Active Learning: The Key To Rapid Learning and Skill Development
By: Todi Afo
Tags: Self Improvement, Learning, Skills, Self, Education

Learning is a big part of our lives.

Beginning from conception, we learn a ton about the world and the people around us. We learn basic motor functions like walking and crawling, we learn about the members of our family, how to interact with people, the basics of our native tongue, and much much more.

And when we start learning in school, we learn the rules to follow in class, how to count, basic arithmetic, how to write, and a bevy of other school-related topics.

The point I’m trying to make here is that we are constantly learning and taking in new information.

But the problem is many of us have picked up bad learning habits that from school that is crippling our ability to learn quickly as efficiently.

I know I have.

You know how it goes. Once the teacher starts talking, we begin copying down every single word that is said without actually digesting the material.

I know me and my old classmates did this routinely. After all, it takes less mental effort and it ensures that you have all the information you would need to review for tests. And when the test comes around, you can just read through your notes.

This seems like a good method, right?

Though it seems like a great learning method, there is a better way.

What is Active Learning?

According to Cynthia J. Brame, Ph.D., an Associate Director of the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching,

“[Active learning] is commonly defined as activities that students do to construct knowledge and understanding. The activities vary but require students to do higher-order thinking.”

In other words, active learning involves thinking and working with the material on a higher level than just memorizing facts.

Why is Active Learning Better Than Passive Learning?

Passive learning describes the method I used back in my younger days: writing down my notes verbatim from the board and reading over them to review for the test.

Active learning is superior to passive learning simply because you are engaging with the material on a higher level. Instead of just memorizing facts, you are connecting the material to your current knowledge and manipulating it until you achieve deep understanding.

There is even empirical evidence to back this up.

A meta-analysis of 225 studies done in 2014 by Professor Scott Freeman and his colleagues reported on the test scores and failure rates of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics) undergrad students in a traditional classroom setting vs. students in an active learning environment.

In the traditional classroom setting, conventional lecturing was used, while in the active learning setting, concept maps, retrieval exercises, student-generated test questions, and other methods were used.

The meta-analysis found that “students in traditional lecture courses are 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in courses with active learning.”

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

This important finding validates the effectiveness of active learning techniques.

How to Learning Actively

There are many techniques you can use, but I’ll share a couple you can implement that I think are incredibly effective.

Active Recall

In this exercise, after reading about a concept that you are trying to learn, find a piece of paper and write out everything you remember about that topic.

Inevitably, you will find gaps in your knowledge. Once you find these gaps, study up on these topics and repeat the exercise afterward.

Take On Projects

This is more applicable to those who are trying to learn new skills.

The project you undertake should be just outside of your comfort zone.

For example, let’s say you are learning to play an instrument. To improve your skills, you should pick a song that is a little above your skill level so that you are fully engaged in the activity and are simultaneously improving key skills.

If you pick a song below your level, you will coast and not learn anything.

Explaining Concepts To Others

You know what they say, “If you teach it to someone you’ll learn it better.”

Explaining concepts to others forces you to interpret all the information you have learned and condense it down into a digestible packet of knowledge.

Make sure you simplify the information as much as possible. This will help you retain the information better and understand it deeper.