Active Learning
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What is Active Learning? “Active learning is an antonym of passive or traditional learning, describes a process whereby students take greater responsibility for their education, seek out information and are more motivated. Moreover active learning includes intelligent systems for quizzing, assessment, and evaluation”. Imran Aziz, CEO RAD Federation Important Elements of Online Education Simply defined, online education refers to courses offered via the Internet. The minimum requirement for students to participate in an online course is access to a computer, the Internet, and motivation to succeed in a non-traditional classroom.
Critical dimensions of online teaching and learning which are as under:
Task Oriented The tasks we set for our learners define the essence of the interactive learning environment. Whenever appropriate, these tasks should be authentic rather than academic. Example Visual design students are producing web sites for schools, nursing homes, and public service agencies that lack sufficient funding to develop their own web resources. Constructionist Students need to create tangible knowledge representations that can be shared, critiqued, and revised. Example Students in fields ranging from auto repair to zoo management are producing digital portfolios throughout their study programs. Conversational Students must have ample time and secure spaces for in-depth discussions, debates, arguments, and other forms of conversation. Example Learning is being constructed through new forms of conversation spaces such as the online part of this conference and through resources. Collaborative Although still in the early stages of development, web-based tools for group work and collaboration are preparing students for team work in 21st Century work environments. Example Fashion design students are collaborating to produce online fashion shows with QuickTime VR versions of their creations that are critiqued by international experts. Challenging The notion that learning online is easy should be dispelled. Learning is difficult and students should be provided with online cognitive tools to help them. Example Throughout the VET sector, students are confronting problems as complex and difficult as the ones they’ll face in the real world. Cognitive tools are helping them tackle hard problems. Responsive In online learning communities, both teachers and students have a mutual responsibility to respond quickly, accurately, and with respect. Example Supportive networks are being established that will continue to be refined throughout a career, indeed throughout a life. Reflective Both teachers and learners must engage in thoughtful reflection and metacognition. These are not instinctive activities for most people, but they can be learned. Example Childhood studies students are keeping electronic journals to reflect upon the children they teach, and their roles as advocates for children, especially the under-privileged. Learning Styles According to researchers everyone has their own "style" for collecting and organizing information into useful knowledge, and the online environment can be particularly well suited to some learning styles and personality needs. For example, introverted students often find it easier to communicate via computer-mediated communication than in face-to-face situations.
Visual/Verbal Learners: These people learn best when information is presented visually and in a written form. In a classroom setting, they prefer instructors who use visual aids (i.e. black board, PowerPoint presentation) to list the essential points of a lecture in order to provide them with an outline to follow during the lecture. They benefit from information obtained from textbooks and class notes. These learners like to study by themselves in quiet environments. They visualize information in their "minds' eyes" in order to remember something. The online environment is especially appropriate for visual/verbal learners because most of the information for a course is presented in written form. These people learn best when information is presented visually and in a picture or design format. In a classroom setting, they benefit from instructors who supplement their lectures with materials such as film, video, maps and diagrams. They relate well to information obtained from the images and charts in textbooks. They tend prefer to work alone in quiet environments. They visualize an image of something in their mind when trying to remember it. These learners may also be artistic and enjoy visual art and design. The online environment is well suited for this type of learner because graphical representations of information can help them remember concepts and ideas. Graphical information can be presented using charts, tables, graphs, and images. These people learn best when information is presented aurally. In a classroom setting, they benefit from listening to lecture and participating in-group discussions. They also benefit from obtaining information from audiotape. When trying to remember something, they often repeat it out loud and can mentally "hear" the way the information was explained to them. They learn best when interacting with others in a listening/speaking activity. Online learning environments can complement these learners' style. Although most information is presented visually (either written or graphically), group participation and collaborative activities are accomplished well online. In addition, streaming audio and computer conferencing can be incorporated into an online course to best meet the learning style of these students. These people learn best when doing a physical "hands-on" activity. In the classroom, they prefer to learn new materials in lab setting where they can touch and manipulate materials. They learn best in physically active learning situations. They benefit from instructors who use in-class demonstrations, hands-on learning experiences, and fieldwork outside the classroom. Online environments can provide learning opportunities for tactile/kinesthetic learners. Simulations with 3-Dimensional graphics can replicate physical demonstrations. Lab sessions can be conducted either at predetermined locations or at home and then discussed online. Also, outside fieldwork can be