Active Learning
Active learning is an approach to instruction that involves actively engaging students with the course material through discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays and other methods.
Active learning approaches place a greater degree of responsibility on the learner than passive approaches such as lectures, but instructor guidance is still crucial in the active learning classroom. Active learning activities may range in length from a couple of minutes to whole class sessions or may take place over multiple class sessions.
Active learning stands in contrast to “traditional” modes of instruction in which students are passive recipients of knowledge from an expert.
Active learning can take many forms and be executed in any discipline. Commonly, students will engage in small or large activities centered around writing, talking, problem solving, or reflecting.
Don’t expect your students simply to listen and memorize; instead, have them help demonstrate a process, analyze an argument, or apply a concept to a real-world situation.
At the end of this study, students should be able to:
- Effectively define active learning
- Know the Basic Elements of Active Learning
- Understand the categories of active learning strategies
- Have a knowledge of the benefits of active learning
- Know the challenges of active learning
- Understand how active learning works.