Education is one of the foundations of society and as you would expect, education has seen many changes over time, in an effort to keep up with the constant changes in society. We have come an awful long way in just one hundred years and that’s what we examine in this short article.
The End of Passive Learning
The early 1970s saw a new system of education arrive on the scene; namely active learning, or learning by doing, which began to replace the rote learning system of education. But now teachers are updated with the latest learning technologies because online classes for teachers are provided. The old system involved the teacher standing at the front of the class disseminating knowledge to the students; a typical exercise would be the teacher writing a paragraph on the whiteboard, which the students duly copy into their exercise books.
British International Schools
Rote learning is learning by memorisation and this is not the best way for students to learn; fast forward to today, with top-rated schools such as Bangkok Patana International School where the students enjoy project-based learning. Active learning is globally accepted as being the best way for young people to learn, as it develops critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills.
The Rise of Information Technology
As digital technology developed, it needed to be integrated into the curriculum and the UK National Curriculum is regarded as being very IT focused. Schools have started to adopt standardized testing in schools to improve study goal structure. Children are taught how to use computers at a very young age and by the time they enter primary school, the students can send and receive emails, plus they have a good basic understanding of IT.
Distance Learning
One of the biggest developments in the past 20 years is definitely online learning; the teacher is remotely located and they communicate with students via an Internet video call. New e-learning technologies change the way to study and help in improving students academic performance. Of course, this has many benefits; students who live in remote regions no longer have to trek for hours to get to school, they simply login to their online account and join the virtual class. Click here for more information about distance learning.
Project-Based Learning
Most top schools of today use project-based learning; a system that involves students getting into small groups, each group chooses a project topic and they plan their project from start to finish. This allows the students to develop organisation and management skills; there are many ways to present a project, it could be a PowerPoint slideshow, it could be presented on boards, a written report, or even as a piece of drama or a song. The students have to decide who does what and working together develops a lot of social skills, while leadership qualities are encouraged.
Improving the Learning Outcome
This should be the goal of every school, with regular teacher workshops looking for ways to improve the student learning outcome. Indeed, educators add things to the curriculum all the time, with the aim of boosting the learning outcome, which is the best way to maintain constant development.
