We have all sat through lectures where the lecturer read a pre-prepared script with little or no scope for interaction. These ‘delivery mode’ lectures are draining and demotivating for students. If you skip lectures because of this or decide to be inattentive, you’re going to be losing out on a lot.
‘Active learning’ is the process of learning via engaging with the content. It means students are interacting with the material in any way that can promote active thought, via activities for learning or via re-framing the note-taking process to encouraging thinking about the material rather than transcribing the content. When you’re learning actively, you’re doing more than simply listening; the aim is skills-development rather than just conveying information.
Passive learning involves not thinking about what you’re studying. It often lead to disengaged and uninterested students. Without opportunities for critical thinking, problem-solving, or active participation, you may find yourself bored and unmotivated. This disengagement not only affects your grades but also diminishes your interest in learning, making education a tedious chore rather than an exciting journey of discovery.
To get to the point where you can repeatedly use your knowledge, you need to repeat them over and over again.Having known that, how do you actively engage with knowledge so you can retain it for as long as you need it?
- Come Prepared to Class
Get a feel for what you’ll learn in class. Reading ahead might help you stay caught up during classes. Practically, only 5% of students do this. Just in case you get into a class unaware of what you’ll be learning, don’t feel bad. Instead take the next step.
- Take Notes
Lecture is not a dictation exercise where you have to write down everything the professor says. You need to watch out for key points, arguments and themes in the lectures. It’s a good thing that lectures are recorded, so you can always go back and check if you missed a point. Do well to compare notes with your classmates and use theirs to update yours and vice versa.
- Connect Ideas
Every class lecture forms the bulk of a course. So you can’t attend a class today and forget about what you learnt in the previous class. Relate new information to what you already know. Make connections between different topics or with real-life examples.
- Review and Reflect
After class, review your notes and reflect on what you learned. This helps reinforce your understanding and identify any areas where you might need further clarification.
Learning is a journey. Keep it in sight, write down your hard bites, fight it through with knowledge and you’ll get it right.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding.”
Proverbs 4:7 KJV