Updated on
August 17, 2026
Pearson ActiveLearn Secondary to ActiveHub: Teacher Guide
Pearson ActiveLearn Secondary login help, teacher features and the move to ActiveHub, with guidance on planning, homework, assessment and migration.
Pearson ActiveLearn Secondary is Pearson's digital teaching and learning platform for ages 11–19, bringing together planning, resources, homework, assessment and progress tracking. Pearson is retiring it and moving users to ActiveHub; migration timing and available resources vary by course, subscription and licence, so schools should follow Pearson's current guidance.
Key Takeaways
- Functions, not guaranteed outcomes: ActiveLearn combines planning resources, homework, automatic marking, feedback and progress reporting. Its effect depends on the course, task design and how teachers use the information.
- Interpret progress information carefully: Available assignment, feedback and reporting tools can inform follow-up teaching when the course provides them. Combine platform reports with classroom evidence rather than treating analytics as a diagnosis.
- Plan curriculum fit and staff support: Give teachers time to inspect the resources, practise the required workflows and decide how each digital task serves a curriculum purpose. Training needs depend on the course, staff role and migration route.
- Check the course-level offer: Student resources, feedback and progress tools vary by subject and subscription. Schools should verify the exact ActiveLearn or ActiveHub package before relying on a feature.
What is Pearson ActiveLearn?
Before adopting, renewing or migrating a subscription, check the current Pearson course page for the resources, licence terms, accessibility support and ActiveHub transition route that apply to your school.
Unlike simple digital textbook platforms, ActiveLearn provides an integrated learning environment where teachers can set homework, track completion, access automatic marking, and analyse student progress tracking data. Learners can use ActiveLearn on supported devices and browsers with JavaScript enabled, making it suitable for online classroom and home-learning use where those requirements are met.
ActiveLearn provides digital resources, homework, feedback and progress information that teachers can incorporate into their own lesson and assessment routines. These functions do not by themselves establish improved learning outcomes.
Teachers can easily add digital tools to lessons. Use interactive whiteboards for classwork, or set personalised homework. A primary teacher can use ActiveLearn for maths, then assign tasks that adjust to each learner. Secondary teachers can see engagement, find learners who need help, and act fast.
Key Features for Teachers
Interactive Resources
ActiveLearn turns textbook content into interactive experiences. Learners get videos, animations, examples, and practice with feedback. For Science and Maths, visual aids help understanding. This complements effective teaching strategies (Hattie, 2008).
Homework and Assessment
Depending on the course package, teachers may be able to assign ready-made or teacher-selected tasks, use automatic marking for suitable question types and review progress information. Confirm the available question banks and marking behaviour, then use classroom evidence to decide whether learners need follow-up or scaffolding.
Differentiation Tools
Some course packages provide tasks at different levels. Teachers should inspect the resources for curriculum fit and accessibility, then decide what adaptation or additional support individual learners need.
ActiveLearn Pricing and Cost Structure
ActiveLearn Secondary resources are supplied through institutional subscriptions, with availability varying by course and market. Pearson is retiring ActiveLearn as users move to ActiveHub, so schools should use Pearson's current course and migration guidance for pricing, licences, resources and access.
| School Size | Learner Numbers | Licence Type |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Fewer than 100 learners | School-wide access for all staff |
| Medium | 101-300 learners | School-wide access for all staff |
| Large | 301-500 learners | School-wide access for all staff |
| Extra Large | 501-999 learners | School-wide access for all staff |
| Super | 1000+ learners | School-wide access for all staff |
Pearson currently advertises a 60-day ActiveLearn trial on its international-schools page. Trial, price and renewal terms can change, so confirm the applicable offer and migration route with Pearson before purchase.
Subject Coverage and Curriculum Alignment
Mathematics
ActiveLearn Maths packages may include examples, practice, assessment and progress information. The exact qualifications, accessibility support and migration route vary by package, so schools should check the current course specification and test it with their learners.
Science
ActiveLearn Science packages may include lesson resources, activities, assessment and reporting. Adaptive tasks and other features are course-specific rather than universal, so schools should verify the package against curriculum and accessibility needs.
English
ActiveLearn English packages may include texts, explanations, practice, assessment and progress information. Schools should confirm the current qualification coverage, accessibility features and learner-device requirements for the exact subscription.
Benefits of Using ActiveLearn
ActiveLearn provides numerous benefits for teachers, students, and schools, including:
- Routine administration: Ready-made resources, assignment tools and automatic marking for suitable question types may reduce some routine work; the saving depends on setup, course fit and teacher workflow.
