There are a number of components to an effective learning activity that engage students, involve critical thinking, promote discussion or interactivity and general lead to good quality learning. Those components are listed as such:
- A good descriptive title
- A set of detailed learning outcomes that students will meet by the completion of the activity
- An initiation to whet the appetite of the student and orient them to the topic
- A set of thorough academic instructions with an included main question or activity
- A description of how the learner will be evaluated
- Notes for other instructors (*optional)
- Non-academic directions for completion dependent upon the course management system or method of delivery
*Notes for other instructors come in to play when multiple instructors may teach the course but those instructors were not the course developers.
It is my feeling that if you ensure that your learning activity contains these components, learners will be more likely to complete the activity, be less lost, be more likely to interact with each other and the instructor, and meet the required learning outcomes for that activity and the course. The diagram to the left illustrates the connection between learning outcomes, activities, and the assessment of those outcomes and thus the activities. If the learning activities include the components mentioned above including the related learning outcomes, and the method for assessing whether or not those outcomes have been met and to what degree, then a cycle is produced that strengthens the curriculum by providing a strong foundation and with the right class management provides students with the best possible learning experience.
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