Active Learning:

Motivating Students to Learn

Dr. Theresa R. Moore

May 22-23, 2006

 I hear, and I forget;
I see, and I remember;
I do, and I understand.

- Confucious
May 22-23, 2006
Outline of Plenary

1. Review goals of Title 3;

2. Course design;
3. What is active learning & why do it?
4. Learning theorists & learning styles;
5. Active learning and technology
(Isaac).

May 22-23, 2006

Outcomes of the workshop
Faculty will…
Know basic concepts related to a cognitive
approach to learning styles;
Understand basic premises of active learning;
Engage in active learning with their peers;
Work individually and with their programs on
purposeful alignment of outcomes, assessment
methods, and instructional activities;
Have a “toolkit” of active learning approaches to
apply to courses.

May 22-23, 2006

Section I:
Goals of the Title III Project
Goal 1: increase the use of outcomes
based assessment in courses and
programs to measure and improve
student learning;

Goal 2: increase the use of active

learning strategies and technologies
to effect learner-centered instruction.
May 22-23, 2006
 Section II: Course design

2. Learning
goals

Active Learning

4. Teaching & 3. Feedback &

Learning Assessment
Activities

May 22-23, 2006 1. Situational factors

 Student learning outcome: Students will critically analyze the
current educational policies in the United States.
Primary instructional method: lecture
Assessment method: exams with critical thinking items
embedded

Learning
Outcome(s)

Teaching & Feedback &

Learning Assessment
Activities

May 22-23, 2006

Section III: What is active
learning & why do it?
Strategies that increase student
engagement with material and are aligned
with student learning outcomes

Theory that derives from two basic

assumptions: (1) that learning is by nature
an active endeavor and (2) that different
people learn in different ways
(Meyers and Jones, 1993).

May 22-23, 2006

What is active learning?

[it is] when students are engaged in more

activities than just listening. They are
involved in dialog, debate, writing, and
problem solving, as well as higher-order
thinking.
(Bonwell, C., and Eison, J., 1991)

May 22-23, 2006

 Types of activities

• Small group work

• Presentations and debates
• Journaling
• Role playing
• Learning Games
• Field Experiences
• Case Studies
• Class Discussions
• Simulations….more!
May 22-23, 2006
(Mc Keachie, 1994 and Silberman, 1996)
Active learning types

“complex tasks”
“simple tasks” longer duration,
ad hoc
carefully planned
exercises;
little or no and structured
advanced
planning;
e.g.
“think-pair-share”
“minute paper”
“concept mapping”
Cooperative
Collaborative learning
learning a form of
carefully structured, collaborative learning
group formation and that has 5 specific
student roles criteria to maximize
important learning
May 22-23, 2006
Cooperative learning:
5 key components
1. Positive interdependence
(each individual depends on
and is accountable to the
others);
2. Individual accountability
(each person in the group
learns the material);
3. Promotive interaction
(group members help one
another, share information,
clarify);
4. Social skills
(emphasis on interpersonal
skills);
5. Group processing
(assessing how effectively they
are working with one another).

May 22-23, 2006

Why do active learning?

Sousa, D.A. (2000)

May 22-23, 2006
Why do Active Learning?
[Link]

May 22-23, 2006

Research summary

Longitudinal studies show that cohorts of

students instructed using active learning
techniques outperformed a comparison
group on multiple measures: retention,
graduation and pursuit of graduate
study
(Felder, R., Felder, G, and Dietz, E, 1998)

May 22-23, 2006

Research summary
“Scientists and engineers work mostly in groups and less often
as isolated investigators. Similarly, students should gain
experience sharing responsibility for learning with each
other.”

Meta-analysis of research studies:

greater academic achievement,
more favorable attitudes toward
learning and,
increased persistence in SMET courses
and programs.
[Link]/nise/cl1/CL/resource/[Link]

May 22-23, 2006

Why do active learning?
Retention levels are enhanced when
active learning methods are used
(McKeachie, 1999; Silberman, 1996)

Active learning produces:

 higher achievement,
 more positive relationships among students,
 healthier psychological adjustment.
(Johnson, D. W., R. T. Johnson, and K. Smith , 1991)

May 22-23, 2006

Section IV: Learning theorists &
learning styles
Behaviorism (B.F. Skinner) – learning
built on conditioning
Constructivism (J. Dewey, J. Piaget,
L. Vygotsky, others) – learning built
on prior knowledge

May 22-23, 2006

 John Dewey (1916): 1) individual
experience & 2) collaboration
w/others are important for learning

“School is primarily a social institution.

