Creativity

Active learning is the idea that students learn better when actively engaged in meaningful learning related to the topic of focus. This is more likely to be enjoyable, boosting student attention, and aiding students ability to retain, recall and demonstrate their learning. This approach tends to be more student focused, with the teacher facilitating activities.

Some common examples are: group discussions/debates, breakout/buzz groups, think-pair-share, polling and quizzes, scenarios, problem solving, roleplay, tasks, worksheets, structured notetaking.

Advance HE Scotland defines four common forms of active learning, which can overlap:

• Co-operative Learning: Students work together in groups or teams to work on a topic. Examples include buzz groups, think-pair-share, snowballing, etc. Student collaboration is considered in more detail in the Collaborative Learning section.
• Situated Learning: Focuses on students learning in locations which are authentic to what they are learning. Examples include field trips, work placements, etc.
• Flipped Learning: This format sees students introduced to the more didactic or introverted elements of learning before a group-based session. This may include watching a lecture-style video or doing some preparatory reading. The contact session then focuses on deepening understanding of this topic by discussing and analysing the topic more deeply together. This often involves digital interventions, which are considered in more detail in the Digital Fluency section.
• Problem-based Learning: Usually overlapping with enquiry-based learning, this typically sees groups of students investigate a problem or topic. The focus is on the students' enquiry, making this a highly student-focused method.

Some resources are:

• Advance HE Scotland Thematic Series: Active Learning: Provides an overview of active learning, including four main strategies. 
• UCL and Iowa State University: Both provide some brief and practical guidance, and top tips, on how to implement active learning.
• 53 Interesting Things to do in your Seminars and Tutorials, and 53 Interesting Things to do in your Lectures: Two ebooks giving brief ideas on "interesting" things to try in your teaching; many of them are based on active learning.
• Griffith University, Active Learning Design Tool: A searchable database of learning, teaching and assessment strategies relevant to active learning. Filters can be applied to narrow down options most appropriate to your context.
• Active Learning While Physically Distant: Ideas on how to promote active learning when teaching online.

Problem-based learning (PBL) and enquiry-based learning (EBL) are near synonyms. Both are student-focused active learning methods. They see students investigate a specific problem or topic, usually over a protracted period and often in groups, typically with significant freedom to set their own parameters and direction around their study. Examples can include exploring a scenario or case study, field work, experimentation, etc. The traditional dissertation can also be seen as a form of solo PBL/EBL.

This is closely related to linking teaching with research and scholarship, which is considered in more detail in the Connectivity section.

Some resources are:

• The University of Cumbria, Hull York Medical School, and Cornell University: All provide brief introductions to PBL/EBL, and guidance on how to get started.

Games, gamification and play can be powerful active learning methods in Higher Education.

Some resources are:

• Advance HE, Gamification and Games-Based Learning: Provides a brief history of gamification, some case studies, and tips on how to get started.
• The University of Chicago: Offers and introduction to linking gaming and learning in Higher Education, from low-tech to high-tech options, and from short to long duration.

The Teaching Expertise Development team provide support to staff regarding creativity in their teaching, and in supporting their students to be creative.

• Staff-facing SharePoint (requires BSU login)
• Contact by email

• Creative HE: A community created to support creativity and innovation in Higher Education learning and teaching.