{"id":285323,"date":"2019-09-04T17:26:48","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T21:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=285323"},"modified":"2024-01-10T10:43:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T15:43:13","slug":"study-shows-that-students-learn-more-when-taking-part-in-classrooms-that-employ-active-learning-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2019\/09\/study-shows-that-students-learn-more-when-taking-part-in-classrooms-that-employ-active-learning-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons in learning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tScience & Tech\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\tLessons in learning\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
\"Two

Sean Finamore ’22 (left) and Xaviera Zime ’22 study during a lecture in the Science Center.<\/p>

Photos by Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\tPeter Reuell\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tStudy shows students in \u2018active learning\u2019 classrooms learn more than they think\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n

For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead author Louis Deslauriers<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOften, students seemed genuinely to prefer smooth-as-silk traditional lectures,\u201d Deslauriers said. \u201cWe wanted to take them at their word. Perhaps they actually felt like they learned more from lectures than they did from active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Deslauriers, the study is authored by director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty<\/a>, senior preceptor in applied physics Kelly Miller, preceptor in physics Greg Kestin<\/a>, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question of whether students\u2019 perceptions of their learning matches with how well they\u2019re actually learning is particularly important, Deslauriers said, because while students eventually see the value of active learning, initially it can feel frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeep learning is hard work. The effort involved in active learning can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the other hand, a superstar lecturer can explain things in such a way as to make students feel like they are learning more than they actually are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"professor
Director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty is the co-author of a new study that says students who take part in active learning actually learn more than they think they do. Using these principles, he teaches Physical Science 12B in the Science Center.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To understand that dichotomy, Deslauriers and his co-authors designed an experiment that would expose students in an introductory physics class to both traditional lectures and active learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first 11 weeks of the 15-week class, students were taught using standard methods by an experienced instructor. In the 12th week, half the class was randomly assigned to a classroom that used active learning, while the other half attended highly polished lectures. In a subsequent class, the two groups were reversed. Notably, both groups used identical class content and only active engagement with the material was toggled on and off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following each class, students were surveyed on how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as \u201cI feel like I learned a lot from this lecture\u201d and \u201cI wish all my physics courses were taught this way.\u201d Students were also tested on how much they learned in the class with 12 multiple-choice questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u201cActual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cas shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn\u2019t 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. \u201cIn all the courses at Harvard that we\u2019ve transformed to active learning,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cthe overall course evaluations went up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"bar
Source: \u201cMeasuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom,\u201d Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller, Kristina Callaghan, and Greg Kestin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Co-author Kestin, who in addition to being a physicist is a video producer with PBS\u2019 NOVA, said, \u201cIt can be tempting to engage the class simply by folding lectures into a compelling \u2018story,\u2019 especially when that\u2019s what students seem to like. I show my students the data from this study on the first day of class to help them appreciate the importance of their own involvement in active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarty, who oversees curricular efforts across the sciences, hopes this study will encourage more of his colleagues to embrace active learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that other instructors are thinking hard about the way they\u2019re teaching,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our classes, we start each topic by asking students to gather in small groups to solve some problems. While they work, we walk around the room to observe them and answer questions. Then we come together and give a short lecture targeted specifically at the misconceptions and struggles we saw during the problem-solving activity. So far we\u2019ve transformed over a dozen classes to use this kind of active-learning approach. It\u2019s extremely efficient \u2014 we can cover just as much material as we would using lectures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also explains why instructors and students cling to the belief that listening to lectures constitutes learning. I recommend every lecturer reads this article.