"Some experts maintain that students learn best in a highly structured environment, one that emphasizes discipline,
punctuality, and routine. Others insist that educators, if they are to help students maximize their potential, ought to
maintain an atmosphere of relative freedom and spontaneity."
Explain your position on the issue of structure versus freedom in an ideal learning environment. Support your views with
reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
While discussing what would constitute an ideal learning environment; whether a structured one or one with relative freedom, several factors need to be taken into account to form a coherent and sound conclusion. It has been stated that some experts believe that a properly structured learning environment enables students to learn efficiently by following the tenets of discipline and punctuality. It has also been stated that some scholars believe that a spontaneous and free atmosphere helps students learn to their maximum potential. In my analysis of the debate presented, i will provide logical support for the latter statement.
To begin with, an atmosphere with freedom and spontaneity inspires learners to express themselves and thereby make learning a positive two way process with greater gains for the students. On the contrary a highly structured process may not provide such space for students where they might go beyond the set boundaries and apply their own intellect and talents in the learning process. For example, the leading schools and colleges in Delhi specially create spaces for the students to come up with their own ideas, express their views freely, and develop their own opinions on various issues around them by allowing them to spontaneously react to such issues even in classroom discussions sessions. This ensures a holistic development of every student's personality, making it possible for them to learn much more than structured and disciplined routine would have allowed.
Another factor is that a free learning atmosphere is more flexible and can be applied to situations where disciplined learning curriculum may not work at all. For example, the villages in India have numerous children who do not go to school or dropout at an early age, while some villages do not have access to any structured learning environment. Social sector organisations organise informal schools in many villages in India, where there is no set curriculum and the teaching is based on the dynamics specific to the area. This ensures that learning becomes a fun process for the students and does not disturb their social set up as well. This makes the free aand spontaneous learning atmosphere score a lot on the parameter of flexibility.
The scope of learning that can be covered in a free learning atmosphere is also much wider than what a structured curriculum would allow. For example, in Shantiniketan, a school conceptualized and started by Rabindranath Tagore, the teaching methodology is one which is compeletly based on observation and self development of inner thoughts to understand one's surroundings. This inspires the school's students to learn more than their counterparts who study set curriculums in city schools. The students of Shantiniketan learn even while they play and many of them come out with practical political solutions, scientific innovations, and artistic masterpieces while learning from a free of atmosphere.
Thus, we can see that while the structured learning atmosphere may ensure that students in such an atmosphere learn all that is taught in a disciplined and regulated manner, an atmosphere of freedom and spontaneity ensures a more holistic learning opportunity, ahs a wide scope and is far more flexible.
punctuality, and routine. Others insist that educators, if they are to help students maximize their potential, ought to
maintain an atmosphere of relative freedom and spontaneity."
Explain your position on the issue of structure versus freedom in an ideal learning environment. Support your views with
reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
While discussing what would constitute an ideal learning environment; whether a structured one or one with relative freedom, several factors need to be taken into account to form a coherent and sound conclusion. It has been stated that some experts believe that a properly structured learning environment enables students to learn efficiently by following the tenets of discipline and punctuality. It has also been stated that some scholars believe that a spontaneous and free atmosphere helps students learn to their maximum potential. In my analysis of the debate presented, i will provide logical support for the latter statement.
To begin with, an atmosphere with freedom and spontaneity inspires learners to express themselves and thereby make learning a positive two way process with greater gains for the students. On the contrary a highly structured process may not provide such space for students where they might go beyond the set boundaries and apply their own intellect and talents in the learning process. For example, the leading schools and colleges in Delhi specially create spaces for the students to come up with their own ideas, express their views freely, and develop their own opinions on various issues around them by allowing them to spontaneously react to such issues even in classroom discussions sessions. This ensures a holistic development of every student's personality, making it possible for them to learn much more than structured and disciplined routine would have allowed.
Another factor is that a free learning atmosphere is more flexible and can be applied to situations where disciplined learning curriculum may not work at all. For example, the villages in India have numerous children who do not go to school or dropout at an early age, while some villages do not have access to any structured learning environment. Social sector organisations organise informal schools in many villages in India, where there is no set curriculum and the teaching is based on the dynamics specific to the area. This ensures that learning becomes a fun process for the students and does not disturb their social set up as well. This makes the free aand spontaneous learning atmosphere score a lot on the parameter of flexibility.
The scope of learning that can be covered in a free learning atmosphere is also much wider than what a structured curriculum would allow. For example, in Shantiniketan, a school conceptualized and started by Rabindranath Tagore, the teaching methodology is one which is compeletly based on observation and self development of inner thoughts to understand one's surroundings. This inspires the school's students to learn more than their counterparts who study set curriculums in city schools. The students of Shantiniketan learn even while they play and many of them come out with practical political solutions, scientific innovations, and artistic masterpieces while learning from a free of atmosphere.
Thus, we can see that while the structured learning atmosphere may ensure that students in such an atmosphere learn all that is taught in a disciplined and regulated manner, an atmosphere of freedom and spontaneity ensures a more holistic learning opportunity, ahs a wide scope and is far more flexible.
Last edited by ritusharma2301 on Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
