Active learning: creating excitement in the classroom. Bonwell, C.C. & Eison, J.A.

Bonwell, C.C. & Eison, J.A.   (1991)  Active learning: creating excitement in the classroom.  ERIC Digest.  Retrieved June 16, 2008 from ProQuest database.

An Annotation By Laurie Walsh

The article states that traditional lecture methods – profs talk, students listen – dominate college and university classrooms.  (The same can be said, we know, for high school classrooms.)  The authors reiterate the importance of students engaging in higher-order thinking skills, which is not common in a lecture setting.  Active learning is defined as learning where “students must read, write, discuss, or be engaged in solving problems” (1).  Active learning can be incorporated in the classroom in many ways, one of which is discussion.  There are, however, barriers to this type of educational reform.