Active Pedagogy
EuroTeQ Learning Lab early on decided to establish a common understanding of Active Pedagogy as an approach to teaching and learning that places the learner at the center of the educational process. It involves engaging students in meaningful and interactive activities that require them to actively participate, think critically, and construct their own understanding of the subject matter.
Design
- Clearly articulate the desired learning outcomes for the course. Identify the knowledge, skills, and competencies you want students to develop through active pedagogy.
- Choose appropriate active learning strategies that align with your learning objectives. Consider a mix of techniques such as group discussions, problem-solving activities, case studies, simulations, and project- based learning.
- Organize the course structure by determining the sequence of topics, activities, and assessments. Ensure a balance between face-to-face and online components and allocate sufficient time for each activity.
- What is a suitable learning pathway for your students to accomplish learning objectives?
- Which activities are relevant and meaningful for each step of the pathway?
Action
- Facilitate Student Engagement by encouraging participation, guiding discussions, providing feedback, and creating a supportive learning environment.
- Be aware of and responsive to the needs and interests of the students.
- What different formative assessment methods help you monitor and respond to student understanding and progress?
- How do you carry out your facilitating role?
Reflection
- Reflect regularly on the effectiveness of your active pedagogy approach. Collect feedback from students, evaluate the outcomes, and identify areas for improvement. Adjust to your instructional strategies, activities, or assessments based on this reflection.
- Engage in continuous professional development, you may stay updated with current research and best practices in active pedagogy. Attend workshops, conferences, or engage in discussions with colleagues to enhance your teaching skills and explore new approaches.
- How do you tackle the challenge of facilitating learning processes rather than simply imparting your subject knowledge?
- How have you improved your active pedagogy throughout your career? And what are the key challenges that you face?
- How do you share ideas and dilemmas with colleagues?
Further Information
See how teachers from the EuroTeQ partnership have done this in courses that have already been offered in the EuroTeQ course catalogue.
For ideas on specific tools and methods to use check the EuroTeQ Learning Lab’s inventory padlet which has been compiled based on questionnaires and interviews conducted with EuroTeQ teachers.
If you want to know more:
- EuroTeQ definition of active pedagogy written by Jan Vermunt, Eindhoven School of Education.
In addition to these, you are welcome to browse the 18 teaching formats presented in more detail here.
You can also be inspired by the Guidelines for Teachers Padlet developed by the EuroTeQ Learning Lab and/or check out the inventory developed through questionnaires with teachers and research amongst third– party stakeholders.
