Activity Based Learning a New Approach!

 

 

What is Activity-Based Learning?

Activity-Based Learning or ABL,as names suggest is a process of Learning By Doing or performing tasks and activities also known as Experiential Learning..

 

ABL is key to acquisition of knowledge and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) skills.

STEAM skills offers:

 

Exploration: Explore new skills through active participation

 

Experimentation: Gather knowledge through experience

 

Expression: Express their views by the presentation.

 

 

Why Activity-Based Learning?

ABL has many benefits:

 1)Increase Retention Power - By encouraging kids to get physically and mentally involved in the learning process, activity-based learning helps students learn and retain information.

2)Development of Social skills - Encourages kids to take responsibility for their own learning experience, group-based activity work also helps students develop teamwork and social skills.

3)Real-Life Learning -  Helps kids understand the ‘real-life’ relevance of learning material by encouraging them to explore and solve real problems and scenarios.

4)Independence -By asking kids to work on their own and/or in small groups, this teaching method encourages students to be independently inquisitive, think critically, and learn from their own experiences.

5)Enhance Analytical Thinking - Inspires kids to seek out new opportunities and cultivate a love for learning.

 

Conventional Learning vs ABL/ STEAM Learning

The conventional method of learning is the common method that schools and colleges use. It is a classroom setup where the teacher teaches on a blackboard and students listen to it seated on chairs inside a class.

 

STEAM Education is an experiential learning Method employed by school wherein students learn by doing various DIY activity. These DIY activities help student to get exposed to challenges which induces him to think differently to overcome the hurdles and complete the project in time.

 

This process of STEAM education helps student develop out of the box thinking, problem solving skills and ownership skills. This is very important to develop entrepreneurial skills and mindset.

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Role of Educator in ABL

The role of educators is regarded to be of utmost significance in assisting and supporting the students in achieving their academic goals. The professional objective of the educators is to ensure that they appropriately implement teaching-learning methods, so they can promote effective growth and development of the students.

 

The educators also act as mentors and guides. In some cases, they even interact with their students regarding personal problems and provide effective solutions. In educational institutions at all levels, the educators also interact with the parents. As parents need to remain updated in terms of the areas that their children can acquire an efficient understanding of the academic concepts, their growth and development appropriately take place and they can achieve professional and personal goals.

 To perform their job duties properly, educators need to be professional and possess effective communication skills.

 

Activity-based Learning Strategies

 

Supply all the equipment to do a project in a classroom setup –

Supply a set of material to do a DIY project without any hindrance. You  will be able to see every team has something in difference even when the material, time and other variants are same.  

 

Change Classroom Theme - You can create your own thematic classroom space to incorporate the excitement and create a conducive environment for the period.

 

Use Videos -  videos have taken the center stage in grabbing attention. This can aid students in getting the concepts, visualizing the practicability in the Project.

 

Interactive Sessions - The teacher here is a facilitator and not an instructor. Conduct competitions to encourage students

 

A DIY Experiment by one of our Students

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yantromitra_smart-bin-by-salil-dixit-using-yantromitra-activity-6822202560565379072-pgHm

 

About the Author: 

Ms. Aakriti Rathore, a young researcher in the field of Experiential Learning is associated with YantroMitra Learning Technologies Private Limited and is working on enriching its STEAM Curriculum with attractive DIY Activities.