incorporated into the coursework, with ample online discussion both preceding and following the experience. Finally, the online environment is well suited for presentation and discussion of either group or individual projects and activities. Instructional Strategies for Different Learning Styles in Active Learning Environment: Traditionally, in a teacher-centered classroom, instructors control their environment because they have a monopoly on information. In an online course, with instant access to vast resources of data and information, students are no longer totally dependent on faculty for knowledge. Of the many instructional strategies available for use in the Active learning environment, most have not been developed specifically for online instruction, but are currently used in traditional classrooms, and can be successfully adapted for facilitating Active learning. After Bergman & Moore (1990) who developed a list of Strategies for Interactive Learning, RADF gave new Instructional Strategies named as “Instructional Strategies for Different Learning Styles in Active Learning Environment”. According to RAD Federation Instructional Strategies could be:
Learning contracts connect educational needs to individual student needs and are useful when there is diversity in learner needs and interests in a class. A learning contract is a formal agreement written by a learner which details what will be learned, how the learning will be accomplished, the period of time involved, and the specific evaluation criteria to be used in judging the completion of the learning. Learning contracts help the educator and learner share the responsibility for learning. Contract learning can bring about many practical benefits, including deeper involvement of the learner in the learning activities, which they themselves have been involved in planning. Once a learner passes through the stage of confusion and anxiety associated with developing a contract, he/she will get excited about carrying out their own plans. Another benefit of utilizing contract learning is an increase of accountability, since the learning contract provides more functional and validated evidence of the learning outcomes. The contract also provides a means for the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress toward accomplishing learning objectives. Exposition Presenting the content through words or media with minimal intervention from the user.
An organized set of activities or exercises that users can try, test, and review until satisfied. Demonstration/Example Showing real-world artifacts, situations, operations, and procedures that serve as models or incentives for the viewer. Metaphor Representation of concepts that cannot be demonstrated or they are especially complex with simpler, familiar and often, more entertaining illustrations or dramatizations. The lecture is one of the most frequently used instructional methods in adult education. It assumes the educator to be the expert and is an efficient way of disseminating information. Most educators agree that the purpose of lectures is to lay foundations as the student works through the subject, and good lecturers know their students and develop their lectures according to the students' needs. Most importantly, lectures are most effective when used in combination with other instructional strategies. Online lectures can be presented in a variety of ways. Lecture notes can be placed on a web page for the learner to review. Notes can be put together in a packet and either downloaded from the Internet or sent via snail mail. Lectures can also be presented via audio or video over the Internet. Also, links to related resources and other Web sites can be embedded in online lectures. Online lectures are likely to be shorter and more to the point than lectures in live classrooms, which often extend far beyond the attention span of the audience. Short lectures provide enough information to serve as a basis for further reading, research, or other learning activities. Another obvious advantage of online lectures is that they are readily available for students to revisit again and again as needed. Discussion is the instructional strategy most favored by adult learners because it is interactive and encourages active, participatory learning. The discussion format encourages learners to analyze alternative ways of thinking and acting and assists learners in exploring their own experiences so they can become better critical thinkers. The discussion is often the heart of an online course. The Internet offers several modes for discussion including mailing lists (listservs), which focus on particular topics and online conferencing programs. Both of these options utilize asynchronous communication. Synchronous (real time) communication can be offered by utilizing chat rooms or text-based virtual reality environments, better known as Multi-user Domains (MUDs) or Multi-user Object Oriented Environments (MOOs). Self-directed learning is learning initiated and directed by the learner and can include self-paced, independent, and individualized learning as well as self-instruction. Whatever terminology is used, self-directed learning places the responsibility for learning directly on the learner. Learners who take the initiative in learning and are proactive learners learn more and better than passive learners (reactive learners). Proactive learners enter into learning more purposefully and with greater motivation. They also tend to retain and make use of what they learn better and longer than reactive learners. The independent learner is one who is more involved and active within the learning process. Online learning supports the self-directed learner in pursuing individualized, self-paced learning activities. The learner, working at a computer at a convenient time and pace, is able to search and utilize the vast resources of the Internet research nearly any topic imaginable. Students can visit libraries, museums and various institutes world-wide, talk to professionals, access recent research, and read newspapers and peer reviewed scholarly journals online. Students can write collaboratively with peers and even publish written and multimedia products on web pages. The aim of mentorship is to promote learner development drawing out and giving form to what the student