If the mounting body of evidence consistently demonstrates active learning is an effective method to support higher levels of retention and deeper learning, it seems like it should be rolled out in every classroom and lecture hall. But it’s not.
Higher education is full of trade-offs, especially in a world where “financial pressures [increase] the focus on data-driven planning and decision-making,” according to Educause.
Unfortunately, many educators share the perception that it’s too time-consuming to come up with lessons driven by these strategies. When met with the resistance of time investment from lecturers, who are already strapped for time, the approach fails to take off.
Another misconception is that trying active learning requires educators to create new content, which often feels daunting. If you’re disseminating the information students need, and they’re passing their classes, you might view the extra work as beneficial, but not truly necessary.
The good news is that these problems are easy to address with institutional knowledge that already exists within your departments. Active learning can be both time saving and efficient, thanks to collaboration between colleagues.
The hidden scalability problem in higher education
A professor may apply an active learning strategy to one project or unit and fail to share it with their colleagues on a different team or in another department because they don’t think it can apply beyond the structure of their curriculum.
Additionally, big university lecture halls might not seem like the best place for an active discussion or project demonstrating deep comprehension of a topic. A professor talking to a large group of students seems to uphold the status quo.
But we know that higher education today must show its value, both to receive donations to fund initiatives and to attract new students. To do that, students must feel like what they learn prepares them for life beyond campus, both because it’s attractive to prospective students and because former students are the very people who make those big donations.
Therefore, academic institutions must find a way to leverage existing resources to scale learning that really sticks — active learning.
Turning static content into active learning
The “secret sauce” to scaling active learning is using what already exists. No one has to start from scratch to repurpose materials and shift how to approach them.
Here are some practical ideas to help you get started:
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Turn lecture slides into formative questions by using live quiz tools
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Instead of going over a reading in class, create discussion prompts based on the reading and break students up into groups.
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Transform videos into interactive checkpoints by embedding questions, additional resources, discussion topics, etc. right into the video.
Designing reusable learning experiences
Active learning supports reusable content. That’s where modular learning objects come in. These are small, flexible components that can be used across courses, instructors, and formats, making it possible for instructors to use them like building blocks for a lecture or course.
For starters, try building question banks, micro-assessments, adaptive practice activities, and interactive modules. Once created, these assets can be deployed repeatedly across semesters, in different modalities (online, hybrid, in-person), and, in some cases, across departments. Whenever there’s overlap on the content, you can plug and play the questions that fit your course best.
When you find an adaptive practice activity that works well for your students, you can share it with another instructor. You can build an interactive module template that you reuse for every unit with open-ended questions. By shifting from one-off course design to modular systems, institutions can dramatically increase the return on their instructional investments.
Supporting faculty without increasing workload
For active learning to scale, it must reduce faculty workload, rather than add to it. This requires institutional support structures that lower the barrier to adoption.
Centralized content libraries allow instructors to access and adapt existing materials to their syllabus and course road map. But who owns or creates those? Instructional design teams can help, and they can also support educators with ideas as they translate static content into engaging learning experiences. It’s critical to incorporate cross-departmental collaboration, because when faculty share resources and strategies, innovation spreads more quickly and efficiently.
Emerging tools, like AI, can even automate parts of activity creation, such as generating quiz questions or interactive elements. (According to Educause’s most recent report, educators are also using AI to create more personalized, responsive learning experiences and student support, in general.) While using AI requires some effort, tools like WeVideo’s AI Assist are integrated right into the platform to reduce time spent thinking of your own solutions.
What scalable active learning looks like
When done correctly, scalable active learning becomes part of the teaching ecosystem and it stops feeling like an added burden.
In large lecture courses, structured peer learning techniques — like think-pair-share or polling — enable participation even in high-enrollment settings. Departments can maintain shared activity banks or modular systems that instructors draw from and contribute to over time. Learning Management Systems (LMS) can also host interactive modules, such as modules created in WeVideo, that integrate seamlessly into course workflows.
The result is a system where active learning is the norm, not the exception.
The power to transform the institution rests with instructors
The future of active learning is really about the old adage: working smarter, not harder. Institutions already possess a wealth of instructional materials created by talented, intelligent faculty. By using the content they have more intentionally, colleges and universities can expand the reach of that knowledge beyond one course or lecture hall. The challenge, and the opportunity, is unlocking that value at scale.
By transforming static resources into interactive experiences, designing reusable learning objects, and supporting faculty with the right systems and tools, institutions can expand active learning without overwhelming instructors. By doing so, they move from isolated innovation to sustainable impact.
Ultimately, scalability puts the power in the hands of educators to create learning environments where engagement, collaboration, and deeper understanding are built into every course.