Open Access To Learning In Social Science

 “Teaching is the supreme art of the educator to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge”

The fundamental aim of teaching is to make students learn the subject matter with a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. The learning objectives of the sessions are focused on the student engagement which includes the curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion to learn and progress in the subject. 

One of the innovative practices to enhance student engagement is “Open Access” wherein students get the opportunity to investigate topics in-depth and to participate in choosing the topic to investigate.

The choice is also a powerful element in the learning process. Students need to be able to make these choices. This, however, does not mean total choice all the time. In this method, students enjoy three kinds of choices at various times:

Total choice of learning topics: Students get a chance to opt for the topic they like to study, topic they are curious about and their interests. This enhances inquiry learning to enable them to investigate their topic.

Choices within a topic or theme: Students get a choice within a topic or theme which enhances the in-depth understanding of the specific sub-topic.

The choice to select from the series of options that teacher offers helps students to reiterate the ideas found in the given option.

The lesson taught with “open access” helps in creating small learning groups around the student’s choices and inquiry learning to investigate the topics. Hence, making it easier for the students to broaden their understanding and enhances their appetite for learning.

Written by:- Ms. Deepali Aswal, Senior wing teacher at MRIS Charmwood.