already knows. A mentor serves as a guide rather than a provider of knowledge and serves the function of introducing students to the new world, interpreting it for them, and helping them to learn what they need to know to function in it. Mentors in education teach by interpreting the environment and modeling expected behaviors. They also support, challenge, and provide vision for their students. In small groups learners can discuss content, share ideas, and solve problems. They present their own ideas as well as consider ideas put forth by others. In this way, they can be exposed to a variety of viewpoints on a given subject. There are many small group formats that encourage and provide opportunities for interaction: Role-playing: This is another format available for use with small groups and involves recreating a situation relating to a real-world problem in which participants act out various roles. This promotes an understanding of other people's positions and their attitudes as well as the procedures that might be used for diagnosing and solving problems. Role-playing can be used to simulate real-life group work situations and can help learners gain a fuller understanding of a problem or situation. Games: Requiring two or more groups to compete while attempting to meet a set of objectives is another form of small group learning. The game follows a set of rules and procedures and information is provided which requires decision-making. Most instructional games reflect typical real-life situations. The rules, procedures, and objectives of the game should be clear and concise. Online projects give students an opportunity to pursue their special interests and can be done individually or within groups. Projects also provide students with practical experience and a sense of accomplishment. Using projects in a learning activity makes the learning more relevant to the learners. Products can be shared with others in the class and critiqued. Many times an individual project is only critiqued by the facilitator, but by sharing individual projects with other participants, the learner has the opportunity to obtain more diverse viewpoints and feedback. Collaborative learning is the process of getting two or more students to work together to learn. Students often work in small groups composed of participants with differing ability levels and using a variety of learning activities to master material initially developed by an instructor, or construct knowledge on substantive issues. Each member of the team is responsible for learning what is taught and for helping teammates learn. Online learning models are natural environments for collaborative learning, but they are not collaborative learning environments by definition. Learners may interact with other participants without collaborating, for example when receiving on-line tutorial help. Learning activities have to be specifically and somewhat carefully designed to work effectively. The case study is a teaching strategy which requires learners to draw upon their past experiences, is participatory and has action components which are links to future experience. The key to a successful case study is the selection of an appropriate problem situation, which is relevant both to the interests and experience level of learners and to the concepts being taught. The case report should include facts regarding the problem, the environmental context, and the characters of the people involved in the case. It should be factual, but also contain the opinions and views of the people involved. Learners should have access to the problem solution, but not until they have reached their own conclusions and can then compare their results with the actual decision taken to resolve the problem. The case analysis can be carried out with the learners working independently or in groups One advantage of using the case method is that it emphasizes practical thinking and it assists learners in identifying principles after examining the facts of the case and then applying those principles to new situations Case analysis is equally effective when used in combination with other instructional strategies. The forum is an open discussion carried on by one or more resource people and an entire group. The moderator guides the discussion and the audience raises and discusses issues, makes comments, offers information, or asks questions of the resource person(s) and each other. There are two variations of the forum: the panel and the symposium. The panel is usually a group of three to six people who sit in the presence of an audience and have a purposeful conversation on a topic in which they have specialized knowledge. Guided by a moderator, the panel is informal in nature, but allows for no audience participation. The symposium is a series of presentations given by two to five people different aspects of the same theme or closely related themes. Although the symposium is formal in nature, questions from the audience are encouraged following the presentations. An obvious benefit of the symposium is that it gives learners exposure to a variety of experts' viewpoints and offers an opportunity for the audience to ask questions. Because online environment facilitates group communication, it is ideal for the types of information exchange typical in forums. In fact, the forum can be more convenient and effective in the online environment than in the traditional classroom because speakers, experts and moderator can participate without having to travel or even be available at a particular time. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication can be utilized to support online learning forums. RADF researchers also evaluated that there are also alternatives of online Lectures, which would be beneficial if we implement prior to shift totally to the virtual university. Methods of information dissemination that can be used in an online environment are listed below. Ways that each method can be used have been listed, as well as the benefits and possible drawbacks associated with each one. Facilitators need to be aware of problems that can arise as they use these technologies. For example, while the "lecturette" can be an effective online tool, long lectures are not recommended as well as exercises that don't require students to comment on each other's work.
