#atom

An approach to education that emphasizes student engagement and participation

Core Idea: Active learning is an educational approach where learners actively participate in the learning process rather than passively receiving information, leading to deeper understanding and better retention.

Key Elements

• Fundamental Principles:

  • Engages students as participants rather than spectators
  • Emphasizes thinking and understanding over memorization
  • Leverages cognitive mechanisms like the Generation Effect
  • Requires learners to construct their own understanding
  • Promotes higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation)

• Cognitive Benefits:

  • Improves information retention through multiple neural pathway activation
  • Enhances transfer of knowledge to new contexts
  • Develops metacognitive awareness of learning processes
  • Creates stronger neural connections through elaborative encoding
  • Builds critical thinking capabilities through application

• Theoretical Foundations:

  • Constructivist learning theory (Piaget, Vygotsky)
  • Experiential learning models (Kolb)
  • Information processing theories of memory
  • Neurological research on learning and retention
  • Self-determination theory (motivation in learning)

• Implementation Contexts:

  • Formal education settings (K-12, higher education)
  • Professional development and workplace learning
  • Self-directed learning and personal knowledge management
  • Online and distance education environments
  • Lifelong learning practices

• Relationship to Passive Learning:

  • Complements rather than completely replaces passive learning
  • Most effective learning often combines both approaches
  • Different content may benefit from different balances of active/passive approaches

Additional Connections

• Broader Context: Learning Theory (the theoretical foundations)
• Applications: Personal Knowledge Management (self-directed learning applications)
• See Also: Active Learning Techniques (specific methods to implement active learning)

References

1. Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. "Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom" (1991)
2. Freeman, S., et al. "Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics" in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2014)

#education #learning #cognition #student_engagement #knowledge_retention

Connections:

Sources:

• From: Active Learning Techniques