Principles Of Active Learning Research Articles

Creating innovation and synergy through a parallel action learning structure

This paper explains the underlying dynamics of the University of Queensland action learning program (1991‐1999) through discussion of the parallel action learning structure (PALS) model. The author developed the PALS model as an outcome of his action research PhD study of the program, which was a development program for senior academic and administrative staff based on the principles of action learning and action research. This program achieved outstanding success and became a best practice model for other universities throughout Australia and elsewhere in the world. The PALS model described in this paper links the program design elements with personal and organisational outcomes and shows how these contribute to synergy and ongoing organisational energy and innovation. It also serves as a model for designing action learning interventions in other environments.

Inviting a statistician to join an evidence-based journal club

AIMS AND METHODIn response to frequent cancellations, we recently changed the format of our journal club. We invited a statistician to attend and each meeting focused specifically on critical appraisal and statistical analysis. Active learning principles were used where every participant critically appraised an aspect of the paper presented at each meeting. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the new format on attendance and satisfaction levels. Attendance and satisfaction levels were measured in the 3 months before and the 3 months after the new format was introduced.RESULTSAverage attendance increased from 10 to 15, with two psychologists and two trainees who did not work in the hospital starting to attend regularly. Satisfaction levels also increased significantly with respect to academic interest, enjoyment, usefulness and overall satisfaction.CONCLUSIONCombining statistical expertise with principles of active learning has led to increased satisfaction levels among participants in our journal club.

Action Learning and Reflective Practice in Project Environments that are Related to Leadership Development

This article draws on the author's experience in attempting to facilitate the acquisition of reflective habits by individuals undergoing leadership development in business-related project environments. Notes that such communities accept only very practical interventions. Highlights the links between reflection and action learning. Clarifies how reflection and action learning are applied in the author's practice. Characterizes the action learning methodology used and contends that this approach forms a sound setting for reflective inquiry. Explains how the author informally embeds the principles of action learning in the project-related tasks of individuals undergoing leadership development. Describes a reflective learning framework and `tools' that are used by project participants to frame and facilitate the action learning processes. Explores the relevance of this action learning approach to building a learning organization and the development of leaders for such an organization. Gives particulars of a case study to confirm that these various elements can be successfully woven together in a real-life leadership development initiative.

It works, but is it action learning?

Action learning offers significant opportunities for increasing student involvement and autonomy in the learning process, but it is not always possible to free up conventional curricula to the extent that a total use of action learning would require. This article considers a course which uses action learning principles alongside more traditional teaching methods and asks whether it can truly be said to be using action learning or whether the principles have been too far adapted for this experience to be described by this name.

CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM?

This forum article is the first in a series on lessons learned and best practices in civil engineering education. The intent of the series is to reinforce good practices, describe new developing practices, and provide a forum for what works well and what does not. This article focuses on the principle of active learning. A good teacher cannot motivate simply by being a subject matter expert and guiding the direction of the learner. A good teacher must also teach, breaking down the material into easily understood pieces and presenting how the material is used, why it is important, and where to go from there. A very small percentage of college undergraduates are highly motivated active learners. The vast majority require at least some direction, an occasional or frequent push, and lost of encouragement. In an active learning environment, students are engaged in the material, actively listening, notetaking, and questioning the teacher and students beside them. There is an energy or slight tension in the room, conveying the material is tough, exciting, and important. Although there may be a great deal of time spent on presentation, the instructor interacts with the students. There is great rapport between the instructor and the students, but it is related to the material at hand and not frivolous. The instructor attempts to make abstractions concrete through illustrations or examples and to keep students involved through a variety of techniques. The best way for instructors to keep students from being bored by a subject is to show them that they are not bored by it. Material should be carefully prepared, but the method of delivery should appear spontaneous, as if the teacher were having the thoughts and presenting that material for the first time.

