Beyond the Classroom
Despite the title explicitly stating that this space is ‘beyond’ the classroom, this is slightly deceptive, as the learning space can, and should, refer to learning that begins and ends in the classroom, but is explored in an environment that is relevant to the topic. This can be done through activities such as excursions and incursions.
As stated by Vygotsky, and his theory on social development and the ‘zone of proximal development’, learning occurs when students interact with the social environment, using these social and environmental interactions to facilitate their personal cognitive growth and understanding (Lorenza, 2009). Ultimately, excursions and incursions allow students to be exposed to society, in a planned and structured manner, bringing the outside world and the students together in a seemingly unique way.
This way of learning can be referred to something known as situational learning (Johnson, 2009). Situated learning is portrayed when students are placed in an environment where what they have been learning in the classroom becomes relevant to them in a social context. The students are exposed to it firsthand, allowing them to be fully immersed in the social, environmental and cultural aspects (Lorenza, 2009).
This type of learning is also beneficial to social and emotional learning aspects. As stated by Maurice Elias and her colleagues (cited by Johnson, 2009) 'Social and emotional learning is the process through which we learn to recognise and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviours.’ This type of learning is greatly enhanced through activities such as incursions and excursions.
Ultimately, in a modern day school, we should move away from just the four walls of the classroom, and work towards allowing students to learn in multiple different environments and contexts, to not only prepare them for when they do leave school, but to also aid in their engagement and enjoyment. Learning can take place at any environment at any time (Bentley and Gardner, 2012) so teachers should not restrict students to just learning in a classroom, but should foster this learning by indulging students in different ways of learning in different contexts (eg online, excursions, incursions).
Benefits for teachers:
A way to engage students
Good way to link the learning within the classroom to real-life settings and situations
Allows teachers a sense of educational freedom
Benefits for students:
Be exposed to different environments
Can see what they are learning in a relevant environment
Often fun
Good way for students to be exposed to aspects within society
Negatives for teachers:
Some students need the structure and familiarity that their classroom and school provide
Require a lot of planning, eg permission slips, transport etc
Sometimes teachers are unaware of incursions, meaning they were unable to pre-prepare the students (Lorenza, 2009)
Negatives for students:
Students must actively participate to fully be exposed to the learning opportunities
Not all students are able to afford these extra curriculum activities
Example of excursion to the aquarium. The students were studying marine life prior to the visit. Whilst at the aquarium they had sheets to fill in, and then when they returned to school they created their own marine animal and did a project on it.
Mt Dandenong Primary School, 2015.
An interesting video portraying the benefits of working beyond the school: showing learning in a relevant, social context