Active Learning Pedagogy Research Articles

More than a repository

The value of a university degree is increasingly under scrutiny, with concerns that technologies such as ChatGPT will diminish the need for distributed scholarly content. The challenges created by technology can also become opportunities, under the right circumstances (Dempere et al., 2023). In this project, we leveraged the emerging Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to create a chatbot, to enable, rather than diminish, students’ learning. Students enrolled in a capstone research unit of Master of Advanced Practice (by coursework) are required to conduct a research project. Common challenges encountered by students include identification of project topic, digital literacy skills, research methodological knowledge, and research writing skills (Ginns et al., 2009; Li et al., 2019; Qasem & Zayid; 2019; Stagg & Kimmins, 2014). It is imperative to guide students to decide on an area of research that not only matches personal interest but also has clinical relevancy and significance. Delaying the identification of a feasible topic can cause students to experience anxiety and distress related to fear they are unable to complete their project on time (Qasem & Zayid; 2019; Li et al., 2019). This project explored two aims: (1) to harness GenAI (Chatbot) for scalable student learning, and (2) to enrich students’ university experiences by providing a scaffolded research-focussed learning opportunity. The project was guided by the active digital learning pedagogy consisting of student-centredness, formative feedback, constructive alignment and flexible infrastructure (Røe et al., 2022). Using a mixed-method approach, the project had four stages. Stage 1 collated and synthesised former students’ project topics (Year 2014 to 2023). Stage 2 created, tested, and tuned a GenAI topic-bank/chatbot based on the collated 252 project topics from Stage 1. To achieve this, we collaborated with an AI Experience Strategist to create the project topic-bank/chatbot using Azure open AI (GPT-4 with AI Search) via the reactive Amazone web server Amazon. The chatbot was then tested and tuned to ensure consistency search outcomes. Stage 3 implemented the chatbot on the 1st day of semester by posting the link with user guide as learning resource for students, who enrolled into the capstone research project unit. Stage 4 evaluated the chatbot’s usability and effectiveness using a 9-item self-developed survey based on the active digital learning pedagogy (Røe et al., 2022) and a 11-item Bot Usability Scale (BUS) (Borsci et al., 2023). The BUS scale consists of 5 domains focusing on students’ perception of accessibility to chatbot functions, quality of chatbot functions, quality of conversation and information provided, privacy and security, and time responses. Two open-ended questions were used to narratively explore students’ overall experiences and suggestions to improve the chatbot. Our findings showcased students’ early engagement with the unit by interacting with the project topic-bank/Chatbot. This ameliorated the challenges described above, whereby students practised search skills by entering key concept as “prompts” of their area of interest for the prospective project topic. These prompts included specialty, population and/or main concept/variables. Search results of the chatbot facilitated students in identifying project topic and improved overall unit satisfaction and learning experience.

Ladies and (White) Gentlemen, Introducing Political Theory: Activist Learning and Teaching the Political Theory Canon

This paper seeks to enumerate the unique problems associated with teaching introductory political theory courses and offers a new framework for more inclusive teaching. It notes three problems associated with teaching introductory political theory: the importance of the “canon” of political thought, the lack of representation in the canon, and the canon’s emphasis on abstract and universal theory. I consider arguments that hope to challenge the canon such as attempts to deparochialize, creolize, and reanimate. The paper draws on these arguments to offer the framework of activist learning that can mitigate the challenges of the canon as they relate to the classroom. Activist learning borrows strategies from active learning pedagogy but addresses the specific problems of political theory. It takes the study of politics as itself a moment of political praxis and the student as an already aware agent in politics. What this means is that the canon and the material of introductory courses in political theory are subjects and sites of political contestation. Students are invited not only to collaborate in their own education but also to actively shape the field of political theory through their engagement.