Education is a social
process….therefore [it] is a process
of living, not preparation for living.”
May 22-23, 2006
Active learning from
the Constructivist School
Jean Piaget: we come to know the
world by building new experiences on
old experiences

Lev Vygotsky: students learn better by

engaging with “more capable others”

May 22-23, 2006

Constructivist principles

Knowledge is constructed from

experience;
Learning results from personal
interpretation of knowledge;
Learning is an active process;
Learning is a collaborative process.

May 22-23, 2006

Benjamin Bloom

Viewed education as goal attainment,

not competition;
Acknowledged individual differences
and environment as crucial;
Studied high achieving adults - found
they excelled because of
MENTORSHIP.

May 22-23, 2006

Three Domains of Learning
(Bloom,1956)

• Cognitive: mental skills

• Affective: growth regarding feelings,
emotions
• Psychomotor: manual, physicality,
environment

May 22-23, 2006

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning
“Higher Order Thinking Skills”
Synthesis
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Knowledge
Evaluation
Alone or with a neighbor:
1) define each skill &
2) align in a hierarchy.
May 22-23, 2006
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning
Evaluation: compare and discriminate between ideas. Question
Cues:
assess, decide, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince,
select, judge
Synthesis: use old ideas to create new ones. Question
Cues:
combine, integrate, modify, substitute, plan, create, design, invent
Analysis: identification of components.
Question Cues:
analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide,
compare, select
Application: use of
concepts/methods in new situations. Question cues: apply,
demonstrate, illustrate, examine, solve
Comprehension:
understanding of meaning. Question cues: summarize, describe,
interpret, predict

May 22-23, 2006

Knowledge: recall
of information. Question cues: define, identify, list, match
Learning styles

Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic (VAK)

Kolb’s learning style inventory (LSI)
Meyers Briggs (MBTI)

May 22-23, 2006

VAK learning styles
Visual learners have two subchannels
 visual-linguistic
 visual-spatial
Auditory learners
Kinesthetic learners have two
subchannels
 kinesthetic (movement)
 tactile (touch)

May 22-23, 2006

 Section V:
Active Learning & Technology

May 22-23, 2006

Bibliography
Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals:
Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York ; Toronto: Longmans, Green.

Bonwell, C. and Eison, J. (1991). “Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom.”ASHE-ERIC
Higher Education Report No. 1.

Bonwell C. and Sutherland, T. (eds.). (1996). Using Active Learning in College Classes: A Range of
Options for Faculty. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Collier Books.

Felder, R.M., Felder, G.N., Dietz, E.J. (1998). “A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance
and Retention V. Comparisons with Traditionally Taught Students.” Engineering Education, 98(4),
469-480.

Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college
courses. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.

Huba, M. E. and Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-centered assessment on college campuses: Shifting the
focus from teaching to learning. Allyn and Bacon.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K. (1991). Active learning: Cooperation in the college
classroom, Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development.
Prentice Hall.

May 22-23, 2006

Bibliography
Mc Keachie, W. J. (1994). Teaching Tips: Strategies, research, and theory for College Teachers. 9th
edition. Lexington, Maryland: D.C. Heath.

Meyers, C. and Jones, T.B. (1993). Promoting active learning: Strategies for the college classroom. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Paiget, J. (1970). The Science of Education and the Psychology of the Child. NY: Grossman.

Silberman, M. (1996). Active learning: 101 Strategies to teach any subject. Allyn & Bacon.

Sousa, D. A. (2000). How the brain learns: A classroom teacher's guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.

Stice, J. E. (1987). “Using Kolb’s Learning Cycle to Improve Student Learning.” Engineering Education,
77(5), 291-296.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1971). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.. (M. Cole, V.
John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds. & Trans.). Cambridge: MA: Harvard University
Press.

May 22-23, 2006