The 7 Virtues of a Hands-On, Practical Approach to Learning & Teaching

1. Greater impression

When concepts are explained, the students have to rely on their understanding and imagination to figure out what is being taught. With practical sessions, because the action is being performed in front of them first hand, or by the students themselves, the impact of the lesson is that much greater. It leaves a more memorable and clear picture in the minds of the students because the can concentrate on absorbing the lesson rather than comprehending the words and then turning them into the actual teaching.

2. Passive vs. active

Theory lessons are one dimensional and passive. Teachers lecture and the students listen. There is little scope for physical or intellectual involvement because the communication is all one way. The fact that students have to just sit there and look at the lecturer results in dwindling attention spans and easy distractions. This is not the case in practical lessons because students find themselves in the thick of the action, making it that much easier to pay attention.

 3. Greater interactivity

Practical lessons make for more interactive ones, both between the teaching staff and the students, and among the students themselves. The whole environment of a practical lesson is a little less formal and a little more relaxed, leading to easier flow of conversation between teachers and students. Furthermore, team projects encourage students to work together, delegate responsibility and foster the qualities of teamwork among them.

 4. Immediate assessment of student capabilities

It is easy for a teacher to gauge a student’s abilities and identify their strong and weak points in practical lessons. This is because the student is actually working on the project in front of the teacher, so progress cane visibly monitored and capabilities can be assessed. In a theoretical framework, it takes until the examination for the teacher to become acquainted with the students’ understanding of and familiarity with the subject, whereas with practical courses, this happens on the spot.

5. Non-reliance on rote work

Rote work is widely considered an inaccurate representation of the student’s intelligence and comfort with the subject matter. Because it relies so heavily on memory, and doesn’t necessarily reflect the student’s core understanding of the subject, theory and memorization can portray a false sense of accomplishment. This is not the case with practical work. With practical lessons, a student’s capabilities are laid bare, and there is no hiding behind memory tricks. A student is only assessed on how much they understood of the subject matter, as opposed to how well they can memorize and repeat it.

6. Real-life experience

Practical lessons mimic the real world. Because film students have to actual go out there and use a camera, edit the film, produce it, record sound and take care of absolutely every aspect of the film making process, the experience holds them in good stead for when they actual hit a production floor. The same goes for any other aspect of media studies. For example, a budding journalist learns reporting, copy editing, placement and design, adhering to deadlines and other such challenges and the means to overcoming them that are very much present in real world newsrooms.

7. Higher engagement makes for easier learning

There is no doubt that the human mind is more receptive to practical studies than theoretical ones. Physically carrying out the instructions rather than being told how to accomplish the task makes for greater retentiveness and easier understanding.

It is clear that practical lessons have a lot of advantages going for them. So if you want to become a complete and capable member of the Indian media industry, you need to enrol in a program that concentrates on the practical side of things. This is exactly what you get when you sign up for a course at Seamedu. Contact us today to learn more!