Trend in Technical & Scientific Research
Introduction
Active learning instructional strategies include a
wide range of activities that normally share some common elements that
entail involving students in doing things and thinking about the things
they are doing [1]. Essentially, active learning must engage the
learners actively as failure to do so may lead to low rates of
comprehension. At the high school level, learners have already developed
different learning methodologies, but the teacher should not assume
they will involve themselves in active learning without being guided
effectively [1]. A robotics and computer programming teacher need to
guide learners closely and actively so that they can grab applicable
knowledge and skills in robotics as well as computer systems and
programming.
As a teacher of the said subject, learners cannot
completely comprehend without being involved in real work such as
programming and coding. Robotics and computer programming must involve
some practical work so as to improve the rates of comprehension. More
so, the teacher needs to make them think about what they are doing
before they can evaluate the outcomes such as running a program through a
text editor. Doing so enables the learners to understand the theory
behind the practical sessions [1]. It is worth point out that active
learning not only involves active engagement of the learner but also
other processes and strategies such as exploring personal attitudes,
thinking critically, and giving feedbacks among others as will be looked
into in the following sections.
Discussion
Active learning instructional strategies encompass
numerous methodologies that may be applied by a teacher or an
instructor. The methodologies applied may vary from one subject to
another, but the teacher should be able to choose the most effective for
the learners [2]. For instance, for a robotics and computer programming
teacher, he or she must be able to choose strategies that will boost
the comprehension rates. Learners have negative attitudes towards
robotics and
computer programming and hence the teacher should be able to motivate
them effectively. In order to do so, one needs to introduce topics and
allow learners’ time to reflect and analyze while also allowing them
time to ask questions they may have [2]. More so, it is imperative to
allow learners to shortly discuss among themselves the topics and
concepts as a means of making them feel motivated and involved.
It is imperative to point out that active learning
instructional strategies can be created and used to engage students in
various processes as follows. First, they must be involved in thinking
critically and creatively [2]. Robotics and computer programming is a
field that calls for creative and critical thinking so that one can
understand and apply the theory and basic skills learnt. For instance,
computer programming starts with designing algorithms which are then
translated to a computer program. In order to do so, the learners must
be made to think critically and creatively. A teacher will need to
motivate learners through a number of approaches such as guiding them
through examples while allowing them to ask any questions, allowing
group and peer discussions, and providing them with extra materials that
will boost their creativity such as reference books [2]. Additionally,
it is important for a teacher to ensure that the learners get rid of
their negative attitudes that may hinder their creative and critical
thinking.
Second, active learning can also be attained through
giving and receiving feedback. This process should take place as early
as learning begins so as to ensure that any issues are sorted out before
they transition to bigger issues [2]. For instance, learners may want
to suggest new reference materials or approaches that may seem better
during class work. In this regard, the teacher should pay attention to
the learners’ feedbacks and suggestions which may be helpful in the
whole learning process. In doing so, the teacher is able to learn about
students’ concerns and issues and hence adopt strategies and mechanisms
which will
effectively address their needs. Further, when an instructor or
a teacher attends to suggestions and feedbacks of the learners,
the latter feel motivated and inspired to learn and hence will
develop a very positive attitude about the course. It is worth
pointing out that receiving feedbacks from learners is one of
the major ways through which the teacher and the students
should communicate. Through communication, the teacher
learns much about the students which is highly important [2].
However, a teacher should implement other methodologies that
will improve the communication such as encouraging learners
to ask more questions in class as well as making any new
suggestions.
Third, active learning instructional strategies also involves
involving learners in reflecting upon the learning process [3].
Learning about robotics and computer programming must
involve reflection so that students will not quickly forget about
concepts learnt in class. Notably, reflection should not only be
done in class but also out of class. While in class, the teacher
should engage learners in quick tests and note taking as a
means of reflection. However, it is imperative to point out that
learners should be allowed to interact among themselves so
as to share concepts and ideas. While out of class, the teacher
should allow interactions with the learners through emailing
and should be there to answer questions that may be asked
while also guiding them through personal tests and exercises
as a means of reflection.
Fourth, active learning instructional strategies also involve
spending greater proportion of time helping students develop
their understanding and skills [3]. In robotics and computer
programming learners must be made to effectively understand
and gain skills. In order to attain such a goal, the teacher needs
to support surface learning while also providing opportunities
for learners to apply and demonstrate their understanding.
Without making them demonstrate their understanding, it may
be challenging for the teacher to evaluate learners’ strengths
and weaknesses which need to be known before going forward.
Essentially, the teacher needs to be ensure that the learners
completely understand the basics which are very important in
the robotics and computer programming field.
For a robotics and computer programming teacher, he or
she must be able to transform a traditional classroom into
an interactive classroom so as to promote active learning
instructional strategies. The course is about gaining skills
and in-depth understanding and hence a teacher must be able
to promote interactions in classrooms. In order to do so, the
following approaches will need to be employed.
