Active learning strategies transform students from passive recipients of information into active participants who engage in meaningful activities requiring critical thinking, collaboration, and real-world application. This resource outlines why this tenet is important, how you may implement it, and what QM standards are aligned.
Recent research confirms that active learning significantly improves student performance, retention, and critical thinking compared to traditional lecture-based approaches (Theobald et al., 2020).
Strategies
We can implement active learning strategies in several ways
- Group problem-solving: Builds content knowledge and strengthens teamwork and communication skills.
You might try: Assign students to small groups to collaboratively tackle real-world scenarios or case studies, such as evaluating a business challenge and presenting solutions to the class. - Peer review and reflection: Promotes learner-learner and learner-content interaction.
You might try: Use peer critique assignments or think-pair-share activities, where students review each other’s work or discuss guided questions in pairs before sharing insights with the larger group. - Leveraging interactive tools: Provides opportunity for engagement and solving complex problems.
You might try: Integrate technology such as discussion boards, polling software, virtual simulations, or breakout rooms for synchronous sessions where students participate in virtual field trips or collaborate in an online simulation. - Creation-based assignments: Fosters deeper engagement and allow students to apply knowledge creatively.
You might try: Encourage students to create content—like infographics, short videos, or concept maps—that demonstrates their understanding of key concepts. - Problem and scenario-based learning: Engages students, encourages self-directed learning, and fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
You might try: Incorporate student-centered, activities that enrich the learning experience.
By incorporating active learning strategies, you engage students in meaningful, hands-on learning, and meet QM standards. These strategies ensure your course tools and activities are purposefully chosen to help students achieve learning objectives, foster student autonomy, and create equitable opportunities for all learners
Standards directly impacted by this tenet are:
- Specific Review Standard 4.2: The relationship between instructional materials and learning activities is clearly explained.
- Specific Review Standard 5.2: Learning activities provide opportunities for interaction and engagement.
- Specific Review Standard 6.2: Course tools promote learner engagement and active learning.
References
- Quality Matters. (2023). QM Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition.
- Theobald, E. J., et al. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476-6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117