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dean of Science Christopher Stubbs<\/a>, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, was an early convert. \u201cWhen I first switched to teaching using active learning, some students resisted that change. This research confirms that faculty should persist and encourage active learning. Active engagement in every classroom, led by our incredible science faculty, should be the hallmark of residential undergraduate education at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Deslauriers said, the study shows that it\u2019s important to ensure that neither instructors nor students are fooled into thinking that lectures are the best learning option. \u201cStudents might give fabulous evaluations to an amazing lecturer based on this feeling of learning, even though their actual learning isn\u2019t optimal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could help to explain why study after study shows that student evaluations seem to be completely uncorrelated with actual learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This research was supported with funding from the Harvard FAS Division of Science.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Study shows students in \u2018active learning\u2019 classrooms learn more than they think<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131912115,"featured_media":285365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":1008,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2026-04-11 07:42","document_color_palette":"blue","author":"Peter Reuell","affiliation":"Harvard Staff 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scores\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2019-09-04T21:26:48Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-09-04T21:26:48Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-10T15:43:13Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/news.harvard.edu\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_168_2500.jpg","has_blocks":true,"block_data":{"0":{"blockName":"harvard-gazette\/article-header","attrs":{"blockColorPalette":"blue","categoryId":1387,"centeredImage":true,"creditText":"Photos by Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer","mediaAlt":"Two students in lecture hall sharing notes.","mediaCaption":"Sean Finamore '22 (left) and Xaviera Zime '22 study during a lecture in the Science Center.","mediaHeight":1667,"mediaId":285365,"mediaType":"image","mediaUrl":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_168_2500.jpg","mediaWidth":2500,"poster":"","subheading":"Study shows students in \u2018active learning\u2019 classrooms learn more than they think","title":"Lessons in learning","titleAbove":true,"className":"is-style-full-width-text-below","backgroundFixed":false,"backgroundTone":"light","coloredBackground":false,"coloredHeading":true,"displayDetails":"","displayOverlay":true,"displayTitle":"","fadeInText":false,"isAmbient":false,"mediaLength":"","mediaPosition":"","mediaSize":"header-full","posterText":"","useUncroppedImage":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Two students in lecture hall sharing notes.\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_168_2500.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Sean Finamore '22 (left) and Xaviera Zime '22 study during a lecture in the Science Center.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Photos by Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Two students in lecture hall sharing notes.\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_168_2500.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Sean Finamore '22 (left) and Xaviera Zime '22 study during a lecture in the Science Center.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Photos by Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below has-blue-color title-above-image centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\"\n\t\t--primary-page-color-bright: var(--color-blue-bright);\n\t\t--primary-page-color-text: var(--color-blue-dark);\n\t\t--primary-page-color-ui: var(--color-blue);\n\t\t--primary-page-color-reverse-background: var(--color-blue);\n\t\t--primary-page-color-reverse-text: var(--color-white);\n\t\t--primary-page-color-reverse-ui: var(--color-white);\n\t \"\n>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tScience & Tech\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tLessons in learning\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"Two students in lecture hall sharing notes.\" height=\"1667\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_168_2500.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Sean Finamore '22 (left) and Xaviera Zime '22 study during a lecture in the Science Center.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Photos by Kris Snibbe\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tPeter Reuell\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2019-09-04\">\n\t\t\tSeptember 4, 2019\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t6 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tStudy shows students in \u2018active learning\u2019 classrooms learn more than they think\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/09\/03\/1821936116\">study<\/a>, 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.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/09\/03\/1821936116\">study<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/09\/03\/1821936116\">study<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/09\/03\/1821936116\">study<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/deslauriers\">Louis Deslauriers<\/a>, 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.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/deslauriers\">Louis Deslauriers<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/deslauriers\">Louis Deslauriers<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/deslauriers\">Louis Deslauriers<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cOften, students seemed genuinely to prefer smooth-as-silk traditional lectures,\u201d Deslauriers said. \u201cWe wanted to take them at their word. Perhaps they actually felt like they learned more from lectures than they did from active learning.