Relative benefits of different active learning methods to physics student learning

Extensive research has demonstrated that active learning methods are more effective than traditional lecturing at improving student understanding and reducing failure rates in undergraduate physics courses. Researchers have developed several distinct active learning methods that are now widely implemented in introductory physics, however the relative benefits of these methods remain unknown. Here we present the first multi-institutional comparison of the impacts of four well-established active learning methods (ISLE, Peer Instruction, Tutorials, and SCALE-UP) on physics student learning. We also investigate the types of activities that take place during instruction to explain differences in these impacts. Data include student concept inventory scores and 114 h of classroom video recordings from 31 introductory physics and astronomy courses at 28 different institutions in the United States containing a total of 2,855 students. We find measurable increases in student learning in all four active learning methods, and significantly larger learning gains in SCALE-UP than in both ISLE and Peer Instruction. Student learning gains in Tutorials are not significantly different from those in the other three methods. We also observe differences in classroom activities: ISLE and Peer Instruction courses are dominated by lecturing, while Tutorials and SCALE-UP courses dedicate most in-class time to student-centered activities such as worksheets and laboratory work.