Active Learning

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Dr Peter Wyman explains that experiential trainings can effectively be a co-creation of the cultural change that strengthens a community.

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Dr Peter Wyman explains that an experiential training can provide shared experience, learning from one another, and a sense of ownership - an understanding that the positive outcomes of the training have come from the group, and not from outside the group.

Active Learning (aka Experiential Learning) engages students directly in the learning process and encourages participation through activities such as discussions, problem-solving, games, and hands-on projects. Instead of passively receiving information, students actively work on tasks, often collaboratively, which helps deepen their understanding and retention of the material, promotes critical thinking, application of knowledge, and engagement. In the context of Social Network Health approaches, the relational components of Active Learning activities can be emphasized to build a more comfortable environment for relationship building and ultimately, at later stages, for personal sharing. The activities are process focused, not outcome focused - skills are picked up without being identified as goals.

Notes and References:

Active learning probably goes back to the 50s - we should have no problem adding plenty of research references to this section.

2014 meta-analysis on the effectiveness of active learning, published in PNAS,

And the follow on paper in 2020

AND

Article: ‘It’s Not About the Evidence Anymore’

By  Beckie Supiano

JUNE 22, 2022

JEANETTE TAKASHIMA FOR THE U. OF WASHINGTON DEPT. OF BIOLOGY

Scott Freeman, emeritus lecturer in biology at the University of Washington

" if you do a little bit of active learning, you don’t see any of these performance differences change. But if you do a lot, they start to shrink, often dramatically." They also, interestingly, intimate that when a sense of belonging develops that is an inflection point in the learning process where learning starts to really accellerate in an active learning environment (huh!).

"In the big picture, I hope we can get beyond the idea that distance learning, or somehow packaging learning, is going to be a solution. We’re still human beings. Relationships matter."

JAMA Open Network, October, 2020 Active Learning and Transfer of Training to Life

• Drawing out ‘real-world’ strengths from participants as a primary method to teach Kinship, Purpose, Guidance, & Balance.
• High energy activities maintain interest, motivation, and a shared positive emotion.
• ‘Real-world’ exercises inside and outside of training reinforce the application of skills in groups and in individual activities of daily life.

Autogenerated stuff from ChatGPT (interesting leads!):

O.k. I was probably wrong about the 50s. I asked ChatGPT to find some older references and here is what it said:

Active learning principles have deep roots in educational theory, with early proponents such as John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Jean Piaget contributing significantly to its development.

1. Engagement and Deep Processing: John Dewey, in his works like "Democracy and Education" (1916), emphasized that learning is an active process where students interact with their environment. He argued that genuine knowledge comes from active engagement and doing, rather than passive absorption of information​ (Wisconsin Pressbooks)​.
2. Immediate Feedback and Collaboration: Maria Montessori's educational approach, which she developed in the early 20th century, also emphasized active learning. She advocated for mixed-age classrooms, student autonomy, and hands-on learning environments, believing that education is a natural process acquired through interaction with the environment​ (Wisconsin Pressbooks)​.
3. Practical Application: Jean Piaget's theories on cognitive development highlighted the importance of experiential learning, where students construct knowledge through active manipulation and exploration of their environment. His constructivist approach laid the groundwork for many active learning strategies used today​ (Wisconsin Pressbooks)​​ (Wikipedia)​.
4. Metacognition: Active learning is deeply tied to constructivist principles, which stress the importance of students' active role in constructing their own understanding and knowledge through experiences and reflection. Lev Vygotsky's work on social constructivism further supported this by emphasizing collaborative learning and the social context of learning​ (National University)​.

These foundational ideas have evolved and been supported by extensive research over the years, reinforcing the effectiveness of active learning in promoting deeper understanding, better retention, and higher student engagement​ (Vanderbilt University)​​ (Center for Teaching & Learning)​.

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Then I asked chatGPT what the difference is between Active and Experiential learning:

Active learning and experiential learning are related concepts in education, but they are not exactly the same. Here’s how they differ and how they overlap:

1. Active Learning: This refers to a broad range of teaching strategies that engage students directly in the learning process, often requiring them to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. Active learning strategies include problem-solving, group discussions, debates, case studies, and peer teaching, among others. The key element is that students are actively or interactively involved in the learning process, rather than passively listening to a lecture.
2. Experiential Learning: This is a more specific type of learning where students learn through experiencing things first-hand and reflecting on those experiences. It emphasizes learning through action, discovery, and exploration, which helps students make connections between the classroom and the real world. Examples include internships, field trips, and simulations.

Relationship between Active and Experiential Learning:

• Overlap: Both active and experiential learning place the student at the center of the learning process, encouraging participation and engagement. Experiential learning can be seen as a form of active learning because it requires active engagement from the learners in real-world tasks.
• Subset: One could argue that experiential learning is a subset of active learning because all experiential learning is active but not all active learning necessarily involves direct experiences.

In essence, while all experiential learning is inherently active, not all active learning involves the hands-on, real-world experiences central to experiential learning. Both approaches aim to make learning more engaging and effective by involving the learners actively in the process.