Many faculty have noticed that when they start using an active learning approach in the classroom, which decreases lectures in the classroom, that their student evaluations tend to go down. Even though faculty are seeing learning gains and students energized and discussing course content in these active learning classrooms, it is not uncommon for students to complain about the extra work required before, during, and after class. Many are wanting faculty to just tell them what will be on the test and lecture, thus more of a passive classroom.
In an article written by Smith (2008), he describes this experience playing out in his own classroom and how he countered it. He came up with three questions that he would pose to his students on the first day:
“Thinking of what you want to get out of your college education and this course, which of the following is most important to you?
- Acquiring information (facts, principles, concepts)
- Learning how to use information and knowledge in new situations
- Developing lifelong learning skills.”
Smith (2008) noted that students were now actively discussing what they could and could not do out of class from the first day. They saw how being prepared for the classes helped enhance their learning. He even had students complain during the semester if he was lecturing too much. At the end of the semester he saw his students’ grades increased and his teacher evaluations rose to new highs. These questions can help lower student resistance in the classroom by helping foster student buy-in. We hope you are able to use these questions in your own classroom. To read the entire article click here.