First, the teacher can adopt the pause procedure which
normally entails promoting greater student engagement
through pausing procedure where the instructor pauses for
a few minutes to allow students to work in pairs to discuss concepts and rework their notes [3]. For instance, in Robotics,
there are concepts such as software-hardware integration
that may seem challenging to the learners. However, if
learners could be allowed to discuss among themselves, it
may seem easier for them to comprehend. When using the
pause procedure, it imperative to point out that the instructor
or the teacher should pause in intervals that will bring about
the best outcomes [3]. For instance, pauses should be made
after introducing new concepts and topics so as to allow
learners enough time for reflecting. More so, pauses should
be made to allow discussions before learners can undertake
individual short tests. The pause procedure is highly effective
in promoting class interactions which are highly needed in a
classroom setting.
Second, the teacher can adopt the think-pair-share
methodology which also promotes active interactions in
learning. It often begins when information is shared through
reading an assignment and then a teacher poses a single
questions and students are instructed to reflect and note
it through note taking [3]. They are then instructed to pair
with peers so as to share their responses. The pairs can then
join creating groups which then reflects and discusses their
responses. The approach is very effective in making learners
to get used to group work and helpful interactions that tend
to promote their understanding. More so, the approach is also
applicable when dealing with large classes where attending
to the needs of each and every learner may not be possible
during class work [3]. Further, the approach enables learners
to improve their interpersonal and communication skills.
Third, the teacher can also use concept tests as an approach
towards attaining active learning. In robotics and computer
programming, learners should be encouraged to understand
the concept as opposed to memorizing them. Concept
testing enables conceptual understanding and it is done at
predetermined intervals where a challenging conceptual
question is posed in a multiple-choice format [4]. Learners
are encouraged to work together so as to come up with the
final answer collaboratively. They can share their answers
and responses with other groups as a means of interaction. In
order to fully promote conceptual understanding, the teacher
should make a follow up and explain to learners why a certain
answer is the most suitable. In case of robotics and computer
programming, the teacher can offer some practical tests that
aim at testing conceptual understanding.
Additionally, the teacher can implement a personal
response system, which is an exciting new way of engaging
learners closely. For instance, clickers can be used as avenues
for facilitating personal responses. Currently, the teacher
can apply other approaches that can attain better personal
responses in a timely manner so that the teacher can learn
about the plight of every student. It is important to note that personal response systems cannot work effectively while in
class as they are prone to more time consuming which may
not be available [4]. Hence, the teacher can make a follow up
to learn more about students especially those with negative
attitudes about class projects and assignments.
Further, classroom demonstrations have become subtle
in teaching robotics and computer programming. A teacher
needs to explicitly demonstrate about computer systems and
robotics in class so that learners can harmonize theory with
practicals. During introduction, demonstration may not be
necessary as such, but the teacher must be able to make the
learners understand what specifically the course will entail
[4]. As learners gain an in-depth knowledge about computer
programming and robotics, it is imperative for the teacher
to demonstrate meticulously. For instance, in computer
programming, the teacher must be able to demonstrate how
a program is compiled and debugged. Doing so enables the
learners to quickly grab what the whole procedure entails.
On-screen demonstrations to the students will be most
applicable. Every step and process should be explained and
learners encouraged to ask questions regarding what is being
demonstrated [4]. During demonstrations, the instructor or
the teacher should ensure that all learners are keenly paying
attention and focusing on what is being demonstrated. Doing
so will allow uniformity in the learning process.
On the other hand, it is always good practice when a teacher
employs illustrative excerpts in stimulating critical and
creative thinking. In today’s classrooms, learners are looking
for new ways of doing things and hence any creativity will be
welcomed warmly [4]. For instance, an illustrative excerpts
may be used to explain how a certain program is compiled and
debugged. More so, they can be used to explain how software
and hardware relate in a robotic system. Illustrative excerpts
help make the classroom lively while also making learners feel
motivated and excited. In most cases, popular film excerpts and
video-vignettes may be used before a concept can be explained
so as to promote conceptual understanding.
In addition, use of illustrative excerpts in classroom should
also involve making learners connect course content to current
events. Doing so enables learners to develop a clearer sense of
personal relevance and significance of the course [4]. It has
been established that learners’ are likely to develop a negative
attitude towards a course if they feel it has no practical
relevance in their daily lives. It is the duty of the teacher to
make the learners connect the course content to the outside
world so that they can feel the urge and need to understand
the concepts introduced through the course [4]. Learners with
a positive attitude are more eager and motivated to learn and
hence will effectively cooperate.
Research findings have pointed out that students’
concentration and focus tend to decline after 10-15 minutes of the session [4]. In this regard, it is the duty of the teacher to
effectively exploit the time when learners are most attentive.
