1. What are the potential causes or conditions for learning to be active?

a. Chickering and Gamson organized a list of best practices for

undergraduate education:
1. Encourage contact between student and faculty
2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
3. Encourage active learning
4. Give prompt feedback
5. Emphasize time on task
6. Communicate high expectations
7. Respect diverse talents and learning styles
b. Bonwell and Eison characteristics of active learning in K-12
1. Involvement in more than passive listening
2. Engagement in various activities: writing, discussing, reading
3. Focus on growth of skill rather than transfer of information
4. Emphasis on exploring students’ values and attitudes
5. Increase student motivation
6. Higher order thinking: synthesis, evaluation, and analysis
7. Provide immediate feedback
c. Learner autonomy
1. Learners make decisions about their Learning (McKeachie &
Svinicki 2006)
1. Responsibility of learning placed on the learner – take
ownership – accept challenges
2. Engagement is displayed through learning direction and
choice (Skinner 2010)
d. Social Dimension
1. Social or affective dimension also refers to a students’ sense
of belonging – to themselves, others, the world, and to God
(Kessler 2000)
2. Others place an emphasis on interaction and collaboration
(Finkelstein 2006)
1. Peter Jarvis calls this reflective learning – growth that
takes place through social interactions (Jarvis 2010)
3. Emphasizes “Time on Task” to help learners manage their
time and stay caught up. Time on task connects directly to
issues of freedom. (Smith 2010)
4. Demonstrate engaged behaviors – (student is taking an
interest in their education)
5. Meaningful learning activities – reflect on “what” they are
doing.
 6. Interaction includes: cooperation, collaboration, and peer
learning
e. Behavioral Dimension
1. Rubrics define acceptable and desirable behavior
2. Teachers provide students with opportunities for participation
3. Students have some level of “freedom” even if only perceived
freedom.
f. Cognitive Dimension
1. Students make decision, evaluate, and think actively
2. Actively think about learning experiences to facilitate
knowledge construction.
3. Make “meaning” from past experiences
4. Students must understand the why and what they are doing
AND its overall importance
5. Develop critical and analytical thinking through problem
solving
1. Prepares students for the “real world”

McKinney, K. Sociology through active learning. 2008.

 not passive absorption – actively uncovering, processing, and relating data in

the learning process.

Chickering A, and Gamson, Z. Seven principles for good practice in

undergraduate education. 1987.

1. Encourage contact between student and faculty

2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
3. Encourage active learning
4. Give prompt feedback
5. Emphasize time on task
6. Communicate high expectations
7. Respect diverse talents and learning styles

Bonwell, C. and Eison, J. Active Learning: Creating excitement in the classroom.

1991.

1. Involvement in more than passive listening

2. Engagement in various activities: writing, discussing, reading
3. Focus on growth of skill rather than transfer of information
 4. Emphasis on exploring students’ values and attitudes
5. Increase student motivation
6. Higher order thinking: synthesis, evaluation, and analysis
7. Provide immediate feedback

Melick, R and Melick, S. Teaching that Transforms: Facilitating life change

through adult bible teaching. B&H Academic: 2010.

 Behaviorists: learning occurs through observation and behaviors form

through the developing of habits
 Constructivists: learning occurs through active interaction with one’s
environment

McKeachie, W. and Svinicki, M. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies,

Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. Houghton Mifflin:
2006.