students to navigate a course through the material together using a combination of
classroom methods, including but not limited to
➢ Whole-class discussion in which students consider their own understanding
of the subject and that of their colleagues.
Teachers can learn a lot—about the course’s progress, about the students’
progress, and even about the subject—while facilitating an exchange of
views by the students.
➢ Small-group workshops in which students complete elements of a project
with the support of their colleagues while supporting colleagues in the
completion of theirs.
Studies show that the students doing the supporting are likely to learn as
much as or more than the students being supported.
➢ Student presentations in which students teach their research findings to
others.
Teaching others requires a return to first premises and a close check on
the validity of arguments. Feedback from teacher and colleagues informs and
clarifies the student’s thinking.
➢ Research projects in which students learn by doing—e.g. finding information
by following trails of associations rather than memorising ‘facts’.
The human memory doesn’t learn by rote, but by association. The richer
the context, the greater the number of associations; the greater the number
of associations, the easier information is to access. The active classroom
creates a rich context; the only association for rote memorization is itself.
The teacher is no longer a walking, talking textbook. Students aren’t empty
spaces waiting to be filled with the knowledge transmitted by the teacher. Both
teacher and student are active participants in a process of exploring and
simultaneously evaluating knowledge claims.
Active teaching/learning models encourage students to evaluate what they are
learning: to read, listen, and watch critically and analytically. They require students
to think for themselves and encourage critical thinking. The focus is on the work of
learning—and on learning how to learn.
Thinking critically
The exchange of ideas and opinions between teacher and students—and
between students and other students—in a non-judgmental context teaches the
participants that good minds can and do differ and that knowledge is multi-faceted.
The consequent emphasis on critiquing and evaluating knowledge from a number of
different perspectives—including the students’ own—both enriches the classroom
discussion and underscores independent study, which is the basis of self-directed
learning.