Active Learning: Diversifying the way we present and gain knowledge

Have you ever heard of active learning? If you are like me, this concept was foreign until recently. Wanting to know more about active learning and the role it plays in education, I took time to do a deep dive into this topic, exploring the diverse ways in which active learning can be applied. So, what is active learning? According to Adam Steele, an author for the Cambridge Brighter Thinking Blog,

Active learning is a classroom approach that focuses on how the students learn, not just what they learn. This approach ensures they are actively engaged in learning and encourages more complex thought processes. Opportunities provided by you, their teachers, such as enquiry-led tasks and open-ended questions, challenge the students and support them to build knowledge and their own understanding. This assists them to become responsible for their own learning and more motivated to achieve. (2019)

Reviewing the many strategies and techniques that have been developed to assist educators in applying active learning to their teaching style, I realized that as a student, my teachers incorporated one or more active learning techniques during my time with them. Below are a few examples from my personal history:

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The list above does not include all of my experiences with active learning. In fact, there is a particular strategy in which my former teachers seemed to apply the most: Experiential Learning. Experiential Learning is a technique used to immerse students into real-world situations in which the concepts learned in class apply (Albertus Magnus College, 2024).

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Experiential Learning strategies help establish a transformative classroom in which students gain:

A better understanding and long-term recall of course material

A broader view of the world and an appreciation of community

Insight and development of their own skills, interests, passions, and values (Albertus Magnus College, 2024)

I can say without a doubt that the above statements are 100% true for me. My experiences listed below are situations in which I learned the most and am most proud of the work that I produced.

•  Social Studies (Middle school-8^th grade): The class visited the Holocaust Museum, attending an intimate gathering to listen to a Holocaust survivor tell his story.
• Chemistry (Highschool Sophomore): Tasked with using corn to produce ethanol (an alternative fuel for gas). At the end of year, the ethanol produced was used to fill car gas tanks in a local car show.
• Physics (Highschool Junior): Tasked with building a bridge out of toothpicks. We had to use our knowledge of physics to select the best design for a bridge that would hold at least 8lbs without breaking.
• Advanced Biology (Highschool Senior): Tasked with dissecting a cat to label veins, organs, etc. We also conducted a blood test on ourselves to discover our blood type. My results from this test informed me that I am O-negative, universal donor. Years later I was able to confirm my results when my blood type was revealed in preparation for surgery.
• Environmental Science (1^st year of Undergrad): The class visited a water treatment plant to learn and visual the process of purifying our water.

It is clear that I have a lot of experience as a participant in active learning. Although, those experiences are school related. I wonder what active learning experiences I have outside of school. Do you have any?

For more on active learning, be sure to check out the resources below:

What is Active Learning?

Active Learning

Active Learning in the Classroom

Common challenges in Active Learning

TDC 2023: Beyond the Classroom: Building Experiential Learning into your Curriculum

YouTube channel: Experienced Based Learning Systems (EBLS)

 

References

Albertus Magnus College. (2024). What is experiential learning? Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. We have faith in your future. https://www.albertus.edu/academicservices/ctle/experiential-learning/what-is-experiential-learning

Institute for Experiential Learning. (2023, December 27). What is experiential learning? https://experientiallearninginstitute.org/what-is-experiential-learning/

Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. (2017). 226 Active Learning Techniques. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2012). Instructional Guide for University Faculty and Teaching Assistants. https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide

Steele, A. (2019). What is active learning and what are the benefits? Cambridge Brighter Thinking Blog. https://www.cambridge.org/us/education/blog/2019/06/25/what-active-learning-and-what-are-benefits/

University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. (2005). How can you incorporate active learning into your classroom? Ann Arbor, MI; University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching.