Active and Experiential Learning

Active learning are learning activities that center the student in their learning.  It is a means to directly engage students in the learning process.  A counterexample would be a traditional lecture during which students passively listen to the instructor.  Types of active learning activities may include (but are certainly not limited to) group projects, inquiry activities, small- or large-group discussion, socratic seminars, live performances, or construction of a robotic device that performs a task.  Often, active learning activities fall somewhere along the task authenticity spectrum.  Authentic learning activities are activities in which students are required to develop, use, or demonstrate the knowledge or skills that are required in the activity’s authentic analog.  Experiential learning opportunities are authentic learning experiences where students gain knowledge or develop skills by actually doing.  Some examples of experiential learning may include residencies or internships.  Experiential learning may also include structured or sheltered experiences.  For example, in a Spanish class, an assignment where the class has a lunch field trip to a local Peruvian restaurant and order in Spanish and have Spanish conversation over lunch would be experiential learning.

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• RESEARCH

  Examine selected research on active and experiential learning: 

  Markant, D., Ruggeri, A., Gureckis, T., Xu, F.  (2016).  Enhanced memory as a common effect of active learning(opens in new window).  Mind, Brain, and Education.  10(3) 142-152.  Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.mantis.csuchico.edu/doi/full/10.1111/mbe.12117(opens in new window)

  Hao, Q., Barnes, B., Jing, M.  (2020).  Quantifying effects of active learning environments: Separating physical learning classrooms from pedagogical approaches(opens in new window).  Learning Environments Research.  24 109-122.  Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://link-springer-com.mantis.csuchico.edu/article/10.1007/s10984-020-09320-3(opens in new window)

  Kim, K., Sharma, P., Land, S., Furlong, K.  (2012).  Effects of active learning on enhancing student critical thinking in an undergraduate general science course(opens in new window).  Innovative Higher Education.  38 223-235.  Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://link-springer-com.mantis.csuchico.edu/article/10.1007/s10755-012-9236-x(opens in new window)

  Linton, D., Pangle, W., Wyatt, K., Powell, K., Sherwood, R.  (2017).  Identifying key features of effective active learning: The effects of writing and peer discussion(opens in new window).  Life Sciences Education.  13(3) 361-571.  Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/cbe.13-12-0242(opens in new window)

  Taraban, R.,  Box, C., Myers, R., Pollard, R., Bowen, C.  (2007).  Effects of active-learning experiences on achievement, attitudes, and behaviors in high school biology(opens in new window).  Journal of Research in Science Teaching.  44(7) 960-979.  Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.mantis.csuchico.edu/doi/abs/10.1002/tea.20183(opens in new window)

  Meltzer, D.  (2012).  Resource letter ALIP-1: Active-learning instruction in physics(opens in new window).  American Journal of Physics. 80(6) 478.  Retrieved June 4, 2021 from https://aapt-scitation-org.mantis.csuchico.edu/doi/full/10.1119/1.3678299(opens in new window)

• APPLICATION

  Ready to apply active, experiential learning to your teaching? Here are some ideas and strategies to get you started:

  1. Adapt a lesson in which you typically lecture to include a student-centered activity.  See examples from UC, Berkeley(opens in new window) and Queen’s University(opens in new window)
  2. Develop a lesson or course to use a flipped classroom(opens in new window) mode of instruction to free up more time in class for active and experiential learning.
  3. Identify real-world situations to which your content applies and develop an activity for students to engage in that real situation or a model of that situation in order to learn the content.
  4. Plan a service learning or field experience activity to implement into your course.