Translating Interactive>Constructive>Active>Passive on Student Engagement Into Practice

• In Event: AERA Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award (2016) Address: Micki Chi

Abstract

ICAP is a domain-general, parsimonious theory that defines and differentiates four ways students can engage cognitively with instruction or instructional materials, often referred to as “active learning.” These four ways or modes of engaging can be identified approximately by students’ overt behaviors, such as collaborating behavior (or Interactive engagement), generating behavior (or Constructive engagement), manipulating behavior (or Active engagement), and attending behavior (or Passive engagement). Based on plausible thinking processes corresponding to each mode of behavior, we can predict that learning is best in the Interactive mode, and worst in the Passive mode. That is, the relative level of learning is in this hierarchical I>C>A>P order. ICAP was translated into practice with the creation of an online professional development (PD) module for teachers. We evaluated the outcomes of our module comprehensively based on teachers’ learning, teachers’ design and implementation, students’ enactment, and students’ learning.

Author

• Michelene T.H. Chi, Arizona State University