Fig. 2.

The magnitude of achievement gaps in active-learning (AL) versus passive-learning (PL) classes varies among studies. Each data point represents a single course; the majority of active-learning courses narrowed the achievement gap. In both panels, the red dashed 1:1 line indicates no difference in the gap between active and passive learning; the white area above the line indicates courses where the gap narrowed. (A) The Upper Left quadrant indicates studies where gaps in examination scores reversed, from students from non-MGS doing better under lecturing to students from MGS doing better under active learning. The Upper Right quadrant represents studies where gaps in examination scores favored students from MGS under both traditional lecturing and active learning. The Bottom Left quadrant signifies studies where students from non-MGS averaged higher examination scores than students from MGS under both passive and active instruction. The Bottom Right quadrant denotes studies where students from non-MGS outperformed students from MGS under active learning, but students from MGS outperformed students from non-MGS under traditional lecturing. Both axes are in units of SDs and indicate difference in performance between MGS and non-MGS students. (B) The Upper Left quadrant indicates studies where gaps in the probability of passing favored students from non-MGS under lecturing but MGS under active learning. The Upper Right quadrant represents studies where the probability of passing was higher for students from MGS versus non-MGS under both passive and active learning. The Lower Left quadrant signifies studies where students from MGS were less likely to pass than students from non-MGS under both modes of instruction. The Lower Right quadrant denotes studies where students from MGS were more likely than non-MGS to pass under traditional lecturing but less likely than non-MGS to pass under active learning. Both axes are percent passing and indicate the difference in performance between MGS and non-MGS students.