Active Learning Research Articles

Stoichiometry understanding of upper secondary students through active science learning

The goals of the study were as follows: i) to design an active science learning activity on stoichiometry for grade 10 students, ii) to evaluate the academic achievement of grade 10 students after receiving an active science learning activity on stoichiometry, and iii) to investigate the perspectives of grade 10 students regarding an active science learning activity on stoichiometry. The research utilized a sample group consisting of 41 students who were enrolled in the tenth grade during the second semester of the academic year 2022. The research tools provided participants with active science learning lessons. A test of the kids’ academic prowess as well as their thoughts on the use of hands-on scientific learning activities will be administered. The mean, the standard deviation, and a one-sample t-test were the types of statistics that were utilized in the investigation. The following is an outline of what the research found: i) the appropriateness of the active science learning activities was judged to be the highest level, ii) the academic achievement of grade 10 students after receiving the active science learning activities on stoichiometry had an average score that was higher than the criteria of 70% with a statistical significance at the .05 level; and iii) the opinions of students on the implementation of active science learning activities on stoichiometry were in the agree level.

BOATMAP: Bayesian Optimization Active Targeting for Monomorphic Arrhythmia Pace-mapping

Recent advances in machine learning and deep learning have presented new opportunities for learning to localize the origin of ventricular activation from 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs), an important step in guiding ablation therapies for ventricular tachycardia. Passively learning from population data is faced with challenges due to significant variations among subjects, and building a patient-specific model raises the open question of where to select pace-mapping data for training. This work introduces BOATMAP, a novel active learning approach designed to provide clinicians with interpretable guidance that progressively assists in locating the origin of ventricular activation from 12-lead ECGs. BOATMAP inverts the input–output relationship in traditional machine learning solutions to this problem and learns the similarity between a target ECG and a paced ECG as a function of the pacing site coordinates. Using Gaussian processes (GP) as a surrogate model, BOATMAP iteratively refines the estimated similarity landscape while providing suggestions to clinicians regarding the next optimal pacing site. Furthermore, it can incorporate constraints to avoid suggesting pacing in non-viable regions such as the core of the myocardial scar. Tested in a realistic simulation environment in various heart geometries and tissue properties, BOATMAP demonstrated the ability to accurately localize the origin of activation, achieving an average localization accuracy of 3.9±3.6mm with only 8.0±4.0 pacing sites. BOATMAP offers real-time interpretable guidance for accurate localization and enhancing clinical decision-making.

Unleash the Power of Inconsistency-Based Semi-Supervised Active Learning by Dynamic Programming of Curriculum Learning

Unleash the Power of Inconsistency-Based Semi-Supervised Active Learning by Dynamic Programming of Curriculum Learning

Adaptive Robust Tracking Control With Active Learning for Linear Systems With Ellipsoidal Bounded Uncertainties

Adaptive Robust Tracking Control With Active Learning for Linear Systems With Ellipsoidal Bounded Uncertainties

Guest editorial: Active and transformative learning in higher education in times of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT

Guest editorial: Active and transformative learning in higher education in times of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT

Implementation of Active Learning Methods in Islamic Religious Education to Improve Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Schools

This research aims to examine the effectiveness of implementing active learning methods in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) as an effort to improve students' critical thinking skills at school. This research uses a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, involving students from several secondary schools as samples. Data was collected through critical thinking skills tests before and after implementing active learning methods. The research results show that the application of active learning methods significantly improves students' critical thinking skills in the PAI context. These findings indicate that this method is effective in creating a learning environment that supports the development of students' analytical, evaluation and reflection skills on religious values, as well as their relevance in everyday life.

Interpreting pretext tasks for active learning: a reinforcement learning approach

As the amount of labeled data increases, the performance of deep neural networks tends to improve. However, annotating a large volume of data can be expensive. Active learning addresses this challenge by selectively annotating unlabeled data. There have been recent attempts to incorporate self-supervised learning into active learning, but there are issues in utilizing the results of self-supervised learning, i.e., it is uncertain how these should be interpreted in the context of active learning. To address this issue, we propose a multi-armed bandit approach to handle the information provided by self-supervised learning in active learning. Furthermore, we devise a data sampling process so that reinforcement learning can be effectively performed. We evaluate the proposed method on various image classification benchmarks, including CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, Caltech-101, SVHN, and ImageNet, where the proposed method significantly improves previous approaches.

