Critically discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of active learning methodologies for enhancing student learning in the English classroom.
As the old Chinese proverb says, ‘Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand’. It is very appropriate to keep in mind the lesson that this proverb contains while discussing and evaluating the effectiveness of active learning methodologies. In this essay I will discuss with reference to literature on learning methodologies how English teachers can enhance student learning by engaging in active learning methodologies.
In the modern classroom, the students are much changed to those of ten or fifteen years ago. As technology develops the modern day students needs have developed also. Lloyd Kolkin et al. attribute shortened attention spans of students to technology and television as early as the 1980’s. Their attention span may not be as long as it once was, as constant exposure to new forms of interactive data and information through a variety of different sources has changed how students become engaged and inevitably this has followed through to the classroom. The challenge is to cater for these needs, whilst at the same time delivering an effective and manageable curriculum.
In the English classroom we as teachers are lucky, we are able to use this advancement in how students engage to achieve learning outcomes. This is not by simply showing some PowerPoint presentations or videos, but by challenging students to create and imagine through collaborative learning and thinking; and engaging with fellow classmates. We are able to engage students through non traditional teaching techniques, avoiding the chalk and talk methods and incorporating a learner fri...
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...room – Teaching and learning through movement. London: Sage Publications.
Li, M. P. & Lam, B. H. Cooperative learning. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong institute of education.
Lloyd-Kolkin, D., Wheeler, P. and Strand, T. (1980), Developing a Curriculum for Teenagers. Journal of Communication. 30(3) pp. 119–125.
Sam, W.Y. 1990. Drama in teaching English as a second language: A communicative approach. The English Teacher [Online] 19. Available from http://www.melta.org.my/ET/1990/main8.html [Accessed 1/12/13]
Slavin, R. E. (1990). Comprehensive cooperative learning models: Embedding cooperative learning in the curriculum and the school. In S. Sharan (Ed.), Cooperative Learning pp. 261-283. New York: Praeger
Stevens, David and Mc Guinn, Nicholas. 2004. The art of secondary teaching. New York: Routledge Falmer.
Wessels, C. (1987) Drama. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
In order for effective cooperative learning to occur five essential elements are needed; positive interdependence, face-to-face interactions, individual accountability, social skills and group processing. (Johnson, 1999, p. 70-71). Social skills being the foundation to achieving all other elements required, without this set of skills the individual learner will find it difficult to cooperate with others. Thompson (1996) “social skills are paramount to applying cooperative learning to academic tasks” (p. 84).
Hartman, H. (2002). Scaffolding & cooperative learning. Human learning and instruction. New York: City College of City University of New York.
Tchudi, Susan J, and Stephen Tchudi. The English Language Arts Handbook: Classroom Strategies for Teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1999. Print.
When teaching my class, one of the techniques I will use which comes from Vygotsky is cooperative learning (Slavin, 2012). Cooperative learning will help me to teach in the children’s zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal development is the point where a child cannot yet accomplish a task alone, but with support from more competent peers or adults (Slavin, 2012). This is a very significant subject for me to accomplish in my classroom. I don’t want to teach a student information they already know, or subject matter that is too implausible. For me to stay in their ZPD is one task I will complete while
In my teaching, I use the principles of active and cooperative learning. As a teacher I encourage students to understand concepts and apply them to problems, rather than simply memorize information. I have observed that the students’ motivation is the highest when I incorporate real-world examples in lectures and laboratory instructions. Most impor...
Marzano, R.J. (2007). The art and science of teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
The significance of active learning strategies is widely recognised. Past educational research has exhibited the success of teaching and learning activities that actively and collaboratively engage learners in the learning process irrespective of their age. Use of effective questioning can also improve the learning process and the teacher can assess pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding during the lesson to check whether pupils are progressing or not. In the past, when teaching science only involved standing in the front of the class and addressing for one hour to an audience of note-taking pupils. Such practice often results in information being passed from the teacher to pupils’ notebooks without bothering the minds of either. The development
Collaborative learning is an educational approach that involves groups of learners working together to reach a consensus through negotiation to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product (Bruffee, 1993). Learning occurs through active engagement among peers, wherein the main characteristics of collaborative learning are: a common task or activity; small group learning, co-operative behaviour; interdependence; and individual responsibility and accountability (Lejeune, 2003).
Project - Adventure -. advancing the activities of active learning. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web.
Discussion, the active learner participates in peer discussion and any other assignment. This will help problem solving, experimentation, synthesis and other evaluation of contents.
Scarnati, J. T. (2001). Cooperative learning: make groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 67(Fall), 71-82.
The application of collaborative learning strategies is a process in which two or more students work together. Collaborative strategies will be used in planning, translating and reviewing the education process to form student learning through group-oriented activities. This source will also be useful in lesson planning to help explain how collaborative learning strategies in the classroom will help students in the learning process improve by interaction; how positive interdependence of collaborative learning leads to common responsibility; how collaborative learning builds students’ self-esteem, and confidence in students. This application recommends that collaborative learning strategies can be implemented with Jig-saw technique as well as in learning technology which can be accessible to all participants working in cooperative groups (Iqbal, Kousar, and Ajmal, 2011).
Another effective method of active learning is Project Based Learning. This method is different from Problem based learning where the students will benefit knowledge by working for an extended period of time to explore and respond to a complex question, problem or challenge however the aims are equivalent to one another. After accomplishing the project the students remember what they discover and save it longer than compared to old-style
Vicky. "From Teaching to Learning - The Advantages of Passive vs. Active Learning Strategies - Nursing for Nurses." Nursing Community for Nurses - Allnurses.com. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.
In this course I experienced an important change in my beliefs about teaching; I came to understand that there are many different theories and methods that can be tailored to suit the teacher and the needs of the student. The readings, especially those from Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011), Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2007), and Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010), have helped me to understand this in particular. In composing my essay about teaching methods and other themes, my learning was solidified, my knowledge deepened by my research and my writing skills honed.