Many educators hail active learning as a solution for helping undergraduate students acquire a variety of essential skills that are needed in today's workplace and which cannot be acquired through traditional learning methods (e.g., collaboration, communication, creativity, complex problem-solving). If this is the case, then why aren't more universities steeped in undergraduate courses that are project-based, problem-based, inquiry-based, and so forth? Why do we see in so many universities the majority of undergraduate courses being delivered in more or less the traditional lecture-and-recitation style? From my experience, the reason for sticking to the traditional style of instruction at universities often has little to do with available budget or with the ratio of instructors to students. It also has very little to do with the claim that only through the traditional approach can we teach fundamental concepts (it may surprise you to hear, but I've heard that reason from faculty). The main reason I see for not implementing active learning is that this approach requires a level of pedagogical proficiency that traditional learning doesn't. And most faculty/instructors don't have that level of pedagogical proficiency, as they are simply not being incentivized to acquire it. What matters to their career success are publications and funding.
What are your experiences and thoughts on the reasons active learning isn't implemented more in undergraduate education? And what can be done about it?
The UK's Royal Academy of Engineering has commissioned a project on the topic of rewarding teaching at universities from R H consulting. The resulting Career Framework for University Teaching is worth looking at in this regard: https://www.rhgraham.org/page/rewarding-teaching/
@zoncita thank you for your thoughtful response. I wonder if students expect this only because this is their prior experience from years and years of school? Could we not change this experience? Without change coming first from instructors teaching in this way, I cannot see how change can occur in the students' opinions and expectations.
To overcome these obstacles, institutions may need to provide support and training for faculty members, allocate resources for classroom space and technology, and involve students in the process to gain their support and feedback.
Christoria Tiffany Jones thank you for that summary. I think that even in the most well-equipped institutions, the key challenge remains no. 1 on your list. I think that without incentivizing faculty, not just enabling them with better support and training, they won't take up active learning.
I agree with Christoria Tiffany Jones . In addition, social division plays a role: active learning is more frequent in institutions and people with more rich background, generally with more resources or higher income, which gave them space to develop practices close to active learning in a more frequent basis than in other students.
It usually happens in contexts with high inequity, or historically difficult relationships among their social groups.
Nicolás Arias Velandia thank you for your response. Could you please elaborate on what you mean by the following:
"It usually happens in contexts with high inequity, or historically difficult relationships among their social groups."
Do you mean active learning happens in such contexts? Or that it fails to happen in such contexts?
Do you also think that in environments of low-income students or institutions, active learning is not possible?
Dear Rea Lavi :
I mean that it is more frequent in contexts where there are high diferentiation in opportunities for all students giving their home income. Usually, inthose with more oportunities, students try to get more involved in active learning because it is part of the way to do thong in their contexts, menawhile in students with poor backgrounds, it is less usual and they have more attitudes to assimilate in their studies.
It is a reproduction in disadvantages, manifested in learning, as conceived by authors like Pierre Bourdieu or Basil Bernstein, and studied in field by the woks by Peter Blau and Otis Duncan.
Interesting questions and replies.
We should always take into consideration that undergraduate students, at tertiary education, have completed primary and secondary education.
Perhaps there should be concern about active learning and how to develop it, prior to entering the univesity.
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