TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Adapting Active Learning Ideas
- Activity Learning Tools
- Good practices when using the Owl for online students
- Resources
Adapting Active Learning Ideas
In the table below, we have included different active learning activities and described how each activity can be completed in different course modalities: in-person, virtual, and online (asynchronous). If you are teaching a flexible course section, select the modalities you provide for your students and allow students to choose how they will participate in the activity. Similarly, flexible courses can have everything submitted in the online format, asking students to bring their computers or use a school provided computer.
| Activity | In-Person | Virtual | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Think-pair-share | Students write a one-minute response to a question or topic. Then ask them to turn to a person nearby and share their thoughts. | Students write a one-minute response to a question or topic. While they are writing, put them in breakout groups to share their thoughts. | Students respond to the question or topic in a discussion forum. |
| Polls | Students take the poll on their devices or by raising hands, writing their answers, etc. | Students take the poll and submit answers. | Students take the poll as part of the week’s assignments. To include asynchronous students, the instructor can post an announcement with updated poll results. |
| Presentations or demonstrations | Students give presentations in class | Students present via Zoom | Students record video presentations |
| Quik Writes/Brainstorming | Either in groups or as a whole class, students work to brainstorm ideas (topics, questions, details, etc.) and type them into a shared google doc. | In breakout rooms or along with the in-person students, students work to brainstorm ideas (topics, questions, details, etc.) and type them into a shared Google doc, or online discussion forum | Students add their own ideas to the Google document or discussion forum |
| Peer Review Workshops | Students exchange drafts and give feedback in class. | Students use breakout rooms and shared documents for feedback. | Canvas Peer Review assigns partners automatically for structured feedback. |
| Case Study Analysis | Small groups analyze a printed or projected case and present findings. | Groups use breakout rooms and shared documents to analyze the case. | Students review the case in Canvas and submit an analysis or discussion post. |
| Role-Playing/Scenario Simulation | Students act out scenarios in class. | Students role‑play in breakout rooms or via live video. | Students record short videos or write scenario responses in Canvas. |
| Jigsaw Learning | Groups become “experts” on one topic, then re‑form to teach peers. | Breakout rooms serve as expert groups; students rotate rooms to teach others. | Students complete expert modules in Canvas, then contribute to a shared group document. |
Activity Learning Tools
- Slido: this is a polling add on that you can use with Google Slides or Microsoft Powerpoint. It is free for up to 5 questions per slideshow.
- PollEverywhere: free for up to 25 users per poll. Unlimited questions.
- Discord: a popular social platform used mostly by gamers. This can be used as a “backchannel” way for students to communicate with each other and with you regardless of what modality they use for attending the class. Students in Zoom can only use the chat with other students in Zoom, but Discord is a chat where everyone can be involved.
- Perusall: Platforms for social annotation tools.
- Graded and ungraded surveys in Canvas: When you create a Canvas Quiz, you can edit the quiz type to either a graded or ungraded survey. You have access to all the same question types as a quiz. Multiple Answer questions can be used to create Likert Scale Questions.
- Lucid Whiteboard: Similar to a Zoom whiteboard, Lucid Whiteboards are integrated with Canvas for students to participate synchronously and asynchronously.
Good practices when using the Owl for online students
- Teach online students to pin the Owl feed so that they can see all of the video feed better.
- Be aware of where you are standing so that you don’t block the camera if you have online students.
- It’s very difficult for online students to understand if more than one person is talking at once, so make sure students who are in-person understand that they need to not interrupt or talk over anyone during discussions and mute the Zoom feed that is showing the Owl when students are chatting before or after class because the noise can be overwhelming for online students.
- Put Zoom students in breakout rooms when students are working in groups so that they can talk to each other easily without the Owl feed being distracting or the feed from the online students distracting students in class.
Resources
Poll & Quizzes in Zoom tutorial
Breakout Rooms in Zoom tutorial