Active education for reducing the attainment gap in a public health course in the United Kingdom (UK)

Abstract Background A diverse cohort of students join our UK postgraduate public health programme. We wanted to reduce attainment gaps between students. Active and inclusive educational activities may be important mechanisms for reducing attainment gaps as well as promoting student wellbeing. Our aim was to explore how active and inclusive curriculum design could support development of public health functions (e.g., designing interventions to address health inequalities) whilst reducing attainment gaps. Objectives Our 12-week module included a project to model determinants of adolescent’s health inequalities and design an evidence-based intervention to address determinants. Informed by Fink’s taxonomy and the assessment for learning framework, we designed educational activities (i.e., small group work and presentations, ethnographic visits, discussions with stakeholders) and assessments (i.e., group poster presentation and individual critical reflection) to structure the project. We assessed attainment gaps in student marks and surveyed student attitudes to the project (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). Results 53 students (9 groups) completed the assessment with the following marks: poster (M = 61, SD = 7), critical reflection (M = 59, SD = 9), overall mark (M = 59, SD = 10). More students received ‘fails’ and ‘distinctions’ when only the critical reflection was considered (p < 0.001). Students (N = 39; 72% response rate) agreed that activities were intellectually stimulating (M = 5, SD = 0.8), supported their learning (M = 4, SD = 0.8) and made them feel included (M = 5, SD = 0.7). Active learning approach (i.e., benefits of interactions; creating effective groups); student’s caring and commitment; choice and inclusivity; complex and authentic tasks; informal, formal and timely feedback were highlighted. Conclusions Evidence that an active and inclusive approach functions to reduce attainment gaps is equivocal but appears to promote engagement, inclusion and learning. Key messages • Active learning strategies combined with authentic and flexible tasks and rich in feedback stimulate student’s interactions, inclusivity, and learning with potential for reducing attainment gaps. • Active and authentic education requires educators to work on how to properly implement these strategies.

Modeling the seasonal wildfire cycle and its possible effects on the distribution of focal species in Kermanshah Province, western Iran.

Predicting environmental disturbances and evaluating their potential impacts on the habitats of various plant and animal species is a suitable strategy for guiding conservation efforts. Wildfires are a type of disturbance that can affect many aspects of an ecosystem and its species. Therefore, through the integration of spatial models and species distribution models (SDMs), we can make informed predictions of the occurrence of such phenomena and their potential impacts. This study focused on five focal species, namely, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), wild goat (Capra aegagrus), wild sheep (Ovis orientalis), wildcat (Felis silvestris), and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena). This study used MODIS active fire data and ensemble machine learning methods to model the risk of wildfire occurrence in 2023 for spring, summer, and autumn separately. This study also investigated the suitability of habitats for focal species via SDMs. The predicted probability maps for wildfire risk and habitat suitability were converted to binary values via the true skill statistic (TSS) threshold. The overlap of the habitat suitability map and wildfire occurrence areas was analyzed via GAP analysis. The area prone to fire in spring, summer and winter is equal to 9077.32; 10,199.83 and 13,723.49 KM2 were calculated, which indicates an increase in wildfire risk. Proximity to roads is one of the most important factors affecting the possible effects of wildfires in all seasons. Most fire occurrences are concentrated on agricultural lands, which, when integrated with other land use types, have wildfire potential in all seasons. The use of fire to destroy agricultural residues is a critical factor in the occurrence of wildfires. The distribution range of each focal species is considered the most important component of fire susceptibility. Hence, the suitable habitat for Hyaena hyaena in spring, summer, and autumn, with areas of 5.257, 5.856, and 6.889 km2 respectively, is the most affected by the possibility of fire. In contrast, these areas have the lowest values for Ovis orientalis, with 162, 127, and 396 km2 respectively. Therefore, species that are dependent on human-based ecosystems have the highest vulnerability to wildfire. Conservation efforts should focus on familiarizing farmers with methods of destroying agricultural residues as well as the consequences of intentional fires. The findings of this study can be used to mitigate the negative impacts of wildfire and protect the habitat of focal species.

