Active Learning

This entry describes active learning, addresses its benefits and challenges, and offers strategies for implementing active learning in classroom settings. Active learning shifts the focus of learning from passively receiving content information to diligently participating in learning activities. Student engagement in learning increases retention and understanding of course content and enhances the quality of learning outcomes. In active learning, with the guidance and assistance of the teacher, students learn and practice new concepts and use them meaningfully.

Although there are many definitions of active learning, it can be described as a student-centered approach to instruction. According to Charles Bonwell and James Eison, active learning is “anything that involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing” (p. 2). The key elements of active learning are student involvement in the learning process and critical reflection on course material. Unlike the teacher-centered approach where students simply listen to lectures and take notes, in active learning, students engage with the course material, participate in the class, and collaborate with others. The process affords students the opportunity to explore and develop new concepts through meaningful discussions and problem-solving situations.

[Page 39]In active learning, teachers must shift their roles from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side.” They are no longer information providers; rather, they are facilitators helping students understand a concept, demonstrate it, and apply it in the real-world situations. In active learning, students become autonomous and self-directed learners taking charge of their own learning by taking initiative, monitoring progress, and evaluating learning outcomes. Consequently, students not only develop knowledge and skills, they also show high motivation and good attitudes toward learning.

In today’s classrooms, there is increasing emphasis on equipping students with 21st-century skills, including critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Critical thinking is often promoted through higher order thinking that requires students to use cognitive skills to understand, synthesize, evaluate, and make use of information to create content. Critical thinking helps students gain control of their own learning and make better informed decisions as to what, when, and how to learn. Furthermore, active learning promotes social interactions, allowing students to work collaboratively with their peers and teachers. Increased peer-to-peer and student-to-teacher interaction helps to build a learning community through which students develop, share, and exchange perspectives.