Teaching in Higher Ed Active Learning That Engages All Learners with Matthew Mahavongtrakul
Jan 2, 2026
In this engaging discussion, Matthew Mahavongtrakul, the Program Director of Faculty Educational Development at UC Irvine, shares insights on active learning strategies. He highlights the importance of making small, manageable changes to engage all students, even in large classes. Topics include the balance between structured course design and adaptability, innovative classroom activities like a snowball fight, and addressing common faculty concerns such as content coverage. Matthew also presents a token system aimed at promoting equitable student engagement and reducing resistance to active participation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Snowball Fight Scales Active Learning
- Matthew ran a snowball-fight activity with ~200 students to demonstrate scalable active learning.
- The class was chaotic but lively, cleaned up, and convinced faculty large-scale active learning can work.
Shift From Sage To Facilitator
- Active learning requires shifting from 'sage on the stage' to facilitator and redesigning course language and structure.
- Combining strengths of lecture and active methods creates more memorable and effective learning.
Practice Transferable Skills In Class
- Build authentic assessments by practicing transferable skills in class rather than only testing content knowledge.
- Write course goals that include skills like analyzing and critiquing with peers and practice them during class time.
