Difference Between Active and Passive Learning (with Examples, Methods, Skills and Comparison Chart)

Jun 20, 2022 · 7 min read ·

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Active Learning is one in which interactive methods are used which improves learning by allowing the learners to participate in the process. On the contrary, passive learning is one in which the students are held accountable for grasping all that is presented to them.

While in passive learning you have to wait for the direction, instruction or information from the instructor to be given to you, in active learning you look for different methods to increase your involvement in the learning process. This means that, in passive learning, information is provided to you and you simply do as per the instructions given to you, be it written or spoken. On the other hand, in active learning, you participate in the learning process wholly.

What is Learning?

Learning is a continuous process, in which essential changes in the learner’s behaviour are brought due to experiences, be it direct or indirect. However, learning does not necessarily mean improvement or development of the individual in the right direction. It is characterised by:

Universal process.
Changes in behaviour due to learning is relatively permanent.
Purposive and goal-directed.
Encompasses resetting of experiences.
Product of activity and circumstances.
Transferable from one situation to another.
Brings intended change in behaviour

In this written account, we will enlighten you with all those points that differentiate active learning from passive learning.

Content: Active Learning Vs Passive Learning

Comparison Chart

Definition

Key Differences

Development of Skills

Examples

Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for Comparison	Active Learning	Passive Learning
Meaning	Active Learning is that form of learning wherein there is active involvement of the students in the concerned activities and discussions.	Passive learning is when the learners acquire knowledge without making any conscious efforts, in this regard.
Student Involvement	Highly Involved	Very less involved
Learning	Student-centred	Teacher centred
Usage	Used to improve learning.	Used when new material is presented.
Knowledge Retention	Very high	Comparatively low
Thinking Skills	Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)	Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS)
Responsibility	Responsibility of learning is taken by the Student.	The teacher takes the responsibility for the student's learning.
Role of teacher	Facilitator	Commander
Initiates	Divergent thinking	Convergent thinking
Source of knowledge	Teacher/Instructor, Books or Online Resources	Hands-on observation, practical application, simulations etc.

Definition of Active Learning

Active learning can be defined as an approach to learning wherein the students engage themselves in the learning process by developing knowledge and understanding. It demands full-fledged participation on the part of the learner and is not based on classroom teaching, rather it is based on interactive learning sessions.

Any form of learning in which there is the direct involvement of the learner in the learning process, through a number of individual and group activities.

It has been proven that – “Learning is more durable and enduring when the learners are cognitively involved in the process of learning“.

This means that when onerous mental efforts are made by the learners, it results in long term retention and understanding.

The basis of active learning is Constructivism theory of learning, that stresses on the fact that learners construct, i.e. develop their understanding.

In active learning, the student may not get bored easily, because the attention span is longer that keeps the mind fully absorbed. Hence all those strategies that encourage activities involving the learners to perform things on their own and think about what they are doing, comes under active learning.

According to Meyers and Jones, Active Learning is based on two basic assumptions:

By nature, learning is an active endeavour.
Different people learn in different ways.

So, active learning is more than just listening to the lecture, i.e. the learners should read, write, act, discuss and take part in solving problems.

Active Learning Methods

Active Learning involves learning by way of:

Question-answer
Excursion
Brainstorming
Debates
Strip story
Dramatization
Assignments
Independent study
Problem-solving

Also Read: Difference Between Debate and Group Discussion

Definition of Passive Learning

Passive Learning means the traditional form of learning wherein teachers are seen as experts and they are expected to transfer knowledge to the learners. Hence, the students have a laid-back attitude, as they learn from what is taught to them by their instructor. Moreover, the student does not get any feedback from the instructor.

Passive Learning assumes that – “The student’s mind is like empty cups which are to be filled with knowledge”.
The learners are perceived as a passive recipient of the instructor’s knowledge which means that the learners memorize and imitate knowledge transferred by the teacher.

That is why, no conscious efforts are taken by the learner to gain knowledge, rather a knowledge or ideas are fed to the learner by the teacher.

In passive learning, the student often gets bored or tired easily, which is due to the minimal involvement of the brain during the learning sessions, that limits the thinking ability of the students. Further, it provides only a few opportunities to check the student’s comprehension and understanding.

Passive Learning Methods

Passive Learning involves learning through:

Lectures
Tutorials
Seminar
Programmed Instructions
Power-Point Presentation
Illustration
Textbook

Also Read: Difference Between Conference and Seminar

Key Differences Between Active Learning and Passive Learning

The difference between active learning and passive learning are discussed hereunder:

Active Learning is engaging the learners in the learning process, directly and actively. On the other hand, Passive Learning is that form of learning in which students are provided with all the information by the teacher or instructor and they are supposed to integrate it.

When it comes to the involvement of students, active learning tends to use such methods wherein the students learn the concept by doing and that is why the students need to actively participate in the process. As against, in the case of passive learning, traditional methods of learning are used, in which the involvement of the learner is comparatively less.

While passive learning is teacher-oriented, active learning is student-oriented, in which the focus is shifted from the teacher to student, as well as from the provision of information by the teacher to active participation by the student.

Active learning is used to improve learning in students, i.e. it allows the students to learn or educate themselves by constructing their own meanings while performing the activity. In contrast, passive learning is used when new material is presented to the students.

Obviously, when the students are going to learn the concept by actually performing the activity, they are going to grasp it in a better way, so the knowledge retention rate is high in case of active learning. Oppositely, the rate of knowledge retention is considerably low in the case of passive learning, as the students are dependent on their teachers to provide the information.

Active Learning helps in developing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), which may include analysis, synthesis, evaluation, public speaking and collaboration. On the contrary, passive learning often develops, Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) in students, which may include defining, describing, and writing skills.

In the case of active learning responsibility of learning is taken by the Student. Contrastingly, in passive learning, it is the teacher who takes the responsibility of student’s learning.

In active learning, the teacher plays the role of a facilitator who creates a favourable environment for the student to gain knowledge, But, in passive learning, teachers are regarded as the primary source of knowledge, so they play the role of an instructor.

Active learning promotes divergent thinking in students that results in the generation of creative or unique ideas. In contrast, passive learning promotes convergent thinking, i.e. the students will be able to provide the correct answer to a basic question.

In active learning, the main source of knowledge is hands-on Observation, Practical application, Experiments, etc., whereas in passive learning the main source of knowledge is the Teacher/Instructor, Books or Online Resources.

Development of Skills

Both active learning and passive learning tends to develop specific skills in learners, namely:

Active Learning	Passive Learning
Analyzing	Defining
Critical or Creative Thinking	Describing
Synthesizing	Listening
Evaluation	Writing

Examples

Some common examples of active and passive learning are presented in tabular form below:

Active Learning	Passive Learning
Taking part in Group Discussion	Hearing lecture during the class
Doing Presentation in front of audience	Reading of a textbook
Playing a role in Role Play	Seeing pictures, charts, tables and graphs
In-depth examination of case study	Watching videos
Researching, designing and completing the project assigned.	Watching live demonstrations

Conclusion

By and large, in passive learning, various pieces of information are regarded as individual units, whereas in active learning you seek the links, to draw connections between different units, to understand the complete picture.

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