The Active Learning Continuum:Connecting Education Environments to Careers

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In 1989, the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned

in Kindergarten made The New York Times bestseller list. For many readers, truer words had never been written. Most of us remember the engaging and enlightening environment kindergarten provided to jumpstart our academic careers and help us develop skills that would last a lifetime.

“As kindergartners playfully create stories, castles and paintings with one another, they develop and refine their abilities to think creatively and work collaboratively, precise-ly the abilities most needed to achieve success and satis-faction in the 21st century,” says Mitchel Resnick, director of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab.1

Unfortunately, this seemingly common-sense approach to learning tends to disappear as students age. Rows of desks facing the front of the room replace workspaces designed for collaboration and exploration. Project-based problem solving takes a backseat to information delivered via lecture. As a result, students can lack the communication, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills they will need in their careers. Employers confirm this unfortunate reality.

“When it comes to the types of skills and knowledge that employers feel are most important to workplace success, large majorities of employers do not feel that recent college graduates are well prepared,”

notes a report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities.2

So how can school districts and higher education institutions equip students with the skillsets employers need? The Center for Digital Education surveyed 125 K-20 education decision-makers and interviewed 15 K-12, higher education and private sector professionals in late 2015 to get their opinions. An overwhelming 91 percent of respondents agreed active learning better prepares students for college and careers than traditional education frameworks.

What Is Active Learning?Active learning is an instructional method that engages students in the learning process and requires them to think about what they are doing3 to foster critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

For example, at The University of Oklahoma (OU), a political science instructor created a Star Wars-inspired curriculum. Students live in a galaxy far, far away and work together to write a constitution for their galactic community. In an OU biology course, students use simulation software to test simple organisms and observe how they would evolve over a millennium.

At the Science Leadership Academy — a partnership high school between the School District of Philadelphia

“When it comes to the types of skills and knowledge that employers feel are most important to workplace success, large majorities of employers do not feel that recent college graduates are well prepared.”– The Association of American Colleges and Universities

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The Power of Active Learning

Students in classes using traditionallecture techniques are 1.5timesmore likely to fail their exams thanstudents in classes with active learning.4

CDE survey respondents say active learning:

and the Franklin Institute — students identify questions and determine the best way to answer them. They work together to solve problems and showcase their findings in meaningful ways.

“In the end, students are able to step back and examine what was done and learn from the process in retrospect,” says Founding Principal Dr. Chris Lehman.

Active Learning Thrives in New Learning SpacesActive learning is often supported by the physical environment in which students learn. Active learning spaces are open and flexible and may be loud and messy with multiple modalities of learning taking place. They are also places of self-directed learning supported by technology such as laptops and tablets where students work in groups and educators move about the room. They may have dedicated digital displays at every group table with options for multiple inputs. Instructors control the displays or turn control over to students. Students can use school devices or personal devices to utilize these displays.

At Hall County School District in Georgia, active learning environments seamlessly support the instructional needs of individual students. They have plenty of places to power devices and various flat surfaces where students create, save and share. Laptops, Chromebooks and tablets are stored in wall cabinets and are accessible when students need them. Wireless projectors and dry-erase boards with 80-inch images can be manipulated to support creative, individualized projects. Some rooms have multiple projectors or large multi-input TVs available.

Flexible arrangements are also a key component of active learning spaces. They can feature mobile whiteboards, charging stations and movable furniture, which allow students to work in groups or independently. Some arrangements include round or u-shaped tables with room for six to nine students, allowing them to collaborate. Because flexible furniture often has wheels, these arrangements can be modified and grouped together in different combinations depending on the type of instruction or use of the space.

Leaders at Austin Community College in Texas went so far as to purchase a former shopping mall for the ACCelerator Lab, an active learning space outfitted with movable and modular furniture and accessible technology. Program Director Stacey Guney says this unique active learning space is much more akin to expectations in the professional world than in a traditional classroom, because it is an environment that “breeds collaboration.” One of

benefit; leads to higher test scores & increased graduation ratesNo.1 Increases Student Engagement

of education leaders say active learning improves learning outcomes 86%

Improves Learning Outcomes

of education leaders agree teamwork skills are critical for students to succeed in the workplace75%

Builds Teamwork Skills

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the college’s nursing classes created its own study group after being inspired by the space.

Whether they are modified classrooms, open meeting spaces, labs or entire buildings, active learning spaces foster enduring change in the way students learn.

