Definition of active learning
Prince M. (2004) described that active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing.
As we know, collaborative online projects (international as well) pose different challenges than traditional classroom environment. Robert C. Hares in research Improving Group Collaboration in the Online Learning Environment say that apart from the collaborative technologies used, other factors affect the success of the effort including cohesiveness, coordination, group side and the assigned task. The selection of the appropriate technology affects the success of the group as the technology can either inhibit or enhance the collaborative process and the success of the endeavor.
Active learning, a term popular in US education circles in the 1980s, encourages learners to take responsibility for their learning, requiring their experience in education to inform their process of learning.[1]
Effective learning involves providing students with a sense of progress and control over their own learning. This requires creating a situation where learners have a chance to try out or test their ideas. This testing is ideally accomplished by connecting students' ideas to concrete experience and that's where the "active" part of the learning comes in. Active learning involves providing opportunities for students to meaningfully talk and listen, write, read, and reflect on the content, ideas, issues.