Active Learning
Page Contents
o The Seven Principles for Good Practice
o Learner-Centered Principles for Training
o Andragogy
o Process of Learning
o A Climate for Active Learning
o Mutual Planning
o Learners' Needs
o Formulation of Objectives
o Designs for Active Learning
o Carrying out the Active Learning Design
o Mutual Evaluation
o References
Media, Strategies, & Methods
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The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education
A group of scholars of higher education were asked for a set of principles that could improve learning. Their findings boiled down to one key concept, "Effective teachers demonstrate more implementation of learner-centered domains of practice than less effective teachers" (Fasko, Grubb, McCombs & McCombs, 1993)
From this study, Chickering and Gamson (1997) formulated The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education:
1. Encourage contacts between students and faculty.
2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students.
3. Use active learning techniques.
4. Give prompt feedback.
5. Emphasize time on task.
6. Communicate high expectations.
7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
Learner-Centered Principles
A set of Learner-Centered Principles for Training (Ellis, Wagner, & Longmire, 1999) were created to help with the learning process. They are based on the work of Barbara McCombs (1992):
o Learning does not occur in a vacuum. Learners discover and construct meaning from information and experience based on their unique perceptions, thoughts and feelings.
o More information doesn't necessarily mean more learning. Learners seek to create meaningful uses of knowledge regardless of the quantity and quality information presented.
o Learners link new knowledge to existing information in ways that make sense to them. The remembering of new knowledge is facilitated when it can be tied to a learner's current knowledge.
o Personality influences learning. Learners have varying degrees of self-confidence and differ in the clarity of their personal goals and expectations for success and failure.
o Learners want to learn. Individuals are naturally curious and enjoy learning, but personal insecurity and fear of failure often get in the way.
o Learners like challenges and are most creative when it is challenging and meets their individual needs.
o Learners are individuals. Not all learners are at the same stage of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. Learners also differ in their cultural backgrounds. Although the basic principles of learning apply to all learners regardless of these differences, trainers must take into account such differences between learners.
o The learning environment is important. Learners learn best in a friendly, socially interactive and diverse environment.
o Learners like positive reinforcement. Learning environments that support the self-esteem and respect of the individual learner tend to be more successful.
o Past experience matters. Personal beliefs and impressions from prior learning color the learners' world views and their approach to learning.
Andragogy
The Andragogic Learning Model recognizes several facets to learning (Knowles, 1973):
o Learners are problem centered rather than content centered.
o Instructors permit and encourage the active participation of the learners.
o Instructors encourage the learner to introduce past experiences into the learning process in order to reexamine that experience in the light of new data.
o The climate of learning must be collaborative (instructor-to-learner and learner-to-learner) as opposed to authority-oriented.
o The learning environment (planning, conducting, evaluating) is a mutual activity between learner and instructor.
o Evaluation leads to appraisal of needs and interests and therefore to the redesign of new learning activities.
o Activities are experimental, not "transmittal and absorption."
Thus, the primary function of the instructor is to become a guide to the process of learning, not a manager of content. The "learning guide" uses two-way communication to establish the objectives and methods of the learning process.
Process of Learning
The three models discussed above emphasize the importance involving the learners in the training and learning process. Such a model would look similar to this:
The Process of Learning Model (Laird D. 1985)
A learning organization is a place where people are continually discovering how they create their reality. And how they can change it. - Peter Senge
Notice how The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, the set of Learner-Centered Principles for Training, and the Andragogic Learning Model all tie into The Process of Learning Model:
1. A climate for Active learning
o Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students (Seven Principles)
o Learning does not occur in a vacuum (Learner-Centered Principles)
o Learners want to learn (Learner-Centered Principles)
o The learning environment is important (Learner-Centered Principles)
o They encourage the learner to introduce past experiences into the process in order to reexamine that experience in the light of new data (Andragogic Learning Model)
2. A structure for mutual planning
o Encourages contacts between students and Faculty (Seven Principles)
o Personality influences learning (Learner-Centered Principles)
o Learners like challenges (Learner-Centered Principles)
o The learning environment (planning, conducting, evaluating) is a mutual activity between learner and instructor (Andragogic Learning Model)
3. Learners' needs, interests, and values
o Respects diverse talents and ways of learning (Seven Principles)
o Learners link new knowledge to existing information in ways that make sense to the learner (Learner-Centered Principles)
o Learners are individuals (Learner-Centered Principles)
o They are problem centered rather than content centered (Andragogic Learning Model)
4. Formulation of objectives
o Communicates high expectations (Seven Principles)
o The climate of learning must be collaborative (instructor-to-learner and learner-to-learner) as opposed to authority-oriented (Andragogic Learning Model)
5. Designs for learning
o Uses active learning techniques (Seven Principles)
o Past Experience Matters (Learner-Centered Principles)
o Activities are experimental, not "transmittal and absorption" (Andragogic Learning Model)
6. Carrying out the design
o Emphasizes time on task (Seven Principles)
o More information doesn't necessarily mean more learning (Learner-Centered Principles)
o The permit and encourage the active participation of the learner (Andragogic Learning Model)
7. Mutual evaluation, leading to reappraisal and revision of the learning objectives
o Gives prompt feedback (Seven Principles)
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