PRINCIPLES OF ACTIVE LEARNINGDr. Emre ErturkApril 29th, 2013

What is Active Learning?

• Active learning is “an educational process where students become vigorously engaged in assimilating the material being taught rather than absorbing it passively in a lecture format” (http://www.businessdictionary.com).

• Another interesting definition is from Felder & Brent (2009). “Active learning is anything course-related that all students in a class session are called upon to do other than simply watching, listening and taking notes.”

• Active learning is also known as experiential learning or learning by doing. One of its earliest proponents, Jerome Bruner (1960) argued that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts.

What is Active Learning?

• Learning facts and learning to do something are two different processes.

• Active learning is also the opposite of passive learning (http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/create-engaging-e-learning-courses-you-can-be-proud-of/) .

Active Learning in Theory

• According to Lea et al. (2003), active learning is one of the major tenets of student centered learning.

• According to Race’s Pond Model (2010), Doing is the second layer of successful learning after Wanting/Needing.

Benefits of Active Learning

Benefits of Active Learning

Taking an active role in learning enhances memory. According to a recent study (Voss et al., 2009), there are significant differences in brain activity in the active and passive learners. Those who had active control over the viewing window were significantly better than their peers at identifying the original objects and their locations.

Examples of Active Learning

• Peer Teaching

• Group Work

• Practical Lesson

• Discussion Groups

• Jigsaw

• Role Play

References

• Bruner, J. (1960). The Process of Education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

• Felder, R. and Brent, R. (2009). Active learning: an introduction. ASQ Higher Education Brief, 2(4).

• Hailstone, S. (2010). Passive vs. active learning. Retrieved from http://educatingthefrontier.blogspot.co.nz/2010/12/passive-vs-active-learning.html

•  Lea, S. J., D. Stephenson, and J. Troy (2003). Higher Education Students’ Attitudes to Student Centred Learning: Beyond ‘educational bulimia’. Studies in Higher Education 28(3), 321-334.

• Race, P. (2010). Making learning happen: A guide for post-compulsory education (2nd ed.). London, England: SAGE Publications Ltd.

• Voss, J., Gonsalves, B., Federmeier, K., Tranel, D., and Cohen, N. (2010). Hippocampal brain-network coordination during volitional exploratory behavior enhances learning. Nature Neuroscience, 2010; DOI: 10.1038/nn.2693