Transforming the Walls of the Classroom
Abstract: The power of informal learning has been overlooked for a long time by educators who are eager to teach and turn students into information databases. Like Winston Churchill said, “Personally, I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught.” This work details the importance of informal and open-ended learning environments, and also the experience of students in the Academic Advancement Center (AAC) Computer Learning Lab at Ohio University. We also argue that informal learning should be recognized because of its ability to bring like minds together who share same interest to further research, exchange and share ideas. An open-ended environment accommodates people with different learning styles and enhances their learning experience. The lab is designed with emphasis on “constructivism” and provides a self-guided learning environment with Lab Assistants always acting as scaffolds.
Presider: Kuei-Chih Chuang, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology