Course Content
1 | Introduction to Teaching
In this module, you will read a text and watch video about education and stages of the learning cycle. You will check your understanding with concept-checking questions. For the teaching competency standards that this module aligns to, please download the document from the Resources section.
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3 | School and Community Partnerships (to follow)
Introduction to follow.
5 | Equity and Inclusion in Education (to follow)
This module introduces the concepts of equity and inclusion concepts in education.
6 | Classroom Management
This module invites the teacher to reflect on the good and bad behaviour of the students in their classes and how it can be prevented and managed. We will look at different strategies for how to facilitate positive student-teacher relationships to build better learning environments.
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7 | Diversity and Multicultural Education (to follow)
This module looks at the importance of diversity and multicultural education, and how to successfully manage it.
9 | Stress Management for Resilience (to follow)
This module is an introduction to the issue of stress and how to cope with it in education, to promote resilience in both teachers and their students.
10 | Innovation in Low-Resource Contexts
This module reviews learning objectives, presents ideas for DIY teaching aids and explores different ways the teacher can enhance learning in environments with limited resources.
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11 | Motivation and Engagement
This module explores how teachers can define and enhance their student’s engagement and motivation. It will present a variety of strategies and techniques for how to group learners, how to differentiate for engagement and how to give feedback to improve motivation.
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Private: Foundations of Teaching

What Is Teaching – 2.1 | Active and Passive Learning

2.1 | Active and Passive Learning

Preview

Before we begin, think about the words “active” and “passive”. What do they mean to you? What kind of learning might be active, and which might be passive?


Understanding Active and Passive Learning

Learning can be divided into two categories, passive learning and active learning. Passive learning is the “passing” of knowledge from the teacher to the student. Students memorise this knowledge, usually without questioning it or reflecting on it. Knowledge is often passed on through lectures, slides or videos. The teacher is often the focus of the classroom, and students just listen. This type of learning focuses more on what the teacher is doing and less on what the students are doing. We sometimes call this teacher-centred learning (or teaching).

Active learning is acquiring knowledge and skills through discussion, projects and activities that involve the students. This usually uses interactions between the teacher and the students – the students interact with the teacher and with each other. Common forms of interaction include asking and answering questions, cooperating and collaborating and solving problems. In active learning, students share their ideas and their experiences with their teacher and their classmates. Students have the opportunity to question and reflect on what they are learning. This type of learning focuses more on what the students are doing and less on what the teacher is doing. We sometimes call this student-centred learning (or teaching).

Some classroom activities can be both active and passive, or can be made more active by the teacher. For example, if the teacher asks the students questions while they are doing a relatively passive classroom activity.