Active Learning:
How to Make Your Classroom More Engaging and Effective
Are you looking for ways to make your classroom more engaging and effective? Do you want to help your students learn better and enjoy the process? If so, you might want to try active learning.
Active learning is an approach to teaching and learning that involves students in producing thoughts and getting feedback through interactive settings, rather than passively receiving information from lectures or readings. Active learning can help students develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter, improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and increase their motivation and interest.
But what does active learning look like in practice? How can you implement it in your classroom? And what are the benefits and challenges of active learning? In this article, we will answer these questions and provide some practical examples of active learning activities that you can use in your classroom. We will also refer to and quote from recent scientific research that underpins measurable results of active learning in the classroom.
What is Active Learning?
According to Yannier and Koedinger (2021), active learning is “a set of instructional methods that engage students in producing thoughts (e.g., generating explanations, questions, hypotheses) and getting feedback (e.g., from peers, teachers, or technology) on those thoughts”. Active learning can take many forms, such as discussions, debates, simulations, games, experiments, projects, case studies, peer instruction, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and collaborative learning.
Active learning is based on the idea that students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process, rather than passively observing or listening. It requires students to apply their prior knowledge, construct new knowledge, and reflect on their learning. Active learning also fosters social interaction and emotional support among students and teachers, which can enhance the learning experience.
Why Use Active Learning?
There is a growing body of evidence that supports the effectiveness of active learning in undergraduate STEM courses. For example, a meta-analysis by Freeman et al. (2014) found that students who participated in active learning had higher exam scores and lower failure rates than those who received traditional instruction. Another meta-analysis by Theobald et al. (2020) found that active learning reduced achievement gaps for underrepresented students in STEM.
Active learning can also have positive effects on students’ affective and behavioral outcomes, such as self-reports of learning, participation in the activities, and course satisfaction. A systematic literature review by Nguyen et al. (2021) identified eight strategies that instructors can use to aid the implementation of active learning and address students’ responses. These strategies are:
· Explanation: Providing students with clarifications and reasons for using active learning.
· Facilitation: Working with students and ensuring that the activity functions as intended.
· Planning: Working outside of the class to improve the active learning experience.
· Feedback: Giving students timely and specific feedback on their performance and progress.
· Choice: Allowing students to have some control over the content, process, or product of their learning.
· Challenge: Providing students with tasks that are neither too easy nor too hard for their abilities.
· Relevance: Connecting the learning activities to students’ interests, goals, or experiences.
· Support: Creating a positive and supportive learning environment that fosters trust, respect, and collaboration.
How to Implement Active Learning?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing active learning in your classroom. The choice of active learning activities depends on various factors, such as your learning objectives, your students’ characteristics, your teaching style, your available resources, and your institutional context. However, here are some general guidelines that can help you design and deliver effective active learning activities:
· Align your activities with your learning objectives. Make sure that your activities are relevant and meaningful for achieving the desired outcomes of your course.
· Prepare your students for active learning. Explain to them why you are using active learning, what they are expected to do, how they will be assessed, and what benefits they will gain from it.
· Provide clear instructions and scaffolding. Give your students clear directions on how to perform the activities, what materials they need, how much time they have, how they should work together, etc. Provide them with examples, models, prompts, hints, or other supports as needed.
· Monitor and guide your students during the activities. Observe your students’ progress, check their understanding, answer their questions, provide feedback, encourage participation, and intervene when necessary.
· Debrief and reflect on the activities. After the activities are completed, ask your students to share their results, discuss their experiences, evaluate their performance, and reflect on their learning.
· Evaluate and improve your activities. Collect feedback from your students and assess their learning outcomes. Use this information to improve your active learning activities for future use.
Examples of Active Learning Activities
Here are some examples of active learning activities that you can use in your classroom, along with some references to recent scientific research that underpins measurable results of active learning in the classroom. These examples are not exhaustive, but they can give you some ideas and inspiration for creating your own activities.
· Discussions:
Discussions are one of the most common and versatile forms of active learning. They can be used to introduce new topics, review previous topics, explore different perspectives, generate questions, clarify concepts, solve problems, or synthesize information. Discussions can be done in various formats, such as whole-class, small-group, pair-share, think-pair-share, fishbowl, jigsaw, or snowball. Discussions can be facilitated by the instructor, by the students, or by technology. For example, Yannier et al. (2021) used an AI-based virtual helper to question students, encourage them to think critically and engage them in discussions during hands-on activities.
· Simulations:
Simulations are activities that mimic real-world situations or phenomena in a simplified or abstract way. Simulations can be used to demonstrate concepts, principles, or processes, to explore scenarios or hypotheses, to practice skills or behaviors, or to test solutions or strategies. Simulations can be done in various formats, such as role-play, case study, game, experiment, model, or computer program. Simulations can be facilitated by the instructor, by the students, or by technology. For example, Liu et al. (2020) used a computer simulation to help students learn about the greenhouse effect and climate change.
· Projects:
Projects are activities that involve students in creating a product or delivering a service that addresses a real-world problem or need. Projects can be used to integrate knowledge from different disciplines, apply skills to authentic contexts, foster collaboration and communication among students, or engage students with external stakeholders or audiences. Projects can be done in various formats, such as research, design, invention, innovation, or entrepreneurship. Projects can be facilitated by the instructor, by the students, or by technology. For example, Kolodner et al. (2003) used a project-based learning approach to help students learn about science and engineering through designing and testing water quality devices.
Conclusion
Active learning is an effective and engaging way to teach and learn in (STEM) education. It involves students in producing thoughts and getting feedback through interactive settings, rather than passively receiving information from lectures or readings. Active learning can help students develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter, improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and increase their motivation and interest.
References
· Yannier N., Koedinger K.R. (2021). Active Learning: ‘Hands-on’ Meets ‘Minds-on’. Science 374 (6564), 248–252.
· Freeman S., Eddy S.L., McDonough M., Smith M.K., Okoroafor N., Jordt H., Wenderoth M.P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (23), 8410–8415.
· 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.E., Jordt H., Keller M.J., Lacey M.E., Littlefield C.E., Liu X., Martinez S., Newman G., Oliveri P., Paw U K.T., Quave C.L., Sadler J., Srivastava A., Steinkamp J., Wang D.Y., Waters C.S., Wei C.A., Wiggins B.E., Zhang C., 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 117 (12), 6476–6483.
· Nguyen K.A., Borrego M., Finelli C.J., DeMonbrun M., Crockett C., Tharayil S., Shekhar P.