Another important contribution I can make to promote and optimize active learning is to establish a relationship with students. Comfortability is found within the learning environment. As a lecture assistant, I am expected to guide and become a secondary source of information. I need to create an environment where students feel as though they can reach out for help. All students are different so one of my goals is to allow all students to use me as a safe place. Talking to the professor can be a very intimidating experience, so if I give everyone a warm welcome, students will feel comfortable asking me questions they may not feel comfortable asking him. By doing so, I will create a growth mindset and accelerate learning for my students.

Question: Do students experience more stress in an active learning classroom or during lecture-based learning?

Experimental Approach: I would have students who have taken both forms of classes (have them provide which classes they are referring to just to make sure) take a questionnaire assessing stress. Before collecting data, I would inform participants about active learning versus lecture-based learning to solidify that they understand the differences when accessing. I think questionnaires are a great method to obtain data from large populations. If I did not have enough participant, I would focus on two separate classes that I knew their teaching style. The assessment would occur at the end of the semester after they have taken the class.

Expected Results: I would expect active learning to experience less stress than lecture-based learning. Students may experience stress initially, especially more introverted students because being encouraged to indulge themselves in an active learning environment can prove challenging to overcome for some. However, research proves that active learning is the most beneficial form of learning because it encourages inclusion and knowledge retention. Therefore, active learning would experience less stress AND see greater benefits.

How to Inform the Public: I think informing the public is very important when we discuss stress because it is such a common feeling. Limiting stress levels provides increased learning capacity and also increases health benefits. Being able to prove to the high powers of UW (i.e. board of trustees) would be a great first step. Showing them the power that active learning may encourage them to build more active learning environments. I also think presenting findings and creating a workshop that all professors have to go through may help spread this idea. Even if we cannot convince every professor, every little opportunity matters. Lastly, I feel as though it is important to inform the student body about this research so they can advocate for optimal learning conditions.

Stress has caused so many issues throughout my degree and I feel as though preventative measures are not considered enough in our education. I would love to find ways to limit stress and active learning would prove very beneficial in that way.

Feel: Pokey, earthy smell, wise

How does it make me feel: Reminds me of an old, wise man who continues to watch young, fresh sounds blossom around them.

Question: What role does it play in its friends around them? Does it help them grow or tear them down?

Experiment: Uproot the plant and see if its roots intertwine with the other. Or what did his roots look like? A soil nutrients study may also reflect on how this object plays a role in the environment around him.

Kolb's cycle made me think very philosophically and look at objects in different ways. It made me want to learn more about their story, making me crave exploration into their past life. The principles that most stuck out to me during this experience were 2 and 3. If you plan to have expectations on an assignment, it is important to set clear expectations and determine what is essential. Principle 3 highlights the importance of understanding diverse perspectives and examples. If you were doing this as a graded assignment, I think it is very important to consider the diversity of the minds that students will have. I know by just sharing with our table, we all took the assignment a different way. I would set limited expectations and allow them to express their true emotions about how this assignment made them feel and what they learned. I think the graded part can come from effort and detail in the reflection from the experiences within one's self.

I think that most people fall under different locations on the line and that is okay. I feel this way because I know a variety of types of people and the majority of them would see themselves in a different light than others. I see myself as a very gritty person but I observe many people who do not seem to care when doing things. I don't think this is a bad thing but I think we need to create a more inclusive learning environment to promote a growth mindset. I think creating an environment that promotes failure (we do it so badly). I think this would help us similarly see each other. How do you promote a growth mindset through failure without promoting "sluggishness"? (by sluggishness I mean people who aren't changing and open to knowledge expansion).