Active Learning
"Learning should actively engage students in the learning process"
In order for students to be engaged and increase learning, students must participate in higher-order thinking tasks such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Within this context, active learning can be understand as instructional activities involving students "doing" and "thinking" about what they are doing.
Research shows that incorporating active learning strategies are superior to lectures in promoting the development of students' skills in thinking and writing, and therefore, the use of active learning techniques in and out of the classroom is essential for student learning to improve. Furthermore, cognitive research illustrates that a significant number of students have learning styles that respond to active learning techniques far better than traditional lecture.
Therefore,based on research illustrating the benefits of incorporating pedagogical active learning techniques, thoughtful and skillful instruction requires faculty to become knowledgable about the many strategies promoting active learning that have been successfully used across disciplines.
Passive vs. Active Learning
|
Passive learning activities |
Active learning activities |
- Listening and reading skils.
- Defining, listing, describing, and explaining.
- Seeing and hearing.
| - Teaching techniques other than straight lecture.
- Smaller task-oriented assignments.
- Project-based with task-oriented assignments within it.
- Students discover, process, and/or apply information.
- There are different forms and strategies, including Face-to-Face and Online/Distance Learning approaches.
- Emphasis is placed on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
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| Passive learning tiers | Active learning tiers |
|
Tier 1:
Learning Activities: Reading and Listening Students retain 10% of what they read o Reading a power point
Students retain 20% of what they hear o Listening to a lecture
Learning outcomes: Define, List, Describe, Explain |
Tier 3:
Learning Activities: Speaking and Writing
Students retain 70% of what they say and write o Hands on workshops o Interactive lessons
Learning outcomes: Analyze, Define, Create, Evaluate |
Types of Active learning:
