Active Learning: What is it and what are its methods?
Quality education has been one of the most important priorities of various countries and governments around the world. To develop the educational process, each country seeks to provide the best possible educational experience for its students, so the methods used differ from country to country and from one educational institution to another.
As students come to the center of the educational process, many new challenges emerge, some of which may require new institutional strategies. Discovering students' mindsets, abilities, habits, self-concepts, psychological and social needs, and academic backgrounds is critical to ensuring the success of the educational process.
One of the terms that has recently appeared in the dictionary of educational processes is the so-called "active learning". Whether you are a primary school student or a college student, school teacher or college professor, you must have heard about the term active learning and how it has become very popular in many educational institutions around the world.
What is meant by active learning? What are its benefits and how is it different from passive learning? More importantly, how do you become an active learner?
What is meant by active learning?
Active learning is a learning method in which students are actively involved in the learning process through discussion, problem solving, case studies, role-playing, and other methods. Active learning methods require students to participate in the learning process through reflection, discussion, inquiry, and creativity.
For example, in the classroom, students actually apply learned skills, solve problems, attempt complex problems, make decisions, propose solutions, and explain ideas through writing or discussion. are vital to the success of the active learning process.
In other words, active learning methods place more responsibility on the learner, with less emphasis on passive methods such as lectures and books. However, teacher guidance remains an important element in the active learning classroom. Numerous educational studies have shown that incorporating active learning strategies into undergraduate curricula significantly enhances the learning experience of students. Active learning activities can be up to two minutes long and can cover the entire lecture time.
Difference between Passive Learning and Passive Learning
It is well known that learning is a continuous process which is based on a fundamental change in the behavior of the learner as a result of direct or indirect experience. However, learning does not mean improving or developing a person in the right direction.
In the process of passive learning, students wait for guidance, instruction or information from the teacher, whereas in the process of active learning, students look for different ways to increase their involvement in the learning process.
In other words, in passive learning methods, written or verbal instructions are given to the students who carry out these instructions. During active learning, students fully participate in the learning process as the most important part of the learning process.
It is worth noting that passive learning is not limited to schools and universities, but is a part of everyday life. The books we read, the TV shows we watch, and the social media we follow are all forms of passive learning. Similarly, through passive learning, we absorb parental behaviors that are automatically passed on to our children.
Here are some key points that elaborate on the difference between active and passive learning:
learner's role in the process
Active teaching is the direct and effective participation of the learner in the learning process. Passive learning, on the other hand, is where the teacher provides all the information to the students and they only have to assimilate it.
Passive learning is teacher-centered, while active learning is student-centered, with the focus shifting from teacher-provided information to student active participation.
2- The role of the teacher in the process
In active learning, the teacher acts as a catalyst to create an enabling environment for the students to acquire knowledge while in passive learning the teacher is seen as the main source of knowledge.
methods used in the learning process
In terms of student engagement, active learning tends to be the approach students take to learn concepts, which is why students need to be actively involved in the learning process. In the case of passive teaching methods, there is relatively less involvement of the learner than using traditional teaching methods.
3- Skills under development
Active learning techniques help develop higher order thinking skills (HOTS), which may include analysis, synthesis, evaluation, public speaking, and collaboration. In contrast, passive learning typically develops students' lower-order thinking skills (LOTS), which can include recognition, description, and writing skills.
Not only this, active learningIt gives students the opportunity to challenge and change preconceived notions and prejudices, and defend their own views in discussions, which helps to provide students with strong observation, communication and critical thinking skills. On the other hand, through passive learning, students have the opportunity to think through their ideas as a listener, meaning they may not always have the opportunity to see an idea face to face, but they can still recognize the difference. What is the difference between what they believe and what is offered.
Cherish Zee Active Learning leading to divergent thinking of students, generation of creative or unique ideas. In contrast, passive learning promotes convergent thinking, which means that students will be able to correctly answer a well-defined question without being creative.
4- Retaining and remembering information
When students learn a concept by doing the activity themselves, they understand it better, so in the case of active learning, retention of information is higher. In contrast, information retention is relatively low in case of passive learning as the student is dependent on the teacher for information.
5- Sources of knowledge
In active learning the main source of knowledge is actual observation, practical application, experiment etc. whereas in passive learning the main source of knowledge is teacher, instructor, books or online resources.
benefits of active learning
You may have noticed that through the contrast between active learning and vice versa, the former has many advantages and positives, which we can summarize:
1- There is more connection between students and teachers
There is no doubt that active learning engages students and makes them think about what they do, prompting learners to move from mere observation to actively participating in new information presented to them. When learners engage directly with their learning material, it enables them to develop a deeper understanding and develop a stronger relationship with the material, which helps in improving the learning process.
2- Improve collaboration ability
Another advantage of active learning is that it helps students collaborate better. Active learning goes beyond simply following a teacher's instructions, but harnesses the power of collaboration and social interaction during learning and problem solving.
Through interactive activities, you will be able to equip your students with all the essential collaborative skills needed to make any teamwork a success.
