"Education’s purpose is to replace
an empty mind with an open one"

In the studies summarized by professor John Hattie, the term ‘active learning’ means involving students practicing important skills and in applying new knowledge. Lessons usually contained the following elements:
• Reviews of previous learning
• Showing how: the teacher showing how to do it, explaining this, and thinking out loud to show the process.
• Controlled practice: where the class do it as a class, or as individuals, but the teacher checks closely and continually to decide whether students are ready for individual work. The meaning of the work is stressed as are the process: how they should do it; and the product: what they should create.
• Students doing it themselves individually: this is the heart of it of course.
• Students work being checked: this includes the students checking their own and each other’s work. This takes place during the lesson, and as soon as possible.
• Homework: assignments of about 15 minutes including some review questions.
• Structured reviews: reviews at the end of the lesson asking students ‘what have we learned?’ and agreeing and summarizing this. Reviews at the beginning of every lesson to review the last. Reviews each week and each month to review previous topics.
This version of active learning is called ‘direct instruction’ - a misleading name as it is so active!

Professor Hattie found using careful statistical methods that on average, active learning adds a grade and a half to achievement.

Well, if Active Learning works, why don’t more teachers use it?
• We tend to teach the way we were taught ourselves, rather than in the way that works best.
• We know too much, and rather enjoy explaining. So when you set activities, listen carefully to learners as they work, this can be even more enjoyable and less hard work than explaining, and the feedback is very informative.