What Are the Differences Between Active and Passive Learning?

It can be frustrating for learners to devote hours studying new materials only
to perform poorly when assessments come around. Part of that reason is
likely to be the disconnect between the content and the passive learning style
they’re using to absorb it.

Passive learning has shown to be less effective at long-term retention than

active learning. Rote memorization doesn’t always translate to retention.

The trouble with the passive style is that comprehension and understanding
are difficult to gauge without conducting repeated assessments.

The differences between active and passive learning include:

 Role of the teacher

 Role of the learner
 Structure and source of instructional materials
 Methods of evaluation

And, perhaps most importantly, the results.

Communication Style

Passive learning relies on one-way communication. The learner attempts to

absorb the information by reading books, listening to lectures, or clicking
through online courses. This process, also called self-learning, depends
almost entirely on the learner’s dedication.

On the other hand, active learning often involves communication between

learners, groups, and the teacher. Communication can take many forms,
including discussions, group projects, and live Q&A sessions. The expectation
is that students will participate in the lesson just as much as the instructor to
increase their engagement.

Involvement
In passive learning, student involvement requires the learner to engage with
the content on their own. They can be very involved or far from involved—the
distinction is up to them. These traditional study methods keep student
engagement to a minimum. There are important equity considerations that
this assumption brings, as Anne Murphy Paul discussed in the New York
Times

Active learning encourages learners to participate in learning the concept.

They may contribute to class discussions, perform experiments, ask
questions, challenge other students, etc. Rather than passively absorbing (or
not absorbing) the information presented to them, the learners interact directly
with the concepts to better understand them. Dr. Kelly Hogan’s work at UNC-
Chapel Hill has demonstrated that active learning can mitigate some of the
inequities often observed in passive learning environments.

Orientation

Passive education is oriented around the teacher, giving them complete

control to set up their class however they desire. It gives them the floor to
share whatever information as they see fit. It puts all eyes on the instructor
and places the learners in the role of an audience rather than participants.

Active learning orients around the learner. It draws on the student’s

involvement to help facilitate discussion and drive the right points home. It’s a
two-way relationship between the learner and the instructor/material.

Control of Materials

In passive learning, the instructor controls the materials used in the lessons.
The expectation is for learners to use the resources provided to learn what is
necessary. They don’t add anything else but merely extract what is most
important from the content and memorize it.

Learners have much more control over the process with active education.
They receive encouragement to seek out sources of information to find new
solutions, ideas, or possibilities. They may bring in their own materials to
broaden the discussion or compare ideas. Through this experience, students
develop more metacognitive skills through active learning than they might
through passive learning.
Evaluation Methods

When it comes to evaluation, passive learning tends to rely on multiple-choice

exams and standardized testing. Without effective independent studying from
the learner, the test results can suffer.

As such, passive learning is often accused of teaching to the test. However, if

your goal is maximizing standardized test scores, active learning is actually
better at that too!

More importantly, in terms of lifelong knowledge, active learning can provide

significant benefits, and more creative modes of assessment to accompany
the learning – like real-world projects or community showcases – can inspire
students, teach life skills, and develop more sticky memories.

If you’re interested in examples of creative, active assessments, look into

example Projects at High Tech High, one of the leaders in active learning.

Retention Rate

Passive learning can show good results immediately following the teaching.
For this to happen, the learner must memorize the information and reiterate it
through an exam or other assessment.

However, as time goes on, this information isn’t as likely to stick. Anything
learned passively requires memorization rather than deeper learning. A useful
framework to consider is Bloom’s Taxonomy — the higher up the taxonomy
you go, the more active learning is required.

Learners deeply involved in digesting new concepts, especially through the

active learning strategy of repetition, are more likely to retain information long-
term. The more hands-on, application-based comprehension helps cement
the essential concepts into their brains.

Role of the Teacher

In passive learning, the teacher is the primary source of knowledge on the

topic. The authoritative position limits the information available for
comprehension purposes and restricts the materials the students can use.
In active learning, the teacher or instructor is more of a facilitator. Their job is
to create the right environment for students to participate in activities and gain
new knowledge. In the information age, students have significantly more
access to information than in generations past. As a result, equipping
students to deal with all that information is essential.

Modes of Thinking

In passive education, students are encouraged to think convergently.

Everyone arrives at the same answer to the same question.

Active learning promotes lateral thinking. This mode of thinking helps students
connect concepts to external applications in the real world. It also
encourages divergent thinking, generating creativity and variation in the
answers, insights, and understanding. The educational philosophy
of constructivism offers a strong framework for thinking of these benefits of
active learning.

Methods of Gaining Knowledge

Passive uses observation, listening, and reading as methods to gain

knowledge. These are valuable skills to have, but they are not the only
methods for a deep understanding of a topic.

Active learners gain knowledge through experimentation, application,

creation, synthesis, and more. It also makes methods more flexible and
invites students to try multiple different modes of learning.