Attitudes toward active learning among first-year students

Session Type

Presentation

Room

Physics and Astronomy, room 106

Start Date

16-7-2025 3:30 PM

End Date

16-7-2025 4:00 PM

Keywords

active learning, STEM, attitudes, physiology, undergraduate education

Primary Threads

Teaching and Learning Science

Abstract

Incoming learners find the high school to university transition difficult. Students become overwhelmed by the vast amount of content taught when relying on underdeveloped study skills, such as rote recall, that were deeply ingrained from their high school experiences. Rote recall fosters what literature refers to as surface learning (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). Most students continue using these same techniques in first-year STEM courses (Cook & Leckey, 1999). First-year learners are often unsure how to change their study habits, even after receiving a disappointing grade, as most post-secondary students report that they have not been taught how to study (Kornell & Bjork, 2007). This leads to the reinforcement of surface learning, creating a larger knowledge gap as students progress without achieving deeper learning in pre-requisite courses. This could be considered unsustainable learning.

In our large first-year course, weekly tutorials implemented hands-on small-group activities that have been shown to promote deeper learning. Our aim was to model more sustainable learning strategies to explore whether it would shape students' attitudes toward adopting different study habits. These activities included developing concept maps, card sorting to solidify hierarchical relationships, problem-based worksheets, and case studies. Students completed a learning attitude survey following each activity to gather self-reported data on the usefulness of that activity in understanding the material and shaping their future study habits (Western Research Ethics Board #112397). We will share students’ attitudes toward such learning activities to determine whether they led to developing more sustainable study strategies.

Elements of Engagement

We will share a representative activity for attendees to determine how they might adapt and collect feedback from their own learners.

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Jul 16th, 3:30 PM Jul 16th, 4:00 PM

Attitudes toward active learning among first-year students

Physics and Astronomy, room 106

Incoming learners find the high school to university transition difficult. Students become overwhelmed by the vast amount of content taught when relying on underdeveloped study skills, such as rote recall, that were deeply ingrained from their high school experiences. Rote recall fosters what literature refers to as surface learning (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). Most students continue using these same techniques in first-year STEM courses (Cook & Leckey, 1999). First-year learners are often unsure how to change their study habits, even after receiving a disappointing grade, as most post-secondary students report that they have not been taught how to study (Kornell & Bjork, 2007). This leads to the reinforcement of surface learning, creating a larger knowledge gap as students progress without achieving deeper learning in pre-requisite courses. This could be considered unsustainable learning.

In our large first-year course, weekly tutorials implemented hands-on small-group activities that have been shown to promote deeper learning. Our aim was to model more sustainable learning strategies to explore whether it would shape students' attitudes toward adopting different study habits. These activities included developing concept maps, card sorting to solidify hierarchical relationships, problem-based worksheets, and case studies. Students completed a learning attitude survey following each activity to gather self-reported data on the usefulness of that activity in understanding the material and shaping their future study habits (Western Research Ethics Board #112397). We will share students’ attitudes toward such learning activities to determine whether they led to developing more sustainable study strategies.