Costs and benefits of three active learning models in large enrollment courses*

Introductory STEM courses often present significant challenges to college students, placing a disproportionately higher burden on those belonging to historically underserved groups. Research consistently shows active learning improves student outcomes; however, barriers such as scaling to large enrollment courses and financial costs hinder widespread implementation. Additionally, most studies compare active learning strategies to traditional lecture with a primary focus on effectiveness. This leaves a gap in our understanding of the costs and benefits between different active learning models. We investigate the costs and benefits of three active learning models in large enrollment introductory mechanics courses: 1) Active Learning with No Assistants (ALNA), 2) active learning with Learning Assistants (LA), and 3) a novel Integrated Peer Leader Program (IPLP), where enrolled students act as peer leaders to facilitate active learning. We will discuss the direct costs and instructor time investment of each model and compare student performance on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), sense of belonging in the classroom, team dynamics, and leadership capacity, with implications for broader adoption.