WHITE PAPER

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THE RELEVANCE OF ENCOURAGINGLEARNING OUTSIDE CLASSROOM

Table of Contents

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Executive Summary

The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside Classroom

College Field Trips

Participation in Debates

College Plays/Theatre Performance

Campus Sports

Volunteerism in College

Conclusion

About IAO

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Executive Summary

Executive Summary1

Students engaging in both academic and non-academic activities - inside and outside the classroom - especially during their undergraduate years, accelerate their learning and personal development. Institutions should aim to make classroom experiences more productive and encouraging for students to give more of their time outside the classroom to educationally focused activities and enhance learning.

Institutional circumstances, encouraging students to utilize their out-of-class experiences to their educational development are as follows:

In this white paper, we are going to discuss as to how certain extra-curricular activities can enable students to develop as individuals, tremendously helping them in their learning.

1. Clear, coherent, and consistently expressed educational purposes;

2. A guiding institutional philosophy that values talent development as a primary goal of undergraduate education;

3. Complementary institutional policies and practices congruent with students' characteristics and needs;

4. High, clear expectations for student performance;

5. Use of e¬�ective teaching approaches;

6. Systematic assessment of student performance and institutional environments, policies, and practices;

7. Ample opportunities for student involvement in meaningful out-of-class activities;

8. Human scale settings characterized by ethics of membership and care; and

9. An ethos of learning that pervades all aspects of the institution.

today’s technologically-oriented world. In this day and age, teachers and learners value the various opportunities of learning in various areas. By being involved in a diverse range of activities and experimenting

This has a profound impact on the students’ personal, social and emotional development.

It is an engaging experience for students;

Improves students’ imagination and creativity;

It accelerates students’ personal, emotional and social development through acquiring diverse knowledge.

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Introduction: The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom

Key Reasons why learning outside the classroom should be encouraged:

The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom

The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom

Field Trips

Field Trips3

ely which enhances overall learning of a new and

di�erent environment.

• It gives students a chance to get to know each other and interact in a more relaxed way, without the pressure of grades or the constraints of a classroom environment. • Students who learn through doing rather than listening grea Actually doing things and experiencing new learning environment greatly enhances learning.

ce, college students can travel to different parts of the world to study their culture. School children can go camping and experience outdoor nature.

ere students learn about helping the underprivileged people which often results in further volunteering activities by the student.

Apart from the long bus rides, sack lunches and

varied students’ development needs and be conducted in various ways, stimulating deep, active learning.

the learning experience, creating a learning community, along with the engagement with concepts that is required by these experiences.

room to get to know their students more closely

world compared to their teachers. This observation into student world-views enables teachers to better communicate the concepts of their subjects.

Impact of �eld trip on student learning

Participation in Debates

Participation in Debates4

Anyone who has participated in academic debate competitions should have no doubt about their many advantages, greatly impacting on one’s level of under-

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Debate prepares for leadership: The primary requisite of all leaders in any position is to provide direction and be able to explain why the direction is to be taken.

Debate trains in argumentation: Debates have always been the most accurate tool for argument.

problems: Debate topics touch upon areas of knowledge students won’t otherwise explore as the curriculum won’t have allowed. Debaters agree that having researched and debated on a topic, they are now more interested in that topic.

Debate aids in knowledge integration: Debate topics are versatile and intersect numerous disciplines. This permits debaters to expand their knowledge of unique disciplines outside their routine academic subjects.

Debate augments aptitude in resolute inquiry: Debate topics on the cutting edge, deal with new technology and varied ideas from the norm of the day. By taking up in-depth research and conduct inquiry

Debate encourages students scholarship:Even though students worry that debate may impede with thier academics, it, on the contrary, encouragesthem to pursue thier regular course work with more energy and determination.

Other advantages of participating in debate competitions include:

• Debate develops the ability to make prompt, analytical responses

• Debate develops critical listening skills

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• Debate develops courage

Debate encourages e�ective speech composition and delivery

Debate develops pro�ciency in writing

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• Debate helps develops social maturity

College Plays/Theatre Performance

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Students participating in theater enjoy a wide

to sing, dance and perform on stage, the

performers is phenomenal.

Furthermore, participating in a performance is a great time commitment. The time required in auditions, rehearsals and

The highs and lows of theater prepare students performing for the highs and lows of real aspects of life. While sometimes you may take the center stage and enjoy the limelight, you may also at times have to play a backstage role. Real life too comes with its set of failures and successes.

Theater programs in schools are essential, and educate students in ways that textbooks cannot. Every

Broadway-worthy performance.

