This discussion thread is for people to discuss active learning theorists.
Do we know who the active learning theorists are?
I can think of many learning theorists who advocate the need for students to actively construct knowledge but I am unfamiliar with anyone called an active learning theorist. Can you give me some specific names?
I can think of many learning theorists who advocate the need for students to actively construct knowledge but I am unfamiliar with anyone called an active learning theorist. Can you give me some specific names?
Interesting that if you do a Google search on "active learning theories" you get over 8500 hits, but "active learning theorist" gives nothing.
I think so many theories fit under the heading of "active learning" that it would be overly general to find someone calling themselves an "active learning theorist". Yet many theorists hold theories of active learning.
See the Theory into Practice database:
http://tip.psychology.org/theories.html
for a great list of educational theories & theorists. Not all relate to active learning, but I *think* it shouldn't be too hard to discern which would fall under the heading of active learning.
I think so many theories fit under the heading of "active learning" that it would be overly general to find someone calling themselves an "active learning theorist". Yet many theorists hold theories of active learning.
See the Theory into Practice database:
http://tip.psychology.org/theories.html
for a great list of educational theories & theorists. Not all relate to active learning, but I *think* it shouldn't be too hard to discern which would fall under the heading of active learning.
Chet Meyer who wrote "Promoting Active Learning : Strategies for the College Classroom" is the only writer I came across who looks at the broad picture. This is the first reference I found to the read, write, discuss ... process that I find so useful.
I think part of the problem with theory in this area is that Active Learning is an approach that can be used in cognitivist, constructivist, constructionist, connectivist environments, so you need to go into each of those fields separately to find theorists who are exploring active learning within their paradigm.
I think part of the problem with theory in this area is that Active Learning is an approach that can be used in cognitivist, constructivist, constructionist, connectivist environments, so you need to go into each of those fields separately to find theorists who are exploring active learning within their paradigm.
There are many learning theories, but there is probably some confusion when the terms action design, action research, activity theory, active learning, experiential learning, etc. are used. The term "active learning strategy" or theory is used in machine learning articles.
http://www.aidanf.net/publications/active-learning-strategies-for-information-extraction
http://books.nips.cc/papers/files/nips17/NIPS2004_0514.pdf
It is no wonder that people get confused when talking to each other!
This seminar, which is titled "active learning strategies for online learning", might be related in many ways to Engagement Theory that directly addresses learning with technology, but in a collaboration mode.
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
While a wiki can be group oriented, blogs are not necessarily designed that way. Many other "strategies" and tactics are more oriented to personal internal or singular actions.
Bev
http://www.aidanf.net/publications/active-learning-strategies-for-information-extraction
http://books.nips.cc/papers/files/nips17/NIPS2004_0514.pdf
It is no wonder that people get confused when talking to each other!
This seminar, which is titled "active learning strategies for online learning", might be related in many ways to Engagement Theory that directly addresses learning with technology, but in a collaboration mode.
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
While a wiki can be group oriented, blogs are not necessarily designed that way. Many other "strategies" and tactics are more oriented to personal internal or singular actions.
Bev
I don't see active learning as always being group focused, students can be actively involve in learning as individuals. Instructors who take a more cognitivist (memory) or constructionist (artifacts) approach might be more focussed on the individual as a result.
Deirdre,
I guess I wasn't clear..that happens at 2 AM. :)
What I was trying to say is that it might be related to one part of active learning with technology, which would be collaborative activities. The authors of the Engagement theory are more concerned with using the technology as a collaboration mechanism and in that respect are related to that part of active learning if the learners are doing collaboration work. Their emphasis is on using the technology to encourage the engagement of the learners. Some of that will of course be internal.
"underlying engagement theory is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks"
Bev
I guess I wasn't clear..that happens at 2 AM. :)
What I was trying to say is that it might be related to one part of active learning with technology, which would be collaborative activities. The authors of the Engagement theory are more concerned with using the technology as a collaboration mechanism and in that respect are related to that part of active learning if the learners are doing collaboration work. Their emphasis is on using the technology to encourage the engagement of the learners. Some of that will of course be internal.
"underlying engagement theory is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks"
Bev
Active learning : models from the analytical sciences / Patricia Ann Mabrouk, editor ; sponsored by the ACS Divisions of Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Education Published: Washington, DC : American Chemical Society ; [New York] : Distributed by Oxford University Press, c2007