The use of active teaching methods in higher and secondary educational institutions: The experience of English-speaking countries

Abstract

This article explores the methods of active learning used in middle and high school as well as in higher education institutions. The research is prompted by the need to modernize current educational system worldwide and to replace traditional lecture-based presentation of educational material with more up-to-date methods of teacher/student interaction.

The article discusses current research on the effectiveness of computer and technology-enhanced teaching and learning in English speaking countries. The results of the studies on the effectiveness of active learning are presented. The authors introduce the classification of active learning methods (AMO), according to the degree of complexity of the task and the time spent on its completion. They also give examples of “easy” and “in-depth” methods.

The article analyses the methods of active teaching currently used in high school and higher education establishments. It also outlines the advantages of using various computer programmes. The research showed that such programmes as Kahoot (the article gives an algorithm for using the programme), Quizlet and Google Classroom are effective in working with high school students, while VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and EVS (Electronic Voting Systems) are recommended for higher education institutions. Teachers are advised that lectures should include short Kahoot or Quizlet-based topic-related questionnaires and/or quizzes.

The article features a list of methods for working with students recommended by Bramet (pauses, practice of recollection, predictions, etc.). However, according to Higgins, to make the use of software more effective, it is necessary to provide teachers with at least basic user training.