Spotlight on SOTL: Putting Passive Learning in the Past: Positive Impact on Student Learning through Active Learning in the Humanities and Social Sciences

This article is based on the following research article:

Kozanitis, A., & Nenciovici, L. (2023). Effect of active learning versus traditional lecturing on

the learning achievement of college students in humanities and social sciences: a meta-analysis. Higher Education, 86(6), 1377–1394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00977-8

Thinking of traditional modes of lecturing in the Humanities and Social Sciences can often conjure mental images of the ‘sage on a stage’ framework, where a professor at the front of a large lecture hall verbally delivers material to a group of students that passively take notes. However, recent studies have shown that lecture delivery that prioritizes active learning methods are much more effective in increasing student engagement, knowledge retention, and creating a positive learning experience. The problem? The majority of these studies trace the impact of active learning on STEM courses. Kozanitis and Nenciovici, however, have undertaken the first meta-analysis of the impact of active learning on Humanities and Social Sciences courses.

What did the researchers do and find?

Kozanitis and Nenciovici’s meta-analysis looked at 104 papers, which collected data from 15,896 students. The goal of this work was to provide instructors with sound scientific research-based evidence in order to choose student-centric teaching methods that support student learning. They were building on the previous work of Freeman et al. (2014) which was a meta-analysis of the impact of active learning on STEM courses. The result of Kozanitis and Nenciovici’s meta-analysis is that courses who used active learning methods resulted in higher test scores, regardless of assessment type, group size, and course level, which is in line with Freeman et al.’s findings in STEM courses.

Through the study, Kozanitis and Nenciovici found that four variables had significant effects on student learning: course subject matter, assessment type, class or group size, and course level (Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2023, p. 1390). They found that eight of the twelve active learning modes studied (“problem-based, clickers, flipped classroom, peer-based, computer-based, writing, quizzing, experiential” (p. 1388) resulted in higher assessment scores. This doesn’t mean that the other four modes, “project-based, case study, role-play, and combination,” are ineffective, but rather have insufficient evidence to support their effectiveness in Humanities and Social Sciences classrooms. Active learning in the Humanities and Social Sciences classroom resulted in higher levels of student engagement, increased time spent on tasks and the opportunity for teachers to maintain higher quality personal interactions with their students, tailor instruction to their ability levels and interests, and better monitor students’ progress.

Their recommendation? Faculties should seriously consider switching passive to active instruction, and institutions and future policy making should encourage the wide-spread adoption of active learning in the Humanities and Social Sciences, not just STEM fields.

How might you use this research in your teaching?

If you are an instructor in the Humanities or Social Sciences, here are some things to consider as you think about active learning’s place in your classroom. Kozanitis and Nenciovici’s evidence supports active learning as a beneficial learning mode that will help students retain knowledge and practice concepts as they are being taught. Instructors can harness the potential of active learning when designing their courses

They also share a non-exhaustive list of research-supported active learning assessment methods . These assessments were proved valuable to student’s learning in the meta-analysis and helped students achieve higher test results (see Table 4 in the article). An Active Learning course will benefit the students, as supported by the literature, but perhaps instructors can work their way up to designing a wholly active course, instead working to first add active learning activities or assessment methods into existing courses

If you have been considering trying to implement active learning in a Humanities or Social Sciences course, perhaps this article will be the final push you need to encourage you to try something new. And if you need more tools on implementing active learning in your classroom, check out the MacPherson Institute’s learning catalogue module on active learning.

Works Cited

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., &

Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: PNAS, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111.