The Impact of Active Learning Strategies on Retention and Outcomes in Safety Training

Abstract

Active learning strategies are generally accepted as a more effective means to increase and sustain students’ learning, since these strategies involve the learner in doing, discovering and collaborating, all of which heightens the cognitive and social presence of the learner. There are few studies that examine outcomes and retention rates of participants in safety training generally, especially studies that compare traditional to active learning methods. The aim of this study was to examine student outcomes and retention rates between two groups of students who received a face-to-face 50-minute hazard communication training. One group of participants received training that used traditional lecture methods while the other group received training that incorporated active learning strategies. Participants were required to take a pre-test, post-test and retention test. The groups received the same training content, and the instruction was delivered by the same instructor team. The results of this pilot study revealed that students who received the traditional training tended to have higher scores immediately following the training, however one month following the training students receiving training that incorporated active learning strategies had higher total scores, suggesting active learning may assist with learning retention. The range of scores was more varied in the active learning group, with a larger range between the highest and lowest scores. The differences were not statistically significant which can be explained by the small sample size. Lessons learned are offered that can help inform the framework of a larger future study.