Advances in cognitive psychology and our understanding of brain plasticity are leading to important changes in what we know about learning. Thanks to these changes, instructors are turning their attention to new and emerging principles of pedagogy and course design to see what methods should be used to optimize student learning.
This video briefly describes how people learn, explains how active learning techniques are used to support how we learn, and discusses two empirical studies in relation to the effectiveness of using active learning techniques in academic classrooms.
Freeman, S. et al (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,111(23), 8410-8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
Bunce D.M, Flens, E.A., Neiles K.Y. (2010). How Long Can Students Pay Attention in Class? A Study of Student Attention Decline Using Clickers. Journal of Chemical Education. 87 (12), 1438-1443. DOI: 10.1021/ed100409p
McKeachie, W. & Svinicki, M. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, research and theory for college and university teachers. 14th ed.; Wadsworth, Cengage Learning: Belmont, 2014.