Active learning can be best described as any learning activity in which a student participates or interacts with the learning process and becomes a part of it, as opposed to passively taking in the information. Research has proved that when they are given a chance to actively engage with the information they are learning, students perform better.
Active learning is the best as it nurtures the brain, giving it an extended opportunity to connect new and old information, correct previous misconceptions, and reconsider existing thoughts or opinions. Students become better learners when they are an active part of the process whether it is a discussion, practice, review, or application. From problem-solving to exploring new concepts in groups or working out a maths problem on a piece of paper, anything can be a part of active learning as long it encourages the brain to activate cognitive and sensory networks, which helps process and store new information.
According to experts, learning takes a new shape when multiple neural pathways in the brain are activated at the same time. In simple terms, the more the students’ brains are activated in different ways, the more and better they will learn. Engaging as many sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social processes in students enhances their potential to learn, helping them retain more and better.
How To Make Active Learning Even More Effective:
Active learning is a great means of seeking knowledge and retaining it in a better way but it can be improved. Students can be made even more active and efficient with the right moves and strategies that keep their minds engaged and on the right path. Research has suggested that students’ attention begins to decline after every 10 to 20 minutes during the lectures and it is only when the teachers or instructors are contentiously throwing something new and exciting to them that students can remain attentive to what is being said. Listed here are some ways and means shared by top assignment writing services that can help to make active learning more effective:
Question-And-Answer Technique:
Questions are a simple but effective way to increase interaction, and provide help teachers understand how well the students are learning. Questions during the lecture or afterward can keep the students focused on what they are learning and they will try to come up with answers; as a result, they will actively participate in what is going on in the class.
In-Class Demonstrations:
These demonstrations can be used for helping students understand the application of a concept or idea. Students can be a part of the demonstration and as they reflect and analyze the process, they can have discussions and help each other better develop the concepts, increasing active learning and making the entire process an interactive and fun-filled session.
One Minute Paper:
This is a great activity in which the students are required to write a 1 to 2-minute response to an open question. It can either take place during or after the class and students can write a response that helps teachers determine their comprehension and ability to understand. With their short answers, teachers can analyze how well the students are doing and identify what needs to be done to enhance their learning.
Brainstorming:
This is a highly interactive activity in which students are asked to hold discussions on various topics, categories, or questions while the teachers facilitate and record the answers. The students are enraged to make use of their prior knowledge and experiences to come up with new thoughts and ideas as it can lead to some really good outcomes with students sit together and brainstorm.
Think-Pair-Share:
This activity helps the students to think about a particular question individually, they work in pairs to discuss their answers and after this, the results are shared in the classroom. At the same time, two pairs of students can team up to compare and discuss answers. This way of active learning encourages students to think individually, analyze and clarify their response collaboratively; during this activity, they can organize their knowledge, brainstorm or summarize and even integrate new information.
These active learning strategies can be used in class, especially in lecture settings, and adapted to any discipline, making it easy for students of all ages and levels to participate and learn most efficiently. With highly effective active learning strategies, students can be engaged in various highly interactive and collaborative activities such as reading, writing, and discussions that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. With the right approach, active learning can be used for providing students with informal opportunities that help them do better in the long run and be a crucial part of their academic development.
