Proposal Title
Active learning beyond the classroom: When is learning better at home?
Session Type
Presentation
Room
FNB 2240
Start Date
3-7-2019 3:30 PM
Keywords
biology, active-learning, learning environment, simulations
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Active learning is often discussed in the context of replacing in-class lectures or cook-book labs with activities that are more student-driven. But many forms of active learning can take place outside of class as well, ranging from doing problem sets to working on larger projects to learning through discovery-based educational software. Is there an advantage to active-learning done in vs. out of class? We examine this question with data from several simulation-based laboratories assigned in multiple classes, some of which had students complete the laboratories in-class, and others as homework. The labs are scaffolded using instructions, simulation-based and other activities, questions, and feedback to the students as they work. Each lab has a multiple-choice quiz at the end. We compared scores on end-of-lab quizzes with lab completion environment (home or in-class) as a factor to ask whether the environment in which students completed the lab had an effect on learning. In one lab, we were also able to compare students completion of a performance-based task within the simulations. Our preliminary data shows similar scores on quizzes for students who worked through a lab in-class vs. those who did so at-home. This suggests that learning may be similar on these types of structured inquiry activities when done in vs. out of class (with caveats such as lack of knowledge about the at-home environment).
Elements of Engagement
In the presentation, we’ll survey the audience for where they assign student-directed activities, their qualitative experiences with assigning in different environments, and then lead a discussion on whether the data we present is informative in making decisions on when activities may be better to do at home vs. in-class.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Active learning beyond the classroom: When is learning better at home?
FNB 2240
Active learning is often discussed in the context of replacing in-class lectures or cook-book labs with activities that are more student-driven. But many forms of active learning can take place outside of class as well, ranging from doing problem sets to working on larger projects to learning through discovery-based educational software. Is there an advantage to active-learning done in vs. out of class? We examine this question with data from several simulation-based laboratories assigned in multiple classes, some of which had students complete the laboratories in-class, and others as homework. The labs are scaffolded using instructions, simulation-based and other activities, questions, and feedback to the students as they work. Each lab has a multiple-choice quiz at the end. We compared scores on end-of-lab quizzes with lab completion environment (home or in-class) as a factor to ask whether the environment in which students completed the lab had an effect on learning. In one lab, we were also able to compare students completion of a performance-based task within the simulations. Our preliminary data shows similar scores on quizzes for students who worked through a lab in-class vs. those who did so at-home. This suggests that learning may be similar on these types of structured inquiry activities when done in vs. out of class (with caveats such as lack of knowledge about the at-home environment).