What Is Active Learning?
Active learning happens when learners are given the opportunity to take a more interactive relationship with the subject matter of a course, encouraging them to generate rather than simply to receive knowledge. In an active learning environment, trainers facilitate rather than dictate the trainees’ learning.

Why Active Learning?
Research has shown that active learning is an exceptionally effective training technique.
Regardless of the subject matter, when active learning is compared to traditional teaching methods (such as lecture), participants learn more material, retain the information longer, and enjoy the seminar more. Active learning allows adult learners to learn in the classroom with the help of the trainer and other participants, rather than on their own.

How To Incorporate Active Learning Into Your Training
Employing active learning techniques in your training can pose difficulties to trainers and
learners not accustomed to this mode of instruction. The trainer surrenders some of the control as s/he becomes a facilitator, and the participants take increased responsibility for not only what but also how they learn. Incorporating active learning in seminars, then, requires the adult learners to act. Try using the following techniques to offer your training participants the opportunity to participate actively in their learning.

Think-pair-share is a simple activity you can use in any classroom format. Give the learners time to think about a topic, turn to their neighbor for a short discussion, and then share the results with the rest of the learners.

Writing activities of many kinds offer learners the opportunity to think about and process information. For example,  you could pose a question and then give training participants time to freewrite their answers. You could also give them time to freewrite about topics.

Brainstorming is another simple technique that can involve the whole class in a discussion. Introduce a topic or problem and then ask for the learners input, which you record on the board.

Games related to the subject can easily be incorporated into the classroom to foster active learning and participation. Games can include matching, mysteries, group competitions, solving puzzles, pictionary, etc.

Group work allows every participant the chance to speak, share personal views, and develop the skill of working with others. Cooperative group work requires all group members to work together to complete a given task. Break the class into groups of 3-7 participants. Give each group articles to read, questions to answer and discuss, information to share, subjects to teach to other groups, etc.

Case studies use real-life stories that describe what happened to a community, family,
work, or individual to prompt learners to integrate their newly-learned knowledge with their knowledge of real-world situations, actions, and consequences.

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