ASSESSING THE INSTRUCTIONAL UTILITY AND LEARNING EFFICACY OF COMMON ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES (Invited Presentation)

Descriptions of active learning strategies have been reported in other STEM disciplines, however, the research literature that documents the merits of these strategies may be unfamiliar to many geoscience instructors. Even the most committed instructor would have to dedicate substantial effort to find examples of suitable teaching activities, assess their utility for geoscience courses, and redesign relevant lessons. We reviewed the characteristics of eleven active learning strategies and weighed the evidence that these strategies consistently result in improvements in student learning.

We analyzed the strategies using two rubrics that were created to assess the learning efficacy (evidence that their use consistently improved student learning) and utility (ease of application in a typical classroom setting) of each strategy. Combining utility and learning efficacy scores yields a total composite score. The highest scoring strategies (e.g., Peer Instruction, Think-Pair-Share, Minute Papers) are characterized by questions or prompts that produce a relatively-rapid student response with a modest investment of instructor preparation and instructional time. In contrast, the lower scoring strategies (e.g., Role Playing, Gallery Walks) represent active learning techniques that may involve considerable preparation, be more challenging to direct in class, and require one or more class periods to complete. Regardless of scores reported here, we note that there are multiple pathways to a student-centered classroom featuring the use of active learning strategies and instructors should adopt a holistic approach that emphasizes strategies that are most appropriate for their learning environment.

Finally, we note that there has been relatively little research conducted on the impact of many of these strategies on learning specifically in the geosciences. There is a need for carefully designed geoscience education research projects that seek to unravel the relative benefits of many of these active learning strategies. Further, the geosciences lack available resource collections for several strategies. Collections of resources linked to common course content would facilitate the implementation of these strategies in introductory courses and support professional development programs.