They are used for the following purposes:
Benefits
Drawbacks
Basic concept of the course content subject or resources for the virtual classroom discussion can be provided through video. Whole films can be used in online courses in ESL, literature, any foreign language, creative writing, etc. Students can watch the film outside of "class" and then discuss/critique it in the virtual classroom. During online discussions, students can compare the film to the book, discuss character profiles, plot, theme, symbolism, historical context, etc.
Drawbacks
Audio Tapes / Radio Programs
Drawbacks
Guest speakers can be invited to hold either a synchronous chat session with the class, or post a lecture and be available for 2-3 days to answer questions from the group.
Drawbacks
Benefits
Drawbacks
Each participant finds outside, related articles on the Internet; reads, summarizes, and critiques the article. Other participants can choose to access the article themselves, and/or comment on their classmate's critique. Students can then comment on other people's comments. A lot of valid information can come from this activity.
Drawbacks
This includes subscribing to or even just browsing newsgroups on topics related to course content.
Drawbacks
These are focused email discussions on topics supplemental to course work.
Drawbacks
These include web sites where users can read information updates, view stills and video, and listen to audio related to their course work. For example, the ESL Cafe puts ESL students in touch with other language learners around the world as well as offers expert help in grammar and vocabulary and a chance for students to publish their writing online. Benefits
Drawbacks
Chatting
Drawbacks
Students are assigned to interview a professional, expert, or some other individual who has a meaningful relationship to the material begin discussed, and then relate the information gained from the interview to the group. Benefits
Drawbacks
This is an interview via e-mail or chat. Students communicate with a person through e-mail to gather necessary information, and then report back to the VC.
Drawbacks
Case analysis used in conjunction with current real world situations allows for the material content to be transcribed into practical applications: from theory to concept to application.
Drawbacks
Students may be assigned to go into their work place to conduct interviews, gather information, and map processes. Together the group can compare and contrast the data and develop a report or project plan.
Drawbacks
Questions Types RADF understands the fact that test questions should be designed to evaluate students' ability to think at any of the six different levels of abstraction as described by Bloom, and often the same content information can be assessed at different levels of cognition.
