Field Trip Learning

Introduced in 1827 by George Shillibeer

Field trip is defined as a course-related activity that serves educational purposes and occurs outside of the classroom at a location other than on the campus at which the course is regularly taught. A field trip is a visit to a place outside the regular classroom.

Normally if we take in the consideration of field trip learning, it can be applied to any form of valuable learning  taking place beyond the class room setting. For instance, learning of poetry in an English classroom will enhance students’ approach in hands to eyes coordination for useful retention of knowledge. Because poetry teaching is a very vivid justification of reality for students to learn so field trip learning is one such base for keen learning.

Features of field trip

Since field trip is an excitement factor for the students to learn and explore outside the classroom setting it:

•       Facilitate the learning of abstract concepts.

•       Motivate students through increased interest and curiosity.

•       Increases student-student and student-teacher social interaction

•       Develops social awareness.

Types of Field learning

•       Instructional learning

-          designed to allow the students to achieve specific course objectives

•       School contests or festivals

-          Extra campus activity, which provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills developed through subject area instruction. Contests, competitions, festivals, or evaluations may involve teams of students outside the classroom.

•       Motivational learning trips

-          Extra-campus activity, which is not a part of a scheduled class. It provides a motivational incentive for the school, club, group, or class and is related to improving the school climate.

Purpose

•       Hand on experiences

•       cooperative learning

•       explore new environment

•       building back ground knowledge

•       anticipation

•       facing the real world

•       Enriches the lives and experiences of the students by taking class rote learning in to the real world.

Principles

•       An atmosphere of intellectual excitement

•       Intensive research and knowledge transfer culture permeating all teaching and learning activities.

•       A vibrant and embracing social context

•       An interactive and culturally diverse learning environment.

•       Explicit concern and supports for individual development.

•       Learning cycles of experimentation, feedback and assessment.

•       Structuring and integrating

•       Freedom for experiment with knowledge without the educational process in its entirety.

Procedure

1. Identify objectives and plans of evaluation for field learning.

2. Logistics planning.

3. Field trip preparation/per-trip discussion.

4. During the trip (Dos and don’ts are the most valid components)

5. after the trip

6. Evaluating field trip

Advantage

•       better grade and understanding

•       exposure to new thing

•       new learning environment

•       real life experience hands on learning

•       team building

•       it enhance the culture exchange

Disadvantage

•       Planning

•       organization

•       Behavior rules and structure

Role of a teacher

•       to select the site

•       act as facilitator

•       make necessary arrangements

•       transportation issues

•       budget and food

•       necessary medication

Role of the students

•       active participation

•       have to be a good listener

•       should be corporative

•       behave properly

Role play Teaching Strategy

-Founded by Physician Jacob L. Moreno (1889-1974) in Vienna.

-Role play is a form of approach to learn from character play each participant without rehearsal and preparation. Students are exposed to this form of speaking activity putting themselves into the shoes of real characters. A kind of dramatization but within a very short time frame unlike real stage play where the performer tend get ample of time to organize and synchronize their work of drama and present it to the audience.

This strategy is very applicable to English story telling/narration or poems whereby students get to enact and accordingly foresee what is the particular story/poem really about? Students can makeover easily that each character they portray is with utmost feel and emotions and to that resemblance students would take the grip over their work of dramatization and hence learning is also imparted.

Principles of role play:

• Students must accept the duties and responsibility of their roles and function.
• Students assume a particular personality of a different person such as a historical character.

Role of a teacher:

1. Act as an instructor.
2. Provides accessories for play.
3. Spectator.
4. Feedback provider.
5. Let the student play the role, where the child is comfortable.
6. Facilitator.
7. Participant.

Role of a student:

1. Active listener.
2. Seek guidance from adviser.
3. Assume responsibility for our own learning.
4. Develop effective interaction with teacher.
5. Evaluate and judge our own performance.
6. Spectator and provides feedback.

Purposes:

• Decision making.
• Exchange of knowledge.
• Enhances active participation.
• Long term retention.
• For cognition learning method and teaches many lesson.
• Understand the feeling of others.
• Challenge students to question their talent or aptitude.

Procedural steps:

1. Warm up group
2. select participation
3. set the stage
4. prepare the observer
5. Enact
6. Discuss and Evaluate
7. Re-enact
8. Share experiences and generalize

Advantages:

• Interest of an students when the topic is raised.
• Active participation.
• Long term retention.
• It enhances communication and interpersonal skills.
• It can be used with individuals or in a group situation.
• It helps to respect others feelings.
• Develops confidence and self-efficacy.
• Helps to share and giving feedback.
• It develops competence.
• Helps in interviewing, counseling skills, interpersonal relationship and team working.
• Requires both physical and mental strength.
• Reduce discipline problems in the classroom.

Disadvantages:

• It can be time consuming.
• Can be unpredictable incase of outcome.
• Can lack focus unless well planned and monitored.
• Embarrassment for some students.
• Less effective in large numbers of group.
• May awaken previously subdued or suppressed emotions.