Deslauriers et al. (2019) compared traditional lecture with active learning in an introductory physics course. Although students in the active sections learned more—as shown by higher performance on objective tests—they felt like they learned less. The authors argue that active learning requires more cognitive effort, which students may interpret as poor learning, while smooth lectures create an illusion of learning. This mismatch suggests that student perceptions alone (e.g., course evaluations) can be misleading when judging teaching effectiveness.
Key Takeaways for Faculty
- Active learning works—even when students doubt it. Students may feel uncomfortable or “lost,” but their actual learning improves.
- Student evaluations may undervalue effective teaching. Feeling of learning and actual learning can diverge; resistance doesn’t mean the approach is ineffective.
- Set expectations early. Tell students that increased effort and struggle are normal—and beneficial—in active learning.
- Support metacognition. Brief reflection activities can help students see their progress and reduce the perception gap.
- Use multiple measures of teaching effectiveness. Pair student feedback with learning assessments or performance data.
Read the full article online:
Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L.S., Miller, K., &s; Kestin, G. (2019). Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom. PNAS, 116(39). https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1821936116