USING ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE DEEP LEARNING IN THE UNDERGRADUATE PALEONTOLOGY CLASSROOM

As instructors, our aim is to promote deep learning in our undergraduate students. When students experience deep learning, they go beyond memorization to make meaning of what they learn, focus on central concepts, connect what they are learning both to what they already know and to real-world problems, and engage personally with the material. Creating learner-centered classrooms, in which the spotlight is on what the students are doing rather than what the instructor is doing, facilitates deep learning. Extensive research in STEM education has shown conclusively that students learn most effectively by engaging in hands-on activities—by acting like scientists themselves—rather than by passively listening to an instructor lecture or reading a textbook. Many active and collaborative learning strategies can be adapted for use in paleontology courses both large and small, including brainstorming, think-pair-share, textual analysis, writing- and drawing-to-learn, concept mapping, peer teaching, guided inquiry (e.g., jigsaws, gallery walks, case studies, problem-based investigations), games, debates, role-playing, and research projects. These strategies range widely in the amount of time and resources necessary to implement them. New technologies, such as classroom response devices (“clickers”) and Web 2.0 tools, can facilitate many of these activities both in and out of the classroom. Mixing up the types of activities and the size and composition of student groups throughout the term helps to keep students engaged. Introducing active learning strategies into a course does require some willingness to give up control in the classroom, but also helps the instructor think critically about course goals and refine learning outcomes, as class activities will naturally follow from the concepts and skills we want students to learn. Active and collaborative learning techniques positively model the daily practice of working scientists, promote deep learning, and produce more knowledgeable and confident students.