Traditional teaching methods have lost their luster. We've known for years that rote memorization isn't the best way to learn. We've also known for years that everyone has a slightly different learning style.
The most successful educational institutions acknowledge this. Teachers and professors alike are now exploring and embracing a specialized range of modern teaching methods to enhance the quality of their learning environments. Sparkrock is proud to provide them with the tools they need to make their efforts successful — and to help both K-12 school districts and higher learning institutions embrace a new approach to education.
In this blog, we'll talk about what that approach entails and explore a few of the new teaching styles we enable through our enterprise resource planning software.
Modern teaching is basically an umbrella term for any educational tactic focused on helping students learn and grow. Whereas traditional learning requires students to recite information memorized from a syllabus to pass rigid exams, modern learning takes a more constructivist approach. This means that students are actively involved in learning to build and apply actual knowledge and skills.
Modern teaching methods are necessary because they help meet the educational needs of students in the contemporary era. It also focuses specifically on expanding their fundamental knowledge about the world and building critical thinking skills. Rather than making students memorize things they'll have little use for after graduation, modern teaching methods prepare them for the challenges they'll face in both learning and the workplace.
Because modern teaching methods are dedicated to supporting the growth of a student's intellectual capacity and skills, they feature several unique characteristics compared to traditional education:
There are many modern teaching methods that educators can utilize within the classroom. We've listed some of the most influential and popular below.
Collaborative learning is a modern teaching method that promotes peer-to-peer interaction and teamwork to find solutions and effectively address complex problems. Not only does this help students improve their cooperation, but it also exposes them to different ideas and diverse opinions. Additionally, it allows students to address misunderstandings and clarify misconceptions to reach more meaningful conclusions about the issues they encounter.
Spaced learning involves teachers repeating course material multiple times with 10-minute spaces (or breaks) in-between the lessons until students comprehend the topic in its entirety. These spaces are typically used as a chance for students to perform physical activities or practice mindfulness techniques, which help refresh their minds and prepare them for the next session of the same lesson. The spaced learning method helps increase students’ information retention while reducing their “forgetting curve.”
The flipped classroom technique of modern teaching involves having students study new material or content at home by themselves and then practice the material at school- essentially reversing the typical school-homework paradigm. This method allows students more time to grasp topics while ensuring they get the help they need in the classroom to have their questions answered.
Self-learning helps encourage students to follow their curiosity when learning new topics to help increase their motivation and reduce the amount of information they’re likely to forget. With this modern teaching method, educators should allow students to bring new ideas to the table to learn about and explore.
Gamified learning is arguably one of the most effective modern teaching methods around — which is probably why it's used everywhere from kindergartens to corporate learning and development initiatives. By adopting elements from video games, educators can make their material considerably more engaging. Participants are still learning, but they're also having fun, meaning they're also more likely to remember what they've learned.
Also known as the VAK teaching method, VAK teaching involves educating students through three of their primary sensory mediums to help them learn and retain critical information. This teaching method can be very beneficial since people typically learn through these three methods. While this technique is much more common in programs targeting younger students, it can still be applied elsewhere — such as through a VR training simulation.
Crossover learning augments formal learning settings like classrooms with informal environments such as museums, seminars, and other after-school destinations. The idea for students to absorb new information while applying what they've learned in the classroom. It's a very hands-on approach to teaching, and it's all the more effective for it.
Modern teaching methods provide students with a wide range of advantages when utilized correctl. Some of the most important advantages that these methods can provide include;
Education is evolving — and technology like Sparkrock is at the forefront of that evolution. Through the power of integration, Sparkrock helps educational institutions streamline administration, improve financial management, and enhance communication and collaboration. More importantly, it empowers educators to engage more directly with their students, apply new assessment methods, and ultimately give those students everything they need to excel.
Want to learn more about how to create a modern, integrated experience within your school district or institution? Connect with our team, and we'll show you.