Confession time: Natural Sciences, such as chemistry, biology and physics, have never been my strong suit. When it came to these courses they just didn’t click, which is probably why I ended up focusing my academic attention on Mathematics—something that naturally made sense since I was a little kid.
Now with children of my own who are being taught all sorts of math and science concepts, I’ve started to wonder why some skills come naturally to them while others don’t. Is it written in their DNA that they will excel in some areas and struggle in others? Is it their teachers? Their upbringing?
This curiosity led me to the principle of Active Learning: apply concepts as soon as they are learned and accompany that assessment of knowledge with immediate and meaningful feedback to reinforce comprehension. I am captivated by the idea that learning is not a passive absorption of information, which is the traditional way that many of us were taught. Instead, it’s a dynamic process of exploration, engagement, and excelling.
The Fundamentals of Active Learning
For instructors (and for me, as a parent), where do we start and how can we begin applying Active Learning concepts when working with and teaching individuals?
The foundational steps reside in the three Es: Explore, Engage, and Excel.
Explore: This is the first step and the foundational pillar of Active Learning. Exploring isn’t just providing students with the information they need, it’s also about encapsulating that information with other components that allow students to explore those concepts further. Think of it as the first step of a cool science lab. It’s not only reading about atoms but seeing them move, playing with virtual elements, and maybe even causing a (safe!) digital explosion. We’re talking interactive course materials: online simulations, natural science apps, videos of mind-blowing experiments, and graphs they can tweak. The best part? Everyone learns at their own speed and process. Some will learn by carefully measuring each ingredient, while others may jump straight into mixing things up. That’s the spark that ignites a love for science.
Engage: Continuing to provide the best learning experience possible is the next step in Active Learning. Engage is a critical second step since it provides immediate practice with immediate feedback. This is where students are presented with questions during the learning process and can ask for feedback immediately and automatically. Forget boring multiple-choice; we’re mixing it up with number crunching, formula fun, and even sketching out graphs. Also, feedback shouldn’t just be “right” or “wrong” – it should be structured like having a personal tutor, breaking down exactly why your answer hit the mark or missed it, guiding the student toward those “aha!” moments and mastering tricky concepts quickly.
Excel: Rounding off the Active Learning narrative is step three where you’re not only ensuring students meet expected outcomes but providing them with the resources to excel past student outcomes. Forget those boring old tests and quizzes. Students will excel when given more diverse assessment types, such as adaptive testing with branching and remediation; various feedback delivery options; equitable and fair grading through modern grading tools; and the ability to create an endless supply of assessments for students to practice on.
Active Learning in STEM Courses
Recent research suggests that Active Learning techniques and platforms like Möbius by DigitalEd can transform student learning experiences, especially in STEM courses. Here are some recent findings:
- Failure rates decreased by 33% in STEM courses when employing Active Learning as compared to traditional lecture-based teaching
- Students who used interactive online tools in their STEM courses showed 10-15% increase in engagement and performance compared to traditional learning methods
DigitalEd has created a suite of solutions that can help you make the shift away from singular teaching and into something more dynamic, enabling you to integrate Active Learning principles into your coursework. Contact us to get a guided tour of our solutions or watch our recent webinar, “Cultivate a Deeper Understanding of Chemistry, Biology, and Physics through Active Learning” to learn more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jonny Zivku is a seasoned product marketer in the field of education technology, boasting a rich experience spanning over 15 years. His journey has been marked by a relentless dedication to empowering schools and educators to excel in delivering top-tier STEM courses. Jonny’s commitment lies in bridging the gap between technology and education, ensuring that students have access to the best tools and resources to thrive in today’s dynamic world.