How to Promote Activity-based Learning?

Swami Vivekananda once said, Education is the manifestation of perfection already in a man. It is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there undigested all your life. In the wider sense, Education is a life-long process of modification of behaviour through every experience of life that means, it can be attained by anyone, at any point of their lives, at any place, in any way, with an aim of the total development of the person.

With the aim so clear and precise, there rises a question on what kind of education is the best for any individual? With rapidly changing scenarios, it is evident that a traditional way of education is no more effective enough and hence there is a need to develop the system in such a way that attracts students towards learning rather than letting them get distracted by the unnecessary riches all around. An individual’s mind is more like a monkey’s mind. It tends to observe its surroundings and replicate the actions so isn’t it the best option to use this tool as the method to educate them?

 “Activity-based”… This term is itself descriptive. Learning through actions, including creativity, and ensuring the participation of students in performances and group activities is the main focus of this kind of learning environment. This is considered to be the best way to learn difficult things easily by involving students in fun-based activities. This provides children with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement in the learning process and it is obvious that a human does everything that gives them a sense of pleasure, even if it’s trivial. As the student will feel more connected to this process, the more they will be eager to learn.

What Is The Importance Of Activity-based Learning?

• Activity-based learning is important because, in the modern era of technology, this form of learning is more preferred and effective.
• Development in technology will impact students, teachers, and their way of learning as well as the education system much more than one can imagine and hence switching on to a method that will be effective no matter what will happen is the wise act.
• It develops students’ critical thinking skills, creative skills, and their skill to learn the toughest of things in an easy way.
• Activity-based learning will push them to learn new things keeping the enthusiasm level at its peak. It will push their brain to respond to the things which they learn spontaneously.
• Activity-based learning will permit children to develop social and motor skills that eventually form the basis of their everyday activities.
• It teaches them how to think using the first principle (the method by which some of the most prominent people like Elon Musk approach the problem).

Effect Of Activity-based Learning On Students

• Activity-based learning is beneficial in several ways. It develops the analytical skills of children and develops their critical thinking.
• It stimulates them to come up with creative and innovative ideas. It is also beneficial for them to analyse or examine things carefully.
• Activity-based learning provokes curiosity among children to learn things. This is in this way of learning which will never bore children while studying.
• It develops active learning skills in children, not passive learning skills. An active learning skill involves thinking, analysing, discussion, etc, and passive learning just includes learning translated information which is not at all beneficial in the learning process. Sadly, nowadays we are just getting trained to memorize the theory and write them on exam paper ignoring the practical aspect of the subject.
• Activity-based learning is beneficial for both students as well as teachers because it is an easy way of learning, in the same way, it is an easy and refreshing way of teaching as well.
• It helps children to process the information in the brain smoothly. And things learned in this process of learning tend to remain in the memory for a longer period.

Characteristics Of Activity-based Learning

• The involvements of children are more in activity-based learning either through discussion or performance.
• Activity-based learning revolves around the nature of children and their way and interest to learn things.
• More focus is on the practical aspect of the subject rather than cramming the theory.
• Students are taught through drama or in the form of a story instead of a simple teaching process because it helps children to relate to the world and express their own opinion.

Role Of Teacher In Activity-based Learning

• Offer productive choices to the student. It helps them analyse what and how a task should be performed and in which order.
• Turn the lessons into the game and the best example of it is memorizing the chemistry periodic table as music notes. It becomes a lot more engaging.
• Most people agree that it’s difficult to stay engaged in a lesson when you don’t understand the purpose of the knowledge. Instead of simply telling students that there is a practical purpose for the lesson at hand, give them some concrete examples.
• Taking note of the student’s hobbies and interests, and incorporating them into studies keeps them more focussed and productive.

As the final note, Activity-based learning is the best kind of learning environment one can provide to the student provided his/her caregivers and teachers and proactive enough to reach out for their help whenever needed. With such an amazing method of learning, it will be a waste to not include it in our education system. Let’s make learning a fun learning process!