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Active learning: why students do not immediately appreciate it

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Last updated on 19 November 2024
As a teacher, you know that active learning is effective for students' learning process. Yet you may notice that your students don't immediately appreciate it. In this tip, you will discover why this happens and what you as a teacher can do about it.

“The students were not mild in their evaluation of me,”, writes VU teacher Lothar Kuijper in a LinkedIn post about his approach to statistics lessons. He didn't give classic lectures and gave little instruction, but instead coached the students to independently and effectively complete their assignments, quizzed them, and talked about practical experiences. Students experienced his activating way of teaching as ‘a form of guided homework’, not worth coming to the location for. Yet his group had the best results compared to the other groups.

Research by Deslauriers et al. (2019) at Harvard University provides insight into this puzzle. The study shows that students in active learning classes performed significantly better, but paradoxically felt they learned less than in traditional lectures. This finding explains why students sometimes respond negatively to active learning methods, despite the proven benefits.

The researchers identified three factors contributing to this paradox:

  • The cognitive fluency with which students process information in passive lectures can be misleading. They conclude that they learn a lot from it, while lectures are actually not very effective.
  • Students, especially first-years, don't always have much metacognitive insight into their own learning process. The feelings they have about learning and its effect are therefore not always accurate.
  • Students often associate the increased cognitive effort as frustrating or confusing. They find the amount of work they have to do to come to an answer overwhelming or it makes them unsure. This makes it feel to them as if they are learning less, while in reality, they are actually learning more than in passive lectures.

Based on these findings, you can work with the recommendations below from the researchers to help your students see the benefits of active learning.

Tip 1: tell your students the benefits of active learning right away
Explain at the beginning of the course why you choose active learning methods. Present the scientific evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of these methods. Deslauriers et al. found that a short 20-minute presentation on the benefits of active learning had a significant positive effect on students' attitudes.

Tip 2: prepare students for increased cognitive effort
Make your students aware that the increased cognitive effort in active learning is normal and desirable. Explain that the feeling of effort is often a sign of effective learning, not failure. Help students understand that those uncomfortable feelings actually indicate deeper and more sustainable learning.

Tip 3: provide early and frequent feedback
Offer your students opportunities to experience their actual learning gains as early as possible in the course. This can be done through an early test or assignment. Regular formative feedback helps students see their progress, which can improve their perception of the learning process.

Tip 4: demonstrate it out loud
Demonstrate the active learning process yourself by thinking aloud and showing your own learning strategies. This 'cognitive apprenticeship' model, described by Collins et al. (1991), helps students understand how they can actively learn themselves. For example, show how you tackle a complex problem, including moments of confusion and trying different strategies. This can help students realize that struggling with the material is a normal and valuable part of the learning process.

A good example of this is the knowledge clips by VU lecturers Thomas Hansen and Jaap Harteveld. They engage in conversation during the recording of the clips: “It’s actually just like discussing my research with Thomas and grabbing the board for a moment.”

Tip 5: encourage self-reflection
Encourage your students to reflect on their learning process. For example, ask them to compare their expectations of a lesson with what they really learned at the end. This can help improve their metacognitive skills and get a more realistic picture of their learning process.

Tip 6: stay consistent and patient
The researchers emphasize that it takes time for students to fully appreciate the benefits of active learning. Continue to emphasize the value of active learning throughout the course and encourage students to persevere, even if they find it challenging at first. Actively acknowledge successes after intensive learning activities so that students see the direct result of their efforts. By making this clear, the learning process feels more rewarding for them, and they see more clearly what they achieve.

Tip: also read this other information to encourage students to actively learn.

Sources

  • Kuijper, L. (2024, June 21). LinkedIn post (in Dutch).
  • Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L. S., Miller, K., Callaghan, K., & Kestin, G. (2019). Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39), 19251-19257. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821936116
  • Collins, A., Brown, J. S., & Holum, A. (1991). Cognitive apprenticeship: Making thinking visible. American Educator, 15(3), 6-11, 38-46.

The tips for active blended learning are provided by the VU Centre for Teaching & Learning.

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