In the 21st century, we live in a knowledge society and knowledge economy which is entirely different from the old industrial economy. In the old paradigm, students were expected to receive commands and consequently comply to all instructions.

Now the students’ world is different and therefore, their learning or educational environment should be different. This leads us to the implementation of active knowledge making which is grounded in the constructivist theory (Piaget, 1926) which states that students build or construct their knowledge. In modern society with ubiquitous computing, students may interact more frequently and this could also promote active knowledge making through interactions with other. This supports the social constructivist theory (Vygotsky, 1978) which states that students learn primarily through interactions with others persons. In support of active knowledge making, research demonstrates that students learn more ‘active learning’ classrooms (Reuell, 2019). Furthermore, the fact that active learning increases student performance in science is supported by an extensive meta-analysis (Freeman et al, 2014).

The teachers’ responsibility is to create an environment in which these principles / theories can be put into practice. This means that teachers create a student-centred educational environment in which students are active involved in their learning (knowledge making) process. The teacher become the facilitator of students’ knowledge making process through inquiry-based and problem-based learning methodologies. In science education, the implementation of experiential learning through experimental design and experimentation is one the most valuable forms of active knowledge making. This means that students will design their own scientific investigation or experiment. They develop the hypothesis, choose method as well as equipment, collect data, analyze data, report findings and finally, evaluate their scientific investigation

Active knowledge making builds both knowledge and understanding with the added dimension that students can apply their ‘built’ knowledge into numerous contexts and allows them to solve problems. The implementation of ubiquitous learning makes active knowledge making even easier because it can take place outside the context of the classroom and provide personalised learning.

References:

Freeman, S. et al. (2014). Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. PNAS, 111, 8410-8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111

Piaget, J. (1926). The Language and Thought of the Child (Harcourt Brace, New York)

Reuell, P. (2019). Lessons in learning. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/09/study-shows-that-students-learn-more-when-taking-part-in-classrooms-that-employ-active-learning-strategies/

Vygotsky, L, S. (1978). Mind in Society (Harvard Univ Press, Cambridge, MA).