Active Learning Methods

Peer instruction. Peer instruction is promoted by Harvard Professor Eric Mazur [12] to improve students understanding of the underlying concepts of the subject. In lectures, students are asked to respond to multiple-choice questions. Some of the inaccurate answers map to known common misconceptions, which often exist due to conflicting naive preexisting conceptions. Peer instruction allows students to actively put their mental models to the test and obliges them to confront any discrepancies. 

The peer instruction cycle is implonented in five steps  

A problem with multiple-choice answers is displayed, and students are given time to think it over. 

Students record their answers, using for instance show of hands, flash cards, or an electronic response syston. 

When there is disagreement within the group, students are given a few minutes to convince their neighbors (peer instruction) of their answer choice. The intent is that students think for themselves and practice ways to express their understanding in words. 

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The Chemistry of Life course incorporates active learning methods, including computational molecular modeling, simulations, experiments, and student papers and presentations. As described below, activities have been designed that use commercial software packages to enable students to visualize chemical and physical processes that influence and support life. 

How can active learning methods improve student learning in civil engineering... 

What active learning methods should be employed in teaching lean constmction... 

The resnlts confirm the resnlts of research performed on active learning methods presented in section 6.1. If the benefits of active learning are realized through more participation, more enthnsiasm, and better engagement in learning, then simulation exercises and discnssion fomms shonld be seriously considered for addition to the civil engineering cnrricnla in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 

These methods have profound impact on student satisfaction, engagement, and learning. Accordingly, the authors encourage educators to use multiple active learning methods in classroom education to cater for different student learning styles and reduce the dependence on one-way lectures that tend to limit student interaction. 

As educators, we have an obligation to help students develop coimnunication and critical thinking skills that will better prepare them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Each engineering program should evaluate its curriculum to search for possible areas to implement various active learning methods and prepare for the future challenges in engineering education. 

Hamzeh, F. R., Jaeobs, F. (2010). Open forum as an active learning method for teaching lecm construction. Pioeeedings of the Lean Advancement Initiative, 5th L Al/EdNet Lean Educator Conference, May 19 21, Daytona Beach, Florida. 

This active learning method provides immediate feedback for aU students, and often leads to good discussions on alternative solutions. The role of the... 

Evaluation groups regularly review the impact of active learning methods and make recommendations for continuous improvement... 

KVAM p (2000) The effect of active learning methods on student retention in engineering statistics. The American Statistician, 54,136-140. 

Bagheri Shouraki, S. and Honda, N., 1998, Fuzzy controller design by an active learning method. In 31 Symposium of Intelligent Control, 26 August 1998, Japan, Tokyo, pp. 1-10. 

Lotei, T. and Bagheri Shouraki, S., 2004, Active learning method to solve Bin Packing problem. In Proc. of Neural Networks and Computational Intelligence (NCI 2004), 23-25 February 2004, Grindelwald, Switzerland, Paper No. 413-009. 

Shahdi, S.A. and Bagheri Shouraki S., 2003, Use of active learning method to develop an intelligent stop and go cruise control. In Proc. of Intelligent Control and Systems (ISC 2003), 25-27 June 2003, Salzburg, Austria, Paper No. 388-157. 

Shahdi, S.A and Bagheri Shouraki S., 2002, Supervised active learning method as an intelligent linguistic controller and its hardware implementation. In Proc. of International Conference on Artificial Intelligent and Applications, 9-12 Sep., Malaga, Spain. 

Taheri Shahraiyni, H., 2007, Extraction of water quality parameters using the satellite data and inverse modeling of radiative transfer equation by active learning method, Phd Thesis, Civil. Eng. Dept., Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, 167 p. (In Persian). 

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