Analysis of Students' Critical Thinking Skills Through the Pakem Learning Model in Science Subject Class VI SD Negeri 78 Palembang

Critical thinking ability is a high-level thinking ability that aims to make reasonable decisions to help the problem solving process actively and skillfully in analyzing, applying and evaluating information obtained or resulting from observations of elementary school students. The learning model is one of the important things in creating an active, creative, effective and enjoyable learning process. The PAKEM model is an appropriate model to use in the learning process. This research aims to determine the critical thinking abilities of class VI students using the PAKEM model in science learning at SD Negeri 78 Palembang. This research uses an experimental method with a quantitative approach. The subjects in this research are 25 VIC class elementary school students. Data collection techniques in this research use observation, tests, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques use the normality test, homogeneity test and T-Test. The results of this research found that there were 8 students with high critical thinking skills, with a score range of 85-100, getting a percentage of 32%. Medium critical thinking ability, totaling 12 students, with a score range of 75-80, got a percentage of 48% and low critical thinking ability, totaling 5 students, with a score range of 65-70, got a percentage of 20%. The results of the critical thinking skills of class VIC students using the PAKEM model in science learning at SD Negeri 78 Palembang overall students reached 82.4% in the good category.

Development of Machine Learning Atomistic Potential for Molecular Simulation of Hematite–Water Interfaces

A novel approach for constructing a machine-learned potential energy surface (MLP) from unlabeled training data is presented. Utilizing neural networks augmented with a pool-based active learning sampling method, a potential energy surface (PES) is developed for the accurate modeling of interfaces of hematite iron oxide and water, fitting the much more expensive density functional theory (DFT). Molecular dynamics simulations were performed using this DFT-based PES to characterize the structural and energetic properties of the system. By utilizing the developed machine learning potential (MLP), it was possible to simulate much larger systems for extended periods of time, which will be important for leveraging machine learning potentials as accurate and pragmatic simulation-led molecular design and prototyping tools whilst preserving the ab initio accuracy.

Curricular Redundancy in Medical Undergraduate Course: Critical Insights from Various Stakeholders in Medical Institutes in India

Background Medical education is continuously evolving to keep pace with the dynamic field of medicine. This study addresses the issue of curricular redundancy in medical education, highlighting the necessity for periodic reviews to eliminate outdated or irrelevant topics. Method A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, involving participants from various medical schools across India. An online questionnaire was used to gather data on redundant topics, suggested replacements, and improvements in the curriculum for both didactic and non-didactic subjects, along with inputs related to assessment and evaluation methods. Content analysis was used for thematic identification and qualitative interpretation. Results Out of 71 respondents from a wide geographic distribution, 30% were female, and 70% were male, with an age range of 17 to 36 years. Participants expressed concerns about redundant theoretical (32%) and practical (51%) topics. Qualitative analysis highlighted the need for integrating different subjects and placing a stronger focus on practical clinical skills. Participants emphasized the importance of a curriculum that keeps pace with advancements in medicine, such as genomics and artificial intelligence, while also addressing mental health. Specifically, they suggested combining anatomy and surgery courses, incorporating more active learning techniques, and utilizing ongoing assessments to gauge progress. Conclusion The study highlights the necessity of eliminating curricular redundancy in medical education. Recommendations include developing a flexible curriculum, emphasizing region-specific content, and implementing a formative assessment system. Additionally, the importance of faculty development and stakeholder involvement in curriculum design is emphasized. Key Message Key insights for updating the medical undergraduate curriculum include the following:

Kahoot Utilization! To Support Game-Based Learning

The use of Kahoot in today's digital era is increasingly important in supporting an interactive and fun learning process. As a gamification-based learning platform, Kahoot allows educators to create quizzes and challenges that are accessible online, increasing student engagement and facilitating active learning. So this research aims to explain the use of Kahoot! to support Game-Based Learning. The method used in this study uses the SLR (Systematic Literature Review) method using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses method commonly called PRISMA. The results of the 11 articles used in this review literature show that activeness in the learning process makes learning interactive and interesting and becomes one of the learning media options for teachers. Conclusion After studying the use of Kahoot in ICE, interest arose in the potential of this platform in supporting learning through gamification. Kahoot creates interactive learning experiences with real-time quizzes and challenges, which increases student engagement. Research shows that the platform makes the learning atmosphere competitive and fun, and provides live evaluation for teacher feedback. Thus, Kahoot can motivate students and improve academic outcomes.

