What is active learning?

Active Learning: A Student-centered Approach 

“Active” and “passive” learning - the difference can be ambiguous. Students “resting their eyes” or texting in the back of the classroom are certainly not engaged, but is listening and taking notes during a lecture enough to consider them actively engaged? The answer is much more complex as students must do more than just listen: they must deep-read, write, discuss, be creative while solving problems, and execute higher-order thinking tasks such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Alehegn Sewagegn & M. Diale, 2018). A great way to encourage these behaviors is through the incorporation of regular and varied active learning methods to create an overall engaging course design.

What is Active Learning?

So, what is active learning and why is it fundamentally different from passive learning?

Bonwell and Eison's (1991) classic definition stated that “Instructional activities involving students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing” are considered active learning. Active learning focuses on developing learners’ skills and higher-order thinking instead of transmitting knowledge. 

Not only does active learning prioritize higher-order thinking skills over knowledge uptake, it also lets students take an active role, as “constructor, discoverer, transformer of own knowledge” throughout their learning (Johnson et al., 2006, p.5). 

Handelsman et al. (2007) later expand this definition, proposing that “Active learning implies that students are engaged in their own learning. Active learning strategies have students do something other than taking notes or following instructions … they participate in activities to construct new knowledge and build new scientific skills.”‍

Based on the input from over 300 educators, Freeman et al. (2014) arrived at a definition of active learning that emphasizes higher-order thinking and collaborative learning, which is: “Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order thinking and often involves group work.”‍

With active learning, the pedagogical methods are learner-centered rather than teacher-centered: the focus is on nudging students’ cognitive activities in class instead of simply letting them absorb the presented information. In other words, active learning refers to an instructional approach that is learner-centered, in which the students participate or interact with the learning process, rather than passively absorb information. Furthermore, teachers take the role of facilitators of learning, instead of knowledge distributors.

“Active learning is any approach to instruction in which all students are asked to engage in the learning process. Active learning stands in contrast to "traditional" modes of instruction in which students are passive recipients of knowledge from an expert.” - Center for Educational Innovation, University of Minnesota‍

Why is Active Learning so Powerful? 

Often summarised as “learning through play”, “activity-based learning”, or “group work”, active learning is an expression covering a range of learning activities that require more than just listening. According to Kosslyn and Nelson (2018), systematically implemented active learning exercises enable students to “learn effectively—sometimes without even trying to learn.”

Implementing active learning strategies can significantly improve student academic performance, reduce failure rates, reduce achievement gaps, and make learning more inclusive. Most importantly, there are plenty of studies to prove the benefits of active learning over traditional course design.

Ruiz-primo et al. (2011) discovered that students’ learning outcomes were improved with the inclusion of active learning activities, based on a comprehensive analysis of 166 studies comparing the impact of active learning approaches to traditional lectures. 

This finding was later supported by Free et al. (2014), whose’ meta-analysis of 225 studies found that students engaged in active learning courses were 1.5 times less likely to fail than those who received traditional lectures. 

Active learning also contributed to closing achievement gaps among students of different backgrounds and learning styles, as revealed in research that involved over 1000 students with varied majors and racial backgrounds who participated in courses with active learning elements (Eddy & Hogan, 2011). 

Theobald et al. (2020) confirmed this finding in their comprehensive research of studies that compared the performance of underrepresented students to their overrepresented peers in active learning and traditional classrooms. It was found that “active learning reduced achievement gaps in examination scores by 33% and narrowed gaps in passing rates by 45%” (Theobald et al., 2020, p.1). This further supports the notion that transforming courses and instructional strategies with active learning can critically empower equity and inclusivity in higher education. 

The reason active learning is so effective is that it draws on underlying characteristics of how the brain functions during learning. Studies generally show that multisensory learning - as hearing, watching, digitally or analogically building, etc. - leads to the most long-term physical changes in the brain, and improves memory retention and recall. As stated by Claire Hoogendoorn, Doctor at New York City College of Technology, in her article The Neuroscience of Active Learning (Hoogendoorn, 2015):

‍“Active learning encourages the brain to activate cognitive and sensory networks, which helps process and store new information. [...] Engaging as many sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social processes in students will increase their learning potential.”‍

In plain terms, the more students’ brains are activated in different ways, the more they learn.

Furthermore, active learning relies on different approaches and strategies to engage students in the learning process, thus addressing different learning needs and preferences. This; however, can’t be achieved with the traditional lecturing method. By providing multimodal means of knowledge representation, production, and engagement, active learning creates an inclusive environment where every student feels motivated and included in the learning process. 

