Knowledge
Read on to know what and how experiential learning can be implemented in school
If one is open to new ideas, new challenges, new learning then the process becomes a delight and the product so striking, that it propels you to build upon it further.
Experiential learning is learning by doing with reflection as its core strength. Very often when you mention the term it is confused with experimental learning. An experiment is an investigation in which a hypothesis is scientifically tested. Experiment is definitely one aspect but experiential covers a range of aspects. To understand what and how experiential learning can be implemented in school, it is important to understand the model primarily.
Let us understand the cycle through a concrete example.
A Physics teacher wishes to teach static electricity to students. She divides the class into groups and to each group she hands over a range of activities to be conducted. The first group rubs a balloon against their hair and attempts to see if it sticks on the wall, the second attempts to rub two balloons against each other and see what it might attract or repel, the third group brings charged objects towards a gold leaf electroscope and observes the effects. Therefore the first stage – Concrete Experience – is where the learner experiences an activity through lab work or project.
After the activity, the teacher conducts Reflective Observation during which the learner reflects on the experiment or activity conducted.
Ex:
After reflection and discussions facilitated by the teacher during Abstract Conceptualisation, the learner arrives at the concept of static electricity through the activities conducted. He or she can now confidently explain the causes and effects as it is backed by observation and research.
The learner now applies the concept learned during Active Experimentation to new situations using critical thinking skills. Ex: How are cars painted?
As per the Instructional Core by Richard Elmore, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, ‘tasks predict performance’. What predicts performance is what students are actually doing. The only way to find out what students are actually doing is to observe what they are doing, not, unfortunately, to ask teachers what students have done after the fact, and even less to look at the results of student work after they have engaged in the task.
This task determines the success of the lesson and can be worked on by the teacher to ensure that:
1. Task is related to curriculum
2. It is experiential in nature involving student’s participation at all stages
3. Students are engaged
4. It demands students to use HOTS [Higher Order Thinking Skills]
This can be easily integrated into every curriculum by taking few weeks before the onset of the new academic year by the Subject Heads along with the teachers to do intensive planning. By following the steps mentioned below experiential learning can be a reality:
1. Map the curriculum at the onset of the year moving from the highest class to lowest class. Ensure that you involve all your teachers in the mapping as only through collaborative efforts will they own up to the accountability.
2. Create year plan for every subject and have teachers team up for common topics.
3. Help teachers create unit plans which have well defined objectives, tasks which help achieve the objectives and the assessment plans to measure the learning outcome.
4. Ensure that the tasks are experiential, well researched and related to the sustainable development goals laid down by the United Nations http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ wherever they can be linked as every experiential cycle desires that students take the learning back to day to day life and contribute positively to the community and environment.
Every school has the responsibility today to sensitize students towards the world’s problems because when they move out, they need to be responsible citizens who will promote peace and harmony. Moreover, with the environment degradation happening all over, it is vital that becoming conscious at a young age will instil strong values with the years to come.
Experiential learning lends itself very beautifully to instilling these strong values. A concrete example of this would be that teachers link their topics to the current world problems like while teaching the topic ‘Electric current’ make students aware of their home electricity bills. Ask them to compare bills with each other and understand the differences. Empower them to address what changes they could make to their daily life to reduce their bills and share the knowledge with their family. This can be further taken to study energy losses in school and steps to control it.
Sometimes, projects could be given which make students more responsible. In one school, the project given was to do a data analysis of the paper used by every section of the school. The students realized that there was a lot of paper wastage. Meetings were held with the management, staff and parents and the following year, all circulars were mailed, the handbooks made of recycled paper, and all old papers and magazines were sent to recycling units.
Another school started with their own compost pits to recycle wet waste and use the compost to grow new saplings. These saplings are then sold to parents to spread the green efforts.
Students have a lot of power, it only needs to be redirected and the results are amazing.
Over the years I have realized everything has to do with mindset. If one is open to new ideas, new challenges, new learning then the process becomes a delight and the product so striking, that it propels you to build upon it further.
About the Author:
Kavita Sanghvi is Principal at MET Rishikul Vidyalaya. In 2016 December, she was shortlisted as a Top 50 finalist for the Global Teacher Prize 2017 by Varkey Foundation and has received many awards. In 2016 she also became British Council School Ambassador. She has been the MISA Secretary for the past 3 years. In 2016, she began pursuing an ‘Advanced course in Educational Leadership’ from Harvard University.
This article was originally published in the Anniversary (August 2017) issue of ScooNews magazine. Subscribe to ScooNews Magazine today to have more such stories delivered to your desk every month.