The Center for Teaching and Learning is excited to announce the launch of the Active Learning Workshop Series, a key programming element of UGA’s Active Learning Initiative, which aims to promote a university-wide culture of active learning. This flexible, à la carte workshop series aims to empower and equip instructors to successfully implement active learning practices and related evidence-based teaching practices in learning environments across UGA.
The Active Learning Workshop Series consists of four introductory workshops (Active Learning Fundamentals) and eight advanced workshops (Special Topics in Active Learning). Each academic year, the Center for Teaching and Learning will offer all four Fundamentals workshops and a rotating selection of Special Topics workshops. Although the workshops are numbered to help you track your participation, you can complete these workshops in any order you wish!
The Active Learning Workshop Series is one of two on-ramps to UGA’s Active Learning Leader Certificate program. Instructors who complete a minimum of eight Active Learning workshops, including all four Active Learning Fundamentals workshops and a selection of four Special Topics in Active Learning workshops, will be eligible to apply for the Course Redesign Experience (launching in Spring 2025, call for applications to be announced in Fall 2024).
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS – SPRING 2024
Download PDF Overview of Workshops and Schedule Here
Facilitating Productive Group Work
3:00 pm – 4:15 pm, Monday, January 22, 2024
(Zoom link will be provided after registration)
Facilitated by Sheryl Meskin, Assistant Director for Teaching Engagement
Why are instructors and students alike hesitant to use group work regularly? Perhaps for several of the same reasons! Luckily, the use of group work in higher education has been heavily studied, and the literature converges upon several effective strategies that instructors can adopt to improve their use of formal and informal group work in their classes. In this workshop, you will explore actionable strategies for designing and managing group work that is purposeful and effective.
Designing and Facilitating an Effective Learning Environment
2:15 pm – 3:30 pm – Tuesday, January 30, 2024
2:20 pm – 3:35 pm, Thursday, April 4, 2024
(Zoom link will be provided after registration)
Facilitated by Sheryl Meskin, Assistant Director for Teaching Engagement
As an instructor, you have more control over the learning environment in your classroom than you might guess. Research tells us that when students feel a sense of belonging in your classroom and feel that their instructor is invested in their success as learners, they are more likely to attend class, participate in discussions, and engage in learning activities. Importantly, there is also a great deal of reciprocal synergy between the use of active learning strategies and the cultivation of an effective and engaging classroom environment. In this workshop, we will explore concrete strategies that instructors can use to shape a learning environment that promotes student motivation, intellectual focus, and a sense of belonging.
Leveraging Active Learning to Foster Student Metacognition
10:10 am – 11:25 a.m. – Friday, February 23, 2024
(Zoom link will be provided after registration)
Facilitated by Sheryl Meskin, Assistant Director for Teaching Engagement
Have you noticed that students who plan, monitor, and evaluate their thinking are more likely to perform better academically? These metacognitive practices are linked with self-regulated learning and improved student academic outcomes. Likewise, in an active learning environment, students are empowered to construct knowledge and become increasingly aware of their learning process. In this session, we will explore specific active learning techniques that engage students cognitively and prompt them to engage their metacognitive skills.
How Learning Works: Engage Your Students in Active Learning
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm, Thursday, March 14, 2024
1:40 pm – 2:55 pm, Friday, March 15, 2024
(Zoom link will be provided after registration)
Facilitated by Ching-Yu Huang, Associate Director for Active Learning Initiatives
As instructors, we accumulate key “tried-and-true” teaching strategies that work for us and our students over time. How can we leverage the empirical evidence behind how learning works to boost these strategies? Drawing upon the science of learning, this session will provide you with strategies to transform your classroom into an engaging and transformative learning environment conducive to student learning.
Keep track of your attendance with this Active Learning Workshop Series tracking form:
For additional information, contact Dr. Ching-Yu Huang, Associate Director for Active Learning Initiatives at chingyu@uga.edu.