Active Learning

My first official post will be on the topic of active learning, based on my thoughts after reading the article "Using Active Learning Techniques in Large Lecture Classes" by Stephen Buckles and Gail Mitchell Hoyt.

Basically, this article is about incorporating different methods of teaching in large classrooms by having the students getting actively involved with the lesson plan. Some ways to do this is by motivating students, splitting the lesson into small sessions, getting students to learn from each other in groups, using experiments and simulations, brainstorming, and creating a course website.

My views on the article's methods of active learning:

A teacher is like a DJ, and the students are a crowd of music-lovers. A good DJ will grab the crowd's attention by playing the right music and make good transitions between songs/tracks; a poor DJ will stumble and lose the crowd's attention. Therefore, if a teacher is going to incorporate "active learning" into their classroom, he or she must know how to administer the method effectively to his or her students. If an inappropriate method is used for a lesson, or if the teacher does not administer the method clearly or effectively for his or her students, then the students will not work efficiently and the lesson of the day will be lost. Just like how music-lovers are at a DJ party to listen to good music, students are in the classroom to learn lessons; and if the method used for that day's lesson is not carried out correctly, then that day's lesson will be lost.

In the end, I believe that in order to learn one must actively participate in the lesson mentally (i.e. paying attention). In contrast, there is no such thing as passive learning. So in my own words, active learning is paying attention to the teacher and the lesson being taught, whether the work is being done in groups or not.