25 Learning Activities You Can Use

RTC Instructional Improvement

Better Me

1.

2.

3.

Explain how to perform a task After guided practice offer a challenge: BETTER ME!

Race, beat the clock, be more accurate, be more complete

Concentration

      Deck of 16-26 cards Term or picture on one card Definition on another Shuffle, place face down in columns and rows Try to match Winner has most cards

Confrontation

     Role Play Teams of 3: 2 adversaries and 1 observer Give each team a card that describes a confrontational situation Adversaries try to resolve and observer notes Debrief

Create a game

   Have the students break into teams and create an educational game based on the unit Have the teams exchange games to play Games that are based on well known games like Candyland or TicTacToe are easier to design and play

Critical List

    Each team makes a list of 5 most important points that have been covered.

Report/create a flipchart list Each team selects one “important point” Encourages consensus thinking

Crypto Cluster

A puzzle with encrypted items for review This is a list of key terms where you replace all vowels with X, or every e with a J Decode individually or in teams.

Domino Effect

    20 to 30 Domino-line cards Term on one end and a definition (for a different term) on the other.

Teams can create the cards Use rules for dominoes except a player must lay a term against its definition or vice versa

Exam Cram

   Divide class into team and distribute a test to each team Give participants a fixed amount of time to cram for the exam using any resources available Administer the test (or not) since the purpose was to get a review

Facts-in-Five

  Pass out card with a 5x5 matrix with categories in columns and letters in rows Participants fill in terms with a key work beginning with the specified letter

Four Square

     Label walls 1,2,3,4 or A,B,C,D or N,S,E,W.

Ask a question that has a multiple choice answer Students go to the wall that reflects their answer and discuss with the group there Each group reports back to the whole group For fun “seed” the answer

Great Debate

    Divide participants into an even number of teams Give each pair of teams a topic with a + or – Allow 10 minutes for preparation 2 minutes statement/1 minute rebuttal

Hit or Myth

   List of 10 statements that are either true (hit) or false (myth) Decide individually if each is true or false Get one point for a correct answer plus a one-point bonus for each person that got it wrong

Jeopardy (Money Bags)

     Given the answer-guess the question Play it with paper or electronically Use paper money or candy as prizes Contact Instructional Improvement for buzzers Contact IS to install software

Jigsaw

   Divide class into teams that review one aspect of a situation or one role in a role play New teams are formed that contain one from each expert group Each new group given a project, role play or case study

Lecture Team Quiz

    Divide Class into teams Lecture 10 minutes Each team prepares one question on the content area —and be prepared to answer another question Teams propose their questions to each other

Letter Game

    4 to 5 groups Each team receives an envelope with a problem written on it Teams have 2-3 minutes to write a solution, identify it and put into envelope When all teams have handled each question they evaluate the solutions and share

Listening Teams

  Each team is responsible for taking notes on one aspect of the subject:    Terms Definitions Processes At the end of the presentation each team confers and gives their summary

Mismatch

    Verify whether information is absorbed Describe 4-8 scenarios in which there is a question and answer About half are incorrect pairings Have groups or individuals unscramble them

Ours vs. Theirs

  Teams each demonstrate the same activity Rate each other on speed, accuracy, process, etc.

Police Interrogation

    Announce a quiz Learners (singly or in teams) must question and probe to “force” content out of the instructor.

Instructor only answers the specific questions.

Learners must summarize their evidence

Press Conference

    Create a press conference ambiance Organize students into teams of reporters to develop questions on 3x5 cards Teams grill the expert (the teacher) Teams prepare a report based on the answers to the questions

Quiz Game

   Students each pick what they feel is the single most important point of the lesson Students writes a question based on that point on a card or slip of paper Instructor shuffles cards and asks questions of group

Slap Jack

    Instructor creates a deck of cards with a term or image on each card for each team Dealer on team shuffles and deals cards to all members of team Instructor names a topic-students throw the top card from their pile in the center of the table Students identify which cards relate to the topic and how

Techno Challenge

    Students develop questions related to the unit Divide into pairs of questioner and expert Expert tries to answer as many of the questions as possible Switch roles

Terminology Tussle

     Based on Bingo Students write in terms on a prelined bingo card (5x5) Instructor draws definitions from a had and reads them aloud Students cover the term Award prizes for each Bingo

True Grid

   A catagorizing grid Draw a matrix to differentiate different aspects of the lesson In groups students place terms in the matrix

IT’S EASY AND FUN

   These activities can adapt to almost any type of content A beginning instructor can use any of these activities with ease Guided discovery grows independent learners GIVE THESE ACTIVITIES A TRY!