What is hands-on learning?
Hands-on learning is a form of education in which children learn by doing. Instead of simply listening to a teacher or instructor lecture about a given subject, the student engages with the subject matter to solve a problem or create something.
Though certain subjects come to mind more readily than others when talking about hands-on learning (for example, shop class), the truth is, a hands-on educational philosophy can be incorporated into nearly any subject matter. A few examples might include:
Solving problems as a part of math class
Completing a lab experiment as a part of a science class
Building circuits or working machines as a part of a tech class
Recreating a historical document or artifact as a part of history class
Writing a creative story, poem, or essay as a part of English class
The benefits of hands-on learning
Hands-on is by no means a “new” movement in the classroom. Hands-on learning brings so many benefits to students, including:
It is a more engaging way to learn
It can lead to increased retention
It can offer practice in problem-solving and critical thinking
It often results in a physical creation
We at, best International School Jodhpur, Vidhyashram School think for all the overall development of the child's future. Here are some benefits of hands-on learning:
1. Hands-on is another way to learn.
Some children learn best by looking at visuals. Some children learn best by listening to a parent or teacher speak. And some children learn best by reading and writing about something. These are called visual, auditory, and reading/writing learning styles, respectively. But there is a fourth learning style that is easy to overlook: Kinesthetic learning, which is a fancy way of saying “learning by doing.”
When students are forced to do something, they are engaged in active learning. They’re practicing their skills and they’re putting their knowledge to the test. Most importantly, they are actively creating knowledge, instead of passively consuming it.
To create, to do, students must be engaged in their education. And engagement has for years been linked to greater academic success like increased test scores and greater academic achievements.
2. Hands-on gives students to practice.
Beyond simply leading to better engagement, hands-on learning allows students to practice the skills that they have already learned. As anyone who has ever learned a skill or learned information can attest to, the more practice you get, the better you will be at that skill, and the better you will be able to retain the information.
3. Hands-on gives students something “real.”
When it comes to education, one of the most difficult things for young children to understand is why what they are learning is important. They want to know: When will I use this in my life? Why does it matter?
Incorporating hands-on learning into the classroom is an easy way for teachers to show their children exactly how what they are learning can be used in the real world.
Through hands-on learning, students will often actively create something, whether an essay, story, piece of art, construction project, or something else. This is something real. It is something that a student can look at and think: I was able to create this because of what I have learned and because of the skills that I have practiced. Because of me, it is here.
That realization is incredibly empowering because it shows students that they can have an impact on the world around them. It shows them that they can use their education to achieve something.
4. Hands-on lets students are creative.
Creativity is a muscle. Just like other muscles, it needs to be regularly exercised or else it will become harder and harder to be creative. Hands-on learning gives your child one more opportunity to exercise their creative skills so that they don’t lose them.
It’s important to note that when people hear the word “creativity,” their minds often go immediately to subjects like art and music. While these are of course important classes for children and should play a role in your child’s education, they’re not the only way that your child can be creative. Given enough practice, your child can put their creativity to use in classes as diverse as history, science, and even math.
Hands-on learning is an incredibly powerful tool, but it won’t replace traditional learning entirely. While it’s beneficial to get excited about hands-on sessions in your field of study, don’t neglect to review your notes, or collaborating with peers to ensure you understand important concepts. So parents need to decide which is the best International school in Jodhpur for their child which can help in the overall development of the child. For more details, parents can visit the school campus.