Making Learning Fun
Transcript of Making Learning Fun
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Making Learning Making Learning FunFun
By:By:Kho Wen LinKho Wen LinJenny ChanJenny Chan
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Literature ReviewLiterature Review
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A Model of Active Learning
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Implementing the Active Learning
Model• Expand the kinds of learning
experiences you create.• Take advantage of the "Power of
Interaction“. • Create a dialectic between
experience & dialogue. Fink, 1999
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Some Active Learning Techniques• The “one-minute” paper• Jigsaw group projects• Daily journal• Concept mapping• Puzzles / paradoxes• Quotations• Games
Paulson & Faust, 2002
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Encouraging Students to Use Technology (1)
• Require students to use email.• Use email to send students individual
assignments.• Require students to get assignments
online. • Use electronic reserves. • Require students to search the Internet. • Require students to make use of one /
more articles in electronic form.
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Encouraging Students to Use Technology (2)
• Require that all papers be written using word processing software.
• Require that students use presentation technology.
• Include spreadsheet & graphing assignments.
• Require students to create their own Web pages.
Harris, 1997
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SurveySurvey
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Objectives & Methodology
• A survey was conducted to find out the opinions of different lecturers on teaching methods.
• A questionnaire was given out to 25 lecturers around Klang Valley.
• Findings are analyzed as follows.
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Q1: How long have you been teaching?
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<3years
3 - 6years
6 - 9years
9 - 12years
12 - 15years
>15years
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Q2: What is your subject area?
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Mathem
atics
Scienc
es
Busine
ss IT
Engine
ering
Sociol
ogy /
Psy
cholo
gy
Hospit
ality
& Touris
m
Creativ
e Arts
Others
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Q3: Which level are the majority of your students at?
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Founda
tion
Diploma
Degree
Master
s
Profes
sional
Others
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Q4: Which teaching methods & tools do you use most in
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Q5: Which teaching methods / tool do you believe is most
effective?
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Q6: As a lecturer, I should know my subject area
well
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Stronglyagree
Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q7: I believe I should make students want to
learn
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Stronglyagree
Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q8: I expect my students to do their best
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q9: I set high standards for students
in my class9
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Stronglyagree
Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q10: I believe learning should be fun
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q11: Facts, concepts & principles are the most
important things that students should acquire
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Stronglyagree
Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q12: My teaching goals & methods address a variety of student learning styles
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q13: I often show students how they can use various
principles & concepts9
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q14: Lecturing is a significant part of how I teach each of the class
sessions12
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Q15: Activities in my class encourage students to develop their own ideas
about content issues
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q16: Students can make choices between activities in
order to complete course requirements
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q17: Students should design one / more self-directed learning
experiences
1 1 1
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q18: Students might describe me as a "coach" who works closely
with them to correct problems in how they think & behave.
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q19: I give students a lot of personal support &
encouragement to do well in the subject.
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Q20: I assume the role of a resource person who is available to
students whenever they need help
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Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
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Summary of Results• Survey results show that:
– Most lecturers agree that learning should be fun.
– It is not effective to just lecture; some other learning activities should be implemented in classrooms.
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Summary of Results (2)
• Some of the respondents were asked why they did not implement other methods & tools in their lectures.
• Answers include:– Cannot finish the syllabus on time.– Too little time to prepare for lessons.– Students are more concerned about getting
through examinations.– Subject content is too complicated.
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Suggestions and TipsSuggestions and Tips
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1. Know your student.
• The most important step is to understand the student. This is more than just knowing what he likes / dislikes.
• Be aware of how your student learns & what activities he finds interesting. Students learn in different ways and at different paces.
• Know what they best way to approach a new learning experience with your students
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2. Provide activities.
• Provide activities that are better suited to their learning style.
• If the student learns better hands on, by actually doing something, & they are studying electricity in school, go over the required reading so they have an understanding of the topic.
• Then, set up a simple lemon battery experiment so that they can actually create power & see it work.
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3. Encourage creativity (1).
• Be creative to come up with ideas that makes your students find learning fun. Everything can be a learning experience for your students.
• Invoking creativity helps a students view things from many different angles. This teaches your students to have stronger critical thinking & problem solving skills.
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3. Encourage creativity (2).
• E.g., if you are walking through the forest ask questions like:– Why do you think some trees grow taller than
others?– What do you think happens to the dead leaves
that fall to the ground?– How does the dying vegetation benefit the rest
of the forest?• Keep talking & your student would learn
about the forest & the cycle of life by critically thinking & witnessing it.
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4. Lead by example.
• Make it a point to learn new things & be excited about it.
• Each class, everyone should discuss something new they learned that day, even if it is as simple as learning how to say 'hello' in a foreign language.
• If your students see you excited about learning, they will get excited about it too.
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References• Fink, L. D., 1999, Active Learning, Available at
[http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/active.htm], Extracted 11 May 2011
• Harris, R., 2010, Encouraging Students to Use Technology, Routledge
• Paulson, D. R. & Faust, J. L., 2002, Active Learning for the College Classroom, American Library Association
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The endThe endThank you.Thank you.