RESEARCH AND TEACHING

Exploring Undergraduates’ Perceptions of the Use of Active Learning Techniques in Science Lectures By Ashley J. Welsh

This paper examines students’ URDGO\ GH¿QHG active learn- DQG \LHOG D PHDQV IRU VWXGHQWV WR mixed perceptions of the use of ingLVWKHLQVWUXFWLRQDODS- GLVSHO SDUWLFXODU PLVFRQFHSWLRQV E\ active learning techniques in SURDFKHV RU PHWKRGV WKDW GLVFXVVLQJ FRQFHSWV DQG UHDVRQLQJ undergraduate science lectures. ³HQJDJHVWXGHQWVLQWKHOHDUQ- ZLWK HDFK RWKHU &URXFK  0D]XU Written comments from over 250 LQJB SURFHVV ,Q VKRUW DFWLYH OHDUQLQJ 0DFKHPHU &UDZIRUG students offered an in-depth view UHTXLUHV VWXGHQWV WR GR PHDQLQJIXO 0H\HUV -RQHV6PLWKHWDO of why students perceive these OHDUQLQJ DFWLYLWLHV DQG WKLQN DERXW   7KH LQFRUSRUDWLRQ RI VXFK techniques as helping or hindering ZKDW WKH\¶UH GRLQJ´ 3ULQFH  HQJDJHPHQWWHFKQLTXHVLQOHFWXUHLV their learning and experience. S 5HVHDUFKVKRZVWKDWWKHXVH XVHIXOLQHQFRXUDJLQJVWXGHQWVWREH )RXUWKDQG¿IWK\HDUVWXGHQWVZHUH RI DFWLYH OHDUQLQJ WHFKQLTXHV KDV D PRUHLQYHVWHGLQWKHLURZQOHDUQLQJ more likely to view in-class active SRVLWLYH LPSDFW RQ VWXGHQW OHDUQ- LQZD\VWKDWFRXOGLPSURYHWKHLUSHU- learning techniques as a waste of LQJDQGHQMR\PHQWLQXQGHUJUDGXDWH IRUPDQFHLQVFLHQFHFRXUVHV lecture time, whereas third-year OHFWXUHV (UQVW  &ROWKRUSH  ,IWKHXVHRIDFWLYHOHDUQLQJWHFK- students and females perceived +DNH7UHHV -DFNVRQ  QLTXHVLVWREHDGRSWHGPRUHZLGHO\ these techniques as instrumental to +DQGHOVPDQ 0LOOHU DQG 3IXQG ZLWKLQXQGHUJUDGXDWHVFLHQFHFRXUV- improving their understanding and  SS ±  HQFRXUDJHG DV- HVWKHUHLVDQHHGWRH[SORUHDQG their interactions with professors VHVVPHQW PHWKRGV WKDW ERWK HQJDJH GRFXPHQWVWXGHQWV¶SHUFHSWLRQVRI and peers. Students also provided VWXGHQWVLQWKHLUOHDUQLQJDQGDOORZ DFWLYHOHDUQLQJWHFKQLTXHV$OWKRXJK recommendations for the effective WKHP WR JDXJH WKHLU OHDUQLQJ LQ D VWXGHQWVW\SLFDOO\HQMR\WKHXVHRI use of active learning techniques in FRXUVH $FWLYH OHDUQLQJ WHFKQLTXHV DFWLYHOHDUQLQJWHFKQLTXHVPDQ\ lecture. VXFK DV SHHU LQVWUXFWLRQ HOHFWURQLF VWLOOSHUFHLYHWUDGLWLRQDOPHWKRGVRI FODVVURRP UHVSRQVH V\VWHPV LH WHDFKLQJDVPRUHEHQH¿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³IHHOVPDOO´DQG OHFWXUHVW\OHWHDFKLQJ6WXGHQWV¶ SURYLGHV PRUH GLUHFW IHHGEDFN WR SHUFHSWLRQVDQGDFFHSWDQFHRILQ VWXGHQWV 7UHHV  -DFNVRQ   FODVVDFWLYHOHDUQLQJVWUDWHJLHVFDQ 2IWHQSDLUHGZLWKFOLFNHUTXHVWLRQV EHLQÀXHQFHGE\FODVVURRPQRUPV VPDOO JURXS GLVFXVVLRQV DOORZ VWX- DQGFODVVURRPLQWHUDFWLRQVDPRQJ GHQWV WR LQWHUDFW ZLWK HDFK RWKHU LQVWUXFWRUVDQGWKHVWXGHQWV 7XUSHQ

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Vol. 42, No. 2, 2012 81 RESEARCH AND TEACHING

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Vol. 42, No. 2, 2012 83 RESEARCH AND TEACHING

QRWWKHRQO\RQHVZKR³GRQ¶WJHWLW´ FIGURE 3 )ROORZLQJLVRQHVWXGHQWFRPPHQW Number of students who wrote negative, positive, or conditional comments regarding the use of active learning techniques in general &OLFNHUVDUHUHDOO\JUHDWWKLQJV or, more speci"cally, about the use of clickers and group discussion ,¶YHEHHQUHOLHYHGZKHQIRUH[- in class. DPSOHRIWKHFODVVVHOHFWHG P\LQFRUUHFWDQVZHU,WIRUFHGWKH SURIHVVRUWRJRRYHUWKDWPDWHULDO LQDYHU\EHQH¿FLDOZD\,IHHO WKDWLIKHVLPSO\DVNHG³HYHU\RQH XQGHUVWDQG"´QRRQHZRXOGKDYH VDLGDQ\WKLQJDQGZHZRXOGKDYH PRYHGRQ

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TABLE 1 A summary of students’ written comments regarding the use of active learning techniques in lecture.

Number of times it was referred Category Students’ perceptions of active learning techniques to in the comments General Clickers Group discussion Negative comments Waste of time and money 6 35 18 Used solely for attendance — 6 —

Not helpful because students tend to guess or copy one — 5 — another Prefer traditional methods of lecturing 6 — 1 Positive comments Keep students engaged and help them to pay attention in 1 15 1 class Provide feedback for students and instructor — 15 2 Helps with understanding 5 22 5 Discussions with peers reveal students’ misunderstandings 1 7 5 Good for big classes 1 8 — Conditional comments How the instructor uses these techniques is important 6 14 2 (e#ectiveness depends on another factor) Need for questions that are challenging, relevant and inte- 2 13 — grated well within lecture Need for structure/instruction with group discussion — — 8 E!ectiveness depends on the students in the class 2 — 14

Vol. 42, No. 2, 2012 85 RESEARCH AND TEACHING

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