Top 5 Places to Find Active Learning Activities

I have just spent the last month preparing for a Fall course in Management.  I plan on doing collaborative learning ( a form of active learning ) which requires me to identify engaging activities for each topic during each class session.  (one of the reasons why I am doing this over the summer).  With collaborative learning I spend about 15 - 20 minutes on a very focused lecture, then the rest of the class time is spent on group collaboration activities. (See More Here) After spending a great deal of time searching this past month, I thought I would share my top 5 places to find active learning activities.

1.  Google Searches -
          This is one of the easiest and best ways to find ideas on your topics.  For example, if you want to find an active learning activity on Game Theory, I recommend using search terms like "game theory classroom activities" or "game theory group activities".

2.  Text Book -
          Often the final few pages of the text book chapter will contain discussion questions or team activities.  I often customize these (or even combine a few of these) to make them more challenging or more focused on a certain objective.

3.  Active Learning Books -
          There is a growing library of active learning related books.  One I picked up from our local library was very helpful - Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject by Silberman.  Another book that I have used often is called Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers by Angelo and Cross.  This was a book required by a class I completed for my PhD on classroom assessment, but it contains 100 ways to assess student learning.  The ideas are generic enough to provide ways to make any topic active.



4.  The test bank included with the text book -
           I go specifically to the essay questions and will adjust or customize them to make them longer and more challenging.  I often like to use open ended questions that don't contain a 'right' answer to increase student engagement during the discussion time.

5.   Websites dedicated to team building activities -
         My favorite is Business Balls for my business courses (Link Here) however many of these activities can overlap to other fields.  Another one is Wilderdom.  It has fewer activities but they can be useful (Link Here)  Another website dedicated to primary education, however some activities can translate to higher education is Share My Lesson (Link Here)

6.  One bonus idea - Merlot.org -
         This has to be one of my favorite websites for classroom activity ideas.  Although I find fewer ideas here than the other places listed, the idea of a knowledge sharing site like Merlot is fantastic.  When I do find a resource here I know that it has been peer reviewed and is high quality.

Want more?  Click Here to see my favorite 11 active learning activities that I have used in my classes.