Memorising Does Not Require Understanding
Research has revealed that even if students are well-apt at memorising facts, it does not necessarily translate to an understanding of concepts.
Understanding Is A Process
That is because learning is not an end destination to be reached. There really isn’t a point in space where students suddenly achieve perfect understanding.
Rather, it is a point along a continuum that can be expanded upon until the student is able to make sense of and apply their newly acquired knowledge in a practical situation.
The Misconception of Memorisation
Standardised testing has created an education system in which there is excessive focus on memorisation.
Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University argues that this, in turn, hinders the student’s ability to learn as the information memorised for multiple choice questions does not test analytical, research and writing skills.
And sadly, since these higher order thinking and performance skills are not tested in public or standadised tests, they are not given the attention they deserve in the classrooms.
Learners Need A Sense of Meaning For Practical Application
The major difference between memorisation and understanding is a sense of meaning.
While it is vital for students to memorise factual knowledge, memorised information does not require that the children understand or appreciates the concepts in question. It only requires that data or information be stored for retrieval later.
However, if students are able to make sense of concepts and apply the information they acquired to a specific scenario to solve a particular problem, then a richer learning requiring understanding would have taken place.
Understanding Paves The Way For Deeper Learning
When learners grapple with a subject and try to make sense of its meaning, the following are achieved:
- Students are challenged and motivated to go beyond passively taking in knowledge
- A deeper learning experience is facilitated by exploration, research and analysis
- Higher retention of content is still required as analysis and research need to draw on facts and data
- Understanding is the precursor for the development and practice of critical thinking skills
For the students to make sense of complex and abstract ideas and consequently applying or expressing such knowledge authentically in a real-world context, it requires a deeper level of learning that is beyond mere memorisation.
Scholar Base’s Mission
The children need a holistic styled education where the concept of understanding is given importance for the student’s learning and development.
In order for students to attain a richer educational experience, Scholar Base adopts deeper learning, also known as applied learning. In this approach content-based knowledge and real-world situations are fused as information is transferred from one to the other.
Scholar Base believes that the adoption of applied learning assists students in their understanding. This approach blends academic rigour and gives relevance to the real world that is outside of the learning centre.
The other 5 Other components of the core learning programme at Scholar Base can be found here.
Imagine your child entering into the exciting world of putting pieces of puzzles together, of making sense of knowledge and applying it to real-world situations around them?
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