What Is Activity-Based Teaching?

Activity-based teaching is a method of teaching that emphasizes the importance of students being actively involved in their learning. This is in contrast to some traditional teaching methods, which involve an educator lecturing or otherwise relaying information to students who are expected to absorb it. In activity-based teaching, an educator acts as a facilitator, guiding students through the learning process and assisting them as needed. This type of program can incorporate a variety of actions and tasks, allowing students to become actively involved in the learning process rather than remaining passive.

The goal of activity-based teaching is for an educator to directly engage students in a lesson, allowing them to become active participants in their own learning. In some traditional forms of education, the educator was viewed as a knowledgeable expert who simply provided students with information. In this type of setting, students were expected to absorb information like sponges, regardless of how much effort they put in. Although the students were taught, there was not always a focus on them participating and actively learning in the classroom.

However, in activity-based teaching, the educator employs a variety of techniques to engage students in the lesson and turn them into partners in their own education. In this type of setting, the teacher’s role is to act as a facilitator for the students, engaging them and ensuring that they participate actively in the learning process. This is frequently accomplished creating a variety of activities and projects for students to work on as they learn. Activity-based learning necessitates a significant amount of effort on the part of the teacher. Teachers who use this method must develop lessons and plans that allow students to participate in their education.

During activity-based teaching, group work is common because it allows students to take on the role of educator and collaborate to better understand various subjects. These lessons require students to work in small groups to complete a project. After completing the task assigned to it, each group presents the information learned to the rest of the class. In this type of activity-based teaching, the educator can observe each group and ensure that they stay on task, but they may not need much additional information. The teacher guides discussion and ensures that no errors are presented as the groups present what they have learned, but otherwise the students become responsible for their own learning.