By Xi Lin
Imagine walking into an online class where students are constantly clicking buttons, posting comments, and answering polls. It certainly looks active. But are students learning?
For many years, higher education instructors have embraced active learning to increase engagement and improve student outcomes. We have replaced long lectures with discussions, group projects, simulations, and collaborative activities. These approaches often lead to better participation and deeper learning than passive instruction.
However, a recent article published in Active Learning in Higher Education challenges us to rethink what active learning really means. The authors argue that active learning should not simply be about having students do more. Instead, it should focus on purposeful activity, learner agency, and meaningful participation in knowledge creation.
In other words, active learning is not about keeping students busy. It is about helping students become active thinkers.
The Problem with “Activity for Activity’s Sake”
As instructors, we sometimes fall into a common trap. We assume that if students are participating, they must be learning.
Discussion boards are full.
Poll responses are submitted.
Breakout rooms are active.
Everyone appears engaged.
But participation alone does not guarantee meaningful learning. Students can complete activities without deeply processing ideas or making connections to prior knowledge.
Think about the last online professional development session you attended. Did clicking through polls automatically make the session memorable? Probably not.
The same is true for our students.
This article encourages educators to move beyond the simple question, “Are students active?” and instead ask, “What kind of activity is taking place, and why does it matter?”
Active Learning in an AI World
This conversation becomes even more important as artificial intelligence becomes a common part of higher education.
A few years ago, active learning often meant students discussing ideas with classmates, solving problems together, or creating projects. Today, students may also collaborate with AI systems.
For example, students can:
- Brainstorm ideas with ChatGPT.
- Practice job interviews with AI role-play tools.
- Generate case studies and scenarios.
- Receive instant feedback on writing.
- Explore multiple perspectives on complex issues.
These possibilities create exciting opportunities, but they also raise important questions.
If AI generates the first draft of a student’s work, where does learning occur?
If AI suggests solutions, how can students develop independent judgment?
If students rely heavily on AI, how can instructors support agency and ownership of learning?
The authors argue that future active learning designs must carefully consider the relationship between human learners and AI tools. The goal should not be replacing thinking with technology. Instead, AI should create more opportunities for reflection, critique, creativity, and decision-making.
Three Questions for Designing Active Learning
As higher education instructors, we can use three simple questions to guide the design of online learning activities.
1. Are Students Making Meaning?
Students should do more than repeat information.
For example, rather than asking students to summarize a reading, ask them to apply the concepts to a real-world situation, evaluate competing viewpoints, or connect the ideas to their professional experiences.
Meaningful learning happens when students actively construct understanding.
2. Do Students Have Agency?
Agency refers to students having some ownership over their learning process.
Can students choose topics?
Can they select tools or resources?
Can they decide how to demonstrate their learning?
Giving students appropriate choices often increases motivation and engagement while encouraging self-directed learning.
3. Are Students Creating Something New?
The strongest active learning activities often involve creation rather than consumption.
Students might develop a proposal, design a solution, produce a podcast, create an infographic, or develop an AI-supported project.
When learners create something meaningful, they move beyond remembering information and begin to apply, analyze, and synthesize knowledge.
Practical Ideas for Online Courses
The good news is that active learning does not require a complete course redesign.
Here are a few simple strategies that align with these emerging ideas:
· AI Debate Partner: Students ask an AI tool to argue an opposing viewpoint and then evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the response.
· Real-World Problem Challenges: Present authentic workplace problems and ask students to develop evidence-based solutions.
· Student-Generated Resources: Have students create study guides, instructional videos, or collections of resources for future learners.
· Reflective AI Journals: Ask students to document how they used AI during a project and critically evaluate its strengths and limitations.
· Choice-Based Assignments: Allow students to select from multiple project formats such as presentations, podcasts, infographics, or reports.
These activities emphasize thinking, decision-making, and ownership rather than simply completing tasks.
Looking Ahead
The future of active learning is not about adding more activities to our courses. It is about designing experiences that help students become thoughtful participants in their own learning.
As AI continues to reshape higher education, this distinction becomes increasingly important. Students will always have access to information. They will increasingly have access to AI-generated answers as well.
What they need from higher education is something different: opportunities to question, analyze, create, and make informed judgments.
The next time you design an online activity, consider asking yourself one simple question:
Does this activity help students think, or does it merely keep them busy?
The answer may be the difference between active participation and active learning.
Reference
Børte, K., & Zeivots, S. (2026). Active learning in higher education: Inheriting pasts and emerging futures. Active Learning in Higher Education, 27(2), 207–219. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874261426575