The ‘Universe in a Box’: a hands-on activity to introduce primary school students to cosmology

Abstract Physics Education Research shows that active learning and interdisciplinary strategies can enhance students’ engagement in physics. In primary school, the implementation of active learning pedagogies such as Inquiry-Based Science Education aims to encourage students’ autonomy and participation in their learning process. Indeed, active learning promotes pupils’ creativity, helping them develop the skills that increasingly determine their future employability and personal development, introducing them to STEM. In this regard, stories and storytelling can help improve teaching and students’ physics learning. Telling the Universe and its history can afford this job. The Big Bang, the Cosmic Microwave Background, and the formation of stars and planets are valuable tools for introducing primary school students to physics and the scientific method while fostering their curiosity about science. Moreover, it helps the instructors monitor the development of peculiar misconceptions on these topics, preventing them from fully understanding physics phenomena. In this paper, we present an innovative short-term program (one session of three hours) called ‘The Universe in a Box’ to introduce primary school students (grades 4–5, ages 9–10) to cosmology. We illustrate our design and the educational purposes of the program and present the outcomes from its implementation in five different laboratories in Sardinia, Italy, from 2022 to 2024 (60 students involved). This work can furnish a theoretical and methodological guide for primary school teachers and instructors on integrating formal curricula with contemporary physics topics using interdisciplinary approaches, engaging their students in STEAM (STEM plus Arts).

Active Teaching-learning Methodologies in Higher Education: A Project with the Community

Active teaching-learning methodologies are a reality at the School of Education and Social Sciences of the Polytechnic of Leiria (Portugal), namely through the articulation with institutions of the community. The qualitative research presented in this article intends to analyse the perception of the students who are attending the Higher Professional Technical Course in Sociocultural and Sports Intervention, specifically concerning the importance of these methodologies in a project carried out with the District Hospital of Leiria. During the development of this partnership, 42 students were challenged to collaborate throughout the training process and, at the end, they were asked to write a report, which was considered the data collection instrument. These individual reports include descriptions, analyses and reflections that were processed through content analysis, using categories, and adopting an exploratory approach. The results showed that the students considered that this methodology of teaching-learning allows them to acquire know-what, know-why and know-how competencies. Moreover, they admit that the articulation with external institutions contributes to a better acquisition and mobilisation of practical knowledge that they will be able to apply to different situations, spaces and times in their future professional lives. Keywords: higher education, active teaching-learning methodologies, pedagogic innovation, community intervention, transdisciplinarity

The Impact of Peer-Led Learning Groups on First-Year Medical Students.

Active learning and peer instruction contribute to positive learning outcomes. We developed a 25-week, question-based program for first-year medical students (MS1). Senior students developed weekly question and answer sets. Second-year peer educators helped MS1s learn to collaboratively problem solve by working through the questions and answer explanations. Controlling for average MCAT 2015 score, attendance significantly correlated with improved academic performance in basic science coursework (beta = 0.196, p < .001) and one organ systems module (beta = 0.104, p = .033). Academic outcomes and an 83% sustained participation rate point to the benefits of peer-led, positive learning environments.

Explaining heterogeneity in student diversity across economics departments

While the field of economics lacks diversity, there is little consensus on the underlying causes of or most effective solutions to this problem. The authors of this article combine data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) with data from their own survey of U.S. economics departments to identify institution and department characteristics associated with observed variation in gender and racial diversity of undergraduate students across departments. They focus their attention on student support, role modeling, course content, and the use of active learning pedagogy. While they find no significant associations between course content or student support with student diversity, they find that gender diversity in departmental faculty is a strong predictor and that active learning is positively associated with gender diversity.

Active Learning Pedagogies in High School and Undergraduate STEM Education

Active learning (AL) typically involves (1) students applying knowledge and higher-order thinking (2) individually and in groups to (3) problems, cases, scenarios, or questions while (4) reflecting on their learning [...]

