What is active learning Active learning requires Active

What is active learning? Active learning requires • Active (instead of passive) student participation • Engaging students in their learning process • Developing students’ higher-level cognitive skills like analysis, application, evaluation, creation, and synthesis. Active learning techniques (ALTs): • Provoke critical thinking • Place the primary responsibility for learning on the learner • Involve open-ended tasks with no single correct answer • Are structured by an instructor Receive Informatio n Practice Reflect on learning

What are the benefits? • Better concept understanding (Drumm et al. , 2019; Georgiou & Sharma, 2014; Harris & Bacon, 2019; Millis, 2012) • Increased knowledge retention (Harris & Bacon, 2019; Millis, 2012; Prince, 2004) • Improved students’ engagement and academic performance (Freeman et al. , 2014; Mello & Less, 2013)

Teaching literature often suggests: active learning > lecture When actually, it should always be: active learning + lecture (and you’re probably already doing this) (Harrington & Zakrajsek, 2017)

Examples of ALTs: ◦ Case studies ◦ Role play ◦ Group discussion (open-ended questions) ◦ Think/pair/share ◦ Concept maps ◦ Peer teaching/review ◦ Performance tasks ◦ Quick write requiring synthesis