Active Learning
In active learning, students are responsible for their own learning. They learn by applying new information with the information that they already know. New and old information are assembled into new concepts and that is how learning takes place. However, if the old information is wrong, or not clear than it compromises the learning of new information. Fixing wrong concepts is difficult. That is why it is important for professors to review old concepts to make sure students understand them well before starting new concept. Every lecture should begin with a review of previous lecture to ensure all students are at the same level before teaching new information.
First year college students come from different schools, different backgrounds, and may not have the same level of education. It is important that schools conduct assessment of these new students to identify their strengths and weaknesses. If needed, have them taken some “supporting courses” to ensure that they have solid foundation to learn new things in order for them to succeed in college. Many first year students come to school without really know what they want for their careers. Many do not have good study habit or know how to manage their time and they often make mistakes. If these are not corrected early, if they are not properly guide then they may not do well in the next years because they are lacking the foundation that knowledge is built upon.
Active learning promotes team learning. Individuals are likely to learn more when they learn with others than when they learn alone. This is a concept that some professors feel uncomfortable. They are used to lecture in class or tell students what to do rather than let students learn themselves and they only facilitate it. However, it is the key principle of “Active Learning” that train students to work together in their learning. It is also the foundation of teamwork that they need when they work in the industry. I often encourage students to read materials before class so class time can be used for discussion. Class discussion among students requires them to think critically on the subject. Students must use their logic to evaluate other students ‘positions or defend their own. In that case, they are actively participate in the learning and learn more rather than just passively listen to a lecture or read a book.
Another active learning technique that I like is “Pair Study”. This process requires students to read the materials and write down questions that they have about the materials. During class, I put the students in pairs where each can ask questions and answer questions. They take turn to ask and answer questions, and any questions that both cannot answer will be collected for class discussion. During this time, I walk around the class from group to group to collect questions so I can use for class discussion. By knowing which questions that many have missed, I can predict which concepts are difficult than clarify them for the class.
Student debate is another active way for students to learn. This process allows students to take a position and gather information to support their views and explain it to others. These debates not only give the student a chance to participate in class activity but also allow them to gain experience in giving presentation which is also an important soft-skill that they will need.
There is a difference between learning a theory and apply it to something. This explains why some students know the theory well but still cannot apply it to solve problem. If students are to be successfully, they must know to apply what they learned and obtain feedback on what they do. The fact is students who are learning to solve problems need to know more than whether the answer is right or wrong. They have to understand more details and think about how to apply and it requires a different style of learning than memorization.
To promote that, I often give students many small exercises each week, from easy to hard to get them learning to solve problem. By asking students to apply the theory to simple task they learn how to think then when they move to harder problems, they improve their thinking which allows them to learn more about applying it. Having weekly exercise requires more time, more efforts for professors but moving students too fast, before they are ready may compromises their efforts to learn. A young professor once asked me: “Why make them think when you can ask them to memorize it. It is easier to grade as it is only about right or wrong.” My answer is: “Anyone can open the book or check with Google if they forget something. Memorization is not learning but the ability to recall. As an educator you have the responsibility to your students and their learning. You should do whatever it takes to give your students the best education possible. Meaningful learning is facilitated by deeper thinking. By having students work hard, it forces them to articulate an idea, an answer or improve a level of understanding. They may not like it now but they will appreciate later.”
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
