Making Active Learning Effective

The term “active learning” is a concept that is known more for what it is not. The emphasis on active learning originated as a contrast to the perceived “passive” atmosphere of the lecture. It quickly acquired a “face validity” since it is an instructional method that can be both seen and heard. However, a consideration ofmetacognition in this report will reveal that effectiveness is not assured for active learning, regardless of the appearance. These same insights also reveal that lectures do not have to be passive learning experiences.When the metacognition of active learning is truly understood, then its effectiveness will be assured and lectures could even regain some respect as an active learning environment. Active learning in the medical curriculum usually involves the scheduling of small group activities to replace a portion of the lecture schedule. But, active learning has been defined more broadly to include all activities that are involved in information gathering and problem solving whether individual or with a group. For example, it has been proposed that active learning occurs as the result of the following tasks: (1) active construction of meaning (constructivism), (2) learning declarative knowledge (what?) and procedural knowledge (how?), (3) integration (transference between domains), (4) collaborative comparison of reasoning, and (5) meaningful learning through articulation [9]. Although these attempts to define and understand the process of active learning are comprehensive regarding pedagogical principles, the one element that determines effectiveness is still missing. That element is metacognition. One of the three key findings of studies conducted by the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Research Council revealed that the educational process can be hampered without an understanding of metacognition on the part of both students and teachers [3]. An understanding of the active learning process is essential to an understanding of effective teaching. Metacognition helps students take control of their own learning by defining goals and monitoring progress in achieving those goals. It also helps teachers to understand the responsibilities of the student in learningmore than content. They must also learn how to learn. Lack of attention to metacognitive awareness results in an inefficient use of curriculum time by teachers and of learning time by students. By comparison, inclusion of metacognitive awareness facilitates the ultimate goal of medical education to assure transformation of the student into a self-directed, lifelong learner. Metacognition is thinking about thinking. It is an examination of how information is processed and the factors both psychological and biological that contribute to learning from thinking. The use of metacognition is supported by research on the Growth Mindset, a belief that intelligence can be increased through hard work.