Article: Instructional Practices
The First Day of Class in an Active Learning Course
Derek’s
Recommendation
If you're planning a course to feature a lot of active learning during class, it's important to know that your students might have different expectations. This guide provides useful advice for navigating that first day to create shared expectations for the course.
The first day is particularly important in any class, but particularly in a class that will be centered on active learning. The first day (or really, the first week) is particularly important for framing the norms, expectations, and rationale for your class approach, tapping into students’ internal motivations and creating a supportive class community. Students may need to be oriented to their role in the classroom, and you can seed productive structures and patterns of interaction. Here are some things students may be wondering as they enter your class.
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