Fab! or Drab?: Increasing the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning in Summer Classes

Abstract

This article reviews the pitfalls and benefits of teaching and learning in summer school and identifies the lack of student interest as the key factor affecting the effectiveness of learning in the summer. The primary goal of this research is to investigate the impact of active learning strategies on generating student interest and improving their learning in summer school. This article presents results of the study embedded into the classroom curriculum of a summer course. The study consisted of a series of active learning interventions, surveys of students, and observations of their academic performance. The scores of students enrolled in the summer class were compared to academic results of those students who took a similar course during the regular terms. The evidence examined in the study demonstrates that active learning strategies can increase students' situational interest in the summer school setting and can improve the quality of their learning.