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cOften, students seemed genuinely to prefer smooth-as-silk traditional lectures,\u201d Deslauriers said. \u201cWe wanted to take them at their word. Perhaps they actually felt like they learned more from lectures than they did from active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cOften, students seemed genuinely to prefer smooth-as-silk traditional lectures,\u201d Deslauriers said. \u201cWe wanted to take them at their word. Perhaps they actually felt like they learned more from lectures than they did from active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cOften, students seemed genuinely to prefer smooth-as-silk traditional lectures,\u201d Deslauriers said. \u201cWe wanted to take them at their word. Perhaps they actually felt like they learned more from lectures than they did from active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"In addition to Deslauriers, the study is authored by director of sciences education and physics lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/mccarty\">Logan McCarty<\/a>, senior preceptor in applied physics Kelly Miller, preceptor in physics <a href=\"https:\/\/lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/greg-kestin\">Greg Kestin<\/a>, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>In addition to Deslauriers, the study is authored by director of sciences education and physics lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/mccarty\">Logan McCarty<\/a>, senior preceptor in applied physics Kelly Miller, preceptor in physics <a href=\"https:\/\/lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/greg-kestin\">Greg Kestin<\/a>, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>In addition to Deslauriers, the study is authored by director of sciences education and physics lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/mccarty\">Logan McCarty<\/a>, senior preceptor in applied physics Kelly Miller, preceptor in physics <a href=\"https:\/\/lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/greg-kestin\">Greg Kestin<\/a>, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>In addition to Deslauriers, the study is authored by director of sciences education and physics lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/mccarty\">Logan McCarty<\/a>, senior preceptor in applied physics Kelly Miller, preceptor in physics <a href=\"https:\/\/lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/greg-kestin\">Greg Kestin<\/a>, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"The question of whether students\u2019 perceptions of their learning matches with how well they\u2019re actually learning is particularly important, Deslauriers said, because while students eventually see the value of active learning, initially it can feel frustrating.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>The question of whether students\u2019 perceptions of their learning matches with how well they\u2019re actually learning is particularly important, Deslauriers said, because while students eventually see the value of active learning, initially it can feel frustrating.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>The question of whether students\u2019 perceptions of their learning matches with how well they\u2019re actually learning is particularly important, Deslauriers said, because while students eventually see the value of active learning, initially it can feel frustrating.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>The question of whether students\u2019 perceptions of their learning matches with how well they\u2019re actually learning is particularly important, Deslauriers said, because while students eventually see the value of active learning, initially it can feel frustrating.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cDeep learning is hard work. The effort involved in active learning can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the other hand, a superstar lecturer can explain things in such a way as to make students feel like they are learning more than they actually are.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cDeep learning is hard work. The effort involved in active learning can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the other hand, a superstar lecturer can explain things in such a way as to make students feel like they are learning more than they actually are.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cDeep learning is hard work. The effort involved in active learning can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the other hand, a superstar lecturer can explain things in such a way as to make students feel like they are learning more than they actually are.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cDeep learning is hard work. The effort involved in active learning can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the other hand, a superstar lecturer can explain things in such a way as to make students feel like they are learning more than they actually are.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"id":285367,"sizeSlug":"full","className":"is-resized","creditText":"","blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_055_2500.jpg","alt":"professor teaching","caption":"Director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty is the co-author of a new study that says students who take part in active learning actually learn more than they think they do. Using these principles, he teaches Physical Science 12B in the Science Center.\t\t\t","lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkDestination":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_055_2500.jpg\" alt=\"professor teaching\" class=\"wp-image-285367\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty is the co-author of a new study that says students who take part in active learning actually learn more than they think they do. Using these principles, he teaches Physical Science 12B in the Science Center.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_055_2500.jpg\" alt=\"professor teaching\" class=\"wp-image-285367\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty is the co-author of a new study that says students who take part in active learning actually learn more than they think they do. Using these principles, he teaches Physical Science 12B in the Science Center.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_055_2500.jpg\" alt=\"professor teaching\" class=\"wp-image-285367\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty is the co-author of a new study that says students who take part in active learning actually learn more than they think they do. Using these principles, he teaches Physical Science 12B in the Science Center.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"To understand that dichotomy, Deslauriers and his co-authors designed an experiment that would expose students in an introductory physics class to both traditional lectures and active learning.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>To understand that dichotomy, Deslauriers and his co-authors designed an experiment that would expose students in an introductory physics class to both traditional lectures and active learning.