Someone recently told me that they heard of an approach where all the boring content delivery lecture material is put online so that more active learning can take place in the classroom. They then asked me if this was the best approach for online learning? What they were describing is blended learning or the “flipped” classroom approach. Good blended classrooms have a significant amount of active learning. The active learning philosophies need not only occur in the classroom however. There are ways to leverage the online space to include active learning. Active learning is basically any part of the course that involves active “interaction” instead of just passive tasks. It engages learners into activities that help them clarify, investigate, apply, create and integrate knowledge. Consider the human-factor: any types of human interactions such as Learner-to-Learner or Learner-to-TeachingTeam qualify. However, learners can also interact with their physical or virtual environment and that can be active. Just because you have an online course, it doesn’t mean you have to design learning activities that only involve reading web-pages or textbooks all day. Here’s a list of ideas, across four categories, for active learning online
Via Miloš Bajčetić
I found this article an interesting read. It discusses the concept of active learning in online classrooms, emphasizing that effective learning is not just about passive consumption but involves active interaction. It categorizes active learning into four types: Learner-to-Learner, Learner-to-Teaching Team, Learner-to-Virtual Environment, and Learner-to-Physical Environment, offering specific examples for each like group brainstorming, problem-based learning, and real-life data collection. The article encourages educators to align active learning activities with specific learning outcomes, stating that if the activity serves a clear educational purpose, then it's likely to be effective.