Active Learning In Higher Education: Revised

Bonwell, Charles C. and James A. Eison. "Active Learning: Creating Excitment in the Classroom."
ERIC Digest September 1991. Print.

             When speaking in context of how a student is taught and how a teacher teaches, it brings up many questions as to how affective a teaching style may be.  If one were to ask how to further improve classroom teaching, many would argue the case of active learning.  Education systems are continuously searching for ways to improve the way students learn.  Charles Bonwell and James Eison argue the point that active learning has the greatest positive affect on students.  Active learning, in their definition, is actively engaging a student in the subject matter, i.e. solving problems, free-writes, class discussion, etc.  The idea is to offer students different ways of learning seperate from traditional lecture.
             Apart from touching base with other types of teaching and learning styles, Bonwell and Eison did an excellent job arguing their point on active learning.  They directed the subject of the paper down a pathway addressing both the importance of active learning, and how teachers can incorporate themselves in active learning.  The style in which the argument was introduced was very straigh-to-the-point; to elaborate, I mean that they introduced the topic and immediately jumped into the many pros (and few cons) that active learning offers. To create a more appealing cloud of thought, the argument was backed up with various different case studies and research information.  "Research has demonstrated, for example, that if a faculty member allows students to consolidate their notes by pausing three times for two minutes each during a lecture, students will learn significantly more information" (Ruhl, Hughes, and Schloss 1987) (Bonwell and Eison). Active learning provides that new and exciting feel that help many students to better learn what is being taught.  The authors have gained a realization of this matter and brought forth ideas to help teachers better understand the need for this approach to teaching.
              I feel that the push to incorporate active learning in classrooms should continue for years and years to come.  Bonwell and Eison hit the nail right on the head when they said, "[...] a significant number of individuals have learning styles best served by pedagogical techniques other than lecturing"(Bonwell and Eison).  The majority of students, in any type of learning environment, would prefer to be actively engaged in a subject rather than sitting in a seat listening to a monotone lecture for an hour.  Not only does active learning eliminate this, it causes students to better retain and understand the information being taught. 
           Learning and understanding a subject can be the most brutal, stressing event that many will experience.  Information doesn't automatically fly into someone's ear and they completely understanding.  For many, it takes more than someone talking about a subject to fully learn that subject.  For this to happen though, a teacher must also put themselves out there and open themselves up to new approaches in teaching.  For some teachers though, would this task be one of great ease, or great diffuculty?  It brings up much question as to how open minded teachers in this day-and-age are.  It is vital, in my opinion, to physically endure the experience of active learning and what it has to offer; without that experience, then no one can ever feel certain to act against it.  There are a great deal of students who already believe that active learning consists of jotting down notes while a teacher gives a presentation.  If they were to travel beyond that point and experience new ways of learning that would challenge them to analyze more and think critically, then would that make a difference?


Other Citations:
Ruhl, Kathy L., Charles A. Hughes, and Patrick J. Schloss. Winter 1987. "Using the Pause Procedure to Enhance Lecture Recall." Teacher Education and Special Education 10: 14-18.