How to Engage Students in Active Learning

Nowadays, schools are working on modifying their conventional teaching methods by inculcating active learning in students for a better academic outcome. 

It is really crucial to keep the students engaged in a class and in order to do that, the lectures must be made interesting that would stimulate their motor skills.

Active learning is defined as a strategic approach to learning for students to participate in the class and team up with their fellow classmates for a productive discussion. This ensures a smart way of learning a subject.

But how to engage students in active learning?

There are a few strategic approaches educators can adopt to engage students in active learning.

1.Turn Lessons Into A Game 

How to engage students in active learning is by turning a subject or topic into an interesting and fun game that will keep the students engaged in a class. For instance, teachers can gamify a math class by introducing objects like balls, toys, apples etc to explain them a concept of addition or subtraction. This new way of learning can help students who might not ordinarily have an interest in school.

In any case, games can help students remain focused for extended periods of time, more so than traditional formats like a worksheet.

2.Hands-On Learning

Moreover, educators can also create a hands-on learning environment in laboratories by making students do the experiments on their own. A little explanation about the objective of the experiment and guidance on the tools and instruments that are to be used can help students comprehend and also broaden their understanding of the subject.

Such approaches can help students remember the concept in a better way as opposed to plainly explaining them in a classroom.

3.Bring Stories To Life:

How to spark interest in students for subjects they find very boring? How to engage students in active learning? By bringing those lessons to life. 

Likewise, a history class can be transformed into an interesting short play by making students enact a situation or an event. This way students will find subjects like social studies interesting. 

Going from line to line in a textbook and explaining to students the lessons will only bore them. These important events will be soon forgotten if it does not leave a spark in the students. Every story has an important lesson to teach or an incident that leaves an impression in them which students will remember even after they graduate. 

In order to execute the above strategies, teachers must be welcoming towards these new reforms and shouldn’t lampoon students for such suggestions or opinions. 

One of the most important steps to bringing these creative ideas to light is by developing a friendly student-teacher bond for students to actively participate in class. Teachers should be patient and compassionate enough to correct their students when necessary.

Group discussions are also helpful in understanding a dry or difficult topic. Not only that, but it will also help students in improving their social skills thereby developing & boosting their overall personality.

In conclusion, active learning can be executed in today’s schools with the efforts of teachers as well as students. It’s teamwork!

This approach is guaranteed to build confidence in students and help them have extensive knowledge on various topics.

At Meru International School, every subject, every lesson and topics are taught in such a way that students enjoy being a part of the classroom and look forward to attending school for it sparks interest in them, boosts their creativity and gives them numerous reasons to love subjects which most students find dull and dry. 

Here, we encourage stories, creativity and lots of fun in every subject.