Course Description
Students will develop skills to be successful active learners within a variety of instructional modalities. Students will learn to engage peers and instructors, embrace collaborative learning and study groups, reflect on their progress and strategies, and adapt based on self-reflection and results. Students will apply the skills and content in an experiential learning environment and through engagement with the community.
Athena Title
Becoming Active Learners
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in UNIV 1202
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion this course, students will be able to: • Capitalize on a personal understanding of the culture and expectations of higher education, particularly those of a research university. • Engage in self-motivation practices to maintain interest in academic content given common instructional modalities in college (lecture, online, seminar). • Maintain behavioral, psychological, and affective engagement in common educational delivery modalities (small and large-group discussion, game-based learning environments, student-led seminars). • Engage active learning strategies conducive to success in specific content-courses. • Thrive in out-of-class active learning strategies conducive to success in specific content-courses (group projects, case studies). • Engage in service projects in their local community by assisting various nonprofits with fulfilling their missions while students complete various learning tasks linked to active learning.
Topical Outline
The "S" in the course title stands for "service-learning." Through your engagement in service activities, you apply academic skills and knowledge you have acquired in this course to address community need, as well as enhance your civic and academic learning. Service activities are connected to the course learning goals through critical reflection. This type of learning has been linked to various positive student outcomes including critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, decision making, collaboration, and communication. It also contributes to a deeper understanding of yourselves and empathy and respect for others. Service-learning provides an opportunity to develop skills that positively impact your resume and search for employment. Course Schedule Weeks Topics 1 Course orientation Service-Learning at UGA Introducing UNIV 1202 Service-Learning (SL) project 2 Scholarly engagement: Culture of higher education 3 Dos and don’ts in active learning classes 4 Active learning vs. passive learning SL project – Best practices for creating a website 5 Metacognition and growth mindset SL project – Forming working groups 6 Working on SL project 7 Active learning for group engagement SL Mid-Semester Reflection 8 Active learning for group engagement (cont.) 9 Working on SL project SL Project – Submit an outline for the website content 10 Active learning in nontraditional settings SL Project – Progress report/meeting with the instructor 11 Active learning researchers 12 Active learning online SL Project – Submit a revised outline for the website content 13 Maintaining success and motivation 14 Working on SL project 15 Working on SL project 16 Service-Learning Project Presentations Service-Learning Reflection