Active Learning Strategies and the Lecture There are a large number of strategies, which may be utilized in the development of an active learning environment. The extent to which a faculty member must make changes to his or her current educational techniques depend upon the strategies he or she selects. It is possible to incorporate procedures into the didactic lecture format; however, care must be taken to ensure that the educational process is successful. Alternatively, the instructor may elect to discard the lecture format and provide an alternative learning environment for the student. Questions One way to increase student participation within the lecture is for the instructor to ask questions. However, successful utilization of this technique is not as simple as it might first appear. Questions are a valuable teaching strategy when thoughtfully implemented. They are detrimental to student learning when poorly employed by the instructor. Questions, which are used to achieve well-defined educational objectives, help emphasize the process of learning. Effective questioning skills can be learned, but the instructor must make the commitment to develop and practice these skills. In addition, the attitudes, behaviors and interpersonal skills of the instructor will determine the success of this technique as with other interactive learning methodologies. Students quickly perceive behaviors on the part of the instructor, which are inconsistent with, or negate, an interactive learning process. The student must feel free to ask and answer questions without the fear of an adverse response if he or she should provide an incorrect response. If this is the case, the benefits to students will be quickly lost as they withdraw from the process. Advanced planning on the part of the instructor is required if this educational technique is to be successful. Key questions are planned in advance in order to provide structure and direction for the students. It is important that questions not be based on trivial information or used as fillers. It is necessary to decide in advance the content upon which the questions will be based and the purpose of each question. Questions should pertain to material, which is fundamental to the concepts or principles being taught. It is important to determine at what level and where in the lecture the question will be asked before formulating the actual question(s). To do this, the instructor must be aware of the types of questions which can be posed, the cognitive level to which they pertain, and when to use each type of question. Lower level cognitive questions evaluate student preparation and comprehension through review and summarization techniques. High-level cognitive questions encourage critical thinking, problem solving and stimulate students to assume greater responsibility for seeking information on their own. While it is important to utilize questions of all cognitive levels, the greater proportion of questions should aim to develop the cognitive skills of comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis. The instructor should design each question so that students are required to utilize the very thinking skills the instructor wishes them to develop. The instructor's desire should be to stimulate discussions and other activities within the classroom. It is important to ensure that the questions are specific in nature, well phrased and concise. The task must be clear to the students. However, at the same time, there should be some flexibility in the question and its presentation. This will avoid students being forced into a guessing game for the expected answer. Open-ended questions stimulate student participation in the process. They may have more than one acceptable answer, many of which are not anticipated by the instructor . Until the instructor is skilled in the process, it is advisable to write the questions down in the order in which they will be posed within the lecture. Try to anticipate in advance what the student responses might be and your reactions to them. This enables the instructor to ensure that the task will, in fact, be clear to the student. It will also be necessary to decide upon a strategy if there are no answers offered, in order to turn the situation into a learning experience. A common problem, which occurs when questioning students, is the lack of time, provided to them in order that they may collect their thoughts and respond. The instructor should provide a wait time of at least 10-20 seconds depending on the type of question posed. When students do respond, the instructor must be interested in the student and his or her response. It would be appropriate for the instructor to develop active listening skills to facilitate the process. Do not respond too quickly to an answer. However, it is imperative that the instructor responds to all answers in a positive fashion even if they are incorrect. Positive reinforcement, over time, will increase the students' willingness and desire to participate in the process. Make sure that you, and the other students, understand the response. If necessary, ask for clarification. Similarly, if the initial response appears to be superficial, the instructor may use a questioning technique called probing to determine if the student understands the material. The probe can be directed to the student who provided the initial response or to another student within the class. Probes may also be used to analyze student statements, help students deduce relationships or require a student to clarify or elaborate on his or her comments. If a response seems out of context, the instructor should pose additional questions to refocus the students. This technique may also be utilized to redirect students to another topic during the lecture. If there is no response, or an incorrect answer is given, the instructor should use rephrasing techniques and not answer the question. In rephrasing, the question may be reworded or clarified, additional information provided, or the original question can be broken down into smaller components. The intent is to turn the situation into a learning experience for the students. Questions can be utilized in small or large classes to a greater or lesser extent within the lecture period. In some lecture settings, the use of questions is the primary teaching technique. Most readers will be familiar with the Socratic technique, which was depicted within the movie The Paper Chase. This technique is an instructor-directed form of instruction in which questions