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Active_Learning_Research

The document discusses the concept of active learning, emphasizing its importance in a social context where students learn from each other. It highlights research supporting the effectiveness of active learning in enhancing academic achievement, critical thinking skills, and student engagement. The document also outlines the role of discussion and cooperative learning in promoting deeper understanding and retention of knowledge.

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2 views3 pages

Active_Learning_Research

The document discusses the concept of active learning, emphasizing its importance in a social context where students learn from each other. It highlights research supporting the effectiveness of active learning in enhancing academic achievement, critical thinking skills, and student engagement. The document also outlines the role of discussion and cooperative learning in promoting deeper understanding and retention of knowledge.

Uploaded by

maryamamohamedwork
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Research Behind Active Learning

Stacey Pylman PhD, Assistant Professor – OMERAD, CHM

In the flipped classroom model of the SDC curriculum, the weekend learning is
independent. It is in weekly small groups that students are given the opportunity to engage in
social learning. However, just because students are in a social group of eight tackling the content,
are students necessarily actively engaged or learning?

What is active learning?


Active learning is based on the sociocultural theory of learning - that people learn in a
social context (learn from each other). Lev Vygotsky (1978, 1987) found that with collaboration,
direction, or support, learners were always able to do more and solve more difficult tasks than
they could independently. Active learning contrasts a passive type of learning where students
simply listen to information being presented to them. According to Vygotsky, learning has its
basis in interacting with other people. Once this interaction has occurred, the information is then
integrated on the level of individual cognition. The learner is not merely a passive recipient of
adult guidance and assistance; the active involvement of the learner is crucial to development
(Bruner, 1968). Active learning can take on many forms that encourage students to apply new
knowledge to current understanding or to authentic situations, to synthesize information, and
create new ways of understanding and creating.

How do I know active learning is effective?


Because learning is a social act, it is important that students are given the opportunity to
engage with others while learning content. Chickering and Gamson (1987) who summarized
research on effective classroom practices listed seven principles for good practice in post-
secondary education including encouraging cooperation among students, encouraging active
learning, and using active learning techniques. Kuh and colleagues (2011) concluded that student
engagement was key to academic success. They noted that students learn more when they are
intensely involved in their own education and have the opportunity to think about and apply what
they are learning. Research and reviews of research from Faust and Paulson (1998) Pascarella
and Terenzini (1991, 2005) Prince (2004) and Springer, Stanne, and Donovan (1999) show
cooperative learning strategies produce overwhelmingly positive results for students in increased
academic achievement, development of critical thinking skills, and in enhanced social and
psychological benefits. Umbach and Wawrzynski (2005) found that students reported greater
learning when faculty utilized active and collaborative learning pedagogies. Bodensteiner (2012)
found students were better able to retain content and were more confident in their knowledge
when engaged in active learning strategies. Numerous additional studies found that active
participation in classroom discussion led to greater student learning (Astin 1985; Johnson,
Johnson, & Smith 1998; Kember & Gow 1994; McKeachie 1990).

Developing critical thinkers In addition to increased learning, participation in class


discussion also leads to the development of thinking skills. Smith (1977), Crone (1997), Garside
(1996), Greenlaw and DeLoach (2003) found that student participation and peer-to-peer
interaction were consistently and positively related to the development of or improvement in
students’ critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is a skill doctors need in order to be successful.
It is important for clinician educators to build active learning into their teaching to encourage all
students to talk critically about their thinking. A shared discovery medical education involves
more than sharing experiences. Learning implies active and collective engagement with ideas
and developing strong listening and reasoning skills through engagement with ideas.

The first step – letting students talk


Discussion is one form of cooperative, active learning. Kuh and colleagues (2011) found
when students are actively participating in discussion they learn more than when they merely
listen. Working in pairs makes it virtually impossible for students to avoid participating, thus
making each person accountable for thinking, learning and adding to collective learning of the
class. Results from Smith, Wood, Adams, and others (2009) indicate that peer discussion
enhances understanding, even when none of the students in a discussion group originally knows
the correct answer. Additionally, cooperative learning helps learners think out loud about their
understanding, identify misconceptions or gaps in knowledge, and gives them an opportunity to
teach the information to another person - known to help knowledge retention and deeper
understanding.

References
Astin, A. W. (1985). Achieving educational excellence. Jossey-Bass.
Bodensteiner, K. J. (2012). Emergency contraception and RU-486 (mifepristone): do bioethical
discussions improve learning and retention? Advances in physiology education, 36(1), 34-
41.
Bruner, J. S. (1968). Toward a theory of instruction (Vol. 59). Harvard University Press.
Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education. AAHE bulletin, 3, 7.
Crone, J. A. (1997). Using panel debates to increase student involvement in the introductory
sociology class. Teaching Sociology, 25(3), 214-218.
Faust, J. L., & Paulson, D. R. (1998). Active learning in the college classroom. Journal on
excellence in college teaching, 9(2), 3-24.
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conditions that matter. John Wiley & Sons.
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Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students (Vol. 1991). San
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research (Vol. 2).
Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of engineering
education, 93(3), 223-231.
Smith, D. G. (1977). College classroom interactions and critical thinking. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 69(2), 180.
Smith, M. K., Wood, W. B., Adams, W. K., Wieman, C., Knight, J. K., Guild, N., & Su, T. T.
(2009). Why peer discussion improves student performance on in-class concept
questions. Science, 323(5910), 122-124.
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of small-group learning on
undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A meta-
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Umbach, P. D., & Wawrzynski, M. R. (2005). Faculty do matter: The role of college faculty in
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Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). Thinking and speech. In Rieber, R. W., & Carton, A. S. (Eds.), The
collected works of LS Vygotsky. Vol. 1, Problems of general psychology including the
volume Thinking and speech. (pp. 39-285). New York: Plenum Press. (Originally written
1896-1934).
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978) Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological
Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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