Active Learning

[Page 76]Active learning is an umbrella term that encompasses the many teaching methods that are student-centered and that engage students in some kind of activity. Since around 1990, active learning has been the generally recommended approach to teaching at all educational levels, including higher education. Its effectiveness is based on research documenting that people learn better when they are actively involved in an activity than when they passively receive knowledge. This entry provides an overview of active learning, including the role it plays in the lecture, activity-based learning, internal learning, and student peer review.