The Workplace Difference Why is active learning so important? As students transi-tion from K-12 and university models of active learning to entry-level positions in the workforce, they are likely to find that the teamwork skills they learned in school have prepared them for continuing success. Students who have had learning experiences similar to workplace environments are able to align these skills and thrive where new employees are expected to collaborate and solve problems.

Digital devices and flexible work environments are part of the dynamic and framework of almost any work-place — large or small, public or private. Like the world at large, the workplace is constantly shifting and changing. Those who will enjoy long-term success in their careers need to be flexible and adaptive; they need to know how

to use the tools to produce and collaborate. “If an institution is pushing students

to work in teams and solve problems utilizing critical-thinking skills, then they will be better prepared to succeed in this work environment,” says Janet McDonald, vice president of c3/consulting in Nashville. “If the focus is linked too greatly to grades, this can stifle creative and flexible thinking. Creativity needs an environment that allows for chaos,

freedom and the ability to find one’s own voice and path, and to do so while working with a group to reach a singular, cohesive goal.”

At ArchiveSocial, a young tech company, founder and CEO Anil Chawla says 100 percent of the startups he’s familiar with operate within a flexible and open work plan. “The collaborative work environment helps people learn and acquire corporate culture. We have a culture of transparency and information sharing, and the flexible and open space makes that possible.”

Overcoming Barriers to Active LearningThe barriers to implementing active learning and active learning environments are real, but they are not insurmountable. Forty-nine percent of CDE survey respondents say they are implementing active learning environments; the remainder say they are planning to implement them. But there are challenges, including:

Funding. While budgets are often fixed, there are numerous federal, state and private grant funding opportunities available. Access to federal grant monies through the Department of Education (DoE), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other government agencies can be found at www.grants.

“If an institution is pushing students to work in teams and solve problems utilizing critical-thinking skills, then they will be better prepared to succeed in this work environment.”– Janet McDonald, Vice President of c3/consulting, Nashville

of CDE survey respondents say they are implementing active learning environments.

49%

Types of Active Learning Environments

gov. The DoE provides funding to schools in support of innovation and need. Title I and II grants are often passed through state departments of education. Some run every year; some only for one or two years at a time. One example of a DoE funding program offered through its Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) is Promise Neighborhoods — a $73 million fund that supports high-needs communities in building a complete continuum of cradle-to-career solutions.5

With the support of administration, any institution can begin to transform its environments on limited budgets by starting small in media centers and libraries, shifting to classrooms and building on those successes. Success with active learning is contagious and can lay the groundwork for scalability and sustainability — one criteria grant proposal reviewers consider important.

Cultural Barriers. When moving to an active learning environment, some institutions may face instructor reluctance. Educators may want to do things the way they always have, or some may fear retaliation for time spent planning, developing and training for new pedagogy. Preparing for and developing active learning strategies and environments takes time and money, and requires administrative support.

Both K-12 and higher education instructors have to relearn assumptions about their roles and what the classroom environment looks like in practice. For some, active learning may be perceived as a relinquishment of control. New measurement strategies have to be put in place and are likely to be, at first, more anecdotal than data driven.

A paradigm shift in the way we teach and learn requires motivation and buy-in, as well as planning and practice. For educators, this means stepping away from the front of the classroom and allowing students to learn by doing rather than listening. For administrators, it means identifying teachers who are doing it correctly and supporting peer modeling, and providing opportunities, support and imperatives for the cradle-to-career continuum.

• Monitor grant sites regularly, including:✓ www.grants.gov

✓ www2.ed.gov/fund/grants-apply.html

✓ www.nsf.gov/funding/

✓ www.getedfunding.com

✓ http://foundationcenter.org/

• Attend pre-grant information meetings

• Review previous successful proposals• Strategize how to use grant monies to redesign learning environments

• Outline needs and objectives

• Tie in with other initiatives, such as STEM

• Gather data; articulate successes

• Develop partnerships with other sectors• Include how the grant funds will be used for

redesigning learning environments in ways that are compliant with funding requirements

Tips for Grant-Seeking Success

1. Common Area/Maker SpaceBy incorporating technology and flexible furniture into common areas, institutions can extend learning outside of the classroom.

2. Collaboration SpaceCollaboration spaces support creativity by providing technology and furniture that allow students to better interact with each other and instructors.

3. Agile ClassroomAn agile classroom has flexible furniture and technology that can be arranged in different combinations to support various learning needs.

