In this demo, the professor uses a variation of the "billboard ranking" strategy (Silberman p 135) for a problem-solving assignment, which requires students in an undergraduate algebra class to make a choice between two long distance telephone companies. This is the 4th week of the semester and the students are accustomed to working in learning teams of 3-4 members.

The professor provides each student with a copy of detailed long distance rates and conditions from two phone companies, Just 10 Company and CGI. He provides each team with a small marker board and marker, then projects specific instructions on the overhead. He tells teams to come to a team decision and write on their team's marker board the name of the company offering the better rate. Teams have ____?? minutes for calculations and deliberations.

Students carefully read the information about both phone companies, then begin discussing and calculating. The professor facilitates, answering questions and announcing when they have one minute left for team wrap-up. Team recorders write the name of their team's phone company choice on their team's marker board.

The professor calls time and instructs teams to hold up their marker boards simultaneously. The professor announces the results and asks volunteers to explain their team's pattern of logic. Discussion follows.

Active Learning involves output, requiring students to produce a response or a solution or some evidence of the interActive Learning that is taking place.


Summary/Value
This Active Learning demonstration engaged students in a learning experience that stimulated:

1) review of algebraic operations previously covered in class,

2) application of processes to a real-world problem,

3) teaching and learning from student to student, and

4) conversation using the language of mathematics to make a choice.