Learning in class discussion

Learning in class discussion

Learning is the act of acquiring new or pre-existing behaviors, knowledge, skills, values or any other relevant information. The process of learning should therefore be enjoyable to ensure the learners grasp what is being taught. If the learners think that the learning process is boring or tedious, then the probability of them understanding is minimal. It is therefore the duty of the tutor to ensure that the learning process is structured in such a way that the learner is comfortable and can actively participate voluntarily.

Firstly, tutors should consider using classical conditioning in the class. This is learning that one stimulus signals the arrival of another stimulus (Griggs, 2010). This type of learning was discovered by Ivan Pavlov. It involves making the class interesting before it even starts. This method can be very useful because it captures the attention of the learners first and creates interest. The tutor can use something that the learners think is fun and can easily relate with. For example, if one is teaching about the world war, a tutor can use a movie whose scenes depict the events that took place in the world war. This will stimulate the learners to think critically about the topic and even enjoy the class.

Alternatively, tutors can use motivation. Motivation is the set of internal and external factors that energize our behavior and direct it towards goals.  According to arousal theory our behavior is motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal, which varies within individuals. The tutor should try to motivate the learners to arouse their interest in the topic under study. He/she can maybe suggest that the learners who actively participate in the class discussion will be rewarded. The level of participation can also be used for grading. This will make students to participate because they know that their grades will be adversely affected if they do not.

References

Griggs, R. A. (2010). Psychology: A concise introduction. Macmillan.

Gajda, A., Beghetto, R. A., & Karwowski, M. (2017). Exploring creative learning in the classroom: A multi-method approach. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 24, 250-267.

Pan, M., Wang, J., & Luo, Z. (2018). Modelling Study on Learning Affects for Classroom Teaching/Learning Auto-Evaluation. Science, 6(3), 81-86.