All in all, active learning is a model of learning that goes through the “activation” of the students by soliciting their cognitive abilities and processes, making them proactive parts of the learning process.

What Keeps Instructors from Implementing Active Learning?

Unfortunately, sometimes implementing active learning activities can feel like a hassle. It takes more preparation work for teachers to plan active learning exercises when compared to traditional lecture formats, which isn’t always something limited time allows for. Moreover, the activities themselves take more class time, constraining teachers to compromise on other study materials. The lack of support, materials, and budget, as well as class size, are just a few of the constraints that make it difficult to realistically implement some active learning strategies. Finally, many instructors who have done well as lecturers so far might just not be inclined to redesign their current curriculum or reassess their teaching styles (Kim et al., 2018).

Within online/hybrid learning environments, active learning implementation is even more challenging for instructors due to the lack of physical interaction.

The biggest issue concerns student engagement and retention while studying remotely. In a face-to-face classroom, physical contact is readily available and is therefore often taken for granted. Online teaching, however, can require more effort from educators due to the absence of these physical interactions. Students turning off their Zoom video, or keeping silent during online discussions are some common scenarios when teaching online.

Aside from a lack of interactivity, technical overload remains a barrier to facilitating active learning. It can be overwhelming for both teachers and students to get familiar with different online platforms and teaching tools. Not to mention internet connection, inaccessibility of learning infrastructure, or geographical differences, which can also greatly hinder teachers from effectively issuing active learning.

Each of these obstacles or barriers however, can be successfully overcome through careful learning design, and with the help of pedagogical technology. In the next two chapters, we will elaborate on active learning strategies, success stories, and tools to help educators overcome these challenges. 

However, one must remember that any method - no matter how theoretically effective - can still generate unwanted results due to poor implementation. At FeedbackFruits, we believe this is where solid course design comes in handy. Indeed, a well-designed activity can lead to powerful learning when conducted in a setting that has been constructed for such learning. 

References

Alehegn Sewagegn, A., & M. Diale, B. (2019). Empowering learners using active learning in higher education institutions. Active Learning - Beyond the Future. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80838

Bonwell, C. C., and Eison, J.A. (1991). Active learning: creating excitement in the classroom. ASH#-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1, Washington, D.C.: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.

Brame, C. (2016). Active learning. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved 18 December 2024 from https://derekbruff.org/vanderbilt-cft-teaching-guides-archive/active-learning/.

Eddy, S. L., & Hogan, K. A. (2017). Getting Under the Hood: How and for Whom Does Increasing Course Structure Work? CBE Life Sciences Education, 13(3), 361–571. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-03-0050‍

Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith, M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., and Wenderoth, M.P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 111, 8410-8415.

Handelsman, J., Miller, S., and Pfund, C. (2007). Scientific teaching. New York: W.H. Freeman.

Hoogendorn, C. (2015, October 15). The neuroscience of active learning. City Tech OpenLab.https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/writingacrossthecurriculum/2015/10/15/the-neuroscience-of-active-learning/‍

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R., & Smith, K. (2006). Active learning: Cooperation in the university classroom (3rd ed.). Interaction Book Company.

Kim, A. M., Speed, C. J., & Macaulay, J. O. (2018). Barriers and strategies: Implementing active learning in biomedical science lectures. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 47(1), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21190‍

Kosslyn, S. M., & Nelson, B. (2018). Building the intentional University: Minerva and the future of higher education. MIT Press.

Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J. A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., 2nd, Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M. E., Littlefield, C. E., Lowe, A., … Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(12), 6476–6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117

References

[1] Frost, Susan H. 1991. Academic Advising for Student Success: A System of Shared Responsibility. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports, 1991,3. Washington, D.C: School of Education, George Washington Univ.

[2] Kerrey, Bob. 2017. Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education. MIT Press.

[3] Hoogendoorn, Claire. n.d. “The Neuroscience of Active Learning – Writing Across the Curriculum.” Accessed February 3, 2020. Source

[4] “Barriers and Strategies: Implementing Active Learning in Biomedical Science Lectures - Kim - 2019 - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education - Wiley Online Library.” n.d. Accessed June 23, 2020. Source

[5] “Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. ERIC Digest.” n.d. Accessed June 23, 2020. Source

[6] Alehegn Sewagegn, A., & M. Diale, B. (2019). Empowering learners using active learning in higher education institutions. Active Learning - Beyond the Future. Source.

[7] Bonwell, C.C., & Eison, J.A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. 1991 ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports.