学生们对积极的学习项目给予了好评，这些项目说明了玛丽维尔的经历

Maryville students are as likely to be found harvesting lettuce, 走访被忽视的社区，创造儿童文学，就像他们要学习生物学一样, social justice and composition in a classroom. 这是该大学注重体验式和个性化教育的一部分.

In 2014, Maryville launched an Active Learning Ecosystem (ALE) initiative, which includes experimenting with cutting-edge technology, supporting intellectual risk-taking and conducting ongoing assessment. This past spring and summer, 学生们对各种ALE活动——从Shark tank风格的商业演示到可在instagram上发布的写作作业——的参与程度进行评分. 他们的积极回应有助于讲述让Maryville独一无二的深度沉浸和合作的故事.

Encouraging Enterprise
Kelly Smith, ’13, an instructor of interactive design, 希望学生们就他们的电子商务业务给予彼此更高质量的反馈. “I wondered, ‘If theirs were real businesses, what would they do?’” Smith said.

Smith thought up an idea based on Shark Tank, 企业家向潜在投资者展示自己想法的热门电视连续剧. The products were interactive websites that the students designed. 一些创建的网站提供了创建定制车轮的机会, view furniture in augmented reality, or personalize beauty products. In another nod to the show, 学生“投资者”会假装他们每人有100万美元，要投资一个或多个潜在的企业.

In impromptu presentations, 学生们吹捧他们的设计选择以及背后的研究和基本原理. They emphasized their selling strategies and target audiences. “They couldn’t just stand up there and show their work,” Smith said. “They really had to sell it and explain themselves.” For example, a student might point out they chose the color purple because it was unique; nothing else in their particular industry is purple. 潜在投资者不仅要考虑该产品的直接吸引力，还要考虑其未来的赚钱潜力. 即使他们没有完全接受一个想法，学生们也提供了有价值的回答. 史密斯说:“反馈可能是，‘我可以看到很好的工作，只是需要一点调整。’.

Students gave the activity a four out of five. To enhance her next Shark Tank assignment, Smith decided to introduce the idea earlier in the semester. “所以当他们做报告时，他们准备得更充分一些，”她说. 史密斯认为，学生评估ALE项目是该计划持续发展的重要一步. “An idea for an ALE activity may look flashy or cool,” Smith said. “But what does the actual data suggest? What are the real-life outcomes?”

Increased Engagement
化学教授娜塔莉·乌尔里希要求她的有机化学学生使用一种通常不是科学家而是设计师使用的技术工具. In a collaborative project, 他们使用了一个名为“壁画”的虚拟白板，分五步创建了一个全新的分子. It was a complex task calling upon 16 weeks of classwork, Ulrich said. 她很好奇:她的二年级学生能否完成一项更适合研究生工作的活动?

Watching 22 students in small groups, Ulrich held off from jumping in even when she sensed frustration. 乌尔里希说，在他们解决问题的过程中，能量是显而易见的. “他们在互相交谈，翻阅所有的笔记，”她说. “Pretty much 100% engagement, 这在传统的有机化学课堂上并不常见.” Their collaborations paid off. 每个小组都可以进入下一个阶段，在这个阶段，乌尔里希要求学生从他们的过程中删除五个步骤中的一些. The result was a puzzle with missing pieces for others to solve, creating a lesson in teaching techniques. 最后一项任务是提供反馈并加以实施，以改进他们的工作.

Students gave the exercise a five out of five. 他们报告说，他们对分子合成有了更好的理解，并增强了自信心. 他们都惊讶地完成了一项起初看似艰巨的任务. 玛丽维尔的学生现在开始期待在他们所有的课堂上都有沉浸式的活动, according to Ulrich. She said active learning not only facilitates better retention, it also strengthens broader abilities. 乌尔里希说:“这有助于学生培养沟通、批判性思维和领导能力。. “Which are probably as important as anything they learn about chemistry.”

‘Turning Toward Each Other’
人文学科教师克里斯蒂·布兰森(Christi Branson)想鼓励她的一年级作文学生考虑他们的听众. 她使用了一种通常不会与写作任务联系在一起的工具:Instagram.

First, students developed research questions. For example, 一个人想知道音乐疗法如何能使那些面临心理健康挑战的人受益. As they researched their questions, Branson asked the students to imagine an audience, 寻找图片来配合他们的研究，并以Instagram帖子的形式展示他们的结果. “I would call it a new genre of English Comp,” Branson said. 作为最后一步，学生们以三人一组的方式复习和讨论彼此的作业. “It made for productive, collaborative conversations, which helps give them more confidence to work in a group,” Branson said. The students gave the activity a five out of five. 布兰森在这个过程中拍了一张班级的照片，显示了他们的高参与度. 布兰森说:“从他们的微笑和肢体语言中可以明显看出这一点。. “They were all turning toward each other.”

Considering Different Views
Erin Boswell, ’07, director of new student and first-year experience programs, trains student leaders, including resident assistants and peer mentors, how to welcome incoming students. 刚刚过去的这个夏天，她想出了一个活动，帮助他们把新生当成顾客. Boswell divided the student leaders into groups of six. 她向每个小组展示了一个案例研究，说明他们可能面临的问题. 其中一个例子是，一位家长因为孩子的镜子在搬进来的时候被打破而心烦意乱. 目标是让每个小组的成员就如何处理他们的情况达成共识. “这让主页有机会讨论解决问题的方法不一定是正确的或错误的,” Boswell said. 每个小组必须提出五个行动步骤来解决他们案例研究中的问题.

博斯韦尔说:“我真正喜欢的是，大多数人都以道歉作为第一步。. Student leaders rated the activity a four out of five, saying they wanted to add even more case studies to the training, which Boswell plans to do this coming summer. 博斯韦尔说，案例研究活动鼓励学生在解决问题时既考虑自己的观点，也考虑他人的观点. 她说，这个概念的影响远远超出了课堂.

布兰森说:“解决问题是主页为ALE设定的一个目标，但它不止于此。. “解决问题的能力也是主页希望所有学生在离开玛丽维尔之前具备的能力.”