The IDEAL – Topic: Active Learning

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Icon of section IDEAL (Instructional Designer's Evolution through Analytical Learning)- Creative Agni ezine.

Active Learning

Training Cartoon of Sloth who has his own viewpoint on applying active learning methods in his classroom.

Active learning refers to the methods that engage or involve learner in the learning – thus, moving from the plain old lecture-based sessions to more interactive and collaborative ones. (Charles C. Bonwell and James A. Eison, 1991).

Thus Active Learning methods call for activities that initiate and build learner activity in a classroom. Such methods would take the learner activity beyond listening and making notes, and would include speech (discussions/question-answers/debates), writing (quizzes, articulation of concepts in the form of write-ups), and even problem-solving (team/group activities centered around finding a solution to a problem.)

Questions:

  1. At what stage in a training program would you like to use the methods of Active Learning the most and why?

a. Beginning (for schema activation)
b. Middle (for reinforcement)
c. End (for assessment)

  1. When an Active Learning method could lead to dissonance and reduce learning effectiveness, and why?