ACTIVE LEARNING at GCC

D. Christopher Brooks, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Educational Technology Services, University of Minnesota, December 10, 2012

Brooks, D. C., (2010). Space matters: The impact of formal learning environments on student learning, British Journal of Educational Technology, doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01098.x, 2010.

Abstract (from the article)

The objective of this research is to identify the relationship between formal learning spaces and student learning outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental design, researchers partnered with an instructor who taught identical sections of the same course in two radically different formal learning environments to isolate the impact of the physical environment on student learning. The results of the study reveal that, holding all factors excepting the learning spaces constant, students taking the course in a technologically enhanced environment conducive to active learning techniques outperformed their peers who were taking the same course in a more traditional classroom setting. The evidence suggests strongly that technologically enhanced learning environments, independent of all other factors, have a significant and positive impact on student learning.

• NC State University SCALE-UP Project
• MIT Technology Enabled Active Learning
• Using the PAIR-up Model to Evaluate Active Learning Spaces