Schools strategise for lesson recall as pupils return from break
Several students are prone to forgetting what they had learnt in their classes when they get back from their winter break. To counter this, schools in Dubai are adopting various scientific approaches and influential learning models to embed retrieval practices among pupils.
Academic retention declines during holidays and children lose the edge on academic skills and knowledge they had built up in classes, say educators. Often, it's a lack of revision that's the cause.
Emma Monteith, Assistant Principal (Teaching, Learning and Innovation), GEMS Firstpoint School – The Villa, said: “We are working regularly to develop our pedagogy around metacognition and how learning happens in the brain. It is encouraging that education is moving in this direction, and our teachers are enthusiastic about applying research in this way. We have worked on drilling into research such as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, Rosenshine's Principles and Cognitive Load Theory, which have all helped our work to combat academic retention decline.
“Students sometimes associate knowledge recall and retention with assessments and exams when they are tasked with the pressures of revision. So, conversations around this topic tend to crop up more frequently during examination time. However, cognitive science teaches us that the learning process entirely relies on our ability to recall and regularly retrieve knowledge, which means an understanding of how learning happens is important for every child.
“We are tasked with combatting the brain's inclination to forget by regularly retrieving and revisiting the material. In this regard, there is no particular pattern to a decline in learning retention, as we have systems
We are working regularly to develop our pedagogy around metacognition and how learning happens in the brain. It is encouraging that education is moving in this direction, and our teachers are enthusiastic about applying research in this way.” Emma Monteith, Assistant Principal, GEMS Firstpoint School — The Villa
in place to ensure learning is embedded.”
Mahmoud Ali, Director/coach of Arabic and Islamic Studies, GEMS Metropole School – Motor City, said: “Many students, regardless of their year group, can sometimes feel like it's their first day of school after returning from breaks and holidays. Therefore, we make sure to get students quickly back on track after the winter break by carefully planning the first days and weeks after the holidays, which offer an opportunity for a fresh start. Our teachers are supported and receive all the training they need to be able to apply different strategies to increase learning recall.”
Muhammad Ali Kottakkulam, Principal, Gulf Indian High School, Dubai, opined: “School leaders and educators usually expect a decline in students' understanding as well as retention of the learned concepts during a vacation. Hence, every school is expected to devise strategies to help students remain connected with their studies and study materials. We give vacation assignments, such as individual or group projects, collaborative research activities, worksheets, and preparation of models and displays.”