Learning through playing in public health: a card game’s evaluation

Abstract Background In medical education and particularly in public health, the shift toward active learning addresses the limitations of traditional lecture-based methods. Game-based learning, such as serious games, showed potential to overcome these limitations. “Accidémie” is a card game designed to improve medical students’ knowledge of home accidents and their competencies in public health through an interactive format. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of “Accidémie”. Methods We conducted a quantitative pre-post assessment study among sixth-year medical students of the University of Versailles. Data were collected through a 20-item true/false repeated questionnaire before and after. In addition, the post-intervention questionnaire included questions on students’ satisfaction and an open-ended question. Responses to the questionnaires were converted into scores. The main outcome measured was the change in the scores. The scores before and after the intervention are presented with their mean and standard deviation. They were compared using a paired t-test. Student satisfaction is presented in terms of frequency and includes verbatim responses from the students. Results Thirty-eight students participated, with pre-test scores averaging 13.13 (SD = 1.98) and post-test scores averaging 14.89 (SD = 1.94). A paired t-test provided statistical evidence of the difference between the pre- and post-test scores (p < 0.001). Students provided positive feedback: 81.6% of the students were very satisfied with the game; 42.1% considered it extremely useful. They also underlined that ‘Accidémie’ is an enjoyable learning tool, praising its innovative approach. Conclusions “Accidémie” improved students’ knowledge of home accidents and their engagement. It supports the use of serious games in medical education complementary to traditional methods. Applying the concept of “Accidémie” across various subjects and among diverse groups of health students offers promising prospects. Key messages • ‘Accidémie’ significantly improves students’ knowledge of home accidents, a public health topic. • “Accidémie” allows medical students to learn while playing, boosting satisfaction and engagement.

Fostering Inclusivity: A Critical Emancipatory Approach to Dyscalculia in Primary School Mathematics

This research endeavoured to revolutionise primary school mathematics education by implementing an active learning approach tailored to addressing dyscalculia. The study used a critical emancipatory framework as the theoretical foundation, and participatory action research as the chosen methodology. The researcher employed purposive sampling to select two mathematics teachers, one school-based teacher, a district education psychologist, two learners displaying dyscalculia symptoms, and two parents. The research collaboratively engaged participants to identify challenges, crafting interventions, and reflecting on outcomes through the lens of the critical emancipatory framework and participatory action research,. The researcher assessed the effectiveness of the active learning strategy to enhance students’ mathematical abilities, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward mathematics. Critical discourse analysis shed light on the potential of active learning strategies to improve mathematical learning outcomes and create a supportive learning atmosphere. The results indicated that the implemented active learning strategy offers effective pedagogical practices for learners with dyscalculia by influencing positive changes in their attitude towards mathematics and the learning environment. The participating teachers gained insights into understanding the behaviour of learners with dyscalculia and the role of active learning in intervention strategies. The study’s findings can guide educators, policymakers, and researcher in developing inclusive mathematics instruction for diverse learners in primary school classrooms.

Towards using active learning methods for human‐seat interactions to generate realistic occupant motion

AbstractIn the context of developing new vehicle concepts, especially autonomous vehicles with novel seating arrangements and occupant activities, predicting occupant motion can be a tool for ensuring safety and comfort. In this study, a data‐driven surrogate contact model integrated into an optimal control framework to predict human occupant behavior during driving maneuvers is presented. High‐fidelity finite element simulations are utilized to generate a dataset of interaction forces and moments for various human body configurations and velocities. To automate the generation of training data, an active learning approach is introduced, which iteratively queries the high‐fidelity finite element simulation for an additional dataset. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated through a case study of a head interaction with an automotive headrest, showing promising results in accurately replicating contact forces and moments while reducing manual effort.

