Passive learning refers to listening by the learner from a lecture from the teacher/trainer; the learner passively receives what is being said. S/he also does not critiques or questions or discusses what is being said.
Active learning on the other hand involves the learner in a proactive manner. S/he might be learning by doing or/and by discussing, critiquing, examining, debating or clarifying issues emanating in the learning process.
I support active learning because the learner in involved in the process, which helps her/him to seek feed back and demonstrate whether s/he is learning correctly or not.
Also, the retention of the learning in case of active learning is likely to be better and longer.
Actually, I try to promote both active and passive. Both active and contemplative learning have pedagogical value, and sometimes it is hard during a class to separate them. For example, a guide in a museum will only tell you about selected portions of a painting, but you learn what he says plus what you observe. So it should be in all teaching.
Passive learning refers to listening by the learner from a lecture from the teacher/trainer; the learner passively receives what is being said. S/he also does not critiques or questions or discusses what is being said.
Active learning on the other hand involves the learner in a proactive manner. S/he might be learning by doing or/and by discussing, critiquing, examining, debating or clarifying issues emanating in the learning process.
I support active learning because the learner in involved in the process, which helps her/him to seek feed back and demonstrate whether s/he is learning correctly or not.
Also, the retention of the learning in case of active learning is likely to be better and longer.
Dear Lijo, I mix both types. In comparison to my students studying about 10 years ago - I observe costant decrease of texts analysis abilities and lower levels of reading. That's why I decided to mix both types of learning.
There is a difference between active and passive learning. Passive learning is learning in which the student passively sits in a classroom and listens to the teacher lecture about a subject. The students usually only takes notes about the subject, accepting the information at face value without questioning or discussing its merits or fallabilities. Active learning is learning that actively involves the student through questions, discussion, group involvement, interaction with peers, and debating the subject matter.
I don't think we can really teach anything - nowadays. I don't think we should teach anything, either. In the information age all contents are out there: in libraries, bookshops, databases, etc.
We do not teach, we all learn - horizontally, networking, together. All rest are just skills.
A good teacher or professor rather generates a sort of love for wisdom, a passion for knowledge. At best, we create enthusiasms - not memory-contents, any longer.
The ages of "magister dixit" are over - luckily. Hence, yes, active learning.
I am not sure that I ever taught anything except a love of knowledge even before the age of computers (the 1980s). Like Beata, I find it hard to extricate passive from active, and like Kamal, I agree that active learning (by definition) is interactive. However, information hovers like a halo around the data we explicitly teach, and I encourage students to write their papers about the parts of the "halo" that attracts them and that I cannot cover in class. If they do manage to fulfill that assignment, then by implication they acquire superior knowledge of the actively acquired information.
@Carlos: you have pointed out a great vision, that we are all learning. This is completely true and I think the success of a teacher starts from the point where s/he admits this fact. I remember during my undergrad studies, one of my great teacher in his first class told us that "just consider me as your friend. I am not going to teach you anything, instead we are going to learn together" and lessons we learned together are still alive in my mind as well as the greatness of that teacher.
Yes, dear Kamal, no spoon feeding, (what a nice metaphor !) However I observe even such expectations, when I'm evaluating their diploma chapters. From year to year, as adults, more and more infantile... :))
Dear Nelson, Ljjo, Debi, you are right. We can only learn from within. Teaching from the outside is sheer propaganda or doctrine - hence memory and repeating.
Moreover, we only from from those we love - or those we have started to loving. Without that sincere sentiment that is love learning is not possible at all. Let's call, for the sake if brevity, active learning.
At active learning , it is important to realize that in one of his slogans "Learning by doing" is the mental activity of the learner is highlighted , which is tested . Although apparently the use of the computer reveals various activities of the student who uses the keyboard, mouse handling , it is at the cognitive activity that the impact of these devices and tools technology is to be found : the quality of this activity is highly dependent on teaching methods and intentions and goals that determine them. These words are similar to the distinction we have proposed about functional interactivity concepts (related to the handling of the tool ) and social interaction (related to the relationship with the components of the device : Knowledge and partners the didactic situation ) .
Finally , we preferred to speak of educational technology rather than information technology and communication (ICT) to emphasize the fact that in our area , the ingredients of the device ( information and communication ) are subject to cognitive, emotional and relational topic : education we are talking about is the one that opens the subject, led to the outside (e- ducere ) rather than enclosed in the prescribed knowledge , knowledge to simply wrong, immutable knowledge and thus often "dead" .
