Becoming an Active Learner

T or F: Passive learners take charge of the learning processes.

• True
• False

You told a classmate that she should try to be a little more objective in her views. She disagreed with you, so you challenged her by saying, "I bet you can't write four objective statements."  She said, "If I can't do that, then I'll admit I'm too subjective."    Of the following statements, which one will cause her to admit that she's too subjective?

• SUV's get poor mileage.
• Army JROTC teaches citizenship.
• Exercises like this one won't help me.
• Cell phones are useful in emergency situations.

Those who approach learning as "thinking" are called __________ learners.

• passive
• secondary
•  active
• kinesthetic

Select the mental activities that are examples of critical thinking.

• Daydreaming, counting, listening, listing.
• Analyzing, comparing/contrasting, evaluating, prioritizing.
• Previewing, summarizing, reading.
• Brainstorming, generalizing, inventing, visualizing.

A new Cadet asks if you could help him become a better active learner.  You say, "Sure, I will."  You tell him to make a list of his current learning methods.  After he finishes his list, you ask him which one of the methods he would like to improve the most.   To see if he understands what he needs to change, which one of the following methods do you hope he chooses?

• I try to learn major concepts and details.
• I try to memorize the scenarios as they are written in the text.
• I read the text and make an outline to help me review my notes.
•  I try to approach learning as "thinking."

Those who approach learning as "remembering' are called ___________ learners.

• Passive
• Aggressive
• Lenient
•   Strict

Critical thinking is one of Cadet George's strengths.  He is very good at defining problems by asking questions, judging facts and evidence, and prioritizing factors.  Creative thinking is one of Cadet George's weaknesses.  He has a lot of trouble "thinking outside the box" to come up with creative ways to solve problems.     If he asked you to help him develop his creative thinking skills, which one of the following exercises would you have him do?

• Analyze the eating habits of ten different types of butterflies.
• Classify ten different types of butterflies by type.
• Compare and contrast ten different kinds of butterflies.
• Invent a mechanism to catch ten specific types of butterflies.

What is the difference between subjective and objective thinking?

• Subjective thinking occurs quickly; objective thinking is slow or ponderous.
•  Subjective thinkers deal with interpretations, while objective thinkers deal with facts.
• Subjective thinking is an active thinking skill, while objective is a passive skill.
• All of the above

Select the mental activities that are examples of creative thinking.

• Daydreaming, counting, listening, listing
• Analyzing, contrasting, prioritizing
• Previewing, summarizing, reading
• Brainstorming, generalizing, inventing, predicting, visualizing

T or F: Active learners do not wait for learning to happen; they make learning happen.

• True
• False