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Difference Between Active Learning and Passive Learning
Active learning and passive learning are two distinct approaches to acquiring knowledge and skills. Active learning involves active participation, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Passive learning involves listening, observing, and memorizing. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, and it is essential to understand the differences between the two.
What is Active Learning?
Active learning is an approach that focuses on involving students in the learning process. It is a student-centered approach that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. Active learning can take many forms, such as discussions, group work, hands-on activities, and projects. In this approach, students actively engage in the learning process, working with their peers and the teacher to solve problems and answer questions.
One of the benefits of active learning is that it encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students are challenged to think critically about the information they are learning and how it can be applied in real-life situations. Active learning also helps students to develop communication and teamwork skills as they work with their peers to solve problems.
Divergent thinking, where students develop varying and creative ideas and solutions to a problem, is facilitated by active learning. Learning itself is seen as a conflict of ideas and putting those ideas together – synthesizing them – is what results to new knowledge.
ypical teaching methods in active learning are ones where students do more than just listen. The method may be as simple as a discussion, either between teacher and students or facilitated discussions among students. Other methods are more hands-on, ranging from laboratory experiments to role-playing and debates.
Active learning facilitates frequent feedback between teacher and student. This feedback loop provides a gauge to both teacher and student on the extent of learning. It also increases participation and attention in students, stimulating discussion and developing critical thinking in students. However, in the part of the teachers, it becomes difficult to plan for lessons as facilitating active learning requires flexibility and spontaneity. The amount of material and knowledge that can be covered and presented becomes limited because of the constraints of time. There is also potential for distractions among students when they are not monitored properly.
What is Passive Learning?
Passive learning is an approach that involves listening, observing, and memorizing. It is a teacher-centered approach that emphasizes the teacher's role in delivering information to the students. Passive learning can take many forms, such as lectures, reading assignments, and videos. In this approach, students are passive recipients of information, and the teacher is responsible for delivering the content.
One of the benefits of passive learning is that it can be an efficient way to deliver information to a large group of students. Lectures, for example, can be an effective way to deliver complex information to a large group of students in a short amount of time. Passive learning can also be a useful approach for introducing new concepts or ideas to students.
However, one of the disadvantages of passive learning is that it can lead to a lack of engagement and motivation in students. When students are passive recipients of information, they may not feel invested in the learning process. They may also struggle to retain the information they have learned, as they have not been actively engaged in the learning process.
Passive learning allows for a quick presentation of a variety of information and knowledge. It also gives the teacher more control over the learning environment, and makes the presentation of material organized and more understandable. Passive learning also allows for lecture notes to be planned, replicated and reused by more students. On the other hand, lectures are notoriously boring. Students have a tendency to become disengaged and unmotivated. Passive learning also often results to a superficial understanding of the material. There is minimal feedback and very few opportunities to gauge the amount of learning. Students are also likely to shy away from voicing questions and misunderstanding.
Differences: Active Learning and Passive Learning
The following table highlights the major differences between Active Learning and Passive Learning −
Characteristics |
Active Learning |
Passive Learning |
|---|---|---|
Involvement of Students |
In active learning, students do not only sit and listen but are highly involved in the learning process. |
in passive learning, students only listen and internalize. |
Focus of the Learning Environment |
In active learning, the environment is student-centered. |
in passive learning, the environment is teacher-centered. |
Role of Teachers |
In active learning, teachers are facilitators and co-learners |
in passive learning, they are masters of the subject matter. |
Role of Students |
The student’s role is to question, discriminate and be critical of the information received. |
in passive learning, a student is only to receive the information while being trusting and unquestioning |
Type of Thinking Involved |
Active learning facilitates divergent thinking. |
passive learning facilitates convergent thinking. |
How Learning is Achieved |
In active learning, learning is achieved by synthesizing information received |
in passive learning, learning is achieved by internalizing the information. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, active learning and passive learning are two distinct approaches to acquiring knowledge and skills. Active learning involves active participation, critical thinking, and problem-solving, while passive learning involves listening, observing, and memorizing.
Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, and it is essential to understand the differences between the two to determine which approach is best suited to a particular learning context. Ultimately, the goal of both approaches is to help students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their academic and professional pursuits.
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