An ecological approach to understanding transitions and tensions in complex learning contexts

The move away from transmission-based lecturing toward a more student-centred active learning approach is well evidenced in STEM higher education. However, the examination of active learning has generally remained confined to formal timetabled contexts, with assumptions made that students independently manage the transition between timetabled and non-timetabled learning. This paper introduces research findings from a mixed methods study that used an ecological approach when investigating student transitions between a formal lecture theatre and adjacent informal breakout space in a UK STEM university. Using quantitative occupancy monitoring data to analyse usage patterns of both spaces, in combination with qualitative ethnographic observations and field interviews, permitted a purposeful exploration of student engagement with transitions within and between the two learning spaces. The ecological approach aided the discovery of spatial, pedagogic and agentic transitions and tensions, which subsequently informed strategic modification of space across the institution to facilitate the adoption of active learning pedagogy.

Mind the Gap: Investigating Disaggregated Student Performance in an Upper-Division Biochemistry Course Following Team-Based Learning.

Team-based learning (TBL) is a highly intense active learning pedagogy that uses a cycle of preclass preparation, formative assessment for readiness, mini-lectures, and complex team exercises. Consistent with the literature on active learning, prior research on TBL consistently shows its benefits for student outcomes as compared with previous lecture. However, little work has examined student outcomes disaggregated by demographic variable. We analyzed assessment and student demographic data (i.e., binary gender, racial/ethnic group, generational status) in three semesters of TBL in an upper-division biochemistry course to understand the degree to which performance could be predicted by student demographics. We use theoretical and empirical research from social psychology to hypothesize that the intense interpersonal interactions of TBL could activate psychological threats, the effects of which would be measurable as differences in student performance that correlate with demographic variables. Our regression analysis did not support this hypothesis. This null result invites a deeper discussion on how we measure the potential effects of active learning on student outcomes, particularly given how important it is to account for intersectional and invisible identities.

Building an Active Classroom Using the Active Learning Pedagogy Sequence

This paper is a practical how-to guide to help you start using active learning or to have greater success and more fun with it. We categorize active learning techniques as Think, Pair, Share, Composite, Group, Move, or Lead and discuss how to implement activities in each category, along with advice on creating engaging, effective, and equitable learning experiences. We introduce the Active Learning Pedagogy Sequence (ALPS) which orders these categories by difficulty and time for instructors and students. We believe both instructors' teaching skills and students' learning skills develop along the ALPS.

E-gaming: An active learning pedagogy for engaging learners in a private university in Karachi, Pakistan.

There is a radical shift in teaching and learning pedagogies to engage the learners in healthcare profession. It was a tough challenge for Pakistani educators of an esteemed university to motivate and assess the learners for concept absorption and critical reasoning using creative approaches. Teaching and learning styles have changed fundamentally from conventional teacher centred to inquiry-based student-centred approach. Classroom teaching in recognised nursing and medical institutes in Pakistan have transformed to blended and entirely online methodologies with the integration of diverse active learning strategies. The educators grapple to engage the millennials and to encounter this, gaming technological platform was used to facilitate the learners for maximum integration, active participation, and create an exciting learning experience. Various e-gaming tools, such as Kahoot, Jamboard, Padlet Wall, Ed-Puzzle, Mentimeter, etc., were used in nursing and medical courses and were highly appreciated by the leaners to retain, review, and self-assess.

Supervision Model Through Coaching and Mentoring for Enhancing Active Learning Instruction Competency of Elementary Teachers Under Office of the Basic Education Commission

