Active Learning part 2
There is a difference between the way student learn in the U.S and in Asia. As I taught in several regions, I can see that many students in the U.S already get used to the “Active learning” or the “Learning by doing method” but most students in Asia do not. Many are still engaging in the “Passive learning” and that could be a major disadvantage when they study abroad or work in the industry.
Today technology changes very fast with so much materials and getting all materials in class for students to learn is impossible. To broaden their knowledge, most professors would supplement their lectures with additional reading materials. However, many students do NOT have good habit of reading, especially reading technical books as they want something quick, easy and very short. Getting students to read their reading assignments seriously is NOT an easy task. Even it is clearly stated at the beginning of the class that it is required but few would take it seriously. When teaching in Asia, I found that many students were still try to pass the course without doing the reading, or only doing it superficially, just prior to tests. Basically, they were NOT ready to learn but only prepared to pass tests. When I asked, some of them answered: “I did read few pages a few days ago”, “I did study the PowerPoint presentation” or “I only read the main chapter”.
Being ready for the “Active learning” method requires both efforts from students and professors because it takes more work. For the Professor, the “Active teaching” requires the discussion with students on “Why do they need to know the materials”, “How do they learn” and “What are the outcomes”. By focus on these, professor can motivate students in learning rather than just lecture and allow them to memorize things to pass tests. Those students who come prepared and actively engage in class need to be rewarded and those who don't need to be held accountable. Assessment practices and class participation should be the key factors rather than just pass a test.
For the students, Active learning is NOT about listening and memorizing things. Fundamentally, the responsibility to learn belongs to the students alone. For learning to happen in any course, students must take an active role in the process. For every class, they are expected to come to class 'prepared' and 'ready to learn,' which requires them 'to read' and 'to study' the assigned reading 'before' class. Being prepared for class allow them to build a knowledge foundation on which subsequent learning will be built upon. Just like the house must have strong foundation, required readings are those foundation. During class, the professor does NOT lecture but discusses with students about what they are learning, clarify any misunderstanding or give some examples to make learning easier. By participate in this leaning style, students will be actively engaging in using their logic and reason to address issues and solve problems. This is the most needed skill in the industry and in graduated schools. I have seen so many “High scores” students who did well in undergraduate school in their country but failed in graduated school in the U.S because such difference in the learning style.
In Asia, I often heard complains: “Do we really need to read all materials?” “ That is too much.” “Can you just summarize it for us?” “Would you just tell us what parts will be on the exam?” What these students want is asking professor to help them with the hard work of extracting material from their readings and make it easier for them to memorize. I often remind students that there are important reasons why they should do the required readings on their own. After several discussions, I found that many students do not know how to extract information from the required readings as they still have the habit of read everything and memorize everything. The fact is many do NOT have good reading habit since they were in elementary schools.
I am surprised by the fact that today Asian students spend more time in movies, video games, and online chat than any other students. Most do NOT read books and if they have to, they only scan the text quickly rather than read. Students tell me that they prefer the internet because materials there are filled with pictures, interesting real-life stories and news. But I often wonder whether they are really study the subject on the internet or being distracted by clever advertising, bad websites, and sexual exploitation materials. The internet can be a good professor, if you are serious about study. There are more materials there if you know how to find them and study them. However it could also be a very bad friend as it can influence you, distract you from your study easily.
If students study seriously, whether from the required readings or from materials on the internet before class then what happens in class will make learning more interesting. By having good foundation and discussions, students will have a deeper understanding of key concepts and be able to integrate those concepts into their own knowledge and skills. They will learn the difference between well prepared and unprepared discussions. When students have read the material before class, discussions in class will become richer and more fun, not just for the teacher but for other students as well. Basically coming to class well prepared and with strong foundation knowledge will transform students from passive to active learners. They will stop the memorization but start the critical thinking. This logic and reasoning will promote better learning. These things will prepare them for a lifelong learning and ready for them to solve whatever problems that they face, at work or in life. And that is what education should be.
To prepare our students in this fast changing time, I strongly recommend students to take the effort to do the reading and learning prior going to class.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
