When students think of school, they often think of mindless note taking, endless worksheets, essays and rambling lectures. Although the worksheets and lectures have their place, they can only take students so far. In order for students to fully connect and understand what they’re learning, taking a more hands on approach to teaching is highly beneficial. Hands-on learning, whether it’s building, experimenting, or creating, doesn’t just make school more fun, it makes the lessons learned way more effective.
For elementary school children, hands-on activities are found throughout the day. Young children learn best when they can move, touch and experiment. According to some studies, kids remember up to 75% of what they do hands on in a lecture, compared to only 5% of what they hear. That’s a massive difference. For example, in science class, when a student physically builds a volcano or mixes chemicals, they’re learning in a way that sticks much more than if they were just filling out a worksheet.
Hands on learning doesn’t just work for young students, high schoolers need it too. High schoolers can zone out pretty easily if a lesson doesn’t feel relevant or engaging. However, when they are given something to do such as designing an experiment, solving a real-world problem or building something, they are able to absorb that information in an engaged manner.
A study conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that students who used hands-on learning and were able to figure out and explore concepts, retained 50% more information than those who were taught through lectures. Active learning including demonstrations and discussions increased knowledge retention by 35%.
Implementing these learning techniques doesn’t just help students ace their next test. They help develop real-life skills such as problem solving, teamwork and creative thinking. In fact, students exposed to more hands-on learning are also more likely to pursue STEM careers and stick with advanced classes. It is important to also make room for more building, experimenting, creating and exploring, since kids are able to learn by doing, they aren’t just passing a test, they are learning life skills that remain with them. These qualities are likely ones that they will utilize for the rest of their lives.