The study aimed to 1. investigate the components and indicators of active learning instruction competency among elementary school teachers, 2. examine the current state, desired state, and necessary requirements of active learning instruction competency among elementary school teachers, and 3. develop an educational supervision model based on instructional coaching and mentoring principles, aimed at enhancing active learning instruction competency among elementary school teachers under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Basic Education Commission. The study was divided into three phases: Phase 1 examine the components and indicators of active learning instruction competency. The target group comprised 7 qualified individuals selected through purposive sampling, with suitability assessed using an appropriateness assessment questionnaire. Phase 2 the current state, desired state, and necessary requirements of active learning instruction competency among elementary school teachers are investigated. The sample group consisted of 384 elementary school teachers selected through multi-stage random sampling, employing a proportional stratified sampling technique. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale was utilized for data collection. Phase 3 the development of the supervision model involved input from a group of 9 qualified individuals selected through purposive sampling. These individuals were chosen based on their expertise and relevance to the research objectives. Research tools included interviews and assessments. The research findings revealed that: 1. there were 4 components and 24 indicators of active learning instruction competency among elementary school teachers. These components are categorized as follows: 1) Designing of active learning management: comprising 6 indicators, 2) Organization of learning activities focusing on higher-order thinking skills and practical application: consisting of 4 indicators, 3) Utilization of educational media, innovations, educational technology, and learning resources: encompassing 6 indicators, and 4) Measurement and evaluation based on actual conditions: including 8 indicators. Overall, the competency level is rated as the highest. 2. The current state was rated as moderate, while the desired state was rated as the highest. Upon disaggregating the components of the supervision model, it was found that the component with the highest level of necessity was Component 2, which pertains to organizing learning activities emphasizing higher-order thinking skills and practical application. 3. The results of developing the educational supervision model based on instructional coaching and mentoring principles to enhance active learning management competency among elementary school teachers, under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, revealed that the supervision model consisted of the following steps: 1) Planning, 2) Observation, 3) Reflection, and 4) Evaluation. These steps were deemed highly appropriate and feasible at the highest level.

How Jigsaw Worked in a Middle School Classroom for Enhancing Students’ Reading Comprehension

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;Active learning has been a curriculum mandate in the Indonesian education system since the 1980s. Nonetheless, practical gaps existed, as evidenced by the dominance of teacher-centered instruction in public schools. The field needs research depicting how active learning works and enhances learning. Thus, we conducted a qualitative case study focusing on one method within active learning pedagogies: cooperative learning. Specifically, we examined how one of its techniques, i.e., Jigsaw, operated and optimized English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' reading comprehension. We involved one EFL teacher and her students in eighth grade. Data were gathered through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and analysis of instructional documents. Our data analysis revealed some missed steps in the teacher participants' lesson plans, specifically in the main learning activities sections that had the Jigsaw procedures. However, these activities were enacted in the actual classroom use. The teacher participant also modified her lessons to make Jigsaw more effective. Additionally, she tackled challenges that occurred during the process, especially in dealing with low levels of reading comprehension, unmotivated students, and limited time. For effective use of Jigsaw and considerations when making adjustments in classroom practice, we recommend that teachers understand cooperative learning principles and how they manifest in the procedures of the selected technique(s).&lt;/p&gt;

How Does Active Learning Pedagogy Shape Learner Curiosity? A Multi-Site Mediator Study of Learner Engagement among 45,972 Children.

Curiosity is one of the most fundamental biological drives that stimulates individuals' intense desire to explore, learn, and create. Yet, mechanisms of how curiosity is influenced by instructional pedagogy remain unclear. To shed light on this gap, the present study sets out to investigate the underlying channels linking active learning pedagogy, learner engagement, and learner curiosity, employing a partial least-squares structural equation model leveraging the Social and Emotional Skills Survey dataset across ten sites (N = 45,972). Findings indicate that active learning pedagogy is positively associated with learner engagement (std. β = 0.016, p = 0.005), but there lacks a significant direct effect on learner curiosity (std. β = -0.001, p = 0.738). Structural mediation results show that learner engagement is a key mediating channel linking active learning pedagogy and learner curiosity (std. β = 0.013, p = 0.005).