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Although not specifically an active learning initiative, Nashville Public Schools created its strategic plan around its personalized learning program, which would require redesigning learning environments in most schools. Leaders began by establishing learn-ing goals and determining how they would measure that learning. Lesson plans were then designed with goals and measurements in place. The district-wide

planning process, called Next Generation Learning,6 allows leaders to measure results and outcomes. In addition to including instructional staff in the planning process, numerous businesses have also been in-volved, providing real-world exercises and programs for students to learn critical skills that carry over to the workplace. The district won numerous awards and received presidential recognition for this work.

1 PLAN AHEAD AND ESTABLISH ACTIVE LEARNING GOALS THAT ALIGN WITH DESIRED EDUCATION OUTCOMES.

CDE’s research indicates that multiple stakeholders, including administrators, instructors and students, should have input into the development of active learning initiatives. OU’s Learning Spaces administrators say buy-in starts at the administrative level with input from faculty. They make decisions to go forward in three phases: decision-makers first say,

yes, we want to do it. Then they identify the funding source; then they find the space. Once they have established those three factors, they invite faculty to participate at their own pace. OU has found that early adopters and enthusiastic students are the driving force behind numerous active learning spaces around the campus.

2 ENCOURAGE STAKEHOLDER BUY-IN.

Although educator reluctance to change is a barrier, proper professional learning improves pedagogy. Institutions should ensure their professional le arning model matches the learning model they want for students. With practice and support, educators make transitions and a shift in pedagogy begins to take hold.

“The biggest barrier to active learning is changing the behavior of instructors and students,” says Dr. Chris Williams, director of THINC College & Career Academy. “The education system has relied on the traditional lecture-style classroom for a long time and people are used to it. So it is a challenge to transition to a classroom that is flexible, and the transition requires coaching and professional development.”

3 ESTABLISH A COMPREHENSIVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PLAN.

Building on Innovation, Success & Knowledge: Getting StartedCDE’s research confirms implementing active learning and active learning environments is a worthwhile pursuit and better prepares students for their future educational and career endeavors. The following strategies help K-20 institutions get one step closer to realizing that reality:

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The most effective driving force for adoption and successful implementation of active learning comes from administration. In K-12, administration support means instructors have the time during the day to collaborate and share ideas with other educators, and the flexibility to experiment without risking their jobs. Oftentimes, it means changing schedules and expectations of instruction to shift mindsets. One K-12 district began adopting a variety of active learning programs 10 years ago: District officials

encouraged local school leaders to think creatively about ideal school processes and functions. A high level of school autonomy and low bureaucratic complexity helped foster an active learning culture where schools could create their own active learning programs. For higher education institutions, administrative support will more likely come in the form of funding and actually providing the space and the technology for instructor and student use.

4 PROVIDE ADMINISTRATOR SUPPORT AND MOTIVATION.

For the continuum of K-12 to college and career to succeed, educators and business and industry professionals must work together. Partnerships help build effective practices, funding resources and mentorships. Workforce partnerships provide

educators with insights into the ever-changing career landscape, into how they are shifting as the economy shifts, how they are utilizing emerging technologies and what employers expect from incoming workers.

5 CREATE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS.

It's important to constantly measure the performance of active learning initiatives. K-12 CDE survey respondents say they use increased engagement, improved achievement and less disruptive behavior as performance indicators. For instance, Jay Steele, former chief academic officer with Metro Nashville Public Schools, says the district has seen the number

of student discipline incidents decrease by 12,000 since 2010, and has seen the daily attendance rate rise from 89 percent to 94 percent since 2009. Higher education respondents to the CDE research survey say they focus more on improved learning outcomes, engagement and retention.

6 ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND CONSTANTLY EVALUATE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.

Endnotes:

1. http://www.edutopia.org/kindergarten-creativity-collaboration-lifelong-learning

2. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/20/study-finds-big-gaps-between-student-and-employer-perceptions

3. https://www.everettcc.edu/files/administration/institutional-effectiveness/institutional-research/outcomeassess-active-learning.pdf

4. http://www.pnas.org/content/111/23/8410.full

5. http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html

6. http://nextgenlearning.org/

Underwritten by:

Dell is committed to helping students develop the knowledge and skills they need to learn and succeed in an increasingly digital world and a globally competitive workforce. As a top provider of technology and services to schools, Dell listens to and works with students, educators, administrators, parents and community members around the world to deliver innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more in and out of the classroom. To learn more about Dell in education visit Dell.com/Education. Follow us on Twitter @DellEDU.

The Center for Digital Education is a national research and advisory institute specializing in K-12 and higher education technology trends, policy and funding. The Center provides education and industry leaders with decision support and actionable insight to help effectively incorporate new technologies in the 21st century. www.centerdigitaled.com

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