Active Learning in the Classroom

What is Active Learning?

Active learning is a form of teaching that calls for students to be actively involved in what they are learning. Instead of using the traditional lecture and note-taking style, the teacher uses a variety of strategies to get their students engaged in what they are learning. This can involve hands-on tasks, assignments, and activities that require students to get creative with their learning. We have long established that there are many different kinds of learning, and not every student can absorb the information they are given through only lectures and readings. There needs to be a rapport between the school lesson/subject and the student. Students need to be engaged in what they are learning and using active learning strategies will help them build connections between what they know and what they are learning. 

What is the Muddiest Point?

Have you ever been in class and thought to yourself, I am totally lost? Well, I can assure you you are not the only one. Have you ever been really confused about a topic but felt too embarrassed or shy to ask for help in front of all of your peers? Well, I can assure you you are still not the only one. Regardless of why, there will always be students who are confused about something and there will always be students who will not be vocal about their confusion. That is where the Muddiest Point strategy comes in. The Muddiest Point is a strategy that allows instructors to gain insight into what their students are confused about and/or need further instruction in. Using the last 10 minutes of class, the teacher will ask their students to write down something they are confused about or want further help with on a notecard or printed ticket note. The teacher would create a designated box for students to drop their notecards or ticket in on their way out of class. This would allow students to anonymously ask their questions without feeling self-conscious. The teacher will read over the student's feedback and incorporate that into their next lesson. 

Image source: TeachersPayTeachers.

Video Source: Teaching strategy: Muddiest point

How Is This Active Learning?

By using the muddiest point, teachers are asking their students to reflect and report what lessons and subjects they need help with. It asks students to engage with their lessons and calls them to self-evaluate their learning. If something in the class is not clicking with a majority of students, this will show the instructor that they need to switch up their teaching methods. 

As a shy student...

When I was in 6th grade, I remember bringing home my first biology test for my parent to sign. It needed to be signed because I had failed it. I remember being so frustrated because I had studied for the test, but still I have had failed. My parent asked me what the problem was and I told them that I did not understand this subject. It was hard for my brain to wrap around it and I had a terrible memory so simply memorizing words was not enough. They asked me if I had told asked my teacher for help to which I said no. I thought that I was the only student who did not understand, I was not and was too embarrassed to ask. As an adult, I still struggle with asking for clarification when I feel like I should already understand something. If that is how I feel at my current age, I can only imagine how hard it is for younger shy, and frustrated students to feel. I wish my science teacher had had this strategy, I would have felt more comfortable asking for help in a seemingly anonymous way. 

When I was in 9th grade, I had my first real health class. My middle school did not allow for any real or useful health class to be taught so I was walking into 9th grade not knowing a whole lot about human biology. I felt uninformed and dumb because so many of my peers seemed to know what our health teacher was talking about when I did not. At the end of one of our lessons, I had some pressing questions I wanted to ask but felt way too embarrassed, especially given the subject matter, to ask. We were talking about menstruation or periods, and while most of the class treated it as a joke, I had so many questions. This class was my first real conversation about this subject and there were so many things I wanted to know. I think our teacher understood this, so one day she put out a shoe box and told us to ask her anything we wanted on a piece of paper and drop it in the box. She told us we could ask anything we wanted and she would answer them in the next class. She told us even if we did not have a question to still drop a note in the box. I was immensely grateful for that opportunity and probably asked about a dozen questions. Sure enough, in the next class, she answered every question. I was surprised to find out that many of us had questions we were too afraid or embarrassed to ask. I think that I learned more that day than I had all semester. 

There are always going to be students who need more help and are too shy to ask for it. Using the Muddiest Point strategy makes it easier for students to reflect and report back on what they need help with.