How to promote active learning in online spaces [HPEC Fast Facts]

Active learning is an approach which “engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order thinking and often involves group work” (Freeman et al., 2014). It’s intuitive to consider that student activity leads to deeper learning, and a growing number of studies support this idea. Research across different settings and contexts indicates that active learning approaches achieve better educational outcomes (Wieman, 2014; Harris & Welch Bacon, 2019).