Contrasting Cases: Students' Experiences in an Active-Learning Biology Classroom.

Area of Science:

• Biology Education Research
• Undergraduate Science Education

Background:

• Active learning is a pedagogical approach increasingly used in higher education.
• Student engagement is considered crucial for the effectiveness of active learning strategies.
• Traditional assessment methods like grades may not fully capture the nuances of student learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore undergraduate students' perspectives on active learning in a large introductory biology course.
• To investigate the relationship between self-reported student engagement and academic performance.
• To understand how students experience and respond to the same active learning tasks differently.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing in-depth case studies of four undergraduate students.
• Semi-structured interviews conducted five times throughout a semester.
• Collection of student grades at regular intervals.
• Analysis of self-reported engagement alongside academic grades.

Main Results:

• Significant variation observed in students' self-reported engagement with active learning tasks.
• Case studies revealed diverse student responses to identical in-class learning activities.
• Academic grades did not fully represent the aspects of active learning students deemed important.
• Student engagement emerged as a critical, yet variably expressed, component of the learning process.

Conclusions:

• Active learning experiences are highly individualized, extending beyond measurable academic outcomes.
• Self-reported engagement provides valuable insights into student learning that grades may overlook.
• Further research should explore diverse assessment methods to capture the full spectrum of active learning impacts.