Active Learning Approaches to Improve Teachers Research Skills Using Virtual Classroom Tools During COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper is intended to share my academic experience in a research course with teachers during COVID-19 Pandemic. The objective is to describe various active learning teaching approaches that I experimented with considering virtual classroom learning curriculum resources. These activities were conceptualized and incorporated into the course during academic recess and social curfew in Puerto Rico. After days of professional reflection, recommendations from my academic educational leaders and related readings, five active learning approaches were selected to achieve the intended learning outcomes in a Graduate Teacher Level I, Research Course. These were: (1) using collaborative virtual classrooms, (2) providing constant motivational feedback, (3) using thinking, pairing and sharing information, (4) using authentic assessment to improve learning and (5) promoting professional research reflection to constantly improve my teaching and research skills in collaboration with the teachers.