Active Learning: Empowering Students Toward Information Literacy Kelly Cannon Outreach and Scholarly Communication Librarian Muhlenberg College

What is “active learning”?

Active learning: Academic content manipulated in class Reflection after activity Students at center Librarian instructor as guide on the side Source: Thomas, T. (2009). Active learning. Encyclopedia of the social and cultural foundations of education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Is active learning better? What are the advantages and disadvantages of traditional lecture vs. active learning?

Active learning is better “Lectures invite student passivity, and research shows that passive students learn less.” --Source: Thomas, T. (2009). Active learning. Encyclopedia of the social and cultural foundations of education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The liminal spaces Let’s “think about how our teaching practices … either help students work toward … moments of insight—or perhaps inadvertently hinder them by describing a simple step-by-step process that defuses troublesomeness to make it more manageable.” --Source: Fister, B. (2015). The liminal library. LILAC, Newcastle University.

“The idea is that being in [a] liminal state is good preparation for the ambiguous and uncertain places we will encounter in the future. Seeing oneself as capable of making the crossing to a better understanding can be empowering and even exhilarating. Rather than focusing our efforts on bringing students to a place where everything makes sense, the learner becomes practiced at navigating uncertainty. As [Ray] Land put it, “Troublesomeness is less a barrier than an opportunity for learning.’” --Source: Fister, B. (2015). The liminal library. LILAC, Newcastle University.

Active learning in the liminal spaces Minimizes or postpones lecture Invites students’ active engagement Allows students to make mistakes Allows students to make the discoveries Discourages pat answers or over-simplification

I.L. concept: Citing sources Traditional approach Active learning approach

I.L. concept: Authority Traditional approach Active learning approach

I.L. concept: Primary v. secondary Traditional approach Active learning approach

I.L. concept: Database searching Traditional approach Active learning approach

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