How Does Hands-on Education Help Students Learn?
Hands-on education can be the best practical approach for many types of learning styles and intelligences, especially when it comes to science and technology.
It helps students learn difficult concepts and skills in a direct manner by applying their theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
The 8 types of intelligences
According to the multiple intelligences theory by Prof. Howard Earl Gardner, there are eight types of intelligence. Most people have all these intelligences at varying levels of proficiency. These intelligences also have corresponding learning styles.
For example, individuals who have good kinesthetic and spatial intelligence may learn faster and better through hands-on education, rather than purely theoretical or lecture-based learning.
Hands-on learning is also good for those who want to learn skills that require not only muscle memory but also solving complex problems. In many cases, it’s the only way to actually learn things and retain that learning.
Case in point, if you want to learn how to fly a drone, you need to immerse yourself in actually flying a drone. You cannot simply memorize the manual and claim that you’re an expert drone pilot. You need to hold the remote control and see how the drone responds in flight.
The 8 types of learning styles
Various types of learning styles can be combined to enhance education and crystalize the skills needed to be proficient in a particular subject. Similar to the eight types of intelligences, learning styles can also be classified into eight categories:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Reading and writing
- Kinesthetic
- Logical
- Social
- Solitary
- Naturalistic learning
As you can see, these learning styles correspond to various types of intelligences. Depending on the subject and student’s aptitude, some of the techniques and methods in teaching can be tailor-made to suit the needs of the learner.
Getting hands-on is essential in STEM subjects
For students studying STEM subjects at middle and high school who are interested in pursuing a career in science and technology, hands-on education is essential. But it’s also essential for teaching “soft skills” - more on those below - to all students.
If you’re teaching STEM subjects, you need to be creative and find various ways to encourage students not only to learn and understand abstract science concepts but also to apply them. Hands-on learning will not only reinforce the students’ understanding of science and technology, but will also allow them to solve real-world problems using actual equipment.
Hands-on learning is immersive learning, and because of this it’s easier to both retain information and apply what you’ve learned to different scenarios.
5 benefits of hands-on education
All STEAM subjects benefit from hands-on methods of teaching. Just some of the advantages of this type of learning include the following:
Better memory retention - a comparison study of test scores of students who have undergone pure lectures vs. hands-on learning experiences showed that the latter group scored higher in tests.
A more engaging environment - hands-on learning is an active and immersive approach to learning. Students are more likely to pay attention, be engaged, and participate in the process. It’s also more fun!
Improved critical thinking skills - students will learn and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Critical thinking is about assessing problems, gathering evidence, and applying knowledge.
Value of teamwork - hands-on education often requires teamwork and collaboration. Students learn how to cooperate not only with their teammates, but also with other teams. This will help develop their interpersonal skills, which are essential in the workplace.
Encourages initiative - instead of becoming dependent on spoon-fed information, students learn initiative as they get hands-on and learn from mistakes they make as they’re working through a problem.
If you want interactive, immersive, hands-on education for your students, find out more about Arduino Education kits. And if you’re a science teacher, take a look at the Science Journal app, which makes science subjects fun, engaging, and easier for students to understand - and can be integrated with your Google Classroom.