Active Learning Can Reshape Passive Online Education

As an education professional at an AI-based education technology company, I am passionate about exploring how innovative learning methodologies can transform the educational landscape. One such approach that stands out is active learning. This pedagogical strategy emphasizes student engagement and participation, moving away from traditional lecture-based methods to create more personalized and impactful learning experiences.

What is Active Learning?

Active learning is a teaching methodology that prioritizes student involvement in the learning process. Rather than being passive recipients of information, students become active participants, thinking critically, processing information, and applying their knowledge. This approach allows for a more individualized educational experience, tailored to the diverse needs and learning objectives of every student.

Active learning has a special kind of magic that every educator recognizes. I still remember the joy in my classroom when a group of 35 seventh graders were all-in on their “Structures Around the World” project, building 3D models to grasp scale factors. They weren’t just learning math—they were experiencing it, bringing concepts to life. Or those times when I’d ask a question, and a wave of hands would shoot up, each student hoping to be called on, eager to share. And then there are the moments in an ELA class, hosting a Socratic seminar on The House on Mango Street, with students literally on the edge of their seats, waiting to jump into the discussion. These are the moments that fuel us as educators—seeing students light up, engaged and motivated, reminds us why we’re here and the kind of impact active learning can have. It’s about creating experiences that stick, making learning feel as alive to our students as it does to us.

Key Characteristics of Active Learning

1. Learner-Centered: In an active learning environment, the focus shifts from the instructor as the sole source of knowledge to the learner as the primary agent driving learning. This empowers students to take ownership of their educational journey, especially when considering adult learners in environments like corporate America or higher education.
2. Interactive: Active learning strategies encourage students to be – active. Learners engaged in activities that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration like dynamic guided discussions and interactive videos encourage and invite them to not just passively consume information, but rather explore concepts in depth.
3. Meaningful: These strategies help students make connections between new information and their prior knowledge, enhancing comprehension and retention – key for learners of all ages but especially busy adult learners in college or corporate environments. Learning experiences that center on relevance make the learning experience not only educational but also engaging and applicable.

What’s more, with advancements in generative AI, we are positioned to create deeply aligned and personalized learning platforms that cater to all learners. 

The Benefits of Active Learning

The advantages of incorporating active learning into educational practices are substantial:

• Increased Engagement: Active learning strategies make students more motivated and interested in the subject matter. When students are actively involved, they are more likely to stay engaged and invested in their learning.
• Improved Learning Outcomes: Research shows that students who participate in active learning tend to retain information better and achieve higher levels of understanding. The process of actively engaging with content fosters deeper comprehension – and why a key characteristic of active learning is not just education, but meaningful education. 

Leveraging AI to Scale Active Learning

At Kyron Learning, we want to empower instructors to create anything from a 10-minute to a 10-week course, harnessing pedagogically strong and technologically advanced tooling with instructor prowess to deliver unparalleled learning experiences. By harnessing data analytics with those experiences, we can not only scale great instructors, but enable delivery of learning experiences that highlight learner progress and engagement, enable timely intervention via guided dialogue and personalize learning paths toward greater goals. 

See how other course creators have utilized active learning in their Kyron courses.