Learning Support / Time Management and Study Skills / Active Learning
Active learning means engaging with course material and taking action to remember it, such as taking notes, mind mapping, asking questions, and using memory techniques.
If you’re struggling to understand and recall course content, follow these guidelines and work towards becoming a more active learner.
Have you ever read a sentence or paragraph, then realised that you can’t remember what you’ve just read? It happens to all of us. However, being able to remember and recall what you’ve read is key to successful online learning, so it’s important to learn how to read actively. If you want to become an active reader, try:
See our Academic Reading page if you’d like to learn more about academic reading and the SQ3R technique.
Mind maps are a great way of organising your thoughts and making connections between the concepts you’re learning. Just like a road map helps you on a journey, a mind map can help you get from the start to the finish of a project or essay without getting lost along the way. Mind mapping is a way to record ideas and concepts in picture form. They are often used just to ‘brainstorm’ a topic but they can become a powerful tool to help take notes, organise assignments and plan essays.
Have you seen our Mind Mapping page?
Taking notes can help you to understand information as you learn. Creating written notes means that you will always have a record of your learning to refer back to when you revisit topics and complete assessments. There are many different note-taking techniques; you should try to develop a technique that works for you. Try to:
Never be afraid to ask questions. Facilitators know that learners who ask questions about course content are actively engaging with the course content. Use the comments sections, forums and My Conversations of the learner dashboard to ask your facilitator and fellow learners questions about course content.
Active learners don’t just sit back and let information wash over them; they find ways to review remember what they’re learning as they’re learning. Have you tried the following memory techniques?