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>To understand that dichotomy, Deslauriers and his co-authors designed an experiment that would expose students in an introductory physics class to both traditional lectures and active learning.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>To understand that dichotomy, Deslauriers and his co-authors designed an experiment that would expose students in an introductory physics class to both traditional lectures and active learning.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"For the first 11 weeks of the 15-week class, students were taught using standard methods by an experienced instructor. In the 12th week, half the class was randomly assigned to a classroom that used active learning, while the other half attended highly polished lectures. In a subsequent class, the two groups were reversed. Notably, both groups used identical class content and only active engagement with the material was toggled on and off.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>For the first 11 weeks of the 15-week class, students were taught using standard methods by an experienced instructor. In the 12th week, half the class was randomly assigned to a classroom that used active learning, while the other half attended highly polished lectures. In a subsequent class, the two groups were reversed. Notably, both groups used identical class content and only active engagement with the material was toggled on and off.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>For the first 11 weeks of the 15-week class, students were taught using standard methods by an experienced instructor. In the 12th week, half the class was randomly assigned to a classroom that used active learning, while the other half attended highly polished lectures. In a subsequent class, the two groups were reversed. Notably, both groups used identical class content and only active engagement with the material was toggled on and off.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>For the first 11 weeks of the 15-week class, students were taught using standard methods by an experienced instructor. In the 12th week, half the class was randomly assigned to a classroom that used active learning, while the other half attended highly polished lectures. In a subsequent class, the two groups were reversed. Notably, both groups used identical class content and only active engagement with the material was toggled on and off.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Following each class, students were surveyed on how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as \u201cI feel like I learned a lot from this lecture\u201d and \u201cI wish all my physics courses were taught this way.\u201d Students were also tested on how much they learned in the class with 12 multiple-choice questions.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Following each class, students were surveyed on how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as \u201cI feel like I learned a lot from this lecture\u201d and \u201cI wish all my physics courses were taught this way.\u201d Students were also tested on how much they learned in the class with 12 multiple-choice questions.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Following each class, students were surveyed on how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as \u201cI feel like I learned a lot from this lecture\u201d and \u201cI wish all my physics courses were taught this way.\u201d Students were also tested on how much they learned in the class with 12 multiple-choice questions.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Following each class, students were surveyed on how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as \u201cI feel like I learned a lot from this lecture\u201d and \u201cI wish all my physics courses were taught this way.\u201d Students were also tested on how much they learned in the class with 12 multiple-choice questions.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"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. \u201cActual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cas shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>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. \u201cActual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cas shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>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. \u201cActual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cas shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>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. \u201cActual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cas shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn\u2019t 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. \u201cIn all the courses at Harvard that we\u2019ve transformed to active learning,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cthe overall course evaluations went up.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn\u2019t 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. \u201cIn all the courses at Harvard that we\u2019ve transformed to active learning,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cthe overall course evaluations went up.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn\u2019t 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. \u201cIn all the courses at Harvard that we\u2019ve transformed to active learning,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cthe overall course evaluations went up.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn\u2019t 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. \u201cIn all the courses at Harvard that we\u2019ve transformed to active learning,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cthe overall course evaluations went up.