Polytechnic students often present a special challenge to instructors, not because those students are unintelligent, but because they are intelligent. In this paper, the authors explore tools, techniques, and methodologies that instructors can use to keep the polytechnic students engaged, awake, attending, and interested in the broad fields of knowledge, including science, engineering, mathematics and arts. Simple techniques can be used to invigorate enthusiasm in students. It is observed that tools like using props, making connections with the past, and quiz bowls keep students interested and involved. In this paper, authors discuss how teachers use deductive or inductive methods in different disciplines. Comparison is drawn between different methods to see which are applicable to polytechnic students.

R. M. Felder (as cited in Silverman, 1988) defines active learning as “anything course-related that all students in a class session are called upon to do other than simply watching, listening and taking notes.” In student-centered teaching, research indicates that the focus in the classroom must shift from the instructor to the student. Students become actively involved in the teaching-learning process through activities that include brainstorming, problem solving, case studies, explaining, debating, etc. This is made possible by using deductive techniques of presentation, the Socratic Method, cooperative learning, etc. The abundant research we use includes the work of R. M. Felder, R. Brent, and others (Brent, 2005). In addition, in order to avoid having these activities consume too much time, a method of constructing activities introduced by C. Knop will also be offered: overview, prime, drill, check (Knop, 1982). Research also indicates that an appropriate number of activities be included in a class hour for effective learning in order for the material to be internalized and “owned” by the students.
A number of ideas are presented including highlighting the muddiest point, think-pair-share, quiz bowl exercises, use of props, candy questions, etc. Additionally, various techniques like mind breaks, news share, and stretch etc. are discussed. Active learning is known to be more effective than passive learning.