INTRODUCTION Activity Based Learning

 

Activity Based Learning (ABL) In order to address the above discussed issues, I am proposing the Activity Based Learning (ABL) approach of education. “ABL is a methodology where children of different ages are grouped together in one class, and each learns at his or her own pace through a series of activities and cards arranged in the form of a learning ladder, with the teacher acting as a facilitator of children’s learning” (“Activity Based Learning). So, ABL is purely a studentcentered pedagogical approach where students master various skills through different student friendly fun activities. The role of the teacher in the ABL pedagogy is passive. Teachers act more like facilitators in the classroom and participate with students in different learning activities. Hence, students’ assessment in the ABL pedagogical approach is very much integrated with the teaching-learning process which hardly permits students to memorize and rote-learn. According to the Center for Education Innovations, “the ABL method has created a visible improvement in children’s learning and psychology. Children learn to make independent decisions at a young age, from choosing their activity card for the day, to marking their own attendance. Under the system, the curriculum is divided into small units, each a group of Self Learning Materials (SLM) comprising attractively designed study cards…When a child finishes a group of cards, he completes one ‘milestone.’ Activities in each milestone include games, rhymes, drawing, and songs to teach a letter or a word, form a sentence, do maths and science, or understand a concept. The child takes up an Exam Card only after completing all the milestones in a subject. If a child is absent one day, he continues from where he left unlike in the old system where the child had to learn on his own what he missed out on” (“Activity Based Learning. Therefore, student-centered and student friendly activity based teaching-learning process of ABL approach can surely solve the issues like virtual exclusion, poor assessment system, low achievement rate, high dropout and high repetition rate, memorizing and rote learning existing in our education system

joyful learning through colorful-educative class room environment. It has half a day curriculum and classrooms are multi-grade. There are no exams, home-works and dependency on the text books exclusively in ABL classrooms, rather students learn through various learning cards (colorful pictures with big fonts, better known as ABL Cards). There is no ranking of the students Self-Evaluation: Students use Self-Evaluation Cards in order to assess their performance/skills (sometimes with the help of the older children). This helps to nurture ‘no fear of failure’ within students. Learning Ladder: Using Learning Ladders to teach various skills among the students. Students move forward step by step on the ladder after he/she finishes one.

 Theories Underpinning the Approach/Model The ABL pedagogical approach is primarily based on the constructivist theory of learning Constructivism promotes student’s free exploration with a given framework or structure. According to constructivism teacher’s role in the classroom is as a facilitator who would Activity Based Learning (ABL) encourages students to discover principles for themselves and to construct knowledge by working to solve realistic problems. Thus it is clear that ABL pedagogical approach reflects exactly the way constructivism view learning and want learns to act. Some of the influential theorists, i. e., John Dewey, Jerome Bruner who falls under constructivism philosophical framework of learning underpin the ABL approach too. John Dewey emphasizes on creating the classroom a miniature community, teachers as facilitator, learner centered joyful learning. Moreover, Jerome Bruner talks about scaffolding, and spiraling the lessons. The reflection of John Dewey, and Jerome Bruner concepts of learning is very much visible in the ABL pedagogy. Reflections on the Approach/Model After the above discussions on various key features and principles of the ABL pedagogical approach, it is obvious that effective use of ABL pedagogical strategies can solve the above mentioned issues of pakistan primary education, i.e., poor quality of teaching learning process and virtual exclusion, poor assessment system, low achievement rate, high dropout and high repetition rate, memorizing and rote learning. Firstly, the ABL approach is based on various student friendly learning activities, where students have the freedom to select the activities of their own that make the ABL classroom purely student-centered and joyful. Such student centered and joyful class environment hardly gives scope of virtually excluding the students. Secondly, the assessment system in the ABL pedagogy is in built in the teaching-learning process (students use Self-Evaluation and teachers use Achievement Charts) that can solve the improper assessment system existing in our primary education. Thirdly, using Learning Ladders (through colorful ABL Cards and various learning activities) strategy in order to teach students different skills can solve the issues like low achievement rate, high dropout and high repetition rate, memorizing and rote learning. Learning various skills via Learning Ladders in ABL pedagogy give no scope to the students to memorize or rote-learn and allow every student to learn according to his/her own pace.