Event details

Description

As part of the Active Learning Community of Practice, we have Mary Jacob from Aberystwyth University, joining us to talk about Active Cognitive Tasks (ACTs). Active learning can help students engage with learning tasks, promote deeper learning, and foster higher order thinking. The result can be better retention of learning. Many lecturers wonder what we can do besides ‘deliver content’. This session builds on a chapter in a 2023 SEDA Focus book about active learning. Synthesising early definitions and current research on active learning, I’ve come to consider active learning to be any activity where students carry out a thinking task, what I refer to as an ACTs. It is not the content itself but what students do with it that matters. During this interactive session, we will begin with some of your real learning outcomes and redesign as needed to make them task-based. After that, you will work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for ACTs that support your chosen learning outcome.

What are the benefits?

The session will offer you the tools to be able to redesign your courses with active learning in mind.

The last part of the session will be an open discussion where you can exchange ideas and ask any questions.
Biography: Mary Jacob is a lecturer at Aberystwyth University, leading the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PGCTHE) as part of the Learning & Teaching Enhancement Unit. She serves as coordinator of the Gen AI Working Group supporting staff and students in using AI effectively and ethically. She curates the Weekly Resource Roundup of events and publications about learning and teaching. She holds SFSEDA, SFHEA, PGCTHE, and CMALT and posts on X.com as Mary Jacob L&T. As a member of the Active Learning Network, she is an advocate of active learning.

Topics covered include:

Pre-session preparation: You are expected to consider in advance your teaching practice and identify one scenario (learning activity) to workshop during this session. Identify the specific learning outcome you want your students to achieve in that activity. We will co-design possible Active Cognitive Tasks for participants' scenarios.

Who should attend?

Staff that teach and/or support teaching who want to use active learning and promote student engagement.

Facilitator

Christina Magkoufopoulou, Guest speaker: Mary Jacob, Aberystwyth University