Estimating forest surface fuel loads along the China–Mongolia border using a multi-source remote sensing model optimized by active learning

Active learning fosters problem-solving, critical thinking, and practical application of theory. In pharmacy education, strategies such as student-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and electronic posters (e-posters) can supplement traditional lectures to enhance learning. This cross-sectional study evaluated first-year pharmacy students' perceptions of this approach and the effectiveness of integrating MCQ generation (including scenario-based questions) and e-poster preparation into a two-semester physiology course, using a validated questionnaire. The survey evaluated engagement, satisfaction, information recall, conceptual comprehension, and application skills through Likert-scale and open-ended items. Academic performance was compared within the same cohort across semesters and with students from the previous academic year, who had not participated in these strategies. More than 70% of students agreed that both activities improved comprehension, factual recall, and clinical reasoning and the collaborative e-poster activity supported communication and creativity in applying physiological concepts. Intracohort analysis indicated that MCQ generation alone boosted summative assessment performance more, whereas the addition of e-posters in the second semester enhanced qualitative learning outcomes and skill development, despite the slightly heavier workload. Performance analysis showed that students exposed to these active learning strategies achieved higher mean scores than the previous cohort taught with traditional methods, and intracohort comparisons showed consistent performance across semesters despite the greater workload in the second term. Overall, incorporating student-generated MCQs and e-posters fostered stronger understanding, engagement, and skill development in first-year pharmacy students, enhancing the learning experience and supporting meaningful learning and higher-order thinking in foundational science education.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study evaluated the impact of integrating student-generated multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and electronic posters into a first-year pharmacy physiology course. With a validated survey and performance comparisons, results showed improved engagement, comprehension, clinical reasoning, and academic performance compared with a previous cohort taught traditionally. Over 70% of students reported enhanced learning, and outcomes remained consistent across semesters despite increased workload, supporting the value of combined active learning strategies.

SEQUAL: Self-refining and effective querying active learning with pseudo label divergence score for carotid intima-media segmentation in ultrasound.

This study showcases the use of Design-Based Research (DBR) applied to the development of Case-Directed Learning (CDL), a new, clinically contextualized teaching method designed to better support critical thinking, clinical relevance, and self-directed learning. CDL uses small groups to work through cases over several days, using open-ended prompts to guide their learning. Students take the lead in exploring the material and meeting learning objectives, followed by a faculty-led debrief to reinforce key science concepts. The purpose of this study was to use a DBR approach to enhance the effectiveness and design of CDL sessions. First-year medical students at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine participated in CDL during a 20-wk "Structure and Function" module focused on anatomy and physiology. According to DBR principles, the iterative development of CDL cases was guided by the concurrent collection of data from stakeholders. Student feedback was collected via surveys based on the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation and focus groups. Faculty involved in CDL design and facilitation were interviewed, and student performance on a CDL assignment was evaluated to assess achievement of learning objectives. The use of DBR produced findings that showed students responded positively to CDL and demonstrated a strong understanding of foundational science content. Feedback from both students and faculty helped to guide improvements to CDL design and delivery during the trial by identifying examples of emerging best practices. The results suggested that CDL is a promising, adaptable approach to integrating clinically relevant, active learning into the preclerkship curriculum, with potential for broader application in Undergraduate Medical Education (UME).NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study uses Design-Based Research to guide the development of Case-Directed Learning (CDL), a fresh approach to teaching basic sciences in preclerkship medical education. Designed to strike a balance between traditional lectures and fully self-directed learning, CDL helps students build a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology while developing the skills they will need to think critically, learn independently, and succeed in clinical settings.

Probabilistic vehicle speed prediction and reliability-based design optimization of mountainous freeway renovation using Transformer and active learning surrogates.