Value orientations: impact and implications in the extension of complex farming systems

Many agricultural extension programs are based on principles of participation, adult learning and action learning. Underlying reasons for adopting a participation approach include: the increasing complexity of agricultural and environmental problems; the uncertainty associated with recommendations; and a need for local learning communities. Resource management issues such as salinity and industry problems such as those faced by the wool industry, are forcing landholders to review their current farm practices and consider fundamental shifts in the way agriculture is conducted and indeed how it is considered within this changing landscape. In addressing these issues, it is important that those working with farmers understand the values and goals they are bringing to the planning table since these important human qualities underpin most decisions made and actions taken. This study into value orientations of farmers was undertaken in the wheatbelt of Western Australia. One hundred and forty one farmers, working in landcare catchment groups, were surveyed. The results of this study show a shift in value orientations over the last 19 years and leaving a legacy is significantly more important for farmers in the 1990s than in the 1970s. The results also show that these longer-term ideals co-exist with a focus on short-term security and investment. The implications of these results are important for those working with catchment and industry groups, particularly when planning for future management of the landscape and farming system. It is particularly relevant to those endeavouring to bring about fundamental shifts in the way we think about farming systems and their integration into the local landscape.

Sequential and concurrent teaching: structuring hands-on methodology

The discussion of hands-on teaching methodology is taken beyond the general principles of active learning and learning by doing, and on the basis of teaching experiments conducted at PUC-Rio a set of techniques are presented that make it possible to shift the focus from the teacher to the learner. The paper describes two opposing approaches to teaching, shown as extreme types: sequential teaching and concurrent teaching. By comparing these two approaches, examining their advantages and their drawbacks, a mixed methodology is defined that is appropriate to the teaching of engineering today.

The essential principles of action learning

This paper is offered as an introduction to action learning. The nature of the organisational problem(s) for investigation under an action learning programme is defined and the constitution and general principles of an action learning set are introduced. The paper concludes with some of the advantages of an action learning programme along with some of the drawbacks.

The Use of Active Learning Strategies in Teaching Rehabilitation Counselors Clinical Skills

Important to the clinical training of rehabilitation counselors is the development of communication skills and the opportunity to process therapeutic experiences. Of equal value is the provision of concrete clinical tools to these counselors, and the chance for them to practice their skills and integrate what they've learned into their own internal frame of reference. Activities and tasks, based on active learning principles, facilitate critical thinking and expose these students to a variety of clinical topics. This holistic approach to teaching rehabilitation counselors clinical skills can aid in making them more competitive in this time of managed care, short term therapy, and services based on insurance reimbursement.

Cognitive Play and Mathematical Learning in Computer Microworlds

Abstract Based on the constructivist principle of active learning, we focus on children's transformation of their cognitive play activity into what we regard as independent mathematical activity. We analyze how, in the process of this transformation, children modify their cognitive play activities. For such a modification to occur, we argue that the cognitive play activity has to involve operations of intelligence which yield situations of mathematical schemes. We present two distinctly different cases. In the first case, the medium of the cognitive play activity was a discrete computer microworld. In the second case, the medium was a continuous microworld. We specify several types of accommodations induced by social interaction, accommodations we see as critical for understanding active mathematics learning. Finally, we illustrate how a playful orientation of independent mathematical activity can be inherited from cognitive play.

Services Marketing Education: A Pragmatic Paradigm

This article outlines a pedagogical model for teaching a graduate services marketing course with highly pragmatic applications for service professionals. The author has developed a methodology, based on active learning principles, that integrates the students' professional experiences into the course while emphasizing the practical, managerial applications of the services marketing literature. Integral to the model is a series of measures that evaluate the effectiveness of the course on an ongoing basis and provide timely feedback to enable the inclusion of new material relevant to the students' evolving professional needs.

