STUDENT PERCEPTION TOWARDS ACTIVE LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING SPACES

Abstract

As researchers begin to learn more about how active learning affects outcomes in college classrooms, faculty has started to embrace these techniques. One question that is not asked very often is: What do students really think about active learning? One study found that some college students feel they learn less when active learning strategies are utilized, yet many learned more, despite their attitudes towards these methods (Timmer, 2019). Why is it that student perceptions towards learning vary? This particularly intrigued us to take a closer look at this dynamic. The aim of our study was to investigate how active learning courses affect student perception. In addition, we wanted to examine the role (if any) of collaborative learning spaces within such classroom environments. While there is literature discussing active learning and instructor perception towards it, there is not as much literature focusing on student perceptions. As such, we conducted this study to build upon this body of work by looking at collaborative learning spaces at the University of Arizona, and how they, along with active learning, influence student attitudes towards learning and learning outcomes. We were particularly interested in how engaged learning makes students feel (are they in favor or opposed to it), what elements make engaged learning effective or ineffective, and much more. Our methods included surveying students majoring in Physiology at the University of Arizona in order to gain more insight about their experiences and perceptions towards active learning and collaborative learning spaces. The data we collected from these surveys allowed us to conclude that on average, students had more positive experiences with active learning in collaborative learning spaces, and overall, had positive perceptions towards it.