are used as the sole method of teaching. The technique is assumed to help emphasize the learning process by placing students in the position of having to recognize the limits of their knowledge, and hopefully, motivating them to learn. Care should be taken to ensure that learning occurs due to an increase in the students' interest in the subject and not through fear. The Socratic method consists of the use of systematic questions, inductive reasoning, and the formulation of universal definitions. Students are presented with a scenario and the instructor systematically poses a series of predetermined questions. The questions are designed to channel the students' thought processes along predetermined paths. The students are required to utilize information that they possess to solve difficult problems or issues posed by the questions. Subsequently, inductive reasoning techniques are used to help students move beyond the details of the scenario to understand its broader implications and the basic concepts to which they portend. Once the general concepts are understood, the instructor uses questions to help the students develop a general explanation or universal definition of the concept(s). The idea is for the students to develop an explanation, which would cover all possible scenarios. In doing so, the students are able to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the material. This technique can be a very effective teaching methodology, but it requires significant preparation and commitment on the part of the instructor if it is to be successful. The instructor may utilize other modifications to the lecture format in order to increase student participation in the learning process. One technique is termed as "pausing for enhanced retention and comprehension." The instructor pauses every 12-18 minutes and provides students with 2-3 minutes to work in dyads in order to clarify and assimilate the material just presented. The process is reinforced by a 3-minute period at the end of the lecture in which students are asked to record everything they can remember through free recall. It has been demonstrated that student performance on subsequent examinations is significantly improved upon when this technique is used. Guided lectures are designed to help students synthesize lecture material and develop their note-taking skills. Students should be provided with the lecture objectives in advance of the session. In this setting students are required to listen to a 20-30 minute lecture and not take notes. At the end of the session, the students are given 5 minutes to record everything he or she can recall. At the end of this period, the students are asked to form dyads or triads, reconstruct and discuss the lecture, and in the process complete their notes. During this time, the instructor is available to clarify any issue or question, which might arise within the groups. The entire process can be facilitated through the use of study guides, well-designed questions and pre- and post-session mini-tests. Responsive lectures provide a forum in which students may generate open-ended questions for the instructor on topics pertinent to the subject. These sessions can be held on an occasional to weekly basis depending upon course structure and available contact time. In the initial phase of the lecture, the students generate a series of open-ended questions and a reason for each question's importance. The instructor lists the questions on the board or overhead as they are generated. Once this is complete, the students are asked to rank the questions in order of importance from their perspective. The ranked questions then become the outline for the remainder of the lecture. This type of educational forum can place significant demands upon the instructor and is not for the faint of heart. If the instructor finds that the process is too wide open for his or her taste, then the students can be asked to generate or submit the questions in the preceding lecture period. Alternatively, the instructor can stop halfway through the lecture and ask the students to form groups of 3-4 individuals. Five minutes is then provided for the groups to each decide upon one question which they would like the instructor to answer. This technique permits the students to sort the information and become actively involved in discussions, thinking and peer teaching. Brainstorming The instructor may use brainstorming techniques in order that students may participate in, and help create, the lecture. This technique is less time efficient for information transfer than the lecture, but it actively engages students in the learning process. The instructor must have a clear idea of what he or she wishes to be revealed or discovered in the process and plan accordingly. In some instances the instructor may need to interject points in order to keep the process on track. However, it is important to guard against excessive manipulation of the process once it has started. In addition, the instructor must be flexible enough to depart from his or her preconceived ideas when necessary. The instructor initiates the process by asking students to tell him or her everything they know about a topic. Everything goes, and no evaluations are made of the suggestions or comments put forward by the students. The instructor records the points, as they are made, on a chalkboard or on an overhead projector. During the process, the ideas are then categorized or placed in groupings by the instructor with the students' guidance. The lecture becomes a process of arranging and reordering ideas and concepts regarding the topic into a coherent and rational pattern. The final creation reflects what the students and instructor consider important about the topic. During the lecture, the students have spent their time thinking about and organizing the salient concepts or points of the topic as opposed to simply recording information. Tests and Quizzes Research has demonstrated that after a lecture, students recall 62% of the information. However, students recall only 45% after 3-4 days and in 8 weeks only 24% of the information is recalled. If a quiz or exam was administered after the lecture, recall was doubled at the 8-week period (5). It is interesting that many faculty members appear to ignore the potential impact, which tests can have upon learning. This may relate to the fact that tests or exams require time which faculty would prefer to, or must, allocate to other activities.
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