Is Engagement Alone Sufficient to Ensure “Active Learning”?

“Active Learning” is commonly defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. However, active learning encompasses a broad range of educational methods and its impact on learning outcomes has been variable. In 2015, our IM clerkship redesigned its half-day learning sessions from a largely passive didactic style of lecturing to more active learning approaches. We further revised the curriculum in 2016 to further convert the sessions to primarily case based learning led by a faculty or resident. The goal of our intervention was to increase the Self-Reported Engagement Measure (STOBE) of each didactic session and improve educational outcomes.