Technology today has become the new normal for children. Their dependency on these devices in terms of both their personal and professional life is rapidly increasing. Internet addiction is a real phenomenon and has gained significant importance in recent times. Even though this is a topic of concern, it is not too late to divert our children’s attention in more productive directions. 

Both parents and teachers indeed have a big role to play in this phenomenon of internet addiction. Now that this issue has grown multi-folds, the next step is to move on to possible solutions and implement them in all children’s lives at the earliest. While we cannot eradicate the use of technology, we can come forward and suggest alternatives to this problem. We need to implement a solution that does not work long term but is also useful, beneficial, and the best utilization of our children’s time. 

Currently, and in the future, we suggest the best solution to the excessive use of technology is to replace it with experiential and hands-on learning. Here are a few reasons that will better help you understand the importance of experiential learning in today’s time – 

Effective Learning without Compromising on Health 

Excessive use of technology strains the eyes and makes the children extremely lazy, ultimately leading to a lack of physical exercise. Experiential learning is a better solution since most of its activities require the kids to be active and alert. It not only increases their knowledge but also challenges them to rack their brains and find answers to questions they never thought possible

Development of Important Skills 

Experiential learning facilitates the learning and polishing of skills that will come in handy even outside the educational institutions. Hands-on activities prepare students for the real world and help them understand the theory implementation in practical situations. Effective Communication, Analytical Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, and Decision Making are some qualities experiential learning helps develop.

Engaging and Interesting 

When you initially introduce the concept of experiential learning, children may outright say no to the idea of using their free time at home to study and learn. However, their attitude may change once they indulge in hands-on activities. What you as a parent can do, is ask them questions, allow them to be inquisitive, and introduce the concept of “do it yourself”. It will not only interest them but will also instantly grab their attention. 

Building Relationships 

Experiential learning requires teamwork and coordination. You can indulge in these activities with your child and spend more time with them. Instead of being in their room, busy with electronic devices all the time, these hands-on activities can also be performed outdoors and help create effective bonds. 

Augmented technology does not just have negative implications. Technology has grown tremendously in the last few years and continues to help children in their daily life. However, it is also important to be aware of the consequences of excessive use of technology and understand how important it is to maintain a balance. Moreover, we fully understand that children cannot sit in front of a book and mug up theory all the time. What they need is something they can work, something they can create, something of real value. Here is where experiential learning comes to play and aims to make a significant change in the lifestyle of all children. 

We hope this article achieved its goal of informing you about the increasing importance of experiential learning and how it is the perfect way to rid your child of technology and its addiction. If this information helped in any way, stay tuned for our next article on activities that you can engage your children in, all from the comfort of your own house! 

At ExperiHub, we teach Science and Mathematics by bringing concepts from the real world into the classroom. We conduct science experiments and have myriad science projects for better learning and understanding of concepts. If you want to learn more about Experiential Learning and cool home experiments, browse through our Online Sessions and Youtube Channel!

65% of our children will be working in jobs that don’t even exist yet! (World Economic Forum, 2016) Embedding STEM subjects in academic curriculums at an early age will allow the next generation to have the right tools needed for the future. To do so, we as parents must work towards building a necessary foundation for STEM skills at home. But where do we start? 

Parental Engagement 

Last year, STEM Next Opportunity Fund published a report “Changing the Game in STEM with Family Engagement.” The report revealed that we, as parents have an immense effect on our child’s learning and career outcomes (Stem Next Opportunity Fund, 2019). 

STEM is all around our living spaces. Daily activities and science projects for you and your child can help build critical thinking and problem-solving skills (DeAngelis, 2019). These activities could be as simple as repairing an old bicycle, baking in the kitchen, gardening, or understanding how the fish tank works. Even reading with our children is proven beneficial in expanding their minds to the unknown.   

Encourage Creativity 

Our children are born eager to learn and curious by nature. Creative thinking engages the mind and makes learning more efficient. When creating a STEM environment at home, parents should dismiss the “usual” way of doing things and celebrate their child’s uniqueness.

