Lifeguard Final Exam—Encouraging the Use of Active Learning

• Main Authors: Elise N. Griswold, Daniel J. Klionsky
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2015-08-01
• Series: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
• Subjects: active learning; lectures; pedagogy
• Online Access: http://jmbesubmissions.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/945

To anyone familiar with the extensive literature on teaching and learning, there is little question that active learning is more effective than passive learning. Thus, we are not directing this letter to that particular audience. Instead, we are attempting to address the question of the best way to convince instructors who have not tried to incorporate elements of active learning into their courses to make such an attempt. There are numerous examples where it becomes immediately clear that active learning is preferable to a lecture/note-taking approach. Here, we provide a question for group discussion that can be used as one such illustration.