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"id":285372,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none","creditText":"","blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/activelearning.jpg","alt":"bar chart","caption":"Source: \u201cMeasuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom,\u201d Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller, Kristina Callaghan, and Greg Kestin","lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","className":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/activelearning.jpg\" alt=\"bar chart\" class=\"wp-image-285372\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: \u201cMeasuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom,\u201d Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller, Kristina Callaghan, and Greg Kestin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/activelearning.jpg\" alt=\"bar chart\" class=\"wp-image-285372\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: \u201cMeasuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom,\u201d Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller, Kristina Callaghan, and Greg Kestin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/activelearning.jpg\" alt=\"bar chart\" class=\"wp-image-285372\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: \u201cMeasuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom,\u201d Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller, Kristina Callaghan, and Greg Kestin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Co-author Kestin, who in addition to being a physicist is a video producer with PBS\u2019 NOVA, said, \u201cIt can be tempting to engage the class simply by folding lectures into a compelling \u2018story,\u2019 especially when that\u2019s what students seem to like. I show my students the data from this study on the first day of class to help them appreciate the importance of their own involvement in active learning.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Co-author Kestin, who in addition to being a physicist is a video producer with PBS\u2019 NOVA, said, \u201cIt can be tempting to engage the class simply by folding lectures into a compelling \u2018story,\u2019 especially when that\u2019s what students seem to like. I show my students the data from this study on the first day of class to help them appreciate the importance of their own involvement in active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Co-author Kestin, who in addition to being a physicist is a video producer with PBS\u2019 NOVA, said, \u201cIt can be tempting to engage the class simply by folding lectures into a compelling \u2018story,\u2019 especially when that\u2019s what students seem to like. I show my students the data from this study on the first day of class to help them appreciate the importance of their own involvement in active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Co-author Kestin, who in addition to being a physicist is a video producer with PBS\u2019 NOVA, said, \u201cIt can be tempting to engage the class simply by folding lectures into a compelling \u2018story,\u2019 especially when that\u2019s what students seem to like. I show my students the data from this study on the first day of class to help them appreciate the importance of their own involvement in active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"McCarty, who oversees curricular efforts across the sciences, hopes this study will encourage more of his colleagues to embrace active learning.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>McCarty, who oversees curricular efforts across the sciences, hopes this study will encourage more of his colleagues to embrace active learning.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>McCarty, who oversees curricular efforts across the sciences, hopes this study will encourage more of his colleagues to embrace active learning.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>McCarty, who oversees curricular efforts across the sciences, hopes this study will encourage more of his colleagues to embrace active learning.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cWe want to make sure that other instructors are thinking hard about the way they\u2019re teaching,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our classes, we start each topic by asking students to gather in small groups to solve some problems. While they work, we walk around the room to observe them and answer questions. Then we come together and give a short lecture targeted specifically at the misconceptions and struggles we saw during the problem-solving activity. So far we\u2019ve transformed over a dozen classes to use this kind of active-learning approach. It\u2019s extremely efficient \u2014 we can cover just as much material as we would using lectures.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure that other instructors are thinking hard about the way they\u2019re teaching,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our classes, we start each topic by asking students to gather in small groups to solve some problems. While they work, we walk around the room to observe them and answer questions. Then we come together and give a short lecture targeted specifically at the misconceptions and struggles we saw during the problem-solving activity. So far we\u2019ve transformed over a dozen classes to use this kind of active-learning approach. It\u2019s extremely efficient \u2014 we can cover just as much material as we would using lectures.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure that other instructors are thinking hard about the way they\u2019re teaching,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our classes, we start each topic by asking students to gather in small groups to solve some problems. While they work, we walk around the room to observe them and answer questions. Then we come together and give a short lecture targeted specifically at the misconceptions and struggles we saw during the problem-solving activity. So far we\u2019ve transformed over a dozen classes to use this kind of active-learning approach. It\u2019s extremely efficient \u2014 we can cover just as much material as we would using lectures.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure that other instructors are thinking hard about the way they\u2019re teaching,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our classes, we start each topic by asking students to gather in small groups to solve some problems. While they work, we walk around the room to observe them and answer questions. Then we come together and give a short lecture targeted specifically at the misconceptions and struggles we saw during the problem-solving activity. So far we\u2019ve transformed over a dozen classes to use this kind of active-learning approach. It\u2019s extremely efficient \u2014 we can cover just as much material as we would using lectures.