Active Learning Classroom Observation — Entry Level Russian Class

Two observation sessions were conducted in an active learning classroom in Carleton University, here are some notes taken from one of the sessions observing an entry level Russian class.

Class structure

Recap

Pair exercise

• Most students do it as a larger group (3–5) instead of in pairs

Share answer to the class

Lecture

Guess informal version of Russian names

• Fun / laughing / shocked by answers
• Instructor share real stories
• All students look at instructor
• Students discuss related topics with the people next to them automatically -> shows that this topic is inspiring

Discussion

• Students are too focused on discussion, instructor had to ask for attention
• When instructor asked to read after her (while point at white board), a few students still looked at the individual screen

Textbook & read after recording

• Exercise with whole class (most students turned the chair and faced the instructor)

Read textbook (less participation)

• Can’t find exactly where
• Others look at textbook thinking about answer
• No technology is used in this activity

Back to lecture (using screen)

• Some students start to chat

Read textbook to partner

• 3 students have laptop open

Share answer with the class (lost interest & smile)

• Yawning and stretching

Pair discussion (instructor erase whiteboard)

Project textbook onto screen

Students chat to the person next to them (excited about ending class? 16:13)

• More students turn their chairs around

Other observations

Instructor walk around a lot without barrier

Turning chairs make it easy to talk to everyone

Group 1 is a bit isolated from the rest of the class

Students tend to sit closer to the screen on each table

Number of students on each seat

Students look at the screen on their table while doing group discussion

The tables with 2~3 students are more casual, tables with 4~5 students more focused on class content

• Students on the table of 2~3 move chair back and forth

Walls have 2 colors: white and green (reason unknown)

Insufficient lighting at the front and back of the classroom

One student wasn’t participating as much as others, showing from moving and turning chair

Instructor could not find some slides, so she turned off one projector and wrote on the whiteboard

The projection and screen turned blue 3 times (technical issue)