Tips for Interactive Learning Techniques

🎟️ EXIT TICKETS in Primary Grades 🎓 "Wrap up the lesson with a smile and a check-in!" 😊✔️ Exit Tickets are short activities or prompts that students complete at the end of a lesson to show what they've learned or felt during class. They're quick, fun, and super effective for both teachers and students! 💡📚 --- ✨ Why Use Exit Tickets? 🔹 They help the teacher check understanding quickly. 🔹 Students reflect on what they’ve learned. 🔹 Makes the closure of the lesson interactive. --- 💡 TYPES OF EXIT TICKETS: --- 1️⃣ Emoji Exit Ticket 😁😐😟 Students choose an emoji to express how they felt about the lesson. ✏️ Example: 👉 "Circle the emoji that shows how you felt today: 😄 = I understood everything! 😐 = I understood some parts. 😟 = I need more help." 🧠 Add a question: “What was your favourite part today?” --- 2️⃣ Traffic Light Exit 🚦 Use red, yellow, green signals. 🟢 Green = I’m confident 🟡 Yellow = I’m a bit unsure 🔴 Red = I didn’t understand ✏️ Example: "Colour the light to show your understanding of today's topic!" 📌 You can also give a sticky note: Green = I can teach someone else. Yellow = I have a doubt. Red = Please explain again. --- 3️⃣ One-Minute Paper ⏱️📝 Quick writing to summarise learning. ✏️ Example: “Write one thing you learned, one question you still have, and one thing you enjoyed!” --- 4️⃣ 3-2-1 Exit Ticket 🌟 Super handy format! 3️⃣ things I learned 2️⃣ questions I still have 1️⃣ thing I enjoyed the most --- 5️⃣ Draw What You Learned 🎨🖍️ Perfect for younger kids who may struggle with writing! ✏️ Example: “Draw one thing you learned about today’s EVS lesson.” 📷 Option: Collect their drawings and make a learning wall! --- 6️⃣ Exit Slips with Sentence Starters 🧾 Help students express themselves easily. ✏️ Sentence starters: “Today I learned that…” “I found ___ interesting because…” “I want to know more about…” --- 7️⃣ Thumbs Up/Side/Down 👍👉👎 A quick hand signal or drawn activity. ✏️ Example: Show a thumbs up if you understood, thumbs down if you didn’t, or sideways if you’re still thinking. --- 8️⃣ "I Can" Statements ✅ Students tick or complete “I Can” sentences. ✏️ Example: "I can identify living and non-living things." ✅ "I can add two-digit numbers." ✅ Students colour a star ⭐ if they feel confident. --- 9️⃣ Exit Ticket Puzzle 🧩 Give a small riddle or puzzle related to the concept taught. ✏️ Example (Math): “If 2 + _ = 5, what’s the missing number?” Let them solve and drop it in the “Exit Box”. --- 🔟 Sticky Notes Wall 🗒️💬 Create three columns: ✔️ I got it! ❓ I’m unsure. 🔁 Teach me again. Children post their sticky notes as they leave the class. --- 🎯 Final Tips: 🔹 Keep it short – 2 to 5 minutes max! 🔹 Use colours, visuals, and emojis to make it fun 🎨 🔹 Review tickets later to plan next steps or revision 🔄 🔹 Mix different types through the week to keep it exciting ✨ --- 🌈 Let’s Make Exit Tickets a Magical Closing Ritual! 🎉

If our students passively absorb info, we failed them. They need active, meaningful, enduring learning. We do that by increasing conceptual friction (nod to Jason Gulya). Students need challenges and complexities to increase Critical thinking, problem-solving, deeper understanding. ✅ 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 #AI 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➡️ Structured academic controversy Assign students different stances on an issue. Use AI to generate arguments for each side. ➡️ Predict-observe-explain (POE) activities Students predict outcomes, observe results, and explain observations. Use AI to simulate physical phenomena or historical events. Students test predictions and refine their understanding. ➡️ AI-generated prompts for critical thinking Generate complex, open-ended questions. Require students to apply knowledge in new ways. (Use Ruben Hassid Prompt Maker GPT to improve prompts.) ➡️ Interactive simulations and scenarios Create interactive simulations that mimic real-world scenarios. In a physics class, AI can simulate different frictional forces and their effects on motion, allowing students to experiment and observe outcomes in a controlled environment. ➡️ Analyzing AI responses Ask AI to write an essay or solve a problem. Students analyze and critique the AI responses. Identify errors, biases, and areas for improvement. ➡️ AI as a debate partner Use AI to simulate a debate partner. Help students practice argumentation skills. They respond to AI-generated counterarguments in real-time. ➡️ Scaffolded assignments Students use AI tools at different stages of their work. Brainstorm ideas, draft an outline, and refine final product. ➡️ Role-playing and simulations Simulate negotiations or market analysis. Provide a dynamic, interactive learning experience. Students and AI take on different roles in a simulated environment. ➡️ Feedback and revision cycles Provide instant feedback on student work. Encourage multiple revision cycles. ➡️ Ethical and societal implications Explore ethical and societal implications of decisions. Simulate the impact of different policies on society. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➡️ Co-create expectations With students, define appropriate use and how AI should be cited. ➡️ Encourage reflection After using AI, students reflect on their experiences: How they'll use AI differently in the future. How AI influenced their thinking. What they learned. ➡️ Provide support and resources Tutorials, help sessions, online resources. Explain how to use AI effectively and ethically. ------------------------- Thoughtfully integrate AI into your classroom to ⬆️ conceptual friction. Challenge students. Promote critical thinking. Prepare them for an AI-infused future. ------------------------- ♻️ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning

