Making Learning Fun

When I was in college I was exposed to physics for the first time in my studying career. Semester 1 Physics was the link between high school physics and further study in engineering. I was enrolled in a Food Technology programme and could branch off into Food Engineering at a later stage if I chose to.

For me, physics was difficult because I struggle with mathematics and numbers. Not necessarily with the mathematical concepts, as I took additional maths up to matric level and passed, but rather the actual numbers. I have a condition called dyscalculia. It’s the same as dyslexia, where letters are transposed, but dyscalculia is the transposition of numbers. I will see the number 843, for example, and read 348.

Practical over Theory

The practical side of physics, on the other hand was really fun. I remember one lesson in particular where we were studying motion and acceleration using a tool called ticker tape. You attach a little car to the end of the tape and then let it be pushed along. The ticker makes a hole when the car travels and then these can be measured and analysed. We then changed the angles of the surface where the cars were racing and watched how the change in the incline affected the acceleration of the little cars. It was really fun to see all the cars running all around the classroom – along windowsills and down hills made of rulers, desk tops and stacked books.

Afterwards we collected our sets of tape and labeled them with various tags to identify what we had done to obtain them, then we settled down to calculate angles of degree, acceleration, speed and distances travelled. The practical gave way to the theoretical.

Making Lessons Memorable

When I look back on my physics studies, I always remember that particular lesson. The strategy of adding fun to a class definitely enhances the learning experience and as a teacher, I try to incorporate this type of learning in my own teaching, in the hope that my students will learn because they enjoy the experience. Recent studies have shown that incorporating a fun aspect into a lesson helps students to learn and retain the information better. According to the Cognition Today website:

“Having fun while learning avails unique cognitive resources, associates reward and pleasure with information, strengthens and broadens memory networks, and toggles abstract thinking and focused attention.”

In the Classroom

So, what does that look like in the classroom? Well as I explained above, adding the practical aspect to the theory made the information stick because of the hands on fun. The question to ask, is can it be done with any topic in any subject? Let’s explore the fundamentals before answering this question.

Let’s start with the mood of the students and the teacher. Students are influenced by their daily lives where they may be tired, uncomfortable or even hungry and this effects their abilities to concentrate and learn. As teachers, we may not be able to control these outside parameters but one we can control is the classroom social environment by keeping happy and encouraging the students to be happy. The website goes on to say:

“A good mood helps you to remember more information because the information is associated with the mood. Research has shown that a relaxed mood makes the brain more able to use its resources. This manifests in processing information better and helps in focusing attention.

Positive Emotions Mean Positive Learning

“Positive emotions broaden our attention’s capacity and help us draw more mental resources, increase access to memory networks, semantic relationships, and motivate flexible as well as efficient thinking.” In other words, it makes us more accepting of the information learned.”

“An enhanced mood increases dopamine ,” which is a brain hormone that is associated with satisfaction and reward.

Some studies have shown that eating chocolate is more pleasurable than kissing. I saw this in a video about the human brain and how it responds to various pleasurable experiences. When dopamine is released, learning is perceived as pleasurable.

Another tactic we can employ is the use of more than one sense. Using sight, sound, touch even taste helps to stimulate more of the brain and this in turn allows our minds and bodies to enjoy the experience more, and therefore remember better. For example, instead of just giving a teacher talk lecture, rather let students participate in some kind of discovery or challenge where they need to find information that will lead to the same results as the lecture is trying to portray. Looking for clues and addressing problems allows students not only to use their individual brain power but also to collaborate with their peers in getting different points of view and this includes listening and speaking. Group work is an excellent teacher.

Improving Retention

Once the ideas have been understood by the students, a certain amount of repetition is needed to cement the information and transfer it from the short term memory to the long term. It’s no use knowing it today but not knowing it for the exam in a few months time.

Robert Brown of Duke University has the following suggestion for repetition work, especially as it pertains to calculations. He says that the best time to study is at night before you go to sleep.

• Three days before the work is due, do a quick overview of the material spending only a few minutes on each problem and then go to bed. The goal here is to get an overview.
• After at least one night’s sleep, do a medium overview and address any problems you had trouble with the night before. The simple ones you will just move over quickly. Do this right before you go to sleep.
• On the third night review the material skimming the simple problems, reviewing the more complicated ones and addressing the difficult ones. By this stage there should be only three or four really difficult problems.

By the time you get to the exam the next morning, you will have a better grasp of the problems and will have put the information into your long term memory. Just a note, long term memory is activated when we sleep, so keep this in mind.

Cognition Today puts it this way:

“Repetition, using more senses, giving a context, adding personal meaning, relating information to other ideas, makes the neutral circuitry efficient and reliable.” This translates to better learning and memory retention.

So, getting back to the question of can I use fun in all lessons and all subject? My answer would be a resounding yes, as long as you plan it into your lesson. There are many resources online to help and many people to speak to, who are experts in their fields. A word of caution, don’t become a clown. You are still there to teach and the students to learn, but by making some changes in your delivery or lesson format, both fun and learning can take place.