Evolution of teacher training in gamification: a bibliometric analysis of global trends and collaborations

Sample-efficient LIBS quantitative analysis of steel based on Bayesian convolutional neural networks and active learning

Declining classroom attendance and in-class engagement in Australian higher education could be a result of systemic factors and highlight the need for innovative teaching strategies. This study evaluated the impact of a flipped learning (FL) escape room workshop on student engagement and confidence in male reproductive physiology among second-year physiology students at Monash University. A total of 418 students (91% of the cohort) attended the noncompulsory workshop, themed around diagnosing the infertility of a fictional medieval king. Pre- and postworkshop surveys assessed engagement, preparedness, and confidence across five physiology topics. Of the attendees, 333 completed the preworkshop, and 368 completed the postworkshop surveys. Students reported high engagement with the workshop activities (mean = 90%), with significant differences in confidence based on preworkshop preparedness. Postworkshop confidence improved significantly across all topics, with the largest gains observed in the least prepared students. For example, students with 0% preworkshop module completion reported confidence increases of 55%-118% across the topics covered in the workshop, while those fully prepared showed 8%-19% gains. These findings support the use of FL combined with gamified, narrative-driven workshops to enhance student engagement and confidence, regardless of their level of preparedness. The escape room format provided an inclusive environment that encouraged collaboration and active learning, demonstrating its potential as an engaging model for physiology education.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A narrative-driven escape room workshop successfully engaged second-year physiology students and enhanced their confidence, regardless of their initial preparedness. Students of all levels of preparedness reported high levels of participation both before and during the workshop, highlighting the effectiveness of gamified workshops in enhancing classroom experience.

High-performance chiral metasurface sensors optimized by a target-driven active learning framework

Sense of belonging supports student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), yet prior research indicates that systemic inequities shape who feels included in college classrooms. Racism, sexism, and classism can shape students' belonging, which then can impact their outcomes. We studied students' sense of belonging in 56 large introductory biology courses that used active learning, reaching more than 4900 students. We used a QuantCrit methodological framework and hierarchical linear models to examine how the intersection of racism and sexism, and racism and classism, related to three components of students' belonging. Racism impacted groups differently, and its impact varied across intersecting identities and components of belonging. Sexism undermined women's comfort sharing ideas in class and seeking instructor help across racial/ethnic groups. Women in some racial/ethnic groups experienced greater connectedness to classmates than men. Classism diminished students' sense of belonging across most racial/ethnic groups. Disaggregating students into more racial/ethnic groups revealed important differences in the experiences of Native American, Latiné, Black/African, and two groups of Asian students. These findings demonstrate that within the same classroom, students can have profoundly different experiences and challenge us to recognize the influence of intersecting forms of oppression on our students.

A fuzzy deep learning approach for liver lesions detection and classification in big data context

Neuroanatomy is a core component of medical education yet may contribute to neurophobia, in part due to difficulty visualizing three-dimensional structures and applying foundational knowledge to clinical reasoning. Although active learning strategies such as flipped classrooms, case-based learning, and near-peer teaching are increasingly used to teach neuroanatomy, there is limited qualitative exploration describing how learners experience these modalities and how they support learning. This represents an important gap for educators designing learner-centered neuroanatomy instruction. The aim of this curriculum was to enable preclinical medical students to (1) identify and describe major neuroanatomical structures, pathways, and vascular territories; (2) interpret basic neuroimaging to support anatomical localization; (3) distinguish central from peripheral causes of neurologic deficits; and (4) justify lesion localization by integrating clinical history, examination findings, and imaging. We evaluated a six-week preclinical neuroanatomy curriculum within the Harvard Medical School course Mind, Brain, and Behavior, which integrates asynchronous preparatory materials, in-person case-based collaborative learning ("mini-cases"), and hands-on cadaveric ("damp") laboratory sessions facilitated by faculty and resident near-peer instructors. Learners completed required preparatory work before participating in paired in-person sessions emphasizing deliberate practice in anatomical localization. Program evaluation used mixed methods, including anonymous postcourse evaluation survey data and a semistructured focus group. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using a mixed deductive-inductive thematic approach. Of 168 enrolled students, 138 (82.1%) completed the postcourse evaluation. Overall course quality was rated as Excellent or Good by 94% (95% CI 89%-97%). Mini-cases and damp laboratory sessions were rated Excellent or Good by 94% (95% CI 85%-98%) and 74% (95% CI 62%-83%) of respondents, respectively. Twelve students participated in the focus group. Four major themes emerged: acquiring knowledge, applying knowledge, clinical relevance, and opportunities for improvement. Students highlighted the value of repeated case-based practice, near-peer clinical insight, and realistic exposure to neurology practice. An integrated, multimodal neuroanatomy curriculum emphasizing active learning and clinical application was positively received and aligned with stated learning objectives. Key lessons include the importance of structured near-peer preparation, progressive scaffolding of complex anatomy, and repeated opportunities for application. These findings may inform the design of clinically oriented neuroanatomy curricula across institutions.