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn.","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"\u201cThis work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also explains why instructors and students cling to the belief that listening to lectures constitutes learning. I recommend every lecturer reads this article.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>\u201cThis work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also explains why instructors and students cling to the belief that listening to lectures constitutes learning. I recommend every lecturer reads this article.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>\u201cThis work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also explains why instructors and students cling to the belief that listening to lectures constitutes learning. I recommend every lecturer reads this article.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cThis work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also explains why instructors and students cling to the belief that listening to lectures constitutes learning. I recommend every lecturer reads this article.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Dean of Science <a href=\"https:\/\/science.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/christopher-stubbs\">Christopher Stubbs<\/a>, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, was an early convert. \u201cWhen I first switched to teaching using active learning, some students resisted that change. This research confirms that faculty should persist and encourage active learning. Active engagement in every classroom, led by our incredible science faculty, should be the hallmark of residential undergraduate education at Harvard.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Dean of Science <a href=\"https:\/\/science.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/christopher-stubbs\">Christopher Stubbs<\/a>, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, was an early convert. \u201cWhen I first switched to teaching using active learning, some students resisted that change. This research confirms that faculty should persist and encourage active learning. Active engagement in every classroom, led by our incredible science faculty, should be the hallmark of residential undergraduate education at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Dean of Science <a href=\"https:\/\/science.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/christopher-stubbs\">Christopher Stubbs<\/a>, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, was an early convert. \u201cWhen I first switched to teaching using active learning, some students resisted that change. This research confirms that faculty should persist and encourage active learning. Active engagement in every classroom, led by our incredible science faculty, should be the hallmark of residential undergraduate education at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Dean of Science <a href=\"https:\/\/science.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/christopher-stubbs\">Christopher Stubbs<\/a>, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, was an early convert. \u201cWhen I first switched to teaching using active learning, some students resisted that change. This research confirms that faculty should persist and encourage active learning. Active engagement in every classroom, led by our incredible science faculty, should be the hallmark of residential undergraduate education at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"Ultimately, Deslauriers said, the study shows that it\u2019s important to ensure that neither instructors nor students are fooled into thinking that lectures are the best learning option. \u201cStudents might give fabulous evaluations to an amazing lecturer based on this feeling of learning, even though their actual learning isn\u2019t optimal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could help to explain why study after study shows that student evaluations seem to be completely uncorrelated with actual learning.\u201d","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>Ultimately, Deslauriers said, the study shows that it\u2019s important to ensure that neither instructors nor students are fooled into thinking that lectures are the best learning option. \u201cStudents might give fabulous evaluations to an amazing lecturer based on this feeling of learning, even though their actual learning isn\u2019t optimal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could help to explain why study after study shows that student evaluations seem to be completely uncorrelated with actual learning.\u201d<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p>Ultimately, Deslauriers said, the study shows that it\u2019s important to ensure that neither instructors nor students are fooled into thinking that lectures are the best learning option. \u201cStudents might give fabulous evaluations to an amazing lecturer based on this feeling of learning, even though their actual learning isn\u2019t optimal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could help to explain why study after study shows that student evaluations seem to be completely uncorrelated with actual learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>Ultimately, Deslauriers said, the study shows that it\u2019s important to ensure that neither instructors nor students are fooled into thinking that lectures are the best learning option. \u201cStudents might give fabulous evaluations to an amazing lecturer based on this feeling of learning, even though their actual learning isn\u2019t optimal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could help to explain why study after study shows that student evaluations seem to be completely uncorrelated with actual learning.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"align":"","content":"<em>This research was supported with funding from the Harvard FAS Division of Science.<\/em>","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p><em>This research was supported with funding from the Harvard FAS Division of Science.<\/em><\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n<p><em>This research was supported with funding from the Harvard FAS Division of Science.<\/em><\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n<p><em>This research was supported with funding from the Harvard FAS Division of Science.