Fun – the misunderstood element of learning

“If my kid is having fun in class he is probably not learning much.”

This seems to be the general believe among many parents today. But the real problem is that we, as parents (and guardians) of young learners may have been defining fun too narrowly. Maybe because our children only proclaim fun when they are playing.

But how can we blame them when our education system and its constraints make them sit and listen to the teacher lesson after lesson for six hours or more. Being children, they would be dying to break free from the monotony and run around.

Taking a second look at Fun.

Fun is really about experiencing something in a joyous and lively manner. And play is just one activity that brings joy to our children. But can lessons be taught in a fun manner and still bring about learning?

Could our definition of fun been skewed because we live in a fast paced society with little breathing space or that we ourselves have gone through an education system where lessons are taught with activity, if any?

Somehow we can accept that play and fun is an integral part of learning at pre-school levels but once our children move into primary school we think that lessons should not be fun. For example, the whole Montessori Method of teaching lies on the premise that young children learn best through play and discovery. So why should enjoyable lessons stop after kindergarten. As working adults, we too remember those fun yet educational training sessions more compared to those long lectures at conferences. So our children cannot be much different.

The question is not whether fun is good or bad, rather it is about what type of fun is good and what type is bad.

Fun is not all bad.

When a lesson is infused with focused activities that engages pupils’ senses and keeps them mentally stimulated pupils will reap the full benefits of a Fun lesson, which includes the following,

• Pupils will enjoy the learning process and have a positive association with learning and also with the subject.
• They are less likely to be distracted because their senses are adequately engaged on the lesson and activities.
• They are in a relaxed state of mine and therefore they are learning will take place faster and more effectively.
• By doing, the lessons remain in their mind longer and they remember better.
• The activity may trigger new knowledge and this can deepen the learning.
• They may be more motivated to do their homework for a subject they enjoy.
• Kids will pick up social skills as they learn to work together, cooperate and tolerate their peers.

It is always easy for one or two playful students to disrupt a fun lesson. So the onus is on the teacher to make sure that students are kept on task and that they are very clear about why they are doing the ‘fun activities’. She will also need good classroom management skills to reign in the disruptive student.

For example, at Science Buddies, we have taken such things into consideration to design hands on lessons to be effective and efficient. Our students have a lot of fun and at the same time they understand the scientific concepts at a much deeper level that pupils who have to sit through a typical sit-down-and-listen style of most Science lesson. It is also not good enough for pupils to just watch teacher demonstrations and expect them to understand it better. It is always better for pupils to build their understanding of concepts ‘with their own hands’. Moreover, we have designed structured lessons that every teacher must refer to so that lessons remain effective no matter who takes the class.

Some people also believe that fun cannot be structured, or that if a lesson is structured, it can’t possibly be fun. In a classroom context, fun must be structured to have educational value. For example, when our children play at the playground, they are having fun. It is not structured and they may not pick up anything of educational value at the end of the day. But the same activities, done under the supervision of a teacher and guided by a structured lesson plan can be highly educational in topics like Forces.

Fun is not always good.

We also understand that fun is not good all the time. Pupils cannot expect each and every lesson to be fun. The primary objective of education should not be about entertaining the student. It should be about equipping them with a set of thinking and technical skills that will help them later in life. The 'not-fun' elements of education do serve important purposes. For example, when nearing a test or exam, Science Buddies will focus more on practicing exam papers, something neither interactive nor fun. But it is a necessity and making it fun will not help in reaching the objectives and it may even make pupils not take exam preparation seriously.

The balance between fun and ‘serious’ work must be carefully balanced so that pupils are motivated to learn and they can appreciate the teacher’s ability to make the subject come alive. At the same time, students cannot have the expectation that they have the right to an interesting lesson each and every time.

In conclusion.
Somehow living in a face paced society, we have come to believe that striving for success must always be a stressful experience. We need to let go of the notion.