Both students and teachers must recognize and value theater as an art form in its own Students participating in theater also encounter aspects of multiple other forms and disciplines - such as movement and dance, literature, vocal music, media, design principles and visual art, various technical skills, and public relations - woven together in a distinctive theatrical theme.

However, one must take into account the importance of the combination of teachers, students and theater theme to make the experience more complex and variable. The mere participation in a play does not

College Plays/Theatre Performance

performances requires dedication, prioritizing,responsibility and organization. Since theatre demands high commitment level, it teaches performers responsibility.

guarantee the presence of all possible advantages expressed here.

Campus Sports

Students extensively participating in sport and physical activity support the health and well-being of the college community on the whole. As a result, learners tend to

with their overall academic experience.

Sport as a tool to aid retention:Students who play and train within an Academy have better attendance and retention rates than other students and are more inclined to continue their studies in order to receive the support, guidance and expertise that the sport and team/club provides. In most cases, students have to succeed within both their sporting activity and their academic studies in order to stay on the program which assists with both attendance and retention at college. Sport can also instill a strong sense of unity across the college and contribute towards achieving higher satisfaction amongst students.

Sport, being the perfect platform to facilitate A contribution to achievement, attainment and success: students’ attainment and achievement, the knowledge and experiences gained through it is transferred to classroom learning too. Again, many colleges show evidence of how students who participate in sports gain higher levels of attainment than their non-participative peers.

Campus Sports 6

Increased employment prospects:

on the whole and provide students with crucial vocational experience to enhance their resume. Having a

links with recognized sport and leisure employers. Participative students hence enjoy greater potential to gain employment

A number of colleges can prove, through their institutional stats, as to how involvement in sports raises self-esteem and boosts the

while improving behavior within class and on-campus at large.

Raising self-esteem and self con�dence & improving behavior:

Volunteerism in College

IAO outlines the advantages of volunteerism in college, as colleges at times do not quite consider them while planning voluntary schedules:

7 Volunteerism in College

Boosts Participants’ Resume: Many students mention voluntary work on their college resumes. Volunteerism can totally be worth students’ time and e�orts in pursuing a volunteer position. Employers like seeing that applicants volunteer their time, and are able to manage it well enough to take on an unpaid position. Volun-teerism also suggests that the applicant is a team player, a quality many employers will look for in potential human resource. Many companies also lead a number of annual volunteer projects on their sta�s, so if students are active in community service and apply to work for such an organization, they can surely play up that experience.

Builds Participants’ Network: Volunteer positions are a great way to meet people, especially if you volunteer in an area that could be of use to you post-graduation. Aside from a professional network, volunteerism can also help you build your social network. You’ll not only be able to �nd like-minded people who share your interests, but people from di�erent walks of life as you, as well.

Helps Participants Grow: Whether it’s a somewhat sel�sh reason to volunteer or not, volunteerism makes one feel good nonetheless. The work one does is always rewarding and bene�cial to segments of the population and areas of the community that need volunteers to thrive. In a volunteer situation, one person can make a real di�erence, getting that feeling once they start. Volunteering can also help you build on your existing skill sets. If you’re relatively shy and want to become more outgoing, �nd a position that will build up your communication skills.

Conclusion

Surpassed?

The circumstances that promote student learning outside the classroom cannot be created by any one individual. Nevertheless, an institution can increase the chances that students will experience college as a

across the academic and out-of-class scope of students' lives and removing obstacles to students' quest of their academic and personal goals.

In order for this to happen, faculty, administrators, and others must challenge students and each other to

Conclusion8

Accreditation and educational quality assurance are essential factors that complete the educational ecosystem.

While regional accreditation bodies have dutifully evaluated education providers on a regional scale; a body to recognize and accredit education providers on an international scale was needed in the wake of growing globalization. With more students studying at Educational Institutions or working for companies outside their home country, it was imperative to create standards that are both regionally and internation

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ally recognized and accepted.

practices in education in one place. IAO gathered educational quality assurance standards from around in world in collaboration with various regional accreditation bodies and created evaluation criteria, that works as a general basis of evaluation for any education provider, regardless of its regional location. The

providers that will supplement their regional accreditation.

System for students on an individual level that will increase individual acceptability and recognition of students in both educational sector and the employer market.

IAO owes its success to its strong network and team of accreditation professionals spread in over 25 countries around the world. IAO has also collaborated with regional accreditation bodies to supplement their strict accreditation methods with its expertise of standardizing the educational environment interna-

About IAO9

About IAO

Phone1-866-2768-IAO (426)

E-mailcontact@iao.org

Websitewww.iao.org

Contact OfficeIAO, 10685-B Hazelhurst Dr. #11524

Houston, TX 77043, USA