Students often choose to study for exams with friends. Since active learning in class boosts success, instructors might expect studying with peers to also help. However, research offers little support for this. We investigated whether students study with peers because of low metacognitive knowledge about study strategies. At the start and end of a first-term introductory biology course, students reported their study strategies and their knowledge about their effectiveness. These data were combined with student demographic information and grades. We found that students entered university demonstrating only modest metacognitive knowledge, and this was associated with course performance. Study group use was popular, with students valuing the support and collaboration, but it had no significant effect on exam scores. Students chose encoding over retrieval strategies regardless of whether they studied alone or with others, and students who more often used encoding strategies while studying scored lower on exams. We conclude that studying with friends is not harmful, but it is based on incomplete metacognitive knowledge, and encoding strategies in general are used too close to exams. We recommend that instructors encourage peer study groups to meet during nonexam weeks when students are learning rather than studying.

Active learning can enhance student outcomes in STEM higher education, but its effectiveness varies with implementation. A key contributor to this variation is the pedagogical knowledge held by instructors. However, little is known about instructors' pedagogical knowledge of how people learn, how these ideas develop over time, and how knowledge development influences active-learning implementation. This longitudinal qualitative study examined variation, development, and instructional implications of pedagogical knowledge among 11 early-career undergraduate life sciences instructors in the context of their active-learning instruction. We conducted semistructured interviews, including stimulated recall, capturing pedagogical knowledge used to plan, implement, and reflect on a lesson, repeating this process across multiple semesters. We used qualitative content analysis and an analytical framework to identify distinct pedagogical ideas about how people learn used by instructors and their alignment with passive, active, and generative cognitive engagement in the ICAP framework. Longitudinal comparisons revealed that participants did not consistently develop ideas aligned with generative cognitive engagement, indicating that teaching experience is necessary but insufficient to foster development of crucial pedagogical knowledge for effective active learning. Case studies illustrated how knowledge development can influence nuances of active-learning design and implementation. We discuss potential mechanisms of knowledge development and instructional implications.

Active multi-modality learning for medical image segmentation via disentangling modalities and evaluating anatomical distribution

A LLM-based pedagogical framework for active, inquiry-based and adaptive learning in L2 writing

Active operator learning with predictive uncertainty quantification for partial differential equations

Clustering-enhanced active learning with dynamic sampling for brain tumor classification

Integrating semi-supervised and active learning for semantic segmentation

Errors, traditionally seen as negative, can serve as productive learning tools in low-stakes contexts. However, it remains unclear whether deliberate erring outperforms retrieval practice-another highly effective strategy-across materials and time intervals. This study compared deliberate erring, retrieval practice, and copying in terms of immediate/delayed retention and transfer while examining learners' metacognitive evaluations. A copy condition served as a baseline to compare two active learning techniques. Two experiments with college students used conceptual terms (Exp1, N = 96) and text passages (Exp2, N = 103). Both measured immediate/delayed retention, transfer, and metacognitive judgements across three learning conditions. In Experiment 1, immediate retention showed only anecdotal evidence for no significant difference between deliberate erring and retrieval practice-both outperformed copying-whereas delayed retention favoured deliberate erring. Transfer performance consistently favoured deliberate erring. In Experiment 2, memory retention did not differ significantly between deliberate erring and retrieval practice (both superior to copying), yet deliberate erring again led to better transfer. Metacognitive evaluations systematically underestimated deliberate erring, favouring copying and retrieval practice instead. Under equal-time learning, deliberate erring shows consistent advantages over copying in both knowledge transfer and long-term retention, and it demonstrates potential benefits over retrieval practice in knowledge transfer, although the latter finding requires further replication. The study also reveals a metacognitive bias against deliberate erring, providing insights into theories of memory encoding and classroom error intervention strategies.