By Vega Schools‘
Experiential, activity and inquiry-based learning have long been essential components of a well-developed educational model. Let’s look at a definition for each one:
Experiential Learning: Constructing learning through hands-on experiences that are highly social in nature and involve trial and error
Example: A small group of students working collaboratively on a science experiment where the outcome is not clear and the process requires a level of trial and error
Inquiry-Based Learning: Constructing learning through questioning, questions can come from the instructor and/or the student. Questions initially are broad; as students investigate the broad question it leads to new questions that take the investing.
Example: A teacher may be starting a unit on World War I, but rather than telling the students that the class is starting a new unit on WWI the teacher possesses broad driving questions such as “How did one bullet lead to the death of 20 million people?” The student is then tasked to generate questions based on the driving question
Activity Learning: Learning by doing. Not a passive receiver of information, but rather learning by actually engaging in the learning experience.
Example: As opposed to a teacher explaining how an engine works the students have the opportunity to take an engine apart and examine the workings of the engine and see if they can determine how it operates
Some learning theorists would argue that each of these is a separate learning model and is unique to themselves. Of course, each of these has value added in its own right, but I would suggest, as do other researchers such as John Dewey, that these are all components of Problem Based Learning (PBL). Consider a Venn diagram with the interconnected circles with each of the three representing one circle. Where the three overlap in the center is where PBL occurs, they all fall under the umbrella of PBL.
The best schools in Gurgaon are now aligning with the New Education Policy 2020 and with the changes in CBSE which specify that schools in Gurgaon and in India need to adopt progressive teaching methods such as experiential learning. The top 10 schools in Gurgaon are probably more ahead of the others in implementing the NEP 2020 changes.
The progressive CBSE schools in Gurgaon are aligning themselves with the NEP 2020 evolving their teaching methods and assessments. As a top CBSE school in Gurgaon, we ascribe to this model and methodology integrating experiential, activity, and inquiry learning within our PBL approach. We believe, as do many of the top experts in our field, that this is the most effective and progressive learning model to maximize the learning experience for our students.