🤔 How might you infuse more experiential elements into even the most standard Q&A session? This was my question to myself when wrapping up a facilitation course for a client that included a Q&A session. I wanted to be sure it complemented the other experiential sessions and was aligned with the positive adjectives of how participants had already described the course. First and foremost - here is my issue with Q&As: 👎 They are only focused on knowledge transfer, but not not memory retention (the brain does not absorb like a sponge, it catches what it experiences!) 👎 They tend to favor extroverts willing to ask their questions out loud 👎 Only a small handful of people get their questions answered and they may not be relevant for everyone who attends So, here is how I used elements from my typical #experiencedesign process to make even a one-directional Q&A more interactive and engaging: 1️⃣ ENGAGE FROM THE GET-GO How we start a meeting sets the tone, so I always want to engage everyone on arrival. I opted for music and a connecting question in the chat connected to why we were there - facilitation! 2️⃣ CONNECTION BEFORE CONTENT Yes, people were there to have their questions answered, but I wanted to bring in their own life experience having applied their new found facilitation skills into practice. We kicked off with breakout rooms in small groups to share their own experiences- what had worked well and what was still challenging. This helped drive the questions afterwards. 3️⃣ MAKE THE ENGAGEMENT EXPLICIT Even if it was a Q&A, I wanted to be clear about how THIS one would be run. I set up some guidelines and also gave everyone time to individually think and reflect what questions they wanted to ask. We took time with music playing for the chat to fill up. 4️⃣ COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IS MOST IMPACTFUL Yes, they were hoping to get my insights and answers, however I never want to discredit the wisdom and lived experience in the room. As we walked through the questions, I invited others to also share their top tips and answers. Peer to peer learning is so rich in this way! 5️⃣ CLOSING WITH ACTIONS AND NEVER QUESTIONS The worst way to end any meeting? "Are there any more questions?" Yes, even in a Q & A! Once all questions were answered, I wanted to land the journey by asking everyone to reflect on what new insights or ideas emerged for them from the session and especially what they will act upon and apply forward in their work. Ending with actions helps to close one learning cycle and drive forward future experiences when they put it to the test! The session received great reviews and it got me thinking - we could really apply these principles to most informational sessions that tend to put content before connection (and miss the mark). 🤔 What do you think? Would you take this approach to a Q&A? Let me know in the comments below👇 #ExperienceLearningwithRomy

Most people use AI to draft emails or summarize articles. That is totally fine. But you are leaving the biggest benefit on the table. Claude can become your personal learning coach. Designing your learning journey, testing you, breaking complex ideas down, and pointing you to the best resources on earth. Here are 6 prompts that will change how you learn: 1. Learn anything in 20 hours The first 20 hours take you from clueless to capable. Most people waste them on the wrong things. Prompt: "I want to learn [topic] in 20 hours. I am a complete beginner. Break this into a structured plan. Tell me what to focus on first, what to ignore, and what the biggest beginner mistakes are." 2. Create a one-page cheat sheet Your brain holds more than you think after studying. The problem is pulling it out when you need it. Prompt: "Create a one-page cheat sheet for [topic]. Include key concepts, frameworks, common mistakes, and a quick-reference section I can scan in 30 seconds." 3. Quiz me until I break Reading is passive. Testing is active. Retrieval practice beats re-reading every time. But making good questions is hard work. Claude does it for you. Prompt: "Quiz me on [topic]. Start easy, get harder as I answer correctly. If I get something wrong, explain why and ask a follow-up. Keep going until I answer 10 in a row correctly." 4. Build a learning ladder Most people give up because they climb a wall instead of stairs. They jump to advanced material before basics are solid. Prompt: "Build me a learning ladder for [topic]. Start from zero, work up to advanced. Each rung should build on the one before it." 5. Find the best learning resources Not all resources are equal. Some books are life-changing. Most are average. You will not know which is which until you have wasted hours. Prompt: "What are the best resources for learning [topic]? Books, free courses, YouTube channels, podcasts. Tell me which to start with and why." 6. Use the Feynman Technique Feynman had one obsession: if you cannot explain something simply, you do not understand it yet. Prompt: "I am going to explain [topic] as if you are a 12-year-old. Interrupt me when something is unclear or uses unexplained jargon. When I finish, tell me what I got right, wrong, and what gaps remain." Then just start talking. Claude will be ruthlessly honest. That is exactly what you need. ------- Pick one topic you have been putting off learning. Open Claude.  Run the first prompt. That is it. That is the whole challenge. The hardest part is starting. Everything after that is just following the ladder. For more updates like this: 1. Scroll to the top 2. Click "View my newsletter" 3. Subscribe, and you'll never miss a thing in the world of AI ever again.

They’re compliant and polite. No detentions. No drama. No clue what you just taught. No one sends an email about them— which is exactly why they slip through the net. No disruption doesn’t mean engagement. Sometimes it means disconnection. The solution isn’t louder teaching; it’s smarter connection. How do you bring them back from stealth mode? 1. Make thinking visible. Use retrieval, mini-whiteboards, and cold-calling to check everyone’s understanding — not just volunteers. Quiet disengagement disappears in “hands down” classrooms. Ask for reasoning not recitation. 2. Create psychological safety. When students believe mistakes won’t humiliate them, they’re more likely to risk contributing. 3. Use low-stakes accountability. Exit tickets, quick quizzes, and peer feedback keep everyone mentally present without adding pressure. 4. Build authentic relationships. A short check-in, a shared joke, or noticing something specific can pull a quiet student back into connection. 5. Design lessons for belonging. Plan for every learner to participate, not just observe. Specific group roles, structured talk, and collaborative tasks make invisibility harder. Noticing who you’re not noticing is how you become more inclusive. #Education #Inclusion #SecondarySchools #SEND #Behaviour #TraumaInformed #HighQualityTeaching #KindClassroom

I’ve been teaching at UNLV for 13 years, across many different classes and formats—in-person, online, and hybrid. Course design has always been a priority for me. I think deeply about how to structure each class based on the modality, student level, and class size. For much of that time, I’ve taught ACC 202 – Managerial Accounting, an in-person class with 100+ sophomore business students in three sections each semester. Most students don’t plan to major in accounting—and many start out dreading it. Thank you to Jessica Soria, Ph.D. for the interview (link below) about how I approach teaching ACC 202 and designing large, interactive classes. This interview caused me to reflect on course design decisions I have made in this class. Over the years, I’ve seen major shifts in student behavior and learning styles. In response, I’ve tried to build a course that’s engaging, relevant, and even fun, while driving home a key point: You can’t be an effective manager if you don’t understand accounting and what the numbers mean. Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned teaching ACC 202: (Most applicable to large, lower-division, math-based courses taught in person) 1) Experiment Every Semester Always try new strategies. Gather feedback through surveys. Keep what works—tweak or toss what doesn’t.  2) Know Your Students Use polls, surveys, and office hours to understand how students interact with your course and where they struggle or succeed. Gather a lot of feedback.  3) Make It Interactive I use a flipped classroom: lecture videos at home, in-class group work focused on problem-solving. We bring in current events, short videos, Poll Everywhere, gamified test reviews—and Discord to keep learning collaborative and social outside of class times.  4) Incentivize Excellence Students with a 99% before the final can waive it—if they write a reflection letter. These letters are shared with future classes as inspiration. 5) Focus on Understanding, Not Coverage Hit the key concepts hard. Use vivid, real-world examples. Minimize memorization—students can use notecards on exams to encourage application. 6) Coach and Communicate Students build a plan for their target grade and track their progress. I encourage office hours, send weekly updates, and aim to create a welcoming environment. 7) Be Transparent Align classwork, homework, and exams. Clear expectations make a huge difference—especially for sophomores. 8) Make Attendance Count Poll Everywhere boosts engagement and counts toward participation grades. 9) Celebrate Success A simple email recognizing students who excel on a test builds confidence and motivation. 10) Don’t Take It Personally You won’t win over everyone. Focus on trends in your feedback—not individual criticisms. I’d love to hear from other educators—what strategies have worked best for your large enrollment courses? And students—what helps you stay engaged in big classes? https://lnkd.in/gAb7Ynp6

