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Learning Activities

Here, you will find a collection of examples and best practices designed to enhance learning experiences and measure student progress. This guide is your gateway to creating more active learning.

The following are activities that students complete on their own.

Hotspots

Assessment Type: Formative


Description

This interactive activity involves identifying and selecting specific areas or "hotspots" on an image, diagram, or map. Students engage with visual content to demonstrate their understanding of key elements, relationships, or concepts.

The hotspot activity offers a dynamic and visually engaging way for students to apply their knowledge. By interacting with specific areas in visual content, students can demonstrate their understanding and critical thinking skills. The immediate feedback and reflection component enhance the learning experience, making it an effective formative assessment tool that aligns with visual and interactive learning preferences.


Requirements

  • Title formatted as “Hotspot Activity: Topic”
  • Clear instructions on how to interact with the hotspot feature
  • Visual content (image, diagram, or map) relevant to the learning objectives
  • Clearly defined hotspots with associated questions or tasks
  • Guidance on the level of detail or specificity expected in hotspot responses
  • Immediate feedback or explanations upon selecting a hotspot

Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Apply, Analyze

Objective Verbs: Identify, locate, analyze, describe, explain, interpret, apply

 

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Flashcards

Assessment Type: Formative


Description

This activity involves the creation and use of flashcards to reinforce key concepts, terms, or information. It is designed to help students review and recall information quickly, promoting active engagement with the content.

The flashcard activity is a versatile and efficient formative assessment tool for reinforcing foundational knowledge. It encourages students to actively engage in self-directed learning and aids in the retention of essential information. The personalization aspect allows for individualized study strategies, making it an effective tool for both reviewing and reinforcing key concepts.


Requirements 

  • Title formatted as “Flashcards: Topic”
  • Specific content or concepts to be covered on the flashcards

Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Remember, Understand

Objective Verbs: Recall, identify, review, summarize, differentiate, associate, personalize

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Reflection

Assessment: Formative or summative


Description

A learning activity where students are provided a scenario in which they have to consider real-world implications or draw connections from the content to their own personal lives..  This activity shouldn’t require much else than thinking and personal consideration on a student’s part (meaning, no much research or effort should be involved, simply just recall-level efforts). Responses can be formally written for a grade, if necessary, or just informal thought-experiments. The required student response should be brief, between one and two paragraphs.


Requirements

Each reflection must include:

  • A title formatted as “Reflection: Title”
  • The full scenario
  • A direct link to internal/external resources students have to consider

If it’s summative, it would require a sample answer, point values, and a rubric or individualized feedback. If it’s formative, it would only require a sample answer as “food for thought” for the student to consider alongside their own opinions.


Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Remember, Understand

Recommended Objective Verbs: Describe, identify, list, name, outline, recall, tell, state, compare, conclude, contrast, discuss, differentiate, explain, restate, summarize

 

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Journal or Workbook

Assessment: Formative or summative


Description

A scaffolded activity that can be used throughout the entire unit. Each portion of the activity builds a greater understanding of what’s being taught than the one before it.

Students are given multiple questions or scenarios and keep a running document with their answers to each to compare and build their knowledge.

OR

Students are given one scenario and provided with multiple opportunities to react to the more they learn and experience their learning content.


Requirements

Each journal must include:

  • A title formatted as “Journal: Title” or “Workbook: Title”
  • The full list of questions/ scenario(s)
  • A direct link to internal/external resources students have to consider
  • A reference for each questions/scenario that aligns to any learning content (textbook pages, topic pages, etc.)

Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Remember, Understand

Recommended Objective Verbs: Describe, identify, list, name, outline, recall, tell, state, compare, conclude, contrast, discuss, differentiate, explain, restate, summarize

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Q/A

Assessment: Formative or summative (depending on question types and platform used to ask the questions. Your EDUCATE ID can help you decide.)


Description

An activity where students are asked to answer a question, or a series of questions. Question types include

  • multiple choice
  • multi-select
  • either/or
  • matching
  • sorting
  • fill-in-the-blank
  • open-ended or closed-ended written questions

Requirements

Each Q/A must include:  

  • A title formatted as: “Q/A: Title”
  • The question in detail
  • The correct answer (clearly marked)
  • Any appropriate distractors (if necessary, based on question type)

A Q/A style learning activity should also include:

  • A brief (1-2 sentence) summary of why the correct answer is correct for EACH question, tying it back to the students learning content and reading materials.
  • Grading scale for each question (if summative).
  • A reference to where to find the correct answer within the content (textbook chapter, topic title, etc.)

Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Remember, Understand, Apply

Recommended Objective Verbs: Identify, cite, label, recall, show, state, arrange, associate, categorize, clarify, compare, contrast, differentiate, discuss, rearrange, reorder, restate, summarize, translate, tabulate, apply, interpret, implement, modify, organize, predict, solve

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Survey

Assessment Type: Formative or summative (participation only)


Description

A survey aims to determine insights about the students taking the course. It asks students to take a personal, reflective stance on a given topic, with set parameters.

If it’s meant to be formative, it can be used to create a guided activity for students to get them to think a certain way about a specific topic. Or, it can be used to get students general feedback on a course so far (if not specifically content related).

