What are Active Learning Methods?
Learning is a complicated and changing process that includes gaining, processing, storing, and applying new knowledge and skills. This process can take place in schools, through daily experiences, or through personal efforts.
Learning can have various goals, such as improving oneself, advancing in a career, or helping society. No matter the goal, one of the biggest challenges is learning information quickly and remembering it.
Active learning methods are strategies that engage students directly in their education.
Inquiry-based learning is one such method where students create their own questions, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and learning skills as they explore these inquiries.
Problem-based learning helps students improve teamwork and communication by having them work on complex issues.
Project-based learning motivates students to research real-world problems, enhancing their presentation abilities.
Case-based learning allows students to strengthen their analytical and decision-making skills by exposing them to real-life situations.
The flipped classroom method makes learning more effective by providing online materials to students beforehand, reserving class time for interactive activities.
Focus on the most essential or challenging information you need to learn. Apply the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Identify this crucial 20% and concentrate on it.
Break information into smaller, manageable pieces. According to Miller’s Law, people can hold about seven items in their short-term memory. Split information into groups of seven or fewer and review them regularly.
Repeat the information multiple times until it sticks. Increase repetitions over time with spaced repetition techniques. Schedule your review sessions using tools that implement spaced repetition algorithms, like flashcards, apps, or programs.
Make information simpler to grasp and recall. Use plain language, examples, analogies, or metaphors.
Try to explain the information as clearly as possible, as if teaching someone else. This technique is known as the Feynman Technique. If you find it hard to explain or notice any gaps, go back to the source to gain a better understanding.