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  1. Home
  2. …
  3. Academic excellence
  4. Education
  5. Active and collaborative learning
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Students sitting at a table together in groups in a lecture

Active and collaborative learning

Providing students an opportunity to participate in activities that promote synthesis, analysis and reflection on course content and encourages them to take ownership of their own learning.

Active learning is a method whereby students participate in activities that promote synthesis, analysis and reflection on course content, encouraging students to take ownership of their learning.

It can involve students working either individually on tasks to clarify and internalise their understanding of course content or with others on collaborative activities that motivate each others learning and reflect on different peer perspectives.

Outlined in this section are suggestions for pedagogical activities to run for large and small group teaching, spaces that are available include City's flexible learning spaces and the educational technology that you can use.

If you would like advice or guidance on the Learning Spaces or any of the content on this page, please contact us.

The Pedagogy, Space and Technology Model

Using the Pedagogy, Space, Technology (PST) Model, University of Queensland, we have organised some resources around Pedagogy, Space and Technology for educators. (D.Radcliffe et al, 2008, p13)

Pedagogy

  • Think-Group-Share
  • One-Minute Paper
  • Six Hats of Critical Thinking/
  • Learning Cell
  • Fishbowl Technique
  • Buzz Groups and Snowballs
  • Debating and Presentations
  • The Jigsaw Classroom
  • Post-its, Posters and Problem based Learning
  • Classroom Carousel.

Space

  • Fixed swivel seating (e.g. BLG07, University Building)
  • Node chairs (e.g. D222, Rhind Building)
  • Collaborative cluster seating (e.g. ELG01, Drysdale Building)
  • Plectrum Shaped Tables (e.g. ELG12, Drysdale Building)
  • Collaborative and active learning computer lab - EG03.

Find out more about technology guidance.

External resources for teaching and classroom management

The following are a series of links to external resources you may find useful.

External teaching resources

  • Sussex Large Group Teaching Ideas
  • Sheffield University Small Group Modes of Teaching
  • UCL Large Group Teaching
  • University College Dublin Large Group Teaching Strategies
  • KU Leuven guidance on ‘Didactic Formats’.

External teaching management resources

  • Carnegie Mellon - Address Problematic Student Behaviour
  • Faculty Focus - Effective Classroom Management
  • Harvard - Navigating Difficult Moments in the Classroom
  • Legal Education - ‘Disruptive’ university students – causes and cures?
  • Legal Education - ‘Disruptive’ students – some practical points.

Research informed practice at City, University of London

Learning at City blog on 'Developing Student Skills' Rutherford, J. (2023) ‘Developing Student Skills For The Future – Give Them Space – Learning at City’, Learning at City, 9 June

ISLA research report  "How Have City staff and students experienced ISLA?"

UCISA Learning Spaces Toolkit, The UK Higher Education Learning Space Toolkit. Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association University of Oxford 13 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 6NN

Dominic Pates, Neal Sumner, (2016), E-learning spaces and the digital university, The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, Vol. 33 Issue: 3, pp.159-171.

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