Active learning in the college classroom can take many forms. Recently, I was intrigued by the ideas shared on the Teaching In Higher Ed podcast by guest Dr. Barbi Honeycutt. Her expertise creating and sharing active learning techniques spans the last 20 years and she is clearly passionate about keeping students engaged in the classroom.

I found many interesting and practical activities on Dr. Honeycutt’s website. In her blog, there are explanations and materials for various types of active learning activities, two of which I will briefly describe here.

1. Guided Notes – that is, an outline of the lecture material that is incomplete and shared with students prior to the lecture. For students, guided notes give them something to actively focus on, help them organize information, and can become a useful study guide. For faculty, guided notes “can make it easier (and more transparent) …to create exams/tests…” and help to “organize information, pace your lecture, and avoid information overload.” Guided notes can work in many different types of classrooms in a variety of formats. Descriptions and shared materials from her website help to explain how.
2. Candy, Conversation, and Connection – a way to engage students in conversation on a topic they choose, share ideas, and foster connections. Content questions prepared by faculty are placed in color-coded boxes corresponding with the candy colors (e.g., Skittles or M&Ms). In small groups taking turns, students randomly select a candy and choose a question from that colored box as their topic of discussion. Bonus – they get to eat the candy during the discussions on each topic. 

      “Sometimes you just need a little lighthearted and fun activity to break up a lecture…that encourages students to share ideas and connect with each other.” (Honeycutt)

If you would like to read more about Dr. Honeycutt’s ideas, go here. There are free, downloadable resources on her website that can help make new active learning activities easy to implement in your classroom.