Challenge your child with out-of-the-box science experiments and refrain from showing the solution to them at first. Old habits of thinking do not give the opportunity of understanding the cause and effect of a concept. Additionally, promote healthy discussions at home and allow them to be explicit with their theory and thinking. These conversations will shape their perspectives and help them to formulate their step-by-step rationale. 

Innovator’s Work Station  

STEM education is specifically designed with experiential learning and hands-on applications as the fulcrum. Therefore, you must designate space for your little innovator. Have visual supports, such as posters and charts, to help remember key concepts. Additionally, desks and other furniture must be arranged to allow full flexibility for STEM activities, science projects, and lectures for your child.

Integrate Technology and STEM-based Platforms 

A full-functioning STEM environment utilizes technology and electronic gadgets. Using technology for academics and setting a healthy relationship between your child and gadgets can boost your child’s interest in learning. Students using digital models and simulations can go on to mastering STEM concepts. As STEM education encourages students to visualize and experience academic topics, technological tools support their collaborative reasoning.

As STEM-based education is slowly rising, myriad applications are available to better teach these concepts. At ExperiHub, we believe students learn more effectively with the use of real-world examples and hands-on science experiments. Our platform is specifically designed for making learning fun through ‘experiencing’ science and mathematics. To learn more about us, please feel free to browse through our online sessions and workshops.

References: 

DeAngelis, S. (2019, September 06). STEM Education Helps Students Think Critically. Retrieved from https://www.enterrasolutions.com/blog/stem-education-helps-students-think-critically/#:~:text=STEM helps young people to,readily take on the future.”

Jacobs, P. (2014, July 09). Science And Math Majors Earn The Most Money After Graduation. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.in/education/Science-And-Math-Majors-Earn-The-Most-Money-After-Graduation/articleshow/38090854.cms

Stem Next Opportunity Fund. (2019). Changing The Game in STEM With Family Engagement (pp. 1-56, Rep.) San Diego.

Study in India. (2019, January 11). India and STEM Education. Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://www.studyinindia.gov.in/blog/Page/india-and-stem-education#:~:text=As per the National Science,learned to the real world.

World Economic Forum. (2016). Global Challenge Insight Report (pp. 1-167, Rep.). Geneva: World Economic Forum.

Experiential learning is not new in India and has been around since ancient times as the gurukul system where students engaged in different activities to learn academic topics. However, over the years, the Indian education system has not carried out the same ideals.

On the contrary, it has mastered the rigid process of examinations with little variation. We need to move towards teaching pedagogy based on experiential learningand conduct science projects for students, which will give them access to education by bringing the outside world into the classroom.

With coronavirus breaking our perception of “normal,” the unforeseen pandemic brings the potential to remodel the Indian education system towards modernization. Given the period we have spent in lockdown, education efforts plunged into the territory of online learning. Learning in schools are shifting from information-focused education to experiential learning with a greater reliance on technology.

Elements once considered constitutional are changing towards accommodating career and life skills for the future, such as emotional intelligence, creativity, communication, and collaboration, with technology being the key to holding it all together. With this, education is becoming more accessible and flexible.

More importantly, nowadays, school children are Generation Z, a generation heavily dependent on technology and majorly impacted by the pandemic. To further empower these children, education systems post-COVID must slowly move towards digital education.

In the face of a crippling pandemic, sitting at home, staring in front of a computer screen, and reading notes is not the best possible way to wake up our brain cells. Hands-on learning and cool home experiments cut out the monotony of being locked inside and give students a medium to brush up on their creative skills and keep their minds active.

Experiential learning will be advantageous as attending in-person classes is not possible. Teachers will guide students from time to time, but students will be the ones performing the practical experiments to gain academic knowledge.

In addition, rigid question-answer examinations are not always the best way to evaluate each student. As each individual displays different academic strengths, tests should be decentralized, and educational institutions and teachers should frame syllabi based on their own experiences and teaching styles. In the time of a global pandemic, a centralized education system will not be fruitful to every student.

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