<\/em><\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","\n\n","<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>For decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And a new Harvard study suggests it may be important to let students know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2019\/09\/03\/1821936116\">study<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/deslauriers\">Louis Deslauriers<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOften, students seemed genuinely to prefer smooth-as-silk traditional lectures,\u201d Deslauriers said. \u201cWe wanted to take them at their word. Perhaps they actually felt like they learned more from lectures than they did from active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to Deslauriers, the study is authored by director of sciences education and physics lecturer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.harvard.edu\/people\/facpages\/mccarty\">Logan McCarty<\/a>, senior preceptor in applied physics Kelly Miller, preceptor in physics <a href=\"https:\/\/lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/greg-kestin\">Greg Kestin<\/a>, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The question of whether students\u2019 perceptions of their learning matches with how well they\u2019re actually learning is particularly important, Deslauriers said, because while students eventually see the value of active learning, initially it can feel frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDeep learning is hard work. The effort involved in active learning can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the other hand, a superstar lecturer can explain things in such a way as to make students feel like they are learning more than they actually are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/090419_Learning_055_2500.jpg\" alt=\"professor teaching\" class=\"wp-image-285367\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of sciences education and physics lecturer Logan McCarty is the co-author of a new study that says students who take part in active learning actually learn more than they think they do. Using these principles, he teaches Physical Science 12B in the Science Center.\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand that dichotomy, Deslauriers and his co-authors designed an experiment that would expose students in an introductory physics class to both traditional lectures and active learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first 11 weeks of the 15-week class, students were taught using standard methods by an experienced instructor. In the 12th week, half the class was randomly assigned to a classroom that used active learning, while the other half attended highly polished lectures. In a subsequent class, the two groups were reversed. Notably, both groups used identical class content and only active engagement with the material was toggled on and off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following each class, students were surveyed on how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as \u201cI feel like I learned a lot from this lecture\u201d and \u201cI wish all my physics courses were taught this way.\u201d Students were also tested on how much they learned in the class with 12 multiple-choice questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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. \u201cActual learning and feeling of learning were strongly anticorrelated,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cas shown through the robust statistical analysis by co-author Kelly Miller, who is an expert in educational statistics and active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those results, the study authors are quick to point out, shouldn\u2019t 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. \u201cIn all the courses at Harvard that we\u2019ve transformed to active learning,\u201d Deslauriers said, \u201cthe overall course evaluations went up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/activelearning.jpg\" alt=\"bar chart\" class=\"wp-image-285372\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: \u201cMeasuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom,\u201d Louis Deslauriers, Logan S. McCarty, Kelly Miller, Kristina Callaghan, and Greg Kestin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Co-author Kestin, who in addition to being a physicist is a video producer with PBS\u2019 NOVA, said, \u201cIt can be tempting to engage the class simply by folding lectures into a compelling \u2018story,\u2019 especially when that\u2019s what students seem to like. I show my students the data from this study on the first day of class to help them appreciate the importance of their own involvement in active learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCarty, who oversees curricular efforts across the sciences, hopes this study will encourage more of his colleagues to embrace active learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure that other instructors are thinking hard about the way they\u2019re teaching,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our classes, we start each topic by asking students to gather in small groups to solve some problems. While they work, we walk around the room to observe them and answer questions. Then we come together and give a short lecture targeted specifically at the misconceptions and struggles we saw during the problem-solving activity. So far we\u2019ve transformed over a dozen classes to use this kind of active-learning approach. It\u2019s extremely efficient \u2014 we can cover just as much material as we would using lectures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also explains why instructors and students cling to the belief that listening to lectures constitutes learning. I recommend every lecturer reads this article.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dean of Science <a href=\"https:\/\/science.fas.harvard.edu\/people\/christopher-stubbs\">Christopher Stubbs<\/a>, Samuel C. Moncher Professor of Physics and of Astronomy, was an early convert. \u201cWhen I first switched to teaching using active learning, some students resisted that change. This research confirms that faculty should persist and encourage active learning. Active engagement in every classroom, led by our incredible science faculty, should be the hallmark of residential undergraduate education at Harvard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, Deslauriers said, the study shows that it\u2019s important to ensure that neither instructors nor students are fooled into thinking that lectures are the best learning option. \u201cStudents might give fabulous evaluations to an amazing lecturer based on this feeling of learning, even though their actual learning isn\u2019t optimal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis could help to explain why study after study shows that student evaluations seem to be completely uncorrelated with actual learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This research was supported with funding from the Harvard FAS Division of Science.