[Article written for the Campus Times, Yanbu Industrial College, KSA]
Active learning can be any instructional method that engages students in learning. It focuses on student activity rather than teacher activity. In traditional lectures students tend to passively receive information from their teacher; active learning implies interactive, responsive engagement by both learners and teachers. Therefore the term ‘active learning’ is used to describe the broad set of activities that both learners and teachers engage with as part of the teaching-learning process.
Active learning is well supported in research about how students learn. Prince (2004) provides a compelling summary of the evidence for active learning. Some of the significant findings in the wide range of research reported are:
• Learners remember more content when brief activities are introduced to traditional lectures (Ruhl 1987)
• In-class discussion helps students to remember more than traditional lectures alone (McKeachie 1972)
• In-class discussion enhances students’ motivation to study (McKeachie 1972)
• Learning activities (other than just listening to a lecture) encourage students to engage with important ideas (Wiggins & McTighe 1998)
• Classroom interaction between students improves their conceptual understandings and their ability to address misconceptions (Hake 1998, Laws 1999)
• Working in groups improves learning, interpersonal skills and attitudes towards study (Johnson, Johnson & Smith 1998; Springer et al 1999)
• Active student participation is more effective than didactic teaching for the development of graduate attributes such as critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, communication and interpersonal skills (Kember and Leung 2005)
• Use of active learning approaches leads to improved student ratings of teachers’ teaching performance (Gibbs and Coffey 2004)
Getting students to engage in classroom activities such as group discussion can be a challenge! Teachers report large class sizes, diversity of students, and students’ fear of being seen to make mistakes as reasons not to persevere with active learning (Salter 2006). A well presented lecture can deliver information quickly and efficiently, without the need to manage student interaction. However in this approach learners often do not undertake the ‘digestion’ or ‘sense-making’ they need in order to achieve deep learning (Entwhistle & Ramsden 1983; Race 2010). Trigwell & Prosser (1991) demonstrate that deep learning is essential for high quality learning outcomes such as synthesis of ideas and transfer of learning to new applications. A teacher using a lecture–only approach will be focused on preparing content and presenting facts; a teacher using an active learning approach will be intent on preparing activities that are designed to engage students with content, question ideas, and think more deeply than just recall of information. Class time is precious: by replacing some of their own talking with students’ talking, many teachers are finding their students learn more in class.
References
Entwhistle, N. & Ramsden, P. (1983). Understanding student learning. London: Croom Helm
Gibbs, G. & Coffey, M. ( 2004). The impact of training of university teachers on their teaching skills, their approach to teaching and the approach to learning of their students, Active Learning in Higher Education 2004 (5), 87. DOI: 10.1177/1469787404040463
Kember, D. & Leung, D ( 2005). The influence of active learning experiences on the development of graduate capabilities, Studies in Higher Education 30(2), 155-170. DOI:10.1080/03075070500043127
Prince M (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231
Race, P. (2010). Making learning happen. London: Sage
Salter, D. (2006). E-Scholars: Staff development through designing for learning, Proceedings of the 23rd annual ascilite conference: Who’s learning? Whose technology? University of Sydney
Trigwell, K. & Prosser, M. (1991). Relating learning approaches, perceptions of context and learning outcomes, Higher Education (Special Edition on student learning), 22:251-266