Want to make your eLearning truly stick? Start designing with purpose—not just piling on content. Here's how Merrill's Principles of Instruction can supercharge your eLearning: 1️⃣ Task-Centered Approach   ↳ Build courses around real-world problems   ↳ Use simulations and case studies   ↳ Show learners why it matters 2️⃣ Activation   ↳ Wake up that prior knowledge   ↳ Pre-assessments and interactive intros   ↳ Get those mental gears turning 3️⃣ Demonstration   ↳ Show, don't just tell   ↳ Leverage videos, tutorials, infographics   ↳ Multiple examples = deeper understanding 4️⃣ Application   ↳ Practice, practice, practice   ↳ Quizzes, exercises, role-playing   ↳ Instant feedback is key 5️⃣ Integration   ↳ Connect the dots to real life   ↳ Discussion forums and projects   ↳ Make it stick beyond the screen This isn't just theory. It's a game-changer for eLearning. ↳ More engagement ↳ Better knowledge retention ↳ Skills that actually transfer Are you using these principles in your courses? Which one makes the biggest impact?

One of the clearest and most immediate applications of AI is tutoring. It’s not hypothetical. It works right now. And it’s going to change how we all learn. Here’s how to start using AI as a personal tutor: 1. Treat It Like a Thought Partner, Not Just a Search Engine Don’t just ask for definitions. Ask for explanations in your learning style: • “Explain it to me like I’m 12.” • “Walk me through this step by step like a Socratic dialogue.” • “Give me a visual metaphor.” Good AI tutors adapt to your pace, not the other way around. 2. Use AI to Simulate Worlds and Scenarios Want to practice your French with a Parisian? Want to debate the Federalist Papers with Hamilton? Want to be coached on logic puzzles or business cases? You can simulate all of these—with roleplay, feedback, and infinite patience. This changes what’s possible. You can now study with a cast of characters who don’t get tired or bored. Example prompt: “Pretend you’re a brilliant but eccentric Oxford professor teaching me game theory. Make it interactive and quiz me along the way.” 3. Ask It to Diagnose Your Learning Gaps The best tutors don’t just teach—they diagnose. Try asking: • “What am I not understanding here?” • “Where do students usually get confused with this concept?” • “Based on my questions so far, what should I review?” AI is good at spotting what you’re missing—even better when you give it your notes or answers to evaluate. 4. Learn by Teaching the AI Try this: “I’m going to explain this concept to you. Interrupt me if I make a mistake or leave out an important step.” Teaching is a powerful way to solidify understanding. AI can help you sharpen your thinking by gently pointing out gaps or fuzzy logic. 5. Use It to Build a Daily Learning Habit Set up a recurring prompt: “Quiz me on something new every day. Alternate between history, science, philosophy, and critical thinking. Keep it short, but challenge me.” Or build a personalized GPT that tracks what you’ve learned, your strengths, and your interests. Learning is a long game. The key is consistency, not intensity. Final Thought Everyone should have access to a great tutor. AI makes that possible—for the first time in history. And this is just the beginning. If you use these tools seriously, you can learn anything.

When creating learning materials for your training, instead of starting with content which seems the most common approach, create resources & guidance learners can use while working—job aids, quick reference guides, decision trees, checklists, templates. Things they can pull up in the moment they need help. And the truth is a perfectly polished resource that nobody opens won't improve anyone's performance. What matters is whether someone can grab your resource in the middle of their workday and get the help they need immediately. Here's how to make that happen: • Design for use: Think about the actual moment someone will reach for this resource. Are they stressed? In a hurry? Confused? Design for that reality, not for perfection. Keep it short, one page max.  • Make things as simple as possible. Strip away everything that doesn't directly help someone complete their task. • Make it practical and talk to the context, not the content. Focus on their specific situation and what they're trying to accomplish, not on teaching theory or background information. For example, if healthcare workers need to communicate with anxious patients, provide examples of things to say in specific situations—not rigid call center scripts, but natural language examples: "When a patient asks about wait times, you might say..." or "If a patient seems nervous about a procedure, try..." Give them authentic examples they can adapt to their situation. • Organize by task, not topic. If it's about learning a tool, show them how to use it—skip the chapters on its history or technical specifications. People want to know "how do I do X?" not "what is X?" • Be visual. Use diagrams, screenshots, or graphics whenever they're clearer than paragraphs of text. A good visual beats a wall of words every time. • Make it accessible and easy to find. Even the best resource won't help if people can't find it in the moment they need it. Make it accessible where they're already working—embed it in their systems, pin it to frequently used platforms, or keep it in the first place they'll search. #PerformanceFirst #LearningThatWorks #PerformanceSupport #LearningAndDevelopment