Abstract

Significance Despite active learning being recognized as a superior method of instruction in the classroom, a major recent survey found that most college STEM instructors still choose traditional teaching methods. This article addresses the long-standing question of why students and faculty remain resistant to active learning. Comparing passive lectures with active learning using a randomized experimental approach and identical course materials, we find that students in the active classroom learn more, but they feel like they learn less. We show that this negative correlation is caused in part by the increased cognitive effort required during active learning. Faculty who adopt active learning are encouraged to intervene and address this misperception, and we describe a successful example of such an intervention.

Keywords

FeelingActive learning (machine learning)PsychologyPerceptionMathematics educationClass (philosophy)Cooperative learningExperiential learningLearning environmentCognitionTeaching methodPedagogySocial psychologyComputer science

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Publication Info

Year
2019
Type
article
Volume
116
Issue
39
Pages
19251-19257
Citations
1181
Access
Closed

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Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller et al. (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

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DOI
10.1073/pnas.1821936116