Active Learning in Religious Education and Faith Formation for Middle School Tweens and Young People

Experience is the best teacher. Once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget—not because you read about it, but because you did it. It is difficult to forget something learned through experience.

People tend to learn least through “passive” methods, like reading textbooks or listening to lectures. Active methods, involving direct, meaningful, and personal experiences, are most effective.

This chart compares the characteristics of active learning with those of traditional passive learning. The distinctions have been somewhat exaggerated for clarity.