Perception Is Not Always Reality When It Comes To Learning

Have you ever had students complain about project-based learning or active learning? Or have students ask for worksheets and lectures?

I have, and it honestly confused me. I believe there is a place and time for direct instruction, but have seen the benefits to student learning when it is active, hands-on, and applied. However, many of our students (and many of us) feel like we learn more through lecture and traditional approaches -- even though the research shows that is not always the case:

For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produce better educational outcomes at virtually all levels. And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.

The study, published Sept. 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that, though students felt as if they learned more through traditional lectures, they actually learned more when taking part in classrooms that employed so-called active-learning strategies.

Lead author Louis Deslauriers, the director of science teaching and learning and senior physics preceptor, knew that students would learn more from active learning. He published a key study in Science in 2011 that showed just that. But many students and faculty remained hesitant to switch to it.

So the authors set out to create a study where students would learn in two different settings (traditional lecture vs active learning) and then be assessed afterward. The students would be surveyed on their perceived understanding of the topic after the traditional (or active) learning experience, and in turn, would see if those perceptions were correct.

When the results were tallied, the authors found that students felt as if they learned more from the lectures, but in fact scored higher on tests following the active learning sessions. “Actual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,” Deslauriers said, “as shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.”

This outcome was both fascinating, and a bit reassuring. Students "believed" they learned more in lectures, when in fact, the study shows they did not. Quite the opposite. Often when we introduce project-based learning and active learning in our classes there can be hesitation from students. This is felt by all kinds of staff trying out facilitating (instead of lecturing), and is something we need to acknowledge and talk about.

As the authors share, it isn't about liking or disliking "active learning" but instead shows what our beliefs around learning are and what it should look like.​

Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn’t be interpreted as suggesting students dislike active learning. In fact, many studies have shown students quickly warm to the idea, once they begin to see the results. “In all the courses at Harvard that we’ve transformed to active learning,” Deslauriers said, “the overall course evaluations went up.”

​Facilitating learning comes with all kinds of ups and downs. It is hard to try and be a facilitator unless you have a group of educators surrounding you that can support, challenge, and bat around ideas!

This is why we just opened up free access to a brand new learning community for teachers that facilitate learning. If you are doing PBL, inquiry-based learning, blended/hybrid, design thinking, or any type of instruction where you are a facilitator - check out our Learning Facilitators community (and get access to our free Science of Learning course inside).

Want to connect with other Learning Facilitators? Join our free community here (and get the Science of Learning Course).