If it’s summative, it should be used as an opportunity to collect data from students on a given course, tied to specific learning content and topics (not about the course or their learning experience in general.)


Requirements 

Each survey must include: 

  • A title formatted as “Survey: Title”
  • The survey question(s) being asked
    • This can include a mix of Likert scale questions or questions requiring a targeted answer
  • A comprehensive list of options or answer choices for students to choose from

Other requirements may vary depending on the assessment nature of the survey and the given platform being used to create the activity. Your EDUCATE ID can help you determine specific requirements during development.


Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: The Bloom’s level will depend on the complexity or nature of the question being surveyed, but may include Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluating

Recommended Objective Verbs: Associate, relate, interpret, choose, determine, examine, organize, appraise, score, assess, measure, rate

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Case Study

Assessment Type: Formative or summative


Description

This activity involves an in-depth examination of a specific case, often a real-world situation or scenario. Students are required to analyze, synthesize information, and draw conclusions based on the provided details. A case study is an effective tool for students to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The depth of analysis and the complexity of questions can be adjusted based on the learning objectives and the level of the course.

Note: A case study can be a static reading- or it can be more interactive, like a Branching Scenario. See the Branching Scenario tab for examples of what that may look like. 


Requirements

  • Title formatted as “Case Study: Title”
  • Detailed case scenario with relevant information
  • Direct links to internal/external resources for further exploration
  • Specific questions or prompts related to the case
  • Analysis and interpretation of the case, including connections to theoretical concepts

If summative, sample answers, point values, and a rubric for evaluation


Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Analyze, Evaluate

Objective Verbs: Analyze, assess, critique, compare, contrast, evaluate, interpret, justify, relate, solve

 

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Branching Scenario

Assessment Type: Primarily formative, but may be summative if considering and overall completion score


Description

This interactive learning activity presents students with a narrative or scenario where decisions lead to different consequences. Students navigate through the scenario by making choices, each leading to different branches. The goal is to enhance critical thinking and decision-making skills.

The branching scenario activity offers an immersive and dynamic learning experience, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in a simulated real-world context. It promotes active engagement, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the consequences of decision-making. As a formative assessment, it encourages exploration and learning from various perspectives within a safe and controlled environment. 


Requirements

  • Title formatted as “Branching Scenario: Title”
  • Engaging and realistic scenario with multiple decision points
  • Clear choices for each decision point, each leading to distinct consequences
  • Direct links to internal/external resources for additional context or information
  • Feedback or guidance based on the choices made, helping students understand the consequences

Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Apply, Analyze

Objective Verbs: Apply, analyze, choose, decide, evaluate, justify, predict, solve

 

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Simulation

Assessment Type: Formative or summative (depending on the complexity and learning objectives)


Description

This activity involves a virtual or interactive simulation that replicates real-world scenarios. Students engage with the simulation, making decisions and observing the outcomes, mirroring the complexities of their field of study. Simulations provide a dynamic and hands-on learning experience, allowing students to bridge theory and practice in a controlled environment. The complexity of the simulation and the depth of analysis can be adjusted based on the learning objectives and the course level. Whether used formatively for exploration or summatively for assessment, simulations enhance critical thinking, decision-making, and practical skills relevant to the subject matter.


Requirements

  • Title formatted as “Simulation: Title”
  • Detailed simulation scenario with a clear context and objectives
  • User interface or platform for students to interact with the simulation
  • Specific tasks, challenges, or decisions within the simulation
  • Guidelines for students to record observations, analyze results, and draw conclusions
  • Reflection component where students discuss the simulation experience and lessons learned

If summative, specific criteria for evaluation and point totals should be detailed in a rubric. 


Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Apply, Analyze, Evaluate

Objective Verbs: Apply, analyze, assess, critique, demonstrate, evaluate, implement, interpret

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Presentations or Demonstrations

Assessment Type: Summative


Description

This activity requires students to create and deliver a presentation or demonstration on a specific topic. It assesses their ability to communicate effectively, organize information, and showcase understanding through visual aids or practical demonstrations.

This activity empowers students to develop their communication and presentation skills while showcasing their comprehension of the subject matter. It provides a platform for students to express their understanding creatively.


Requirements

  • Title formatted as “Presentation/Demonstration: Title”
  • Clear guidelines for the presentation format (e.g., slides, props, live demonstration, video recording, etc.)
  • Specific topic or content focus aligned with learning objectives
  • Time limit for the presentation or demonstration
  • Criteria for evaluating content, organization, clarity, and engagement
  • A rubric detailing point allocation for each criterion

Common Objective Verbs

Bloom’s Level: Apply, Analyze, Evaluate

Objective Verbs: Apply, analyze, demonstrate, explain, illustrate, organize, present, assess, critique

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: 

Other Interactives

There are a number of other kinds of interactives that can be built depending on the content available for the course. Many times, the content itself can be turned into an interactive element to make the content more engaging and immersive for learners. It also provides opportunities for a more visual reading experience. 

Working with your EDUCATE ID can help determine if any of the content available would lend itself to an interactive format. 

Examples

Here are a few examples of this type of learning activity: