The Honking Goose

I recently wrote a blog post about how artificial intelligence is challenging academia and professional careers, especially as it continues to be adopted despite resistance from many established institutions and decision-makers.

In that post, I briefly discussed active learning as one way to adapt to AI’s impact on higher education. I thought it might be helpful to follow up by sharing some of the tips, tools, and strategies I use to learn more actively, retain information more effectively, and apply what I’ve learned in practical ways.

active vs passive learning

Passive learning is a form of learning in which you primarily receive information. Examples include reading a textbook, watching a video, or attending a lengthy college lecture without taking notes.

Active learning is different. Instead of simply receiving information, active learners retrieve, explain, and apply what they are learning.

A passive learning activity can often be turned into an active one, which can improve long-term retention.

Here’s an example of a passive learning activity and how to turn it into an active learning activity.

You are a computer science student learning TypeScript as your first programming language. This week’s lesson focuses on the role of functions in a program. After watching a short 15-minute video, you have been introduced to what functions are, how they are used, and why they matter.

You could move directly to the weekly quiz, but simply watching the video may not be enough to help you retain the material. You might remember enough to answer a few questions now, but struggle to apply the same concepts on next week’s midterm.

To strengthen your understanding, turn the lesson into an active learning exercise.

Open your notebook to a blank page. Without looking anything up or rewatching the video, write an explanation of what a function is in your own words. Then, explain the difference between parameters and arguments. After that, describe what the return keyword does in a function.

Once you have written those explanations, create a real TypeScript function. It does not need to be complicated, but it should include a function name, at least one parameter, and a return value. You might write something like this.

// Function declaration
// "input" is a parameter.
// A parameter is the name used inside the function for incoming data.
function processInput(input: number): number {
  // The return keyword sends a value back to the caller.
  return input * 2;
}
// Function call
// "10" is an argument.
// An argument is the actual value given to the function.
const output = processInput(10);
// The returned value is stored in "output".
console.log(output);

why it matters

Passive learning can help you get through school in the short term. You might pass individual classes, complete assignments, and even earn an undergraduate degree without deeply retaining the material.

The weakness of that approach becomes clear when you need to apply what you learned. For example, a software engineering graduate may struggle in interviews or on the job if they completed coursework but never developed strong coding skills.

Active learning helps prevent that kind of knowledge and skills loss. By practicing, applying concepts, asking questions, and testing your understanding, you build knowledge that is more durable and useful beyond the classroom.

learning by teaching

Applying knowledge and skills helps increase long-term retention of information. One way to do this is by teaching others.

Pragmatic ways to teach others include writing a blog post that describes what you learned in your own words, recording a video in which you explain the concepts, or helping someone else who is learning the same thing as you.

This could include helping someone in an online chat room with a coding problem or working together on a project.

break up lengthy study sessions into smaller ones throughout the week

In a lengthy study session, you put a lot of information into memory at once. This may be helpful the night before an exam, but the information is not usually stored in long-term memory.

Instead, break up the information you are learning into smaller sets. Study the material once or twice a day, every day.

You can improve this further by learning one new set of information while also reviewing a previous one to strengthen retention. The more times you are exposed to the same information throughout the week, the more likely you are to retain it.

quizlet for virtual flashcards

Quizlet is one of my favorite tools for learning and memorizing information. It makes it easy to create flashcards, which can then be used as traditional flashcards or turned into a test or quiz.

There is also a learning mode, which requires a paid subscription. This mode mixes and matches learning techniques such as flashcards, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank questions. If you build a large set, Quizlet will automatically turn it into a smaller one in learning mode.

Quizlet also has apps for Android and iPhone, meaning you can learn without your laptop. You can study at the library, at a coffee shop, on a bus, or while waiting for class or an exam to start.

Quizlet is a tool I continue to use today. Other flash card tools to consider include Anki, Brainscape, Kahoot, or Mochi Cards.

Microsoft Copilot and other AI tools as a personalized learning coach

Microsoft Copilot and other AI tools are adding studying and learning features that can turn the app into a personalized learning coach.

Outside of those modes, you can ask for help solving a problem using the Socratic method, where it will ask you questions rather than giving you the answer directly. This does require self-discipline, as the AI will do what you say.

Over the past four years, AI platforms have become much smarter and now use tools like web searching to answer your prompts, reducing the amount of hallucinations and factually incorrect information.

I believe Microsoft Copilot is the best tool available; however, ChatGPT Study Mode, Google’s NotebookLM, Wolfram|Alpha, and Elicit each provide unique learning experiences that can be highly valuable to students.

I highly recommend taking a look at the education and learning features AI platforms are starting to offer. As always, you should know how to verify potential information that AI includes in response to a prompt.

key takeaways

Keep a few things in mind as you work on your study plan and improve your learning.

• Passive learning is about receiving information. It’s a necessary precursor to active learning, but if active learning doesn’t follow, the information won’t make its way into long-term memory.
• Active learning involves taking the information learned from passive learning methods and applying it actively.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses risks to the learning process, but with new study and learning modes, prompts that encourage using the Socratic method, and self-discipline, AI can be a learning aid and improve rather than harm the learning process.
• There are many ways to learn actively; try multiple methods until you find what works best for you.