Active Learning is an instructional approach that actively engages students in the learning process, requiring them to “do” meaningful activities and think about what they are doing. Unlike passive learning, where students simply listen to a lecture or watch a slide presentation, active learning places the responsibility of learning on the student through collaboration, discussion, and practical application.
In Competency-Based Training (CBT), active learning is indispensable. Since the goal is to acquire a skill (e.g., operating a lathe or coding software), a learner cannot become competent merely by observing. They must engage in experiential learning techniques such as role-playing, case studies, problem-solving exercises, and hands-on workshops. Research (often illustrated by the “Learning Pyramid”) suggests that learners retain significantly more information when they practice doing a task compared to when they only hear about it.
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