The Upward Spiral of Learning!
Life-long learning is a necessity to adapt to today's fast-paced world, one which is characterised by rapid technological developments and constant change. It is thus of utmost importance to inculcate in children an interest for learning. However, some parents observe that their children are unmotivated to study.
Let us find out more why this happens to some children and what parents and educators can do to provide an environment fuelling an upward spiral of learning for them.
There are certain reasons to explain a child's disinterest:
The child does not value the subject.
Often, the potential applications of a subject are not explained or demonstrated to the child. A child may thus see no value in the learning material forced upon them. Without a connection to the child's interests, he/she is unlikely to put in effort towards comprehending the material.
The content taught within the confines of a classroom may be presented in a unpalatable manner.
Growing efforts to divert from textbook learning by the ministry and schools should be lauded and encouraged. However, it is noted that the average class size for primary and secondary schools still stands at 30 to 40 in Singapore. Limitations in logistics and time may hinder teachers from being able to continuously conceive fun and relevant activities in classrooms. The consequent reliance on rote learning will be off-putting to some students.
Grades are emphasised more than learning.
With the presence of high-stakes examinations, it is understandable that there is a strong focus on scores. Schools inevitably dedicate time to teaching for tests, rather than exploring the subject in detail. Drills and practices are thus practised to prepare students for assessments, reinforcing the problem of monotonous teaching.
Unaware of alternatives to academic achievement, children are shaped to view grades as the sole indicator of future success. Without a positive attitude towards learning, children may be discouraged by failures in tests and quizzes. They lose confidence, develop a dislike towards the subject and may consequently give up on the subject altogether. What they do not realise, is that examinations are merely a highly limited mode of assessing their understanding of the material.
Having identified the reasons contributing to the general apathy towards studies, subsequent posts will thus explore strategies to inculcate a passion for learning in children, discussing methods through which gifted students learn, and showcase engaging experiments which we use to demonstrate scientific concepts.
Here’s what we do to create the upward spiral of learning:
1) Enjoy Learning: What it is.
“Enjoy” --- to take pleasure in <== ==> “Learning” ---- the process of acquiring knowledge
At Science Studios, our teaching philosophy ensures that our students enjoy learning. The lesson plans and teaching methods are designed to motivate the students to acquire knowledge based on the latest MOE Syllabus through a variety of new and interesting tools and learning experiences.
Dopamine, the chemistry of interest
We believe that students who enjoy their lesson will learn much more than those who find the lesson dull. The enhancement of learning will take place beyond the weekly 2h lesson at Science Studios. When the child enjoys learning a certain subject, he develops an interest in learning each time he gets exposed to the subject, such as in his daily school classes or from books and other educational medium. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards but also to take action to move toward them. We are able to trigger these dopamine transmitters through a set of creative, exciting yet challenging learning experiences and at the same time consistently rewarding and encouraging the student when they achieve learning milestones.
2) Enjoy Learning: Why?
An upward spiral: Fun learning leads to more interest, which leads to more learning.
A child may find it easier to let go of his school textbook than his iPad device when being asked to. He probably feels more attached to the device due to its interactivity, sound and bright colours. In the same way, exam techniques and school syllabus can be made interesting to the child, so that he or she gains more interest for school work and will seek to learn more.
Similar to handling schoolwork, a child tend to lose interest very quickly even with the latest online games if they cannot achieve high scores or move on to the next level. There is no motivation to continue even if the game is highly interactive, with the best 3-D visuals. Thus it is important that beyond igniting their passion for learning, we must make sure that they improve and are able to achieve the grades that they desire.
At Science Studios, we incorporate fun learning with relevant learning (in this case, MOE syllabus). Each improvement (however small or gradual) will be noticed and encouraged by our teachers. Every child has different learning abilities and they will be encouraged to find their own learning styles. Each improvement is a stimulus that will lead to more time spent by the child on learning. This is the start of an upward spiral of the child’s learning progression.
3) Enjoy Learning: How?
Learning Neurons: How the mind works
Sometimes learning can be challenging, however we can improve learning through using existing “connections” in the brain, in other words, prior knowledge. When lessons are hands-on and interactive, the students are engaged through multiple senses: touch, sight and sounds. The variety of learning experiences becomes image-able and therefore becomes more memorable to the student, forming stronger knowledge connections in between neurons. Students are able to make use what they have learnt before as a foundation and launch pad to learning new things.
Learning within the Zone of Proximal Development
Lev Vygotsky, a Soviet psychologist developed the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). He stated that a child expands his or her ability by receiving guidance from a teacher (or any other more knowledgeable person). The graph shows a representation of ZPD.
Point P is an example of a difficult question posed to a child that has not been introduced to a particular topic. The child will find it too difficult and he or she will not be able to answer the question even with help; instead, the child will feel anxious and stressed.
Point R is an example of an easy task assigned to a child who already has a deep level of understanding of the topic. He or she will experience boredom if too many of such tasks are assigned.
Point Q falls within the zone of proximal development. A challenge is posed to a child just above his current ability. The child is not able to complete the task on his own, but is able to do so with a teacher’s help. Exposure to tasks this zone enlarges the child’s ability and deepens his depth of understanding.
Our lessons are designed to ensure an optimal teacher-student interaction as well as differentiated learning to cater to the needs of different students. Our teachers are able to give attention and guidance to each child according to his/her ability, enabling the process of “Scaffolding” which is the process through which a teacher or more competent peer helps the student in his or her learning as necessary, and tapers off this aid as it becomes unnecessary, much as a scaffold is removed from a building during construction.
According to Balaban in "Seeing the Child, Knowing the Person." (1995):
scaffolding [is] the way the teacher guides the child's learning via focused questions and positive interactions.
Cooperative and Active Learning
We encourage cooperative learning which means learning with others for a common benefit. The students work in small groups during experiments, enabling student-student interaction that will facilitate collaboration and active discussions among pupils to enhance their learning.
L. Dee Fink developed a model of interactive learning ‘Active Learning model’ that seeks to enhance learning. He proposed to expand the types of learning experiences created and to activate learning by the following suggestions:
- Create small groups of students and stimulate them in order to find solutions to problems or to take decisions periodically;
- Find ways to engage students in conversations, with others who know the topic they are supposed to learn;
- Find ways of providing students with the hands on experience of what they are supposed to do in order to learn.
The learning of each new science topics at Science Studios will be accompanied with hands-on experiments and online activities. This will interest and engage the student, requiring cooperation with other students. The lessons are integrated with MOE syllabus questions and practices to ensure that the students are well equipped with the set of thinking skills to handle the school exams.
Learning through multiple intelligences
Every student has different learning styles. We encourage the students to learn by engaging the full range of mental skills (language, number, logic, rhythm, colours, visuals, spatial awareness) through Mindmapping.
Other ways that enhance the process of learning through multiple intelligences include the use of experiments, demonstrations, educational books/magazines, videos and online interactive resources.