Professional Development Series for Faculty

When Active Learning becomes Inactive:

Problematizing Common Practices & Suggesting
a New Taxonomy

Hashil Al-Saadi, PhD

Lecturer, Researcher & Faculty Trainer
Centre for Preparatory Studies
Sultan Qaboos University
Agenda 1 Questions for Reflection

2 What is Active Learning?

3 Why should we care?

4 Problematizing Common Practices of AL

5 Taxonomy of ‘Actual’ Active Learning

6 Challenges to Promoting Active Learning

7 Strategies to Making Learning Active

8 Questions & Comments

 Questions for Reflection

1. Would you say that your current students are active learners? How
can you tell?

2. What counts as active learning?

3. Does active teaching lead to active learning?

4. Do you think students overall enjoy active learning? How do we know?

5. When/How do you think active learning could become inactive?

6. In your opinion, what are the main threats to active learning?

 Introduction

1. Active learning has become a buzz word.

2. AL is now widely recognized as a basic requirement in all courses.

3. Teachers across disciplines are expected to promote active

learning in their classes - university policy promoted by top admin!

4. However, active learning is not always as active as it is claimed!

5. Active learning is not limited to what teachers do in the

classroom.
 Introduction

6. Promoting active learning leads to greater learner autonomy and

learner engagement.

7. Active learning should not be confused with active teaching!

8. Active learning has essential unobservable components!

 Definitions of Active Learning!

What is
Active Learning?
Is this Active Learning?
Is this Active Learning?
Is this Active Learning?
Is this Active Learning?
Is this Active Learning?
 Definitions of Active Learning

Active learning is an approach to instruction that involves actively

engaging students with the course material through discussions,
problem solving, case studies, role plays and other methods.

Active learning approaches place a greater degree of

responsibility on the learner than passive approaches such as
lectures, but instructor guidance is still crucial in the active
learning classroom.
(Queen’s University)
 Definitions of Active Learning

Active learning is a process in which a learner engages in a task

and actively seeks out information to improve their understanding
or performance. This is in contrast to passive learning, in which
the learner receives information without actively seeking it out.

Active learning can involve techniques such as problem-based

learning, inquiry-based learning, and project-based learning,
which encourage students to explore and investigate concepts
on/of their own.
(ChatGPT personal communication)
 Theoretical Underpinnings of AL

 Active learning is deeply rooted in learning theories such as

constructivism and social constructivism, which emphasize
the importance of student engagement, collaboration, and
constructing their own meanings & learning through social
interactions.

 These theories suggest that students learn best when they are
actively involved in the learning process and when they are
encouraged to construct their own knowledge through
meaningful activities and interactions.
 Theoretical Underpinnings of AL

 Metacognition: Metacognition refers to students’ ability to

reflect on their own learning and monitor their own progress.

 Active learning activities often require students to engage in

metacognitive processes, such as setting goals, monitoring
their own learning, and evaluating their own performance.

 By engaging in metacognitive processes, students can

become more self-directed, autonomous and effective learners.
Three Pillars of Effective Learning

Passion Exposure

Practice
Understanding Teaching and Learning
 The Power of Active Learning!

Why should we
care about
Active Learning?
The Teaching – Learning Mismatch!
The Teaching – Learning Mismatch!

Student: “I don’t understand this, Miss”

Teacher: “But I taught you this in class!”
Why should we care?
 Why should we care?
“The way children are taught now is based on a style that
was of a benefit to students in the beginnings of the
1900s, but now is no longer relevant and beneficial to our
modernised way of learning.

I strongly believe that our needs have changed and so

we need to adapt our teaching to match with our new
way of thinking and developing.”

Marjo Kyllonen, Head of Department of Education,

Helsinki, Finland (2018).
 Why should we care?

Active learning is one Active learning

of the key goals of develops in
education in 21st learners key skills
Century. required by
employers.
 Why should we care?

Active learning Active learning

develops a sense of helps learners
inter-dependence, develop
collaboration and ownership
responsibility of what they’re learning.
within learners.
 Why should we care?

Active learning Active learning

is an essential is an essential
response to response to the
today’s changing needs
challenges. of our learners.
Why should we care?

Because learners differ

in their abilities and
interests,
active learning offers
them fair & ethical
options of
learning & assessment.
 Why should we care?

HOTS Deep
Learning
 Problematizing Common Practices of AL

 Most active learning practices are not as active as they are claimed!

 Active learning is usually confused with active teaching!

 Active learning is not limited to a single set of observable behavior.

 ‘Actual’ active learning comprises essential ‘unobservable’

components that are rarely considered or discussed!
The Active Learning Iceberg
The Five Dimensions of Active Learning

Behavioural

Meta-
Cognitive
Cognitive

Active
Learning

Social Emotional
Taxonomy of ‘Actual’ Active Learning

Social

Emotional

Metacognitive

Cognitive

Physical / Behavioural
 Small Groups Reflection

Based on what we have

discussed so far,

when do you think

active learning could
become less active or
inactive?!
Challenges to Adopting Active Learning

Two minutes discussion!

What do you think are the

main challenges to adopting
active learning?
Challenges to Adopting Active Learning

Controlling or Anti-AL
Practices
1
Lack of Student 2 3 Time Constraints
Motivation or
Lack of Confidence
in their Abilities
Challenges to Adopting Active Learning

Previous Learning
Experiences
4
Conventional
Assessment
5 6 Unwillingness to
Leave Comfort Zone
methods
 Strategies to Making Learning more Active
 Re-visit course learning outcomes – Adopt AL-Bound LOs.

 Make your students aware of what AL is, how to learn actively,

and the benefits of AL for now and then.

 Create opportunities for St. to actively engage in the

five dimensions of Active learning: Behavioural, Cognitive,
Metacognitive, Emotional & Social.
Strategies to Making Learning more Active
 Adopt the Autonomy-Based Teaching (ABT) approach.

 Adopt formative, educative and AL-Bound Assessment.

 Incorporate AL strategies e.g. PBL, Debates & Peer-teaching.

 Engage in classroom research:

 Action Research
 Exploratory Action Research (EAR)
 SoTL
 The take-away!

Behavioural

Active learning becomes

‘really’ active only
Meta-
Cognitive
Cognitive when all of the five
Active dimensions of learning
Learning
are catered for in the
learning process!
Social Emotional
The Take-away!
 Thank you!
Comments, Questions?
hashils@squ.edu.om @al_saadi75