Impact of active learning instruction in blended learning on students' anxiety levels and performance

IntroductionContemporary educational research has extensively explored the link between anxiety and student performance, yet there's a gap in understanding this relationship in classrooms with varying levels of active learning. This study aims to establish connections between instructional design, anxiety levels, and student performance, ultimately creating a comprehensive theoretical framework.MethodsThis study was conducted during the pandemic. Data from 186 respondents at Northeast Forestry University were collected through an online survey, and 25 students were randomly selected for interviews to gather feedback. In the practical application of the introductory course “Basics Product Design,” the Rain Class software was used to facilitate an active learning environment. Data from the online survey were organized in SPSS, then imported into the structural model framework in AMOS to calculate fit indices and other values to test hypotheses, applying structural equation modeling. Additionally, the relationship between anxiety levels and student performance was analyzed based on data from five classes using different instructional designs.ResultsThe results indicated that cold calling was significantly positively correlated with anxiety levels (SE = 0.632, P &amp;lt; 0.001), group work was significantly positively correlated with anxiety (SE = 0.166, P &amp;lt; 0.05), clickers were not significantly positively correlated with anxiety (SE = 0.188, P &amp;gt; 0.05), and anxiety levels were not significantly negatively correlated with student performance (SE = −0.306, P &amp;gt; 0.05). Mediation effect tests revealed that anxiety levels fully mediated the relationship between the use of clickers and student performance. Comparing student performance and anxiety levels across the five classes, the relationship between anxiety levels and student performance did not show a simple positive or negative correlation but followed a fluctuating curve, with an interval of anxiety levels that promotes student performance.DiscussionIn a blended learning environment, different designs and frequencies of active learning activities can lead to varying levels of anxiety, which in turn affect student performance. One prominent factor in increasing student anxiety is cold calling. The findings can serve as a basis for teachers to design educational plans, helping to create classroom environments that foster active participation and maintain a positive state among students. Furthermore, in this instructional environment, it is worth further investigating the factors influencing student anxiety and the impact of anxiety on student academic performance.

Nursing students' experiences of flipped classroom teaching method in higher education: a systematic review.

During the COVID-19 pandemic face-to-face activities were suspended, boosting the delivery of online teaching. As students returned to campuses, the delivery of active learning teaching methods followed a blended learning style. The flipped classroom, which is a student-centred approach, appears to be an effective teaching method, generating improved learning outcomes. No systematic review has so far explored students' experiences of this teaching method - a knowledge gap that this review aims to address. Studies published between 2012 and 2023 were identified from seven databases. The JBI critical appraisal tool was adopted to select high-quality studies and add credibility. Following extraction of qualitative data, meta-aggregation was used to identify synthesised findings. The findings were aggregated into seven categories. Based on meaning similarity, three synthesised findings were identified to answer the research question on how nursing students experience the flipped classroom method. Several factors affect the student experience. Although variables are interrelated and complex to analyse, this approach is a valuable teaching method, positively experienced by students with the potential to improve engagement and learning outcomes. The group activities used as a feature of the flipped classroom can be seen as an instrument to deliver a safer and high quality of care.

Big Data Meets Sustainable Marketing: A New Integrated Curriculum for Hospitality Education

This study presents a novel educational intervention, the Sustainable Marketing with Big Data (SMBD) module, grounded in the theory of change. The SMBD module integrated data literacy, sustainability knowledge, and marketing skills through problem-based learning, creative problem solving, computer-based learning, and project-based pedagogical approaches. Employing a mixed-methods research design, this investigation evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed SMBD curriculum through a quasiexperimental design and compared learning outcomes between an experimental group (n=44) and a control group (n=39) taught with traditional methods. Pre- and posttests were used to assess students' data literacy, sustainability attitudes and behaviors, and marketing competency. ANCOVA revealed that the experimental group exhibited significantly greater improvements across all dimensions than did the control group. Regression analysis confirmed the positive influence of gains in big data literacy and sustainability knowledge on marketing skill demonstration. Qualitative analysis of focus group data provided further insights into students' learning experiences and engagement with the SMBD curriculum. The results support the efficacy of the theory of change framework and active learning pedagogies in enhancing undergraduate hospitality students' competencies in three critical domains. The SMBD model offers educators a comprehensive, empirically validated curriculum for preparing future hospitality leaders to leverage big data for sustainable marketing in a rapidly evolving industry.

