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Learning by doing is internalizing key concepts by applying them in real-life situations.
Learning by doing involves actively taking part in the learning process through activities such as role plays, presentations, quizzes, and coding challenges. It does not simply mean practicing.
The concept of active education has become important over the years.
It helps educators generate interest in the topics they teach in class. We all agree that lecturing alone isn’t adequate for instilling key concepts in the students’ mind.
Institutions worldwide are adopting innovative teaching methods to engage students. One primary approach is experiential education, which is aimed at arousing student’s interest in the subject.
We need to understand active training by an example how day & Night occur. Though students can learn from their books, that day & night happens because of Earth’s rotation.
Teachers can explain that when the Earth rotates, one side has Day, and the other has Night.
Teachers can explain this by taking 2 balls, one of them exhibiting light which represents the Sun & the other Earth.
When light shines on one side of the ball, that side experiences day while the other side remains dark, resulting in day and night.
Teachers can explain the occurrence of summer and winter by showing that when the Sun moves far away in its orbit, we experience winters. Further, when the Sun moves closer to us, we experience summers.
The educator has adopted an innovative teaching method. They explain concepts in a manner that students will remember. The students understand the concepts by observing experiments.
Learning by doing examples
The most common learning by doing example is mastering to drive a car. We don’t learn to drive by reading from book but by actually practicing to drive. Slowly & steadily we develop driving skills and become an expert driver.
Practice makes a man perfect. Children learn to ride a bicycle not from books, but by trying it themselves. This shows that learning occurs through active participation.
Learning to code is an important skill because, with all services in the digital mode, there is a tremendous demand for talented programmers. We learn coding protocols like indentation by practicing on the code editor because with regular practice we internalize it.
MBBS and BDS courses require students to complete internships as part of their curriculum. These internships provide students with hands-on practice of important medical procedures.
Doctors become renowned by studying and practicing key concepts, such as measuring BP, giving vaccinations, and performing root canals.
Professional courses such as BTech, MBA, Nursing, and others often include internships. These internships help students solidify their understanding of key concepts by providing hands-on practice.
Teaching courses like B.Ed, B.A.B.Ed & B.El.Ed include internships to apply concepts in real-life situations.
Hence, the concept of learning by doing is vital for the skill development of the professionals.
The idea of learning by doing is important because many a time we understand the tricks of the trade by doing it ourselves rather than learning theory.
Another worthy example of learning by doing is law courses. Institutes provide legal aid clinics and moot courts. These facilities help students develop litigation and case presentation skills.
What is active education in the classroom?
Experiential learning, also known as learning by doing, involves engaging students in the learning process through activities such as lab experiments, internships, quizzes, and presentations. This approach helps students thoroughly understand the concepts.
For Pharmacy courses, there is compulsory lab assignments which students perform in the labs to understand the outcomes. This exercise hells them grasp the method of developing formulations that are vital for new drug discovery.
Similarly, in computer science, we have practical classes where students apply concepts learned in the class. This concretes their concepts and develops application based understanding to develop application software.
Chemistry students conduct lab practicals to understand the properties of salts and how they react with other elements.
Likewise, Zoology students do dissection to know the different body organs & their anatomy inside the body.
Learning by doing in the classroom promotes true learning. Students understand concepts better when they engage in practical activities.
With hands on exposure, they are better armed with in-depth knowledge that plays a vital role in complex problem solving.
In army training, the people in charge of the armoured division practice manoeuvring tanks in various conditions.
Without practical exposure, learning cannot happen because experiential learning solidifies the concepts for the life. Hence, all training have practical classes because it helps to ingrain the concepts for the life.
Medical practitioners are required to complete internships because practical knowledge is essential for a successful career. All aspiring professionals aim for a high-flying career.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Learning by Doing
The major advantages of learning by doing are:
It prolongs engagement
As students take part in the learning process, they get involved & spend more time internalizing the concepts. They spend time actively taking part in the experiential learning process and enjoy learning.
It promotes Contextualized Learning
When students learn through projects, they familiarize themselves with the real scenarios where the idea is to be applied. Like students learning, Profit & loss by interning at a shop will help them grasp the concept of selling price & the listed price. The seller can sell below the listed price but cannot sell below the cost price otherwise he will suffer a loss.
Students of automobile engineering develop a car to showcase their understanding of the working of cars.
Learn through Trial & Error
In active education, students perform experiments to grasp the underlying concepts. While doing experiments, they fail & correct themselves to have a solid understanding of the idea at hand.
It promotes free thinking & Imagination
When students take part in the learning process, they come up with innovative solutions that lead to new product discovery. They understand the concept, so their imagination generates new possibilities for better product development.
Fosters active participation
In learning by doing, students engage in projects, role plays, and assignments. This helps them develop team working skills through active participation.
Builds Collaborative skills
By working in teams, students develop collaborative skills that come handy in the corporate world. Firms want employees who are team players and can gel well within the team.
Disadvantages of Active learning
It is time consuming.
Sometimes memorization is necessary because, for faster calculations, knowing the formulas is crucial.
Students may not listen to the elders in the long run.
Students could develop misconceptions.
All the outcomes are not predictable.
Learning by doing activities
The active learning activities includes coding practice, speaking English through practical exercises, and subject-specific experiments in the Science lab.
Role plays, class presentations, quizzes and lab assignments are some of the many activities involved in active learning.
