Book launch: Making Active Learning Happen for All, 15th April 2026, 10.00 BST by Sarah Wilson-Medhurst

Definition of active learning used by active learning network

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-03-31 20:03:17 UTC

“In active learning, rather than the teacher ‘transmitting’ knowledge through lectures or reading, learners engage in a series of activities which require them to produce observable evidence of their learning. Where possible, these individual, pair and group tasks should aim to develop higher order thinking skills, emotional connection with content and tactile or physical engagement with the environment.”

Adding a post to a section

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-03-31 20:28:00 UTC

Just point and then click your mouse at the plus sign in the relevant section and a new post box will open. Just fill it in and select publish and the post will appear in the intended section

Problem definition, analysis and action

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 10:00:50 UTC

Question: So why is embedding and sustaining active learning a problem, and what can we do about it?

Institutional focus

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 10:27:36 UTC

Question: What needs to be in place across the institution if active learning is to thrive?

Staff mindsets

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 10:34:50 UTC

Question: Why mindset trumps everything in determining staff engagement with active learning

Developing staff practice

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 10:39:42 UTC

Question: What works to promote staff confidence and capability to engage with active learning?

Student mindsets

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 10:43:32 UTC

Question: What convinced you active learning was worthwhile and what did you gain from the process?

Student capability and capacity

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 11:09:45 UTC

Question: What I have learnt about promoting student capability and capacity to engage in active learning

Sustainable and inclusive active learning

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-04-01 11:13:59 UTC

Question: What are the key factors to consider when designing an active learning experience?

Practical suggestions for designing and teaching active online learning experiences

2026-04-13 16:57:12 UTC

Elliott, J., Hinks, T., Freire, J., Lee, J., & Adachi, C. (2026). Active learning online: Exploring challenges and misconceptions to offer strategies for active, interactive and social online learning. In S. Wilson-Medhurst & J. Horrocks (Eds.), Making active learning happen for all. https://doi.org/10.20919/AZBK3827/43

Sprinkling the Class with Willingness to Communicate

2026-04-13 17:04:11 UTC

Lin, V. (2026). Sprinkling the class with willingness to communicate. In S. Wilson-Medhurst & J. Horrocks (Eds.), Making active learning happen for all. https://doi.org/10.20919/AZBK3827/18

Silence – A Powerful Tool of Active Learning: An Oxymoron or a Missing Piece of the Puzzle?

2026-04-13 17:06:35 UTC

Kushwah, L. & Selvaretnam G. (2026). Silence – A powerful tool of active learning: An oxymoron or a missing piece of the puzzle? In S. Wilson-Medhurst & J. Horrocks (Eds.), Making active learning happen for all. https://doi.org/10.20919/AZBK3827/59

Student expectations of HE?

2026-04-15 09:23:22 UTC

During a reflective practice session with a group of first year law students this week I was surprised how many of them don't like active learning sessions- they had expected longer lectures and to be given/ handed information by their lecturers!

2026-04-15 09:31:00 UTC

I think perhaps our mindsets as educators change once we try out active learning in our classrooms. I found that the letting go of some control of the space that resulted from active learning was hugely positive, once I got used to it!

Cindy

Active learning

2026-04-15 09:32:55 UTC

I guess we need to use change management to change mindsets - in other words sell it differently to students and colleagues highlighting the benefits often works. (how will it benefit student and colleagues)

BBC StoryWorks 'The Spaces that Shape Us: Boola Katitjin'

ashleighprosser2 — 2026-04-15 09:37:41 UTC

If you'd like to see footage of the building and learning spaces our case study refers to, then check out this short video produced for the 'The Spaces that Shape Us' series by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.

Resource and time availability

paolooprandi — 2026-04-15 09:40:34 UTC

Resource availability and time to change our practice can be a major obstacle to applying active learning practices, which is why institutional commitment is so important.

In-person teaching time

paolooprandi — 2026-04-15 09:42:04 UTC

The amount of in-person teaching time is a very real problem in applying active learning because we cannot change student behaviour or create safe and constructive group dynamics for peer work when we do not see them enough.

Mindset

sarahwolfenden5 — 2026-04-15 09:48:34 UTC

For me, I tend to use coaching and creative approaches (collage, going outdoors, poetry) to shift the mindsets of the staff I teach. Staff realise where they have agency and where they don't so they can utilise their energy effectively. The hardest thing for me is that our university prioritises and recognises research but not teaching - though it does complain about the poor NSS results!

Future challenges

2026-04-15 09:51:10 UTC

Going forward what do you think will be the greatest challenge from an institutional perspective

(Janet H)

Playful learning

lhowson3 — 2026-04-15 10:01:36 UTC

Teaching colleagues in a playful way does take bravery, but it can be so powerful. I am always conscious of those who may not like to be challenged in this way. It has taken a lot of reflection to stop apologising for it.

Section 4 - challenges

2026-04-15 10:08:11 UTC

Changing mindsets will be the most challenging aspect going forwards. I guess role modelling and sharing student feedback will be useful to use and demonstrate how it is working (the benefits)

Ashleigh's examples and model sounds great

Question

hs122_2 — 2026-04-15 10:10:17 UTC

Did you encounter any challenges when shifting to active learning and were you able to share and promote your great reflections among your peers ?

2026-04-15 10:11:11 UTC

What would you say to peers who are a bit nervous of active learning

Anxiety

2026-04-15 10:12:13 UTC

Active approaches can sometimes be more anxiety inducing (something I also remember as a student). This is another factor in why students may not like active learning sessions. How can this be addressed? (or should it be?)

Section 6

2026-04-15 10:13:33 UTC

I agree active learning needs to be purposeful and needs to be meaningful to our students

hs122_2 — 2026-04-15 10:14:00 UTC

In my opinion, sharing practice where there is an exchange of experiences both effective and ineffective ideas and approaches would contribute to improving staff confidence

2026-04-15 10:14:19 UTC

I think that the stereotypes of university learning (i.e., sitting in a large lecture theatre listening and taking notes) continue to be propagated and encouraging students to interact with each other and discuss together can feel scary in comparison. Shifting mindsets is hard, but we can do it with intentional design :) it will also support students who think differently (like our neurodivergent students) who might struggle more with groupwork / find less value in those activities currently.

Section 7

2026-04-15 10:15:56 UTC

I agree I think if you can co create and have ownership from students it is more widely accepted

"hard' and "analytical" disciplines

paolooprandi — 2026-04-15 10:17:45 UTC

Do we need to shift the science and mathematics disciplines from focusing only on facts, and calculations to critical inquiry, context, history and philosophy? And for these areas not to be compartmentalised in specialist modules that can be ignored but embedded into their heart?

Trust

fionahartley1 — 2026-04-15 10:21:57 UTC

I feel a key element of promoting more active learning with diverse cohorts is to develop a sense of trust, without it students will not feel comfortable to contribute in the active learning process, they need to feel like their contributions and input matter.

Section 2

2026-04-15 10:53:32 UTC

edukewilliams — 2026-04-16 15:40:17 UTC

I was thinking last night about the idea of changing mindsets, and I started thinking about an exercise I used to do with students in a module in which they had to develop an item of eLearning. We'd start, with 3 questions which often took most of the first class:

1: What's something you found easy to learn - and what/who helped (how?) (I would stress not online, just learning)

2: Something that you'd found hard to learn (what/who helped?)

3: What do you think is "hard" to teach & why.

Problem definition, analysis and action

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 15:44:32 UTC

Sarah Wilson-Medhurst provides an overview of the book including the systems thinking framework that underpins its structure as a response to the challenge of making active learning happen for all. She also introduces the questions that panellists are going to respond to as part of the launch event and that the book and it contributors seek to address.

Institutional focus

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 15:47:35 UTC

Vicki Dale responds to the question: 'what needs to be in place across the institution if active learning is to thrive?'

Shifting staff mindsets

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 15:56:31 UTC

Paolo Oprandi responds to the question 'why mindset trumps everything in determining staff engagement with active learning'.

Promoting staff self-regulation and adaptation

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 15:59:55 UTC

Ashleigh Prosser responds to the question: 'what works to promote staff confidence and capability to engage with active learning?'

Shifting student mindsets

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 16:12:36 UTC

Livi Robertson responds to the question: 'what convinced you active learning was worthwhile and what did you gain from the process?'

Promoting staff self regulation and adaptation

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 16:16:22 UTC

Gina Kostoulias responds to the question: 'what I have learnt about promoting student capability and capacity to engage in active learning?'

Sustainable and inclusive active learning

sarah_wilsonmedhurst — 2026-07-17 16:20:52 UTC

Anna Tranter responds to the question: 'what are the key factors to consider when designing an active learning experience?'