There are many different definitions of active learning, but in general it refers to any kind of learning that allows student participation, either through hands-on activities or through a chance to interact freely with the teacher. Many schools do not offer this type of learning environment, either due to classes that are too large or simply because it doesn’t fit the school’s preferred method of instruction. In some cases it is possible for children to get more hands-on learning time at an active learning center, which is a type of facility that uses different activities not only to keep children occupied, but also to provide them with learning experiences.
Traditionally, an active learning center provides children with activities that engage them while teaching them fundamental principles underlying such subjects as math, mechanics, art, and reading. Often children learn while engaged in play using games and materials supplied by the center. An adult is typically nearby to offer advice or suggestions, but it is quite common to allow a child to explore learning materials alone unless it becomes obvious that he or she is becoming frustrated or needs help getting started.
An active learning center commonly has various types of construction sets available, usually those that children are not likely to have at home or those containing more parts that most home building sets. These often contain a variety of blocks or parts including gears and wheels, poles, and connectors. Within a single set there may be pieces that represent specific items, such as windows or doors, but children in an active learning center are free to use these however they wish, and often demonstrate thinking skills by using common parts in new and unexpected ways. Children learn mathematics principals from working with such sets as well as gaining a fundamental understanding about how things go together and how they work.
Such activity-based learning is far more effective for many children than the conventional classroom model of sitting quietly as part of a large group while an adult lectures to them. Many schools have begun to use the concept of having an active learning center in the classroom. In these cases children are encouraged to use the center, but typically the times the center is available are limited, as it the number of students who can use it during a given day.
The use of an active learning center seems to be one of the more effective teaching techniques for many children, especially those who are very active and distractible. Hands-on-learning often engages children by focusing their attention on the current task and significantly boosting their learning capabilities. The same students, when made to sit quietly while a teacher lectures to them, may struggle to succeed in school, ending up with poor grades and negative labels.
