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What are the benefits of active learning? Imagine you built your own house. You designed it, poured the foundation, built the framing, installed the plumbing, electrical, doors, windows, and roof… You sure would know a lot about that house, wouldn't you? You would have a very strong personal knowledge and understanding that house – much more so than if someone handed you the keys and you moved right in. Piaget's point was exactly that: A person who actively seeks out and engages with information builds a deeper and stronger connection with that knowledge – much more so than if someone hands the information to them. Active learners:
build a large schema
remember more of what they learn because it has personal meaning to them are self-confident students are motivated to learn use their knowledge to find creative solutions to problems seek not just the right answer, but why an answer is right or wrong . Active vs. Passive Learner Traits Read the chart on pages 104-105. Compare the traits of an active learner with the traits of a passive learner. Then reflect on your own learning. Read these questions and select the response you agree with most. 1. Do you connect your learning to the real world continuing to learn outside of the classroom, or is the classroom your primary learning location? a. I am a connector. b. I am an isolationist. 2. Do you actively take personal responsibility for your learning or do you avoid responsibility for it? a. I take my learning very personally. b. I avoid responsibility – it's up to my teachers to make me learn. 3. Do you actively engage in learning by pondering, analyzing, and debating ideas, or are you a passive recipient of knowledge. a. I actively engage Brainy in the process of learning. b. I am a zombie learner. 4. Are you motivated to learn and achieve for the personal satisfaction of becoming smarter and the knowledge that education is the key to success, or do you require money or material bribes from your parents or others to achieve in school? a. I am 100% intrinsically motivated. b. Without gifts and bribes it's not gonna happen. PRODUCT PREVIEW
THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO STUDY SKILLS 103
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