Action Learning and Action Research in Management Education and Development

Presents a case study of the International Management Centres (IMC), a private provider of management education and development programmes which are based on the principles of action learning and action research. Draws on rich data compiled from an evaluation of IMC′s action learning Diploma, MBA and PhD programmes which was conducted during 1992. Compares the findings, based on semi‐structured interviews with the stakeholders of the IMC MBA programmes, with the literature on adult learning, self‐directed learning, experiential learning and critical thinking. Documents and illustrates by examples that managers can successfully operationalize action learning and action research methodologies to bring about organizational, professional and personal development as well as productivity improvements. In conclusion, discusses the implications for traditional management education and development programmes.

Marketing Simulations in Tertiary Institutions: A Review and Future Directions

In the last three years, the number of simulations available to marketing educators has grown from about two to seven. Seven simulations using various criteria are reviewed, including criteria of learning effectiveness previously developed from action learning principles. Directions for development of a future “perfect” marketing simulation are presented.

Management Training at Wartsila

Shows how the large Finnish industrial conglomerate, Wartsila is progressing with its own tailor made action learning programmes. Discusses the integration of strategic development and management development, and the principle that managers should train managers. Discusses how training is actually carried out using the principles of action learning.

Management Development through Action Learning

It is argued that the use of action learning principles in management development overcomes many of the problems levelled at the effectiveness and value of management education by the more conventional approaches. Examples are given of action learning in practice through the work of the International Management Centres in Australia.

Active Learning and Interactive Video: a Contradiction in Terms?

Abstract This paper considers the relationship between the use of interactive video as a learning aid and the move towards adopting the principles of active learning in the classroom. Interactive video is often not as genuinely interactive as claims suggest and in some cases would appear to be almost a contradiction in terms. More consideration needs to be given to the learning strategies its use encourages and how to incorporate the features of active learning with the best features of structured learning design. Active learning can be encouraged by the use of simple tape‐based systems produced by teachers and children. Alternatively, there needs to be a reappraisal of disc‐based systems to incorporate the use of cognition enhancers so that children learn how to learn. [NB. Although this article is written from the perspective of secondary school use of IV the concepts and messages are equally applicable at all levels of education. Ed].

Introducing Marketing into the Smaller Firm

This article reviews and evaluates a programme of marketing education for the smaller firm, based on the principles of action learning. The programme concentrates on practical skills and their implementation within the firm, and consists of part residential tuition, part in‐company counselling and part workshop development. It lasts over a five‐month period during which the central, integrating feature, is an individual project which enables each participant to construct, under guidance, a marketing plan for his company.

Diagnostic Skills Training and Action Learning

During the last 18 months a novel approach to developing production and engineering managers within their own jobs has been created jointly by the Beer Division of Allied Breweries Ltd and the Food Drink and Tobacco Industry Training Board. The approach has been developed by providing formal training in diagnostic skills with in‐company training based on action learning principles. The aim of the training programme is to allow greater plant utilisation and to help to reduce the cost of downtime on each of its operating company sites by encouraging the production and engineering managers who attended the programme to train their own staff.

Diagnostic Skills Training and Action Learning

During the last 18 months a novel approach to developing production and engineering managers within their own jobs has been created jointly by the Beer Division of Allied Breweries Ltd and the Food Drink and Tobacco Industry Training Board. The approach has been developed by providing formal training in diagnostic skills with in‐company training based on action learning principles. The aim of the training programme is to allow greater plant utilisation and to help to reduce the cost of downtime on each of its operating company sites by encouraging the production and engineering managers who attended the programme to train their own staff.

Action learning down under comes out on top

Academics have an ability to make the simple sound complicated, but Professor Reg Revans is different. His Action Learning is a simple expression for some fundamental educational principles. In a sense it is a group version of the Socratic dialogue: nobody teaches, everybody learns. The technique employed is one of questioning. The topic of discussion is a real problem faced by the individual manager. These fundamental principles of Action Learning have been described by Revans in articles in this journal. This paper describes how the principle has been used to develop managers and solve problems in a Civil Service environment.