Summary

In this case study I share the ways in which active learning has challenged me in one module I teach, and also challenged students to recognise and respond to a teaching method that is unfamiliar to them. I am in the fortunate position of having the freedom to make any changes freely to the modules I convene, within the published description of the module and the quality assurance processes of my institution.

In a final year degree module entitled ‘Shakespeare on Film’ I have largely eliminated lectures and now teach through (rather than before or after) student presentations. This has led to active learning on their part and a new form of active teaching on mine. The intention of this innovation was to meet students where they are on their learning journey and to encourage a deeper response to the material on offer (Biggs et al, 2022).

What I did

Students are required (as 20% of the module’s summative assessment) to carry out a film sequence analysis of around five minutes of a film version of one of Shakespeare’s works. The module is taught in a seminar group of around fifteen students, and each student is free to choose their film, so students largely lead the module content each year. Recent meta-analysis of college students in the humanities and social sciences suggests that ‘the relative beneficial effect of active instruction was found to be higher for some course subject matters … for smaller (≤20 students) rather than larger class or group sizes, and for upper level rather than introductory courses’ (Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2023), suggesting that this type of module in particular could benefit from active learning.

Students prepare a 15-20 minute sequence analysis presentation from their chosen film, which they deliver in the classroom. They might explore a theme from the play, or the way a film-making technique is used to highlight one aspect of a particular scene. I join in throughout, using the points they make to link to the teaching points I need to make.

Students use active learning sheets to record their thoughts. Students are thus challenged to consider the purpose and usefulness of the information, ideas and opinions they choose to record.

It can be a challenge to ensure that all the teaching I want to offer can be incorporated into the time available, so I carve out some specific time for traditional teaching, when I stand up in front of the class. I do this to introduce the module and how it is taught. I also stand up for a part of the early seminars to demonstrate how to carry out an effective sequence analysis. Beyond this, I have given myself access to very little traditional teaching time.

Why I did it

From its first design the module included student presentations, partly as a method to engage students with the module content. Students were enthusiastic about these presentations, regularly creating 12-page handouts (where the guideline was four pages) and delivering 20-minute presentations (after a suggested time of ten minutes). Given this level of enthusiasm, and after consultation with the students, I made the presentations part of the summative assessment for the module.

How students responded

As soon as the presentations became part of the module assessment, I encountered two unexpected problems. Students could be reluctant to interrupt a presentation, perhaps fearing that they might disrupt the flow of the presenter. Also, many had their heads down, typing on laptops, waiting for the moment when the ‘real’ teaching began.

The first of these was relatively easy to fix: 20% of the presentation grade comprises audience interaction, in the form of producing a set of three questions/topics for discussion after the presentation. Student interruptions and responses are therefore helping the presenter.

The second was more difficult. I had been congratulating myself on managing to incorporate most of my teaching points into the presentations. I would regularly comment on what students were saying as they presented and the other students in the room were also happy to join in, which this led to active (and sometimes quite noisy) seminars in which we were covering more material than I had in the past. However, it was clear that a few students felt the lack of the more traditional teaching they might have expected. I did not stand proud of the group and give them ‘authorised’ material in a way that made it easy for them to recognise and capture. More active learning was needed, I felt.

I introduced ‘active learning sheets’ which are blank spider diagrams, as shown in figure 1. They usually use one per presentation, adding more blank circles to fill in as they need them. By the end of the seminar they have a full-up sheet, with circles containing very brief notes on key points, and lines connecting to the central circle (which includes the details of the film, presenter and sequence).

How this is a form of active learning

These active learning sheets are a form of active learning because students use three sources simultaneously. They have the presenter’s handout, which contains a huge amount of detail; they are then challenged to find only the key points from the presentation itself, and my additional comments, to record on their active learning sheets.

The active learning sheets encourage reflection on their learning, as I leave time for them to look back at their sheets and reflect on how well they have captured the session. Students are also given additional active learning sheets with ‘My Essay’ as the title, so they can note down useful points for their module essay (80% of the module assessment) as the semester progresses.

