  This article describes how the author successfully adapted techniques drawn
from the literature on active learning for use in a graduate-level course on
quantum field theory. Students completed readings and online questions ahead of
each class and spent class time working through problems that required them to
practice the decisions and skills typical of a theoretical physicist. The
instructor monitored these activities and regularly provided timely feedback to
guide their thinking. Instructor-student interactions and student enthusiasm
were similar to that encountered in one-on-one discussions with advanced
graduate students. Course coverage was not compromised. The teaching techniques
described here are well suited to other advanced courses.
