The Boon of Active Learning

Each of the theories we delved into for this unit has a strong core of active learning.  While technology used well can encourage active learning, it is still quite possible with some of the theories we have covered in the past to slip back into the sit-and-get mode of education (PSI, A-T, poorly planned collaborative assignments).

However, with this unit's theories (Goal-Based Scenarios, Anchored Instruction, MOST environments, and the STAR Legacy model), it would be very difficult to create a situation where the student didn't have to explore, discover, and create in order to complete the assignment.

Each of these theories asks the instructor to set a trail on the front end for the student to follow.  Whether it be the bread crumbs of the Anchored Instruction model, the scenarios of the Goal-Based and STAR, or the mental model input for MOST, the key element is that the teacher's productive work is up front and the student's work is active throughout.

It is the up-front work required of the teacher that can be the problem to initiating this type of learning in today's schools.  Each of these models requires great detail to set the story and a lot of investigation on the teacher's part in order to ensure that the appropriate resources, trails, and procedures are in place.  We are talking hours and hours of preparatory work.  In today's K-12 environment, at least, that amount of time is difficult to come by.

Additionally, there is the concern that teachers have to develop the skill set of facilitating rather than lecturing.  Many teachers feel like they are not actually teaching if the students are doing all of the work.  Unfortunately, this fear often leads to passive students, active teachers, and little learning.  Models such as we have explored in this unit, though, lead to active students, active teachers, and a lot of learning!  A teacher just has to put in the time and make the leap of faith once to truly believe in active learning.

Technology can help to overcome the time problem in implementing these models.  Because technology and the Internet are becoming more ubiquitous, a teacher can more easily create, store, and edit these types of projects.  What once took hours and a lot of filing cabinet space can now often be created with drag and drop technology and stored in Google Drive or Dropbox.

It is also easier for students to create products of which they can be proud.  Movie production software has become more manipulatable, and software like iMovie, Movie Maker, or YouTube allow students to create polished final products showcasing their new-found knowledge.  We have even begun to go beyond the realm of movie-making to book writing (storyjumper) and infographic production (piktochart).  These things feel "adult," and when students are able to synthesize knowledge to create something attractive and useful, they gain a sense of empowerment greater than any quality lecture or worksheet can ever provide.

Mastery and Presence

As I read through the articles for unit I, I was struck by the constant balance that educators must find between mastery-based learning and teacher presence.

Koen put this issue quite succinctly when he pondered:

What is the proper way to design a course in the current digital age when Mark Hopkins' log stretches to become the long wire of the Internet?  How can a professor keep the sense of Mark Hopkins in close proximity to his or her student...when professor and student are separated by thousands of miles and, at the same time, schedule the reinforcers necessary for effective education implied by Skinner's observation?  (Koen, 2005)

Both Keller's Personal System of Instruction (PSI) and Postlethwait's Audio Tutorial (AT) system address the concept of mastery well.  In each system, students are allowed to work at their own pace to comprehend material.  The AT system does provide more structure in terms of pacing because of its three components (Independent Study, General Assembly, and Small Assembly).  While a student working through PSI could in theory take as long as they want (barring restrictions placed by a teacher), the AT model suggests that each study session will take place at regular intervals.  If you are a teacher who believes in personalizing instruction and that different people learn at different paces, then one of these systems will likely provide you with the type of learning tool you wish to use.

However, the question of what balance to put on that system of learning then becomes paramount.  Most teachers recognize that learning often requires a structured environment.  There are many distractions in our world, particularly now, and it we allow students to complete work whenever they decide, they may choose to simply not complete the work.  Teacher presence has consistently been a key motivator to encourage students to complete tasks and conquer the roadblocks that sometimes stand in the way of learning.  How do we then ensure that presence exists while still allowing a student to work at their own pace?  How does a teacher balance multiple students at multiple spots in the curriculum and somehow make them all feel equally attended to?

The articles in this unit certainly offered quite a few specific examples for conquering mastery/presence balance concerns.  In all, it seemed that some version of PSI or AT teachings combined with structure provided by a teacher, proctor, or department offered the best way to reach out to students while still allowing them to master material on their own terms.  I personally believe that finding this balance is the key to modern education and wish that more programs would focus their efforts in this direction (rather than funneling massive amounts of money into testing).  Students who are allowed to work at their own pace while knowing there is a support system in place are students who are likely to be successful at learning, and the more successes a student has behind them, the more likely they are to become life-long learners.

I have a personal fondness for this topic because mastery-based learning is one of the key tenets of the online program in which I currently work.  As the program has grown, we have struggled daily with finding the balance between letting students have as much time as they need to complete units (set up in PSI fashion) and providing more structure for them.  I have found that teachers also struggle with discovering how to create a sense of community in an online course when students are working through it at different paces, although because we cap sections, our teachers are still very good at maintaining presence with their students.  I am currently thinking that we may need to add some elements of the AT model to our program in order to help students become better at pacing their learning.


Koen, B. V. (2005). Creating a sense of "presence" in a web-based psi course: The search for mark hopkins' log in a digital world. IEEE Transactions on Education, 48(4), 599-604.

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   by  michaelgoodin