Overcoming barriers to learning

The need to be inclusive:

• Students are given online access to the blank active learning sheets, so students who need to use laptops in class are not excluded.
• Giving a presentation can be a huge hurdle for some students. I have reduced the pressure by stipulating that only 30% of the overall presentation mark comes from their performance as a presenter. All students who need it are offered the opportunity to present alone, to me, in my office. However, they are encouraged only to make this decision once they have seen enough presentations to gauge whether it might be easier for them to present in the classroom, with the support of their peers.
• For students who would not be able to face a presentation of any sort, I have worked with our Disability Advisory Service to set up an alternative assessment in the form of the presentation handout and a script of what would have been said. This is rarely required, but it is an important reasonable adjustment nevertheless.
• For students who might find the ‘set text’ module films too culturally restrictive, the open choice offered for these presentations (and the essay) allows students to lead on content as well as form. As a result of this choice, we have explored world cinema Shakespeare, silent movie Shakespeare and animated Shakespeare.

Building confidence: Students might lack confidence in analysing a film sequence. but their enthusiasm for a particular film that they have chosen encourages them to take the plunge with their sequence analysis.

• Students sometimes lack confidence in speaking out in class discussions. By reducing the time taken to make notes (the active learning sheets encourage brevity) the students have more time to look up and engage; they also have their active learning sheet to hand to support what they are trying to say.

Meeting students where they are: Respecting the educational journey of our students and recognising the role of emotion in learning has helped shape this module (Hill et al, 2024):

• The joint English Literature and Film students might be expected to shine with confidence from the outset in this module, but in fact their film expertise can be a barrier. Although the medium of film is inherent in the module, our primary focus is on adaptations of Shakespeare’s play texts, so I am clear that our discussions, and their assessments, will only need film expertise to a certain extent. I provide a handout on filmmaking techniques, which both helps those who have not studied film before and shows the film students the level of interaction with filmmaking that is most productive in the module.
• There can be an emotional barrier around active note taking that some students exhibit in the class. They are used to their own way of making notes, and introducing a new method of recording their learning in their final year at university can be challenging. I have found that enthusiastically encouraging the use of the active learning sheets in the first three weeks is enough to result in their adoption by most students. Those who still prefer another way to record their learning are then left to do things their way.
• The students taking the module are also researching and writing their dissertation, our capstone project. They can become tired and sometimes overly anxious about such a major project, which could make it seem unfair to introduce a new way of learning in any final year module. This module is run in the Autumn semester in part because of this concern. At this stage of the year the students are more likely to be open to trying something new. Last year, for the first time, more than half the students on the module told me in a planning session that they were using active learning sheets to help them visualise the shape of their dissertations. It was pleasing to see this active learning method rippling out to other academic areas.

Ensuring that it is sustainable

The active learning within this module has now been running successfully for some years. It is reviewed annually to ensure that it is still fit for purpose. This process has allowed for the developments outlined above.

Anonymous student feedback suggests that the active learning is working well, with students appreciating the reassurance and guidance they receive as their confidence grows.

How others could adapt this approach to their own context

This model does not rely on either Shakespeare or film. It would work equally well in any topic area, with the students presenting through slides rather than through a film sequence being shown on the screen. It does not rely on the stage of study of the students, either: I have used this method with Foundation students to good effect.

Much of the published pedagogical research on active learning as a way to engage students and enhance their learning centres around engineering and science teaching and learning. This particular approach (student-led content with active learning sheets) is perhaps more suited to subject areas away from STEM.

This co-creation of material and active learning approach takes time and effort to get right, and I have found it challenging, but the rewards in terms of grade outcome, student evaluation and the sheer pleasure of teaching make it worthwhile.

Key ‘takeaways’

• Active learning sheets (of any format) take perseverance. Students need reminders of how and why they are being used.
• If active learning sheets are included that refer specifically to an assessment assignment, students will be helped to think ahead and connect their current learning to their future assessment.
• Students enjoy this process. They are leading on content and engaging with the active learning method. More enjoyment leads to better learning.

References

Biggs, J., Tang, C., & Kennedy, G. (2022). Teaching for Quality Learning at University 5e. Open University Press.

Hill, J., Healey, R. L., West, H., & Déry, C. (2019). Pedagogic partnership in higher education: encountering emotion in learning and enhancing student wellbeing. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 45(2), 167–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1661366

Kozanitis, A., & Nenciovici, L. (2023). Effect of active learning versus traditional lecturing on the learning achievement of college students in humanities and social sciences: A meta-analysis. Higher Education, 86(6), 1377-1394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00977-8

About the author

Lucinda Becker is a Professor of Pedagogy at the University of Reading, an HEA Senior Fellow and an Advance HE National Teaching Fellow. She specialises in teaching Shakespeare and leads on Foundation Studies in her school. She has a keen interest in active learning, student partnership and technology enhanced learning.

l.m.becker@reading.ac.uk