By Xi Lin
Imagine asking every student in your online course to participate in the same discussion, complete the same activity, and demonstrate learning in the same way.
At first glance, this might seem fair. Everyone receives the same assignment and follows the same instructions.
But is it truly equitable?
A recent article published in Active Learning in Higher Education suggests that effective active learning requires more than simply increasing participation. Instead, educators should recognize the diversity of learners and design learning experiences that promote agency, collaboration, and meaningful engagement for all students.
This message is especially important for online higher education, where students often bring a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, goals, and learning preferences.
The Myth of the “Typical” Online Student
When designing courses, it is easy to imagine an average student.
Perhaps they are highly motivated.
Perhaps they have strong technology skills.
Perhaps they enjoy group discussions and collaborative activities.
In reality, online classrooms are much more diverse.
Some students are working full-time jobs.
Some are raising children.
Some are returning to school after many years away from formal education.
Others may be studying from different countries, cultures, and time zones.
As educators, we cannot assume that a single activity will engage every learner equally.
This does not mean we should abandon active learning. Instead, it means we should design active learning experiences that provide flexibility and meaningful opportunities for participation.
From Participation to Agency
One of the most important ideas emerging from recent active learning research is the concept of learner agency.
Agency refers to students’ ownership of aspects of their learning process. Rather than simply completing instructor-designed activities, students have opportunities to make decisions, pursue interests, and contribute their own perspectives.
In online courses, agency can be surprisingly simple to implement.
For example:
- Allow students to select a topic for a project.
- Provide multiple assignment formats such as podcasts, videos, presentations, or written papers.
- Let students choose case studies that connect with their professional interests.
- Encourage learners to bring examples from their own workplaces and communities.
These choices help students see themselves as contributors to learning rather than merely recipients of information.
For adult learners, agency can be particularly powerful because it acknowledges the valuable experiences they already bring to the classroom.
Collaboration Beyond Group Work
Mention collaboration, and many students immediately think about group projects.
Unfortunately, group projects often receive mixed reviews. Some students do most of the work while others contribute very little. Scheduling can also be difficult in online courses.
However, collaboration is much broader than traditional group assignments.
Online instructors can encourage collaboration through:
- Peer feedback activities.
- Small-group problem solving.
- Collaborative resource collections.
- Structured debates.
- Shared annotation of readings.
- AI-supported brainstorming sessions.
The goal is not simply to place students in groups. The goal is to create opportunities for learners to learn from one another.
Research consistently shows that students often deepen their understanding when they explain ideas, defend positions, and engage with different perspectives.
Designing for Inclusion
One challenge with active learning is that some activities unintentionally favor certain students over others.
For example, highly verbal learners may thrive in live discussions, while reflective learners may prefer written responses. Some students enjoy spontaneous conversation, while others need time to organize their thoughts.
Inclusive active learning recognizes these differences.
Instead of asking, “How can I get everyone to participate in the same way?” instructors might ask: “How can I create multiple pathways for meaningful participation?” This small shift can have a significant impact.
Students may engage through discussion boards, reflective journals, collaborative documents, video responses, digital storytelling, or project-based learning.
Different formats allow students to demonstrate learning while respecting individual strengths and preferences.
What Does This Mean in the Age of AI?
The growing presence of generative AI makes learner agency even more important.
Today, students can use AI tools to summarize articles, generate outlines, brainstorm ideas, and provide feedback. These tools can support learning, but they also create a risk that students become passive consumers of AI-generated content.
Active learning offers a solution.
Instead of asking students to simply produce answers, instructors can design activities that require judgment, reflection, critique, and creativity.
For example, students might:
- Evaluate an AI-generated response.
- Compare human and AI perspectives.
- Identify biases in AI outputs.
- Improve AI-generated solutions.
- Reflect on how AI influenced their decision-making.
These activities place students in the role of active thinkers rather than passive users of technology.
Final Thoughts
Active learning is often described as a collection of teaching techniques. However, recent research suggests it may be more useful to think of active learning as a design philosophy.
The goal is not to keep students busy.
The goal is to create learning environments where students have opportunities to contribute, collaborate, and exercise agency.
As online higher education continues to evolve, the most successful courses may not be those with the most activities. Instead, they may be the courses that recognize student diversity and provide multiple pathways for meaningful engagement.
After all, active learning works best when students are not only active, but also empowered.
Reference
McNally, S. (2026). Celebrating diversity in active learning: Prioritising agency and collaboration to support all students' engagement in higher education. Active Learning in Higher Education, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874261439422
