Learning Beyond the Classroom: Advantages And Disadvantages

By defining essential concepts and outlining the advantages and disadvantages of studying outside the classroom with an emphasis on science, this assignment attempts to critically examine the topic. A risk assessment will be included in the medium-term plan to emphasize the dangers and safety precautions of learning outside of the classroom. It will be connected to a selected educational location and have a cross-curricular design. In conclusion, investigating how all of the aforementioned might have a significant influence on a child’s learning and development via science

Barron (2009) defines education outside of the classroom as a different and unique learning experience; these experiences will vary depending on budget, space available, and type of location. This definition takes into account the meaning of learning outside of the classroom and the effects it has on a child’s development. He continues by saying that any learning space outside of the classroom should, wherever feasible, be built in collaboration with the students; it’s crucial that they all have a sense of pride in the process. Toplis (2011) argued that there had been some concern in recent years about the decline in the number of students participating in field trips and other educational experiences as part of their science education. He stated that this could be due to a lack of educational funding or low family incomes as the reason why these opportunities were not being provided to children. Contrarily, Thomas & Thompson (2004) discovered in their study that it has shown to be more advantageous when education institutions have been given the authority to deliver learning outside of the classroom in connection to the advancement of scientific comprehension. He discovered that due to low family finances, kids were not obtaining adequate learning opportunities outside of their homes or schools. Due to budget and financial constraints throughout childhood, it was shown that children who did not have sufficient access to outdoor spaces were less likely to do so as adults, which would have an adverse effect on their health and well-being. Through its primary study results, Ofsted (2008) agreed that learning outside the classroom, when properly planned and executed, greatly aided in boosting standards and enhancing students’ personal, social, and emotional development. They said that integrating learning outside of the classroom into long-term curriculum design and closely connecting it to classroom activities led to the most beneficial outcomes (See Appendix 2). Therefore, it is important to emphasize how important learning outside of the classroom is to a child’s development in primary education because it gives kids real-world experiences, which not only aid in their academic growth but also have a positive impact on their health and well-being as they enter adulthood.

The Think Tank is the extracurricular learning opportunity that has been selected to align with the medium-term plan (See Appendix 2); it offers an educational program with a wide range of memorable, stimulating on-site taught sessions, self-guided visits, and outreach services that are all intended to inspire and engage the students in relation to any chosen topic (Birmingham Museums, 2019) According to Braund and Reiss (2004), museums have a rich history of teaching and a relationship to scientific study. They continued by saying that during the last 20 years, there has been an increase in what are known as “hands-on centers.” As a result, they provide far more exhibit engagement than is often seen in more conventional museums and galleries. The exhibit is meant to be touched, explored, investigated, and changed personally by students from educational institutions (Falk & Dierking, 2000). This kind of interactive environment often requires in-depth consideration of the underlying science, as well as teamwork and communication with others to help solidify and deepen the learning (Braund & Reiss, 2004) The students will be able to engage their five senses in a manner that a teacher couldn’t in the classroom while also being able to think critically about the usage of scientific jargon. As these museums are rich and fascinating locations, Braund and Reiss (2012) encourage the decision to research science in this particular educational setting. They recommended that they be enjoyable learning environments free of the stress that a classroom and laboratory almost always demand and impose to improve a child’s comprehension of a particular subject in the scientific curriculum. Ballantyne and Packer (2002) advocated for giving children the opportunity to “take it all in” when they are in a new environment. They cautioned against over-structuring science-related classroom activities outside of the classroom and noted that worksheets, note-taking, and reports were unpopular with students and did not appear to significantly advance their environmental learning to deepen their understanding of science. Therefore, learning outside of the classroom is an improvement to provide additional knowledge and a firm understanding for each child to suit their specific needs; fostering a love of learning in the students, whether that be inside or within outside of the classroom learning in science – linking to standard 4B. (Gov, 2019) A cross-curricular approach to understanding the scientific subject was used in the medium-term plan, with a major science overview connected via theater and art. A cross-curricular approach to learning and teaching was promoted by The Rose Review (2009), which noted that it strengthens topics and promotes comprehension. The Rose Review makes it abundantly evident that, when used in a cross-curricular framework, it gives pupils opportunity to utilize and apply what they have learned from the individual teaching of topics throughout the curriculum. Via further study, Dean (2011) argues in favor of the Rose Review that cross-curricular learning provides a novel strategy to improve children’s knowledge, abilities, and comprehension while inspiring their enthusiasm in learning through engaging, interrelated subjects. Cross-curricular work, according to Muijus & Reynolds (2011), is stimulating because it enables more autonomous, learner-led investigation of the subject. As a result, one of the qualities of a successful learner is helping students to find connections between what they are learning (Claxton, 2012.)

Despite the numerous apparent advantages of a cross-curricular approach to learning, there are drawbacks as well. Ofsted (2008), Barnes (2011), and Laurie (2011) all found agreement in a case study that linkages must be rational and real to prevent learning in a topic from being jeopardized. Kelly (2013) further concerns if subjects lose their individuality as a result of the topic design process putting more emphasis on the end result than on the learning process and the variety of subjects’ contributions.

A cross-curricular, creative approach to teaching science focuses on learning being much more personalized, with the student at the center of the learning process. A creative teacher seizes the moment, adapts lessons to fit several subjects, and promotes participation. (XXXX, Oliver.)