- Progress information: Assignment, marking and reporting functions can help teachers identify areas for follow-up; they do not guarantee improved attainment.
- Interactive resources: Videos, activities and prompts can diversify lesson and homework routines, but motivation and participation depend on implementation and learner context.
- Progress information: Available reports can inform follow-up questions and teaching decisions, but teachers should check data quality and interpret the information alongside classroom evidence.
- Access requirements: Browser, device, JavaScript and accessibility support vary by resource and course. Use Pearson's current system check and test the exact materials with learners.
How to Set Up ActiveLearn
Beginning your digital transformation process requires careful planning and a phased approach that respects both your existing teaching practices and your students' learning needs. Start by identifying a single subject area or year group where you feel most confident, allowing you to develop familiarity with the platform's core features before expanding implementation. This targeted approach aligns with John Kotter's change management principles, which emphasise the importance of early wins in building momentum for broader organisational change.
Start by setting up class groups, exploring resources, and doing a quick diagnostic test. This gives you baseline data. Use the teacher dashboard to track progress; this helps you find gaps and celebrate learner success. Cognitive load theory (Sweller, 1988) says introduce new tools slowly for everyone's benefit.
Schedule brief daily check-ins during your first fortnight to monitor how students are adapting to the new learning environment and to address any technical concerns promptly. Consider pairing digital activities with familiar teaching methods initially, creating a bridge between traditional and technology-enhanced learning that maintains classroom routine whilst building confidence in the new approach.
Student Engagement Strategies with ActiveLearn
When choosing a digital activity, identify the intended learning first and explain how learners will use the resource. Review participation and understanding during the task rather than assuming interactivity or visible progress indicators will improve engagement.
Keep challenge balanced with support to motivate learners, as Vygotsky (1978) suggested. When tasks stretch abilities without overwhelming, engagement grows. Teachers, watch learner work and help early if participation reduces. Use data to spot learners needing support or different methods.
Allocate time for learners to use interactive features. Recognise digital achievements in class, as per research (Wiggins, 1998). Let learners show understanding using multimedia formats. Regularly check in about digital learning, as suggested by Dweck (2006). This helps you adapt and improves learner experience (Hattie, 2008).
Assessment and Progress Tracking Features
Assessment improves teaching using evidence, not just guesswork. Digital tools provide detailed data on learner progress and identify problems instantly. This fits Wiliam's (2011) embedded formative assessment focus. Frequent feedback accelerates learning when teachers quickly address individual learner needs.
Where the course provides completion, response or accuracy reports, teachers can use them to plan follow-up questions. Check what each metric represents and combine it with classroom assessment; time-on-task or completion data alone do not demonstrate comprehension.
Teachers need routines to review assessment data. Weekly reviews help them spot learners needing support and inform lesson plans. Simple spreadsheets track metrics, quickly showing trends and helping keep learners on track (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Hattie, 2012).
Common Issues and Solutions
The most frequent technical challenges teachers encounter involve connectivity issues and student access problems. When platforms fail to load or respond slowly, check your institution's internet bandwidth during peak usage times, as multiple classes accessing digital resources simultaneously can overwhelm network capacity. For student login difficulties, maintain a classroom troubleshooting checklist that includes verifying usernames, resetting passwords through your school's IT department, and ensuring browsers are updated. These proactive measures prevent minor technical hiccups from deriving valuable learning time.
Plan well, don't blame the platform. Rogers (1962) showed new tech needs time to be accepted. Start with one subject to build confidence for you and the learner. Ease worry by showing digital tools help, not hinder. Instead of daily checks, review learner involvement weekly for better insights. Focus on three useful curriculum metrics, not huge data sets.
Curriculum Integration Best Practices
Start with the curriculum objective, then decide whether a digital resource adds useful explanation, practice, feedback or access. Avoid using a platform feature simply because it is available.
See your digital tools as resources supporting teaching. Start slowly, use them in subjects you know well (Fullan, 2013). This helps you and learners get used to new methods. Digital tools work well for homework or revision (Hattie, 2009). Teach complex ideas face to face, encouraging group work (Vygotsky, 1978).
Teacher Reviews and Success Stories
Pearson ActiveLearn brings secondary planning, teaching resources, homework, assessment and progress information into one digital service. Schools should evaluate the exact course package, accessibility and migration arrangements rather than assuming the same functions are available in every subscription.
