Active Learning Essentials: Bridging Research and Practice

Active Learning Essentials: A Course for Educators is now available for preorder and begins on May 19, 2025. This five-week course is designed to help you move beyond static lectures and create dynamic, student-centered learning environments. Whether you teach in person, online, or somewhere in between, you'll gain practical, evidence-based strategies to implement a wide range of active learning approaches that are both effective and sustainable. All course content will be accessible starting May 19, and live Zoom sessions will be held on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. CDT, from May 22 to June 19, 2025. Each live session will be 90 minutes.

Practical Knowledge Taught with research-based pedagogies, tailored to your professional practice, and facilitated by thought leaders and practitioners who have done the work themselves

Meaningful Community An accountability community and course facilitator that inspires and supports you in advancing your professional practice, career goals, in your specific employment setting.

Visibility & Influence Opportunities to present, publish, collaborate, or become an Institute subject-matter expert or facilitator, and earn badges upon completion of the course.

Many professional development opportunities introduce active learning in broad, theoretical terms—but stop short of helping you make it work in your own classroom. In contrast, the Active Learning Essentials course is designed to bridge the gap between research and practice. You won’t just learn what active learning is—you’ll gain the tools, time, and guidance to implement it in ways that are sustainable and effective for your students. Throughout the course, experienced facilitators will support your learning journey and help you apply new strategies in context. You’ll also be part of a collaborative cohort of educators who, like you, are ready to try new things, ask big questions, and share what’s working. Together, you’ll explore real-world examples, solve challenges, and build a toolkit you can rely on long after the course ends.

About the Course Facilitators

This course is facilitated by a team of passionate educators with a shared commitment to student-centered teaching. Dr. Justin Shaffer, Associate Dean at the Colorado School of Mines, brings a dynamic, interactive approach to instruction and public speaking, along with experience in faculty development through his work with Recombinant Education. Dr. Amanda Norbutus, Professor of Chemistry at Valencia College, integrates real-world relevance into her teaching with a focus on sustainability and the intersection of science and society. Marissa Dahari, Undergraduate Course Coordinator at the University of Guelph, brings deep experience in biology education, curriculum development, and equity-focused teaching practices. Together, they offer practical insight into making active learning engaging, inclusive, and impactful across contexts.

Coursework You Can Use

Each reflection and assignment has been thoughtfully crafted to provide you with practical tools and strategies that you can implement in your course. Through assignments and reflective activities, you’ll be able to craft engaging activities, develop meaningful assessment plans, and overcome common challenges to active learning.

$299.00

Enroll now Free preview

Course Modules

5 Chapters · 25 Lessons

1
Foundations of Active Learning
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Welcome to Active Learning Essentials: Bridging Research and Practice
2. Foundations of Active Learning Free preview
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Practical Application: Drafting Your Active Learning Introduction and Plan
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Exit Ticket
2
Designing and Implementing Active Learning Activities and Assessments
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Designing and Implementing Active Learning Activities and Assessments
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Practical Application: Designing a Student-Centered Assessment Plan
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Exit Ticket
3
Active Learning Across Modalities
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Active Learning Across Modalities
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Video Activity
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Practical Application: Creating an Active Learning Experience for Your Course
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Exit Ticket
4
Overcoming Common Active Learning Challenges
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Overcoming Common Active Learning Challenges
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Practical Application: Crafting A Response
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Model Responses
5
Wrapping Up
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Continuing Your Journey: Sharing Your Knowledge with Others
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Setting Learning Objectives and Suggested Pre-work
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Self-Assessment
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Reflecting on Growth and Setting Directions
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Self-Check Quiz
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Interactive Activity: Personal Growth Reflection Framework
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Building and Sustaining Professional Networks
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Interactive Exercise: Building Your Professional Network
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Leading and Contributing to the Teaching Community
10. (Included in full purchase)
  Interactive Exercise: Communicating Your Leadership Vision
11. (Included in full purchase)
  Practical Application: Creating Your Educator Growth Plan

Be the educator you aspire to be.

Want to put theory into practice and demonstrate what you learn? Enroll today for full access to Active Learning Essentials: Bridging Research and Practice.

$299.00

Pre-order now Get a Free Preview

Make Every Moment in Class Count with Active Learning

Why this course?

About the Course Facilitators

Coursework You Can Use

Course Modules

Foundations of Active Learning

Designing and Implementing Active Learning Activities and Assessments

Active Learning Across Modalities

Overcoming Common Active Learning Challenges

Wrapping Up

Be the educator you aspire to be.