Active Learning in Higher Education: Impact and Insights

Active Learning in Higher Education is an international, refereed publication for all those who teach and support learning in higher education (HE) and those who undertake or use research into effective learning, teaching, and assessment in universities and colleges. The journal is devoted to publishing accounts of research covering all aspects of learning and teaching concerning adults in higher education. It is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers three times a year in the field of Education. It has been in publication since 2000 and is currently published by SAGE Publications in association with Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.

Journal Overview

Active Learning in Higher Education is aimed at all those who teach and support learning in higher education and those who undertake or use research into effective learning, teaching and assessment in universities and colleges. The journal's editor is Virginia Clinton-Lisell (University of North Dakota).

Ranking & Metrics

SCIMAGO H-index: 66
SCIMAGO SJR: 2.221
Impact Factor: 3.2
Scopus CiteScore: 5.40
Its 2 year impact factor is 4.765.
6.0(top 2%)10-year impact
Number of Best Scientists*: 12
Documents by Best Scientists*: 13
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 1

Aims and Scope

Active Learning in Higher Education facilitates discussions on Active learning that incorporate concepts from other fields like Cooperative learning and Educational technology. Studies on Cooperative learning discussed in Active Learning in Higher Education link to the field of Collaborative learning. The journal explores research in Educational technology alongside concepts in Multimedia and other areas of study in Mobile device.

Research Focus

Active Learning in Higher Education investigates areas of study like Pedagogy, Mathematics education, Higher education, Active learning and Teaching method. It explores research in Pedagogy and the adjacent study of Medical education. The research on Mathematics education tackled can also make contributions to studies in the areas of Process (engineering) and Curriculum. In Active Learning in Higher Education, Perception, Knowledge management, Public relations, Lifelong learning and Formative assessment are investigated in conjunction with one another to address concerns in Higher education research. The majority of Teaching method studies presented zero in on Teaching and learning center. Research on Academic achievement addressed in the journal frequently intersections with the field of Social psychology.

Pedagogy (43.07%)
Mathematics education (36.02%)
Higher education (36.02%)

Impact Factor Trends

The 2024 2-year impact of Active Learning in Higher Education is 6.714. This 2-year impact has been calculated by dividing the number of citations in the year 2023 to the articles published in 2021 and 2022.

Citation Analysis

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue. The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

Notable Publications

Most Cited Papers

The Impact Of Training Of University Teachers on their Teaching Skills, their Approach to Teaching and the Approach to Learning of their Students (655 citations)
Improving student engagement: Ten proposals for action (408 citations)
The Impact of Assessment on Student Learning: How Can the Research Literature Practically Help to Inform the Development of Departmental Assessment Strategies and Learner-Centred Assessment Practices? (407 citations)

Research Areas of Most Cited Articles

The journal papers focus largely on the fields of Pedagogy, Mathematics education, Higher education, Teaching method and Active learning. The most cited papers focus on Pedagogy but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Qualitative research and Medical education. The journal publications facilitate discussions on Higher education that incorporate concepts from other fields like Social psychology, Employability, Peer feedback, Academic achievement and Focus group.

Last Edition Focus

The concepts of Mathematics education, Higher education, Medical education, Perception and Active learning are tackled in the journal. It discusses concepts in Teaching method, Note-taking and Rubric under Mathematics education and how they intertwine with disciplines like Focus (computing) and Function (engineering). The research on Teaching method tackled can also make contributions to studies in the areas of Computer-mediated communication, Educational technology and Class size. The presented Higher education research focuses mostly on Student engagement and, on occasion, topics in Multimedia, Information and Communications Technology, Blended learning and Flipped learning. Issues in Medical education were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Preparedness, Feeling, Attendance and Teamwork. The subject of Quality (business), which is connected to the field of Openness to experience, Constructive alignment and Student learning, serves as the foundation of the Active learning research featured in it.

Most Cited Articles from Last Journal Edition

The positive relationship between flipped and blended learning and student engagement, performance and satisfaction: (37 citations)
Students generating questions as a way of learning (14 citations)
Students’ perceptions of their preparedness for transition to work after graduation: (11 citations) - Adela García-Aracil;Sílvia Correia Monteiro;Leandro S.

Publication Trends

Top Authors

The top authors publishing in Active Learning in Higher Education (based on the number of publications) are: David Kember (4 papers) absent at the last edition, John Cowan (4 papers) absent at the last edition, Maureen J. Reed (4 papers) absent at the last edition, Tony Harland (4 papers) absent at the last edition, Nick Zepke (3 papers) absent at the last edition.

Top Affiliations

The top affiliations publishing in Active Learning in Higher Education (based on the number of publications) are:

Read also: Enrichment and Engagement

Edinburgh Napier University (12 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition
Open University (8 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition
Lancaster University (7 papers) absent at the last edition
University of Gloucestershire (6 papers) absent at the last edition
Sheffield Hallam University (6 papers) absent at the last edition

Publication Chance Based on Affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal. During the most recent 2021 edition, 11.54% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 21.74% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 4.35% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 4.35% of all publications and 69.57% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors and Institutions

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year. The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year. The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

Author Experience and Innovation

The experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C). The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25)
Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100)
Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625)
Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500)
Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500)

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Pathways: Professional Insights and Application of the Research

Understanding the theoretical aspects of active learning in higher education is not only crucial for research and academic growth, but it also has practical applications in various professional fields. For instance, the knowledge garnered from such research plays a pivotal role in the professional development of educators and counselors who interact closely with students in a learning environment. One career path that significantly benefits from these findings is that of a marriage and family therapist. These professionals leverage the insights gathered from studies on active learning, pedagogy, knowledge management, and public relations. Utilizing these research outcomes, they can enhance their approach towards counselling strategies, thus providing more effective support to their clients. For instance, if we look into the role of a marriage and family therapist in Hawaii, we can see a practical translation of these research findings. The learning strategies, teaching methods, and understanding of student engagement covered in our journal are relevant to these professionals, aiding them to devise effective counseling sessions that encourage active participation and lifelong learning. Hence, by providing this perspective of professional implementation, we aim to bridge the gap between theoretical research and its practical application, making the studies at Active Learning in Higher Education more accessible and beneficial for a broader audience.

Read also: The Power of Active Learning

Education research

Education research is the scientific field of study that examines education and learning processes and the human attributes, interactions, organizations, and institutions that shape educational outcomes. Scholarship in the field seeks to describe, understand, and explain how learning takes place throughout a person’s life and how formal and informal contexts of education affect all forms of learning.

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