The art of activation: what factors determine your choice?

One of the main reasons for teaching in an activating way is to achieve specific course objectives. The key question is: What do you want to achieve and what teaching method suits it? The type of learning objective and level of processing influence the choice and design of the teaching method. For example:

• Application-based course objectives: If students need to use previously acquired insights to solve problems, teaching methods such as working with case studies (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2024), problem-based learning or a flipped classroom (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2019) are suitable.
• Knowledge-based course objectives: When the focus is knowledge transfer, a lecture with interactive polling (see also ECHO teaching  tip, 2014) helps to actively engage students and check if they are following.

Want to know which teaching methods suit different processing levels? Get inspiration from colleagues, other courses or consult the Activating Teaching and Learning Methods booklet (ECHO, 2022). There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, but variation is always important: the same teaching method all the time can be demotivating.

Some areas deserve extra attention. If you activate students around these topics, they spend more time on each one and you increase the likelihood of them better processing and memorising the material.

You don't want students to take everything at face value. By using activating teaching methods, you let them form their own insights and opinions instead of just following your explanations.

The moment you activate affects the impact it has:

• Before a moment where you teach learning content yourself: By doing so, you activate prior knowledge so that students have a solid foundation you can build on.
• After a teaching moment: Let students process, repeat or deepen learning through activation. This also helps to check whether they have understood the core learning content.

Activating forms of work can enhance student motivation:

• At the start of class: An accessible or simple icebreaker with sometimes a slight element of competition immediately sets a positive tone (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2020).
• During class: When you notice motivation and attention fading, an activating teaching method can help get students involved again (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2015).

The design of your classroom can support or restrict activating learning:

Examples of supportive infrastructure:

• Movable furniture that can be easily rearranged
• Flipcharts or whiteboards for brainstorming sessions and discussions
• Ample room for movement and forming groups
• Strong WIFI to use digital tools

Examples of restrictive infrastructure:

• Fixed arrangements of tables and chairs that make interaction difficult
• Large lecture halls where contact with students is more difficult
• Small classrooms offering limited space for movement
• Poor acoustics making group work challenging

How do you activate in a restrictive environment?

It is possible to activate in such circumstances. However, take these limitations into account when choosing and implementing your teaching methods by:

• limiting physical movement: For example, let students work only with their neighbour(s).
• using technology: Polling tools and digital interaction can help to get students involved, even in a lecture hall.
• being creative: Make the best use of the available space and infrastructure (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2008).

Group size affects opportunities for activating education:

Small groups

• Easier interaction, active participation and deeper discussions
• More room for individual guidance and support
• Most teaching methods are suitable, provided there are enough students.

Large groups (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2023)

• Active participation and interaction are more difficult to organise
• Less room for personal interaction and guidance

How do you activate in a large group?

The key is to choose activation that is simpler in design and structure: organising and supervising requires less effort.

• Use low-threshold forms of work that often require students to think individually (see ECHO teaching tip The one-minute paper, 2015) or discuss and work with their immediate neighbour.
• Work with set formats where you regularly use the same, simple teaching method (for example, the Think-Pair-Share: an effective method where students first think individually, then discuss with a neighbour and finally provide plenary feedback).
• Use technology: Online quizzes or interactive polls can help increase stduents’ involvement (see here and here, only accessible to UAntwerp staff members after logging in).

Combine and customise 

Every context is unique, and sometimes activating teaching requires creativity and flexibility. Most importantly, you should choose teaching methods that are appropriate within your infrastructure and group size, without losing sight of the learning process.

The first few times you activate a (new) group, it is smart to start with simple teaching methods that are easy to implement and explain (see ECHO teaching  tip Cultivate a student: the activation culture, 2018). Examples:

✅Asking for an opinion 

✅ A quick brainstorming session on a guiding question

Try to ensure that students have a positive experience with this first activation. This helps build trust and makes it easier to introduce more complex forms of work later in the contact moment or in the training component.

Not every student feels comfortable to actively participate straightaway. Therefore, you can use activating teaching methods that give them more time or anonymity (see ECHO teaching tip Activating as many students as possible, 2018): 

✅ Have students think individually or write down answers before sharing anything. 

✅ Use group brainstorming so that students come up with answers together. 

✅ Use anonymous response options (e.g. digital polling tools) so that everyone feels safe to participate.