Active Learning

Active Learning

“Active Learning refers to techniques which allow students to do more than simply listen to a lecture. Students are DOING something which includes discovering, processing, and applying information.”-Mangroves: Our Natural Sea Defence [Chapter 1: Active Learning].

The reason for CXC CSEC and other syllabi enforcing practicals such as SBA and other components is because of this reason. Active learning gets individuals to learn, remember and understand since it is proved by psychology below: 

The Diagram above was taken from the booklet, Mangroves: Our Natural Sea Defence [Active Learning]

Actual Source: [Dale, Edgar: Audiovisual methods in teaching. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, (New York, 1969)]

The point is that we should not just do practicals to understand a topic because it is required by the syllabus, but we should do it to understand a topic because to actually acquire knowledge. If schools do not provide those resources, we should demand them or just find our own. Almost all the text books have a section called activities and most of them actually give practical activities. This is so because the authors know what is best for students' learning. Active learning does not only benefit the learning student but also increases:

• student-teacher interaction,

• student-student interaction,

• teamwork,

• attitude towards the subject and motivation to learning,

• academic achievement, i.e. grades,

• communication skills, and

• higher-level thinking skills.

We can guarantee that active learning will work by the following reasons:

• Individual students may get stuck on a problem and give up, whereas groups of students tend to keep going.

• Students become exposed to alternative problem-solving strategies.

• Students are much less fearful of generating and answering questions among themselves than individually and directly to the instructor in class.

• Students learn best what they teach!

Most of the information above was acquired from the booklet: Mangroves: Our Natural Sea Defence [Chapter 1: Active Learning]. Please click here for the actual booklet (Note: You need to download to view it-do not worry, it is virus free).

LET’S ALL ADAPT THIS METHOD AND LEARN TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND DO NOT LEARN TO GET DEGREE OR PASS THROUGH A STAGE IN LIFE!