This is the time when learners are most likely to understand
the concepts introduced. After this time, the teacher needs to
introduce demonstrations and practicals which will basically
entail connecting the concepts to real work [4]. For instance,
in robotics and computer programming, there are numerous
concepts that need to be understood by the learners. However,
the teacher needs to come up with strategies that will ensure
learners are able to effectively comprehend a concept and apply
through the following active learning instructional strategies.
In a classroom setting, it is important for the teacher to
ensure that there are sufficient resources such as computer
desktops needed for the coding. If resource-sharing is to apply,
the teacher should ensure the resources have been shared
optimally. More so, it is imperative for the teacher to ensure
that all learners are keen and ready for the class session. A
quick and random check is enough to enough to ensure that
learning can begin. A teacher should not enter a classroom and
immediately start introducing new concepts. Normally, he or
she should first involve the teachers in some form of interaction
as a means of drawing their attention to the class session.
Use of video-vignettes among other illustrative excerpts
can also apply in drawing the learners’ attention in a manner
which does not make them feel challenged or demotivated
[4]. A teacher should be able to choose materials that relate
to the learners’ experiences and expectations. Essentially,
the teacher must hook up learners before new concepts and
practices can be introduced. Doing so prepares the learners
for a class session. As earlier highlighted, active learning does
not only encompass methodologies applied in classroom but
also approaches that aim at closely engaging the learners and
making them feel motivated.
Teaching robotics and computer programming should
also entail application of technological tools that will boost
the learners’ conceptual understanding. Currently, most high
schools are already deploying technological tools in learning
but have not keenly examined the applicability of those
tools. In this regard, it is highly important for the teacher to
choose technological tools that will help learners develop a
new interest and creativity while learning. For instance, the
teacher can guide the learners through internet resources that
have additional information, questions, answers and links that
will complement the content learnt in class [4]. However, it is
imperative to point out that the teacher must discern legitimate
and illegitimate sources and should guide the learners in
distinguishing between the two sources. More so, the teacher
can ask the learners to confirm with him or her when seeking
additional resources from the internet.
It is important to note that the internet cannot be
overlooked when it comes to active learning instructional strategies especially in courses such as robotics and computer
programming [5]. The internet is a powerful tool that has
diverse resources that will be applied in complementing what
has been learnt in class. In order for the teacher to avoid unlikely
outcomes such as learners spending time on the internet on
materials that may not help them complement classroom
content, he or she should guide the leaners in exploiting the
internet resources [5]. More so, the teacher ought to do so in
line with school’s policies. Essentially, so that a teacher can
effectively promote conceptual understanding, he or she must
involve learners in doing things while also making them think
about what they are doing.
Active learning instructional strategies are helpful in
learning but lead to a number of challenges as follows. First, one
cannot cover as much content within the time available [6]. This
means that a teacher needs to strike a balance between using
the tools and covering as much course content as possible. This
can best be done through planning and scheduling which will
enable effective time allocation. Second, it has been established
that using the tools requires extensive pre-class preparation.
A teacher should have enough time for the preparations to
avoid shortcomings that may hamper effective learning. In
order to prepare sufficiently, the teacher should also plan and
schedule for activities [6]. Third, large class sizes have also
been established as challenges to active learning instructional
strategies. Employing tools such as personal response systems
cannot be effective when the class size is larger than normal.
In such a case, the teacher must create groups whose collective
concerns and needs will be addressed during classwork [6].
Additionally, insufficient materials and equipment to support
active learning instructional strategies negatively impacts
the learning process. A teacher should be able to share
resource available optimally among learners. Other additional
challenges are students’ resistance to new approaches and
some teachers lacking enough time to prepare for class sessions
[6]. It can be seen that most of the challenges can be addressed
through school’s administration collaborating with teachers to
formulate working strategies.
Conclusion
Active learning instructional strategies encompass tools
that aim at engaging students actively while also making them
think critically about what they are doing. The strategies cannot
be attained without the teacher transforming a traditional
classroom into an interactive one where learners are able to
interact not only with their peers but also teachers. A teacher
needs to choose tools that will be applied in demonstrations and
collecting feedbacks from learners as well as motivating them.
Students must be motivated so as to get rid of negative attitudes
that may hamper their conceptual understanding. In courses
such as robotics and computer programming, the teacher must
demonstrate and must involve learners in sessions that help
them acquire skills as opposed to memorizing concepts. The
teacher should design strategies and methodologies that will
help engage learners both in classroom and outside classroom.
He or she must also guide them in exploiting resources such
as internet in complementing the course content. On the other
hand, implementing active learning instructional strategies
faces some challenges such as large class sizes, limited time,
and insufficient resources and materials which must be dealt
with through a teacher’s collaboration with the school’s
administration.
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