As Pearson moves secondary users from ActiveLearn to ActiveHub, schools should export any required ActiveLearn results or markbook data and follow the current transition guidance for their course and licence.
A small local pilot can reveal access, training and curriculum-fit problems before a wider rollout. Begin with one class or workflow, collect feedback and expand only when the process works reliably in that context.
Give staff time to inspect the course resources, practise the required workflows and agree how progress information will be interpreted. Review the rollout with teachers and learners, then adjust training and support in response to the problems they report.
Training Materials and Support Resources
- Holmes, B., & Gardner, J. (2006). E-Learning: Concepts and Practise. Sage.
- Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking University Teaching: A Conversational Framework for the Effective Use of Learning Technologies. Routledge.
- Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development.
- Hattie, J. (2008). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge.
Essential ActiveLearn Features Every Teacher Should Know
ActiveLearn provides digital resources, assignments, automatic marking and progress information. These can reduce some routine administration, but any effect on engagement or learning depends on how the tools are used.
Some ActiveLearn course packages include assignment-building, scheduling, automatic marking for suitable question types and reporting. Test the exact question bank and feedback behaviour before use, and check automatically generated reports against learner work and teacher judgement.
The Progress Tracking Dashboard provides comprehensive insights into individual and class performance without hours of manual data entry. Teachers can quickly identify students who are struggling with specific topics, spot patterns in understanding, and adjust their teaching accordingly. For example, if the dashboard reveals that 70% of your Year 11 Physics class incorrectly answered questions about electrical circuits, you can immediately plan a targeted revision session rather than discovering this gap during mock exams.
The Resource Library provides UK-aligned teaching materials: videos, worksheets, and revision. Teachers can easily plan lessons with these resources (Geography example: climate change). Presentations, data analysis, and assessments are ready to use (GCSE-mapped).
ActiveLearn Setup Guide: Getting Started for Teachers
Follow Pearson's current administrator and migration guidance for the school's course. Record who handles accounts, password recovery, accessibility checks and staff support so teachers and learners know where to get help.
Start by creating or migrating users and groups according to Pearson's current guidance. ActiveLearn reports can be exported for use with other reporting or assessment software, but schools should confirm any direct management-information-system integration with Pearson before planning around it.
A phased introduction can make local support easier to manage. Schools might begin with access and a small set of resources, then introduce assignments and reporting only after staff and learners can use the earlier functions reliably; the pace should follow local needs rather than a fixed three-week sequence.
Plan for account recovery, browser compatibility, device access and accessibility before classroom use. Use Pearson's current system check instead of relying on fixed browser or memory specifications, and record a simple local support route for staff and learners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can students access ActiveLearn on tablets and smartphones?
Use Pearson's current system check and product guidance to confirm supported browsers, devices, JavaScript settings and accessibility requirements for the relevant course.
How does ActiveLearn support differentiated learning for mixed ability classes?
Available task levels, feedback and progress tools vary by course and subscription. Inspect the exact resources, check accessibility and adapt the task using knowledge of the learner rather than assuming the platform differentiates automatically.
What happens if our school's internet connection is unreliable?
Check the current course guidance before relying on offline access. Availability and interactive behaviour vary by resource, platform and subscription.
Can ActiveLearn integrate with our existing school management system?
Do not assume direct integration with a school information-management system. Confirm compatibility, data fields, security responsibilities and the supported workflow with Pearson and the school's IT lead.
How long does it take to train teachers to use ActiveLearn effectively?
Pearson provides product guidance and support for ActiveLearn and the move to ActiveHub. Training needs vary by staff role, course and migration route, so schools should plan onboarding from the current support material rather than a fixed time estimate.
Further Reading: Key Research Papers
These peer-reviewed studies provide the research foundation for the strategies discussed in this article:
EFFECTIVENESS OF BLENDED LEARNING CLASSROOM IN COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 citations
R. Latha & R. Ramakrishnan (2020)
Using digital tools with classroom teaching is associated with more active engagement. Learners often engage more in computer-science topics when video lessons are used alongside teacher input. Blended approaches can change how learners interact in lessons, with effects depending on implementation quality.
Teachers' use of data from digital learning platforms for instructional design: a systematic review 17 citations
Alina Hase & Poldi Kuhl (2024)
Teachers can use data from platforms to understand learner needs and adjust teaching. Digital tools give insights into learner performance and areas for improvement. (Hattie, 2012). Use learner data to plan lessons and differentiate instruction, say researchers (Black & Wiliam, 1998).
