module, ask students or end of a class/
to respond to a question in module, ask
the chat, poll or discussion students to
forum. respond to a
question using
paper or virtual
response and
turn in to the
instructor.
Alternatively, you
could use e-
polling tools.
Online— F2F
Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
Use collaborative writing Use collaborative
spaces in your LMS such as writing spaces to
Moodle Workshop to brainstorm and
brainstorm ideas and review share in real-
in follow-up video/post or time. This can be
activity. done with some
features in your
LMS (i.e., chat,
polling), online
polling, or Google
documents.
Students individually Students
compose a summary of a individually
topic, then share those with compose a
*written communication their group members in real
time via breakout groups.
Then groups can
collaborate to compose a
best-of summary to share
with the class. Instructor
can lead the whole class
discussion, asking
questions like ‘why
summary is the best? Why?
What was missed? etc.
their group members summary of a
asynchronously via online, topic, then share
group-separated those with their
discussions using the "post- group members
first" feature available in in real time via
some LMSs. Set up breakout groups.
discussion groups where Then groups can
students can collaborate to collaborate to
compose a best-of compose a best-
summary to share with the of summary to
class for feedback in a share with the
discussion forum. The class. Instructor
whole class can vote on the can lead the
best summary and a whole class
discussion forum about discussion,
thePrompts for the asking questions
discussion can include a like ‘why
‘why summary is the best? summary is the
Why? What was missed? best? Why? What
etc. was missed? etc.

1-MINUTE QUIZ Students complete a 3 Offer a short, alternate Students

question quiz worth 3 points
in the first 5 minutes of
class. Questions for the
quiz are given in the last 5
minutes of the previous
class. Answers can be
eMailed or posted on an
adaptive release discussion
board post.
activity that allows students
to earn the same number of
points.
complete a 3
question quiz
worth 3 points in
the first 5 minutes
of class.
Questions for the
quiz are given in
the last 5 minutes
of the previous
class. Answers
can be eMailed or
posted on an
adaptive release
discussion board
post.

GOAL: Providing/Getting Feedback on Work in

Progress
Online—
Synchronous
PEER REVIEW Have students share drafts
of papers, visuals, or oral
*written, visual, or oral presentations prior to class
communication and then break into groups
for discussion/feedback.
Have select students share
with the class in real time
Online— F2F
Asynchronous Physically
Distanced
Students post drafts in LMS, See Think-Pair-
or read it aloud via Flipgrid. Share technique.
Guided by course
rubric/specific prompts for
feedback, partner(s)
read/view and respond.
Consider small-group peer
 and provide a way for review (see Small Group
students to give feedback Discussion technique).
(e.g., answer 3 questions) Writers also score reviewers
on helpfulness of feedback.

PROGRESS Use a collaborative Chart steps in larger In a F2F

CHART FOR document like this “project
progress chart” to
WHOLE CLASS communicate progress with
each student. Students not
only benefit from getting
feedback on their own work,
but can see others
approaches, feedback and
have a sense of progress.
projects (essay writing, physically distant
research project, etc) in classroom can
Google doc, and each still use tools like
student fills out a row as the “project
progresses. Prof gives progress chart” to
feedback via marginal communicate
comments. progress with
each student.

Additional Resources, Readings, and References

 Active Learning for Online Teaching
 Getting Started with Active Learning Guide
 Can Active Learning Co-Exist with Physically Distanced Classrooms?
 Three Strategies for Teaching Writing Remotely During the Pandemic
 Delivering Remote Education in Place of Seated Education: What & How