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":134603,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2013\/04\/fine-tuning-online-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":285323,"position":0},"title":"Fine-tuning online education","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Andrew Ho, research director of HarvardX and an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, spoke with the Gazette about a recent study that found that interspersing online lectures with short tests improved student performance.","rel":"","context":"In "Science & Tech"","block_context":{"text":"Science & Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/andrew_ho_hr.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/andrew_ho_hr.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/andrew_ho_hr.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":332467,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2021\/10\/study-finds-students-learn-better-through-physical-participation\/","url_meta":{"origin":285323,"position":1},"title":"Finding hands-on approaches to remote learning","author":"Lian Parsons","date":"October 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Harvard faculty talk best practices in online teaching gleaned from a 2019 Harvard study.","rel":"","context":"In "Nation & World"","block_context":{"text":"Nation & World","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/nation-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Students with computers in class.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/090121_Classroom_Chavers_062.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/090121_Classroom_Chavers_062.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/090121_Classroom_Chavers_062.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/090121_Classroom_Chavers_062.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":106073,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2012\/03\/a-peek-into-harvard-classrooms\/","url_meta":{"origin":285323,"position":2},"title":"A peek into Harvard classrooms","author":"harvardgazette","date":"March 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is launching a new video series, called \"Harvard's Great Teachers,\" which will highlight Harvard\u2019s world-class faculty and offer a sampling of the exciting and innovative teaching experienced by Harvard students.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/100411_kelly_class_050_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/100411_kelly_class_050_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/100411_kelly_class_050_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":391420,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2024\/09\/professor-tailored-ai-tutor-to-physics-course-engagement-doubled\/","url_meta":{"origin":285323,"position":3},"title":"Professor tailored AI tutor to physics course. Engagement doubled.","author":"Anne Mannning","date":"September 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Preliminary findings inspire other large Harvard classes to test approach this fall","rel":"","context":"In "Science & Tech"","block_context":{"text":"Science & Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/071524_aitutor_003.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/071524_aitutor_003.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/071524_aitutor_003.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/071524_aitutor_003.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":177614,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2015\/12\/professors-recognized-for-exceptional-teaching-in-science\/","url_meta":{"origin":285323,"position":4},"title":"Professors recognized for exceptional teaching in science","author":"harvardgazette","date":"December 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Jene Golovchenko and John Johnson are the 2015 winners of the Fannie Cox Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching.","rel":"","context":"In "Campus & Community"","block_context":{"text":"Campus & Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/john-johnson-fannie-cox-winner_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/john-johnson-fannie-cox-winner_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/john-johnson-fannie-cox-winner_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":134424,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2013\/04\/online-learning-its-different\/","url_meta":{"origin":285323,"position":5},"title":"Online learning: It\u2019s different","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 3, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"By interspersing online lectures with short tests, student mind-wandering decreased by half, note-taking tripled, and overall retention of the material improved, said Daniel Schacter, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Psychology, and Karl Szpunar, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology.","rel":"","context":"In "Science & Tech"","block_context":{"text":"Science & Tech","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/science-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/040213_schacter_0526_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/040213_schacter_0526_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/040213_schacter_0526_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131912115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285323"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":368937,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285323\/revisions\/368937"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285323"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gazette-formats?post=285323"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=285323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}