By design

This paper takes a design research approach to the challenge of transforming learning and teaching in higher education (HE) as it is experienced at the level of an interdisciplinary team composed of content matter experts and specialists in education. It is based on the reflections of members of the team working collaboratively to transform an undergraduate biology unit, delivered in intensive mode in parallel with a standard teaching semester to improve both student engagement and teaching staff satisfaction. The unit learning design tests 21st century active learning pedagogies in the context preparing students for their professional lives. Using semi-structured interviews and reflective inquiry the authors attempt to uncover the salient features of the process of implementing technology enhanced learning, and generate constructive design solutions. The work is situated in the scholarship of learning and teaching as it encourages "reflection-in-action" and a commitment to sharing what works in STEM teaching and learning in contemporary environments. The teaching team focus on the complex problems of preparation, attendance, and engagement in a series of intensive labs, whilst the professional staff focus on the complex problems of innovation and student engagement in higher education. A number of known and hypothetical learning design principles are integrated with the affordances of the chosen learning environment (OneNote) and used to propose plausible solutions. These solutions are used to iteratively refine the learning environment and reveal new design principles. The data shows improved staff engagement with the unit and the students through an enhanced role in the application and development of modern pedagogies. The paper emphasises the benefits of providing for and supporting the emergence of microcultures, and suggest strategies for those that wish to emulate the approach taken.

Debate as an Active Learning Pedagogy Among Pharmacy Students in a Public Health Course

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a debate activity on pharmacy students’ knowledge of public health and health policy topics. MethodsForty-six second-year pharmacy students in a required public health and health policy course debated universal healthcare coverage for Americans using the Lincoln-Douglas oral debate format. Demographic data, including age and gender, were collected. Knowledge (before/after) of universal healthcare principles was assessed via a rubric-embedded quiz related to the activity objectives. The students’ perceptions of the educational value of the debate were assessed before and after the debate using a 12-item Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree through 5 = strongly agree) and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were conducted using SPSS v25 and Atlas.ti version 9, respectively. Wilcoxon t tests were conducted to compare preknowledge and postknowledge scores. An α level of 0.05 was utilized. ResultsForty-two students completed the perceptions survey, yielding a 96 % response rate. The mean age was 24 ± 4 years and primarily female (63 %). Most students had no previous experience with debates (80.4 %) and there was a statistically significant improvement in knowledge after the debate from 66.5 % ± 13.4 % to 80.7 % ± 12 % , for a total increase of 14.2 %. Open responses indicated that students believed their overall knowledge about other healthcare systems increased and they developed literature review and communications skills. ConclusionThe debate activity enhanced the students’ knowledge and assessment of controversial public health issues that will be useful during their pharmacy education and careers. The students perceived that the debates enriched their learning.

SustainableTransformation of Undergraduate Engineering Education in China through Sino-Australian Cooperation: A Case Study on Electro-Mechanical System

China’s undergraduate engineering education is facing two significant challenges: passive learning and limited cross-cultural communication. In response, active learning methods such as project-based learning (PBL) and Sino-foreign cooperative education emerge as promising solutions. However, despite their potential, PBL’s application remains constrained, and many Sino-foreign cooperative programs persist with traditional passive learning approaches. How to adeptly integrate the two, namely realizing active learning in Sino-foreign cooperative education, is the primary objective of this study. To this end, a sustainable strategy for cross-cultural transfer and the adaptation of active learning is proposed. Initially, a PBL-based active learning pedagogy is tailored for a course within a Sino-Australian cooperative undergraduate program. This approach integrates hands-on activities, teamwork, and the flipped classroom method. Moreover, to ensure implementation quality, an assessment method reliant on continuous student survey feedback is suggested. Subsequently, through the statistical analysis of students’ survey data as well as final grades, both quantitative and qualitative results affirm the efficacy of the proposed strategy.