Get Involved
The Active Learning Community's goal is to connect Rutgers faculty with resources that can aid their use of collaborative learning practices. One of the most valuable resources available to faculty is each other, your colleagues who are interested in active learning, use it every day in class, and have encountered common challenges and developed solutions. To fully benefit from the Active Learning Community, consider getting involved. Whether's it's attending a workshop, mentoring a colleague, or presenting at the Symposium, three are several ways to participate:
The Community hosts monthly workshops, Active Learning 101 sessions, and an annual Symposium (previously known as the "Boot Camp") dedicated to all things active learning. Visit the ALC Events page for the current calendar and to register.
At the Active Learning 101 session, faculty who have experience using active learning join us to speak about their experiences and answer questions from attendees. If you have taught active learning before, let us know if you are willing to attend an Active Learning 101 session as a veteran.
Of course, the ultimate way to engage with active learning is to use it in your course. Rutgers-New Brunswick has several classrooms that are designed for active learning. Rooms with group tables, collaborative technology, or circular layouts help interactive teaching methods. If you would like to request to teach in an Active Learning Classroom, please inform your department’s scheduling staff so that they can make the request in the CourseAtlas scheduling system.
Learning Assistants - students who receive pedagogic training and guidance - help in the classroom in several ways, including facilitating discussions and workshops during lectures, team teaching recitation or laboratory sections with a graduate teaching assistant, or independently leading supplemental study groups. They have been used in active learning classes in many ways, including managing and facilitating group work. For more information, visit the Learning Assistant Program page.
We send out email blasts a few times a year with information about new ALC events, classroom upgrades, and other opportunities to engage with the Community. To receive updates, and become a Community member, Rutgers faculty and staff can sign up via the ALC canvas page. If you do not have Rutgers account, fill out a sign up form.
Monthly Community workshops are casual opportunities to dialogue about active learning with fellow Rutgers faculty and staff. These get togethers have included group discussions on specific topics in active learning, critiques of articles and scholarly works, and opportunities for attendees to share their successes, failures, and issues when using active learning. If you would like to suggest a future topic or offer to participate in designing or presenting at a workshop, let us know.