(1 minute, 19 seconds, 3.3 MB)

( John Wright, University of Wisconsin-Madison, New Traditions Project)

One of the central tenets of active learning is that it's not enough to learn content. Students must also learn the habits of the mind that characterize scientific thinking. The key is providing inquiry experiences that are more authentic and involve the same kinds of expert problem solving strategies that real scientists are involved with. It's also crucial in these curriculum reform efforts that the students succeed in the course. The goal is not to have a bell-shaped curve but the goal is to have mastery, real mastery by everyone in the course.

How do we assess the impact of a student focused active learning course on student learning? We performed a novel analysis in which independent faculty evaluators interviewed students from both a student focused active learning section and a more passive lecture oriented section. Overwhelmingly the evaluators judged the students who have taken the student focused section to be more competent.

 

© 1997 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.