Teaching Statistics for the Social Sciences Using Active Learning: A Case Study

US college students are typically required to take at least one mathematics or statistics course, either as part their major area of study, or as a general education requirement. College mathematics requirements are an obstacle for many college students. Active learning, a pedagogical approach that places emphasis on students’ collaborative work, has been shown to increase student learning and course success in STEM fields of study and in mathematics courses. Active learning has also been shown to be adaptable to courses involving computer software and programming, such as introductory statistics. This case study is based on the author’s experience implementing an active learning model in an introductory statistics course for students majoring in sociology and related social sciences. Results indicate that the active learning approach was adaptable to the structure and particular learning goals of the course. Students perceived greater learning relative to other courses despite doing less work outside of class, and attributed this to the active learning structure of the course. These findings align with more systematic studies on the impacts of active learning in science and mathematics courses.

A Deep Learning Approach to Identify Potential Sites for Pocket Park Installation in Nanjing, China

ABSTRACT Pocket parks are considered valuable tools for supporting green space provision in high-density environments. As the factors affecting pocket parks vary in fine-grained granularity, analyzing them efficiently on a large scale using traditional methods is challenging. Therefore, considering Nanjing as the study site, a potential identification framework was established, which includes categories of space, vitality, facility, and pleasurability for pocket park installation (PPI) based on visual information from street view images (SVIs). Then, the TrueSkill algorithm was employed to construct four parallel-task training sets according to the four categories and a convolutional neural network (CNN) and active learning (AL) approaches were applied to establish four parallel-task models of deep learning (DL). A two-phase grading score method was designed to integrate the identification results of the four DL models into a comprehensive potential score to determine priority sites for PPI. Lastly, the attributes of the potential sites and corresponding planning strategies in different scenarios were analyzed. The results showed that this modelling approach can integrally assess multiple factors on PPI within an enormous scope, overcoming traditional methods’ spatial and dimensional constraint in high-density environments. Our method and results can inform future pocket park planning and design in Nanjing and similar cities worldwide.

Versatile video assignment improves undergraduates’ learning and confidence

This mixed methods study examines an explanatory video assignment designed to operationalize contemporary theory about cognition, metacognition, and inclusive teaching. This project grew from a professional learning community of post-doctoral teaching fellows who were involved in course redesign as part of a campus-wide active learning initiative. A team of pedagogical experts, teaching fellows, and faculty designed this video assignment to increase opportunities for students to share their perspectives while practicing a powerful learning strategy. Instructional teams implemented different versions of the video assignment in three courses across two departments. An experimental research component isolated the impact of the assignment on learning and confidence, and a mix of quantitative and qualitative analyses provided evidence about students’ experiences with the assignment. We found that students expressed learning and confidence gains beyond those due to typical course activities. Qualitative evidence suggested that students experienced the assignment as valuable for their learning and that the assignment enhanced self-expression. The assignment was effective in both face-to-face and remote settings, implemented either as a course requirement or extra-credit option. This versatile video assignment presents a practical way to enrich the student experience.

Video-based lecture engagement in a flipped classroom environment

Purposeto analyze which factors are associated with students’ engagement and participation in video-based lectures in a flipped classroom environment.MethodsA single-center experience with video-based lectures in undergraduate medical education is described. The activity was applied to the subject of Neurosurgery during two consecutive courses (2021/22 and 2022/23). The videos were available prior to face-to-face classes through the online application Edpuzzle. Information was obtained from the own platform at the end of each course. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between different variables and the percentage of video viewing, the early dropout rate, and the percentage of audience retention.ResultsA total of 109 students registered in Edpuzzle (87.2% of all enrolled students). Fifty-one videos were uploaded each course to cover 11 topics. Mean video viewing rate was 41%. Those videos linked to the earliest classroom lessons showed more percentage of viewing and audience retention than those programmed at the end of the course. With mandatory classroom assistance and homework assignments, the seminar videos were viewed more but retained less audience. Shorter videos were associated with higher viewing and audience adhesion, but the presence of questions embedded throughout the clip did not significantly engage students. No significant difference was observed regarding lesson topics.ConclusionsIt is essential to emphasize the importance of designing strategies to initially engage learners since more than half of our students never connected to the clips. Decreasing engagement was associated with the end of the course and video length. Seminar videos were viewed more but retained less audience. Active learning activities such as quizzes embedded throughout the clips did not significantly engage learners.