Active learning: "Hands-on" meets "minds-on"

Abstract

Widespread disruptions to schooling spurred by COVID-19 have amplified long-standing discussions about what high-quality teaching and learning can be. Growing bodies of research and practice, from early childhood to university classrooms and beyond, demonstrate the benefits of moving beyond traditional lecture-driven approaches in favor of "active learning." Such approaches put students more in the driver's seat through discussions, in-class questions, and feedback; interactive technologies; and other strategies to engage learners and deepen understanding. Beyond cognitive and academic benefits, active-learning approaches can also provide socioemotional support, particularly for students who may not feel at home in or supported by traditional passive learning. But there is no single active-learning approach. Instead, as the experts below describe, we see a rich and developing portfolio of methods and ideas supporting different ways to produce more effective learning.