" Education can be regarded as the provision of student opportunities where he can learn. This is an interactive process and intentional activity.
Goals ... may be gains in knowledge, a deeper understanding , developing skills " problem solving " or changes in perceptions, attitudes, values and behavior.
My opinion is that there is not a clear dividing between active and passive learning and both are carried out at the same time not only by the learner, but also by the teacher. In fact, everything you learn in theory is then elaborated by the person according to its transmission at the time of its teaching and studying as well as of "field" experience and even to the elaboration of the unconscious.
@Lijo, I find this paper very good, "Active Versus Passive Teaching Styles: An Empirical Study of Student Learning Outcomes"! I am promoter of active learning!
Interesting question, providing that the concept of 'learning' really exists... I am afraid that the educational practises merely reproduce the existing knowledge (sometimes by forcing children to memorise word by world a whole paragraph) and probably, if the teacher is an excellent one, some crumbs of knowledge will finally be given to the students. Look at your courses and at your institution courses and tell me: Do you believe that they promote learning or that they are just repeat existed results in a mandatory way for the students?
I agree with you, Demetris, there is a necessity of change in the concept of learning from conventional level to a so called new generation/advanced level. Thanks for your great vision.
We need much more practical tools to make realize these concept, of course with the help and the development of information technology.
"Hands-on, minds-on" learning meets a basic assumption of the Constructivism and leads to meaningful learning. Shifting from teacher-centered approaches to student-centered approaches offers learners more opportunities to be actively involved in their learning.
I will like to promote active learning because it involves more brain exercise and self practice due to which we can remember anything for a long time.
Yes, do our students really actively learn or only memorize? In order to avoid the latter, I promote the Socratic style question-answer method among my students. I am in humanities so discussing, debating is our tool of gaining knowledge. I noticed that even poorly prepared students introduced to critical thinking often become active learners - during the class and after.
Dear @Lijo, this is fine resource about active learning.
Case Study: Using Reference Modules to Promote Active Learning!
"“My primary goal is to promote active learning among students,” says Dr. Kao. “Students must read, write, discuss and be engaged in solving problems as part of their training. With active learning, students will take away a more comprehensive understanding of questions which facilitates learning how to solve complex problems.”...
Reference Modules Improved Grades, Research Habits
With access to the most up-to-date essential content that previously was unavailable during the long publishing process, the students soon began to see differences in the outcomes of their research. With the articles in Reference Modules curated and edited by researchers in their respective fields, the Reference Modules became a highly reliable source of information. One master’s student immediately found benefits of the new resource, noting that the Reference Module logs the history of user keyword searches, and assumption of formulas, as well as the detailed derivation and results of the full equation together with the explanation of an example, its applications, and recommendations for related articles..."
"Reference Modules not only provide valuable fundamental knowledge for new projects, but also assist students in searching for the salient points on a certain research topic. Reference Modules are exactly what he needed to promote active learning at Kaohsiung Medical University"
Good one... thanks dear Ljubomir, for the reference!
I humbly think, It is assumed that everything is a matter of interest, we are all essentially capable in potentia, others do it reality through the act, active person and non activa (passive) is act and potentia, I think that in few words, is learned or not learned.
Active learning happens when students are given the opportunity to deal with the topics scheduled interactive way to encourage the knowledge must come not from the receipt, and the good teacher is the one who outstanding facilitates the learning process rather than dictate to the students in an interactive learning environment.
In passive learning the student writes down what is taught, whereas inactive learning a student decides what is important to write down and writes down information in their own words.
In passive learning the leaner tries to follow the instructors guidance as much as possible, whereas in active leaning, the leaner tries to discover the importance of assignment;s look for principles and concepts it illustrates; think actively and critically while doing the assignment.
In passive learning the learner reads, whereas in active learning, the learner reads; thinks; ask questions; tries to connect ideas; tries to
discover the purpose behind the assignment and consider how
the assignment fits the goals of the course.
In passive learning in terms of writing class assignment, the learner, only follow the teacher’s instructions. Whereas in active learning, the learner tries to discover the significance of the assignment; looks for principles and concepts it illustrates; thinks actively and critically while doing the assignment
Both learning methods ate valuable and needed in the learning life. However, which is better to be used more than the other, I think this depends on two factors. First: the material which is being tought and second the teacher.