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Active Learning Observation Tool (ALOT)

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The Active Learning Observation Tool (ALOT) facilitates in-class observations of large classes.

How can you assess student engagement in large classes of over 500, or even 1000 students?

One method is to engage in classroom observation.

The Active Learning Observation Tool (ALOT) captures student behaviours within and between groups, as well as observer notes which provide contextual richness to help people understand what was being observed. The tool is designed to be used by two or more observers. It is designed to support those wishing to explore and evidence the transition from passive learning modalities to more active ones in increasingly large classes.

ALOT is a 3-page observation protocol incorporating:

How to use the tool

Before conducting an in-class observation exercise, observers should be trained to  become familiar with the prototype observation sheet, the related coding sheet and observation protocol.

The tool uses a STROBE approach (O’Malley et al., 2003): 

  • observers conduct an initial 10-minute general scan of the whole room and all groups
  • observers then alternate observational focus between the general classroom and small groups to capture a more nuanced understanding of what was happening at the group level in a series of 5-minute focus on a small group, followed by a 5-minute general observation of the whole room
  • the strobe focus is repeated for four (4) cycles
  • the table selected for the single small group focus is changed with each strobe
  • observers are positioned on either side of the classroom and move between tables, and up and down the space
  • comments from the general notes section are used for contextual information
  • a minimum of two observers collect data in each observation instance.

Analysing observational data

After all observations are conducted, convert all records to PDF format. These can then be entered into a software program such as Nvivo for analysis. See below suggestions for possible analysis strategies.

  • Conduct a visual scan to establish the dominant trends.
  • Conduct deductive and inductive coding processes (Muir-Cochrane & Fereday, 2006). If using this approach remember that a coding manual will need to be developed and initial patterns identified. Codes developed through this process will need to be tested against course intentions and themes evident in the literature related to active learning and flipped classroom pedagogies.
  • Conduct ‘horizontal’ analysis, across the courses to identify common themes across all observations, and ‘vertical’ analysis to examine experiences within individual courses (Creswell, 2007).
  • Conduct a frequency analysis to derive an overall average frequency of the different types of activity observed across all classes. The frequency of each type of activity recorded can be collated across all courses and divided by the number of sessions observed. The frequency of each type of activity recorded is summed across all courses and divided by the number of sessions observed to derive an overall average frequency of the different types of activity observed across all classes.

Using the data

Visual scans using the tool can differentiate between sessions in which either ‘guiding/monitoring’ teacher actions or ‘lecturing’ teacher actions dominated.

Notes recorded provide valuable contextual information that helps teachers make sense of what was ‘going on’ when the behaviours were marked on the observation sheet.