Active Learning in Large Groups to Deepen Students Knowledge and Understanding

This SoTL-paper evaluates a teaching innovation, based on active learning and teaching methods that was implemented with a group of 26 bachelor students. This number is considered a large group in the context of the innovation; the students were participating in a mandatory course of a political science programme. The first-half of the course was based on a theoretical and teacher-centred approach which for some students can lead to surface learning (Biggs and Tang, 2011). Therefore, it was important to switch to active learning in the second-half to ensure the acquired knowledge did not stay superficial and short-term. The innovation is theoretically based on the concept of active learning (Hahn 2015) and employed amongst others methods such as: in-class discussions, open discussions with the whole class and a mock trial. The measurement of the impact of the innovation was based on the research question – how do active learning methods impact students’ understanding and performance? Research methods used included: students being asked to provide feedback on every class in the form of anonymous minute papers and the author's assessment of the individual position papers, of which students completed three in total during the course. The minute papers were evaluated by using content analysis and an open coding system developed in the process of the analysis. Additionally, the results of the position papers were analysed in a quantitative way to evaluate whether progress had taken place and how these results were correlated to the course of the preceding class. The results of the analyses confirmed the positive effect of active learning on the assignments written by students. Additionally, based on the analyses, direct student-to-student interaction seemed to be more beneficial to students than student-to-teacher interaction. Also, the active parts of the teaching were evaluated strongly positive by the students and classes that included active learning methods left individual students less confused about the discussed topics. Due to its relative short duration, including only 6 seminars, the study could not confirm long-term effects of active learning methods but only the immediate effect of interactive methods to the understanding demonstrated in the associated written assignments. The relatively small sample (N =26 students) and the fact that additional influences could not be controlled limit the reliability of the results. Future studies conducted under the same or similar conditions and, if possible, data collected from other seminar groups, which learn based on different methods, might help to close these gaps. However, my reflection on this teaching innovation leaves me in no doubt that active learning methods helped students to get acquainted with new topics in greater depth and to understand them better. Students not only evaluated active methods strongly positive but also reached better results in their written assignments when they had worked with a topic actively. Biggs, John and Tang, Catherine (2011): Teaching for Quality Learning at University, McGrawHill, England Hahn, Brook (2015): How People Learn – Active vs. Passive Learning, Teaching and Learning Hub