3.- Build confidence
Active learning creates an environment where learners are pushed out of their comfort zones and forced to share their thoughts, opinions, and conclusions on certain topics rather than simply imparting knowledge. As they become more accustomed to speaking, learners gain more independence and the ability to express themselves, which increases their confidence.
Confidence in action is undoubtedly one of the most important benefits of active learning, which enables students to complete more tasks quickly, efficiently and with high quality.
4- It enhances information retention
Confucius said, "Tell me, and I'll forget... Tell me, and I might remember... Involve me, and I'll understand"!
And that's exactly what active learning does. It has been scientifically proven that interactive (or active) learning can significantly improve the ability to retain information. In fact, many studies have shown that learners absorb more information through "action learning" because of its immediate and purposeful nature, as opposed to traditional one-way learning models.
Because learners have the opportunity to actively participate and do things, they retain at least 90% of the information.
5- Make learning more fun and exciting
There is nothing more boring than sitting in a training or lecture and listening until the talk is over. Lack of interaction leads to a poor learning experience, which means a complete waste of time and energy. Another advantage of active learning is that it is often more fun and exciting because everyone is expected to participate, contribute to activities and discussions, and apply their knowledge in practice.
6- It increases the motivation of the learner
In an active learning environment, no one is invisible and there is no preference for any particular student. As mentioned in the previous sections, this type of learning requires everyone's participation and cooperation in productive discussion. Adopting this behavior makes all students feel important and motivated to learn.
7- It enhances creativity and innovation
Another great advantage of active learning is that it enhances the creativity and innovation of the students. Since it is all up to the students, they are forced to use their imaginations and unleash their creativity to make a great contribution to the classroom.
Active learning also helps in broadening the outlook of the students as they work in groups and exchange ideas with each other. Collaborating and participating in such a collaborative environment gives you new possibilities.Will allow to see, create new knowledge and come up with more ideas.
8- Improve critical thinking and problem solving skills
Active learning activities such as question-answer sessions and discussions encourage out-of-the-box thinking and take students' critical thinking to the next level. These activities not only help in enhancing the understanding of the subject but also develop the problem solving and decision making skills of the students.
Students will also learn how to build strong arguments to defend their own views, challenge the views of others, and identify logical fallacies. Undoubtedly, mastering these skills will help them make better and more rational decisions at work and devise innovative strategies and solutions to face any challenge.
9- Let teachers and colleagues make instant evaluations
Active learning often requires hands-on activities, competitions, and assessments, allowing instructors toWe quickly assess learners' understanding of their training topics, enabling us to provide instant guidance and mentorship to learners to bridge any performance gaps and achieve desired learning objectives. Learners can also provide feedback on the learning process and express their concerns about the learning experience.
10- It increases the success of the educational program
Even with lectures or courses featuring the best edtech training tools and materials, training can fail if learners are not fully engaged or motivated to learn.
This is where active learning comes in handy, and it can remove all of these barriers to training success. Active learners work hard to be successful and get better grades because they actively participate in the learning environment.
Don't forget that active learning in general is more fun and exciting as it is not just about reading and listening, as each person individually or in groups should be involved and do something, which leads to increased productivity And there is an increase in the degree and completeness of the engagement. Training.
How to be an active learner?
You can follow these tips to become an active learner:
1- Start using active learning techniques
These techniques include many active learning styles, and you can start by implementing the following:
Write down what you already know.
Ask critical and analytical questions about the information you receive or read.
Write the main points in your own words and style.
Summarize what you have read.
Explain what you have learned to others.
Complete all practical activities of the syllabus, not just reading.
Participate in class discussions by sharing your ideas and asking questions.
2- Work on improving your memory
We can use many things to help us improve our memory, such as pictures and colors, remembering different languages, organizing and organizing information in a way that is easy to remember, and repeating information over and over again. Unless it is fixed in the long term.
For example, here are some great tips you can rely on for better memory and longer retention of information:
add.
Reduce the amount of information by removing important information and then refreshing it.
read aloud.
Use flashcards, which are cards with information on both sides, used as memory aids. Each flashcard has questions on one side and answers on the other.
3- Work on increasing your focus
Lack of access to information is one of the most important problems that many students face. Therefore, working on your focus will help you learn effectively and actively. You can improve your focus by:
Create a comfortable learning environment free of distractions.
Turn off your phone or put it away.
Listen to music that helps you focus.
Also Read: How To Focus And Let Go Of Distractions?
5- Make a study plan
Planning is very important, whether in real life or in the learning process, it will help you organize your thoughts and goals, so that you can enter into an active learning cycle. You can start your study program by:
Set a study plan and stick to it.
Break your work into sections with a beginning and an end.
Focus on one entire section or topic at a time.
6- Set specific goals
Before starting each course of study, determine what you want to accomplish.
Write down your goals, for example: "Summarize 40-65 pages", "Complete half the questions in the first assignment".
Set a time limit for yourself, such as: "I will finish Chapter 2 in 40 minutes."
7- Take a break
The importance of taking breaks is that you will remember better if you study for a short period of time and then summarize what you learned. You will undoubtedly learn better if you take breaks at the beginning and end of each learning period.