Students outperform faculty in recognizing the use of active learning methods

The implementation of active learning methods poses challenges for both instructors and students. Despite institutional support, some educators may encounter difficulties in effectively incorporating this methodology into their teaching practices. We hypothesized that one contributing factor could be the misguided self-perception regarding their class methodology. The objective of this study was to assess whether instructors and students can accurately recognize the application of active learning methods during classes and to identify the characteristics of these classes that influence the satisfaction of both educators and learners. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted during the emergency remote teaching caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined 58 class sessions from a medical school program committed to active learning methodologies using an adapted version of the PORTAAL tool and administered postclass surveys to both instructors and students. Students, but not instructors, were able to accurately recognize the use of active learning methods. Additionally, class satisfaction reported by both instructors and students positively correlated with their self-perceived use of active learning methods in the class, regardless of whether the perception was more accurate, as seen in the students' perceptions, or more inaccurate, as observed in instructors' misperceptions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study assesses the recognition and satisfaction of active learning methods among instructors and students during emergency remote teaching due to COVID-19. We examined 58 medical school sessions using the PORTAAL tool and postclass surveys. Findings show students accurately identified active learning, while instructors did not. Satisfaction correlated with perceived active learning use, regardless of accuracy, highlighting the importance of aligning self-perception with actual teaching practices to enhance educational outcomes.