Active learning needs to involve students both experientially and cognitively through the constructive use of instructional activities. However, students may find these activities a source of dynamism but also uncertainties. For example, imposing ‘structure’ on such activities suggests that lecturers need to be in charge and in control. In this aspect, the idea of ‘structure’ does appear contradictory to active learning.

However, there is still a need for structure in active learning and I try to embed this structure unobtrusively into my classes. For HR2002 “Understanding Human Relations in the New Economy” (AY 2004/2005), I ‘structure’ an activity that requires students to conduct the lesson for one another. The lesson in question is the topic ‘learning imperative in the new workplace’. The hardest challenge to me as their lecturer is how to impart ‘learning’ to students who have been ‘learning’ all along for at least 15 years?

I decided to let students find out the answer for themselves through the following exercise:

• Students are first divided into groups of five to six members;
  
  
• Each group is given a set of five articles which describes different aspects of learning in organisations;
  
  
• Each group is given 40 minutes to prepare a 10-minute presentation to teach their classmates the topic assigned to them;
  
  
• Each group can work wherever they wish—outside the corridors, in the canteens, at the libraries and so on;
  
  
• Students are encouraged to use any resources they wish (e.g. Internet) to supplement their findings.

Everything appears confusing initially. Students gaped at the five articles which they have to share among themselves, wondering how they could possibly finish the readings. While some students take to the task immediately, others find it hard to adapt at first. But once they overcome their initial confusion, the task does not seem as difficult anymore.

As students take over the ‘teaching’ role, the lecturer now becomes a ‘resource’ person. Groups with questions will send representatives to check and clarify with him or her. Meanwhile, the lecturer has to be ready to provide resources required for the presentations. In a way, the lecturer’s role is now ‘subordinate’ to students’!

The real challenge of active learning is how to get students to align the materials they have prepared with the teaching and learning objectives of the lesson. The answer lies in the ‘structure’ (i.e. selection of articles, assignment of topics and order of presentations) that has been unobtrusively embedded within the activity. In this way, by completing the various activities, the results have already been ‘pre-planned’.

Students’ feedback for this activity has been very positive. They feel that they learn more this way and are often surprised at their own ‘achievements’ despite the initial uncertainties they have at the beginning of the activity. These achievements included:

• Overcoming time constraints;
  
  
• Having to share five readings among a group of five to six members and coordinate the information gathered;
  
  
• Finding the time to access the Internet for more information and resources;
  
  
• Preparing a presentation to ‘teach’ the assigned topic systematically within the allocated time;
  
  
• Learning more;
  
  
• Enjoying the process.

Using this approach is not without difficulties. Firstly, it takes a longer time to prepare the lesson. It requires more planning to deliberately ‘de-structure’ a learning experience and then ‘re-structure’ it in another way. Secondly, handing the ‘teaching’ role to students is very risky for, without proper planning for contingencies and use of facilitation techniques (e.g. questioning, clarifying and probing), a lecturer may lose control of the whole session. Thirdly, students may not like the uncertainties associated with this approach. There are students who are reluctant to be committed to the method because they feel more comfortable if contents are delivered to them before they begin their discussions; they feel disoriented with the lack of knowledge and directions. Lastly, although one can overcome such apprehensions with more guidance, time constraint remains a hurdle.

Despite the challenges, the benefits of this approach outweigh the cons. Learning in this way helps students retain the information for a longer time and they tend to remember their achievements better than the difficulties faced. Indeed, when students perceive that they have ‘control’ over their own, and one another’s learning experiences, they learn more. The simple act of passing ‘control’ over to students through embedding ‘structure’ in experiential activities can yield unexpected results.