Active Learning in Graduate Education: listening, curiosity and love

How can we build another society, another country, another education, another university, if the masters and doctors we form attend countless courses that waste their curiosities and interests? Higher (and Graduate) education is still often medieval. Both in methods and in interpersonal relationships.

The educational methods used in several Graduate courses are mostly based on the 'transmission' of knowledge and the treatment of students as ignorant beings: a banking education, as Freire already warned.

This book results from a collective adventure that began in a course called Listening, curiosity, and love, taught from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2022, in an online remote way, and based on active learning methods. The course was open to PhD and master’s students from all over the country, completely free of charge for any of the attendants.

The combination of remote/synchronous mode with active learning methods, and a class with students from different areas of knowledge, has enhanced exchanges, meetings, bridges: it expanded the public university beyond its walls!

Active learning methods sought to put the interests, and dedication of the students at the center of the educational processes and made the course "hands-on" from its very beginning. Each student had to produce several activities throughout the semester and, from the first meeting, began to build an individual free theme final work, linking their interests and curiosities, and articulating teaching and research.

As the presentation form of the final work was decided by each student, there were videos, performances, poems, letters, slides, mini documentaries, as well as 'traditional' academic texts. After the end of the course, some people showed interest in using their works as raw material for the construction of texts to be shared in the format of a book.

The tool-book was edited first in Portuguese, native language of all participants. Now, the work has been translated to English and is expanding its dialogue possibilities to other people around the world.

Educational methods have never been, are not, and will never be, the sole magic solution to all educational problems. However, when active learning methods, synchronous, live remote teaching, are combined with activities based on the interests and desires of graduate students, we can, with some optimism, stimulate their dreams and contribute to another education and another society. This gives a lot more work to everyone, but it brings meaning, energy, social commitment, and joy.

We often feel alone. We do not always have institutional or peer support. But we are not alone. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other, read each other, exchange experiences, and build changes in our daily lives. As small as they are, in the direction of the worlds that make our eyes shine and that fill us with joy and passion. The texts that make up this book are living proof that this is possible.