Learning by doing is an approach to education that prioritizes practical, hands-on experience over theoretical knowledge. Instead of just reading, watching, or studying a subject, learners actively engage with it by working on projects, tasks, or activities that require them to apply what they have learned in real-life situations.
This type of learning allows learners to build their skills, gain practical experience, and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By actively participating in the learning process, students can retain knowledge more effectively and develop a better understanding of how the subject applies in the real world.
This approach is frequently utilized in vocational and technical training programs where learners need hands-on experience to prepare them for their future careers. However, it can be applied to any field of study, from science to art, where learners can benefit from practical experience.
By engaging in hands-on learning experiences, students can build their skills and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. For example, in a science class, students may conduct experiments and observe chemical reactions firsthand to develop a better understanding of chemistry concepts. Similarly, in an art class, students may create their designs and experiment with different tools and techniques to develop their artistic abilities.
Benefits of learning by doing.
Practical Application: Learning by doing allows learners to apply theoretical knowledge in practical, real-world contexts. This hands-on approach bridges the gap between abstract concepts and their practical implications, enhancing understanding and retention.
Active Engagement: Instead of passively consuming information, learners actively participate in the learning process. This active engagement promotes higher levels of motivation, focus, and concentration, leading to more effective learning outcomes.
Experiential Understanding: Immersion in practical tasks allows learners to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By experiencing concepts firsthand and witnessing their outcomes, learners develop a more profound comprehension and insight into how things work.
Mistake-driven Learning: Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities. With learning by doing, learners are encouraged to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them.
Transferable Knowledge: When learners actively apply their knowledge in practical scenarios, they develop a deeper understanding of how concepts can be adapted and transferred across different contexts. This flexibility enhances problem-solving abilities and promotes lifelong learning.
Enhanced Retention: Learning by doing promotes the active processing of information, which has been shown to improve long-term retention. By engaging multiple senses and cognitive processes, learners create stronger neural connections, reinforcing their understanding and memory of the subject matter.
How to learn by doing.
Start with a clear goal and choose a project.
Research and gather information about the project and tech stack.
Break the project into smaller manageable tasks. Plan out the steps you need to take to complete the project or task.
Start working Begin working on the project or task. Take small steps and work through each part of the process.
Don't be afraid of making mistakes or trying new things.
Reflect and evaluate after each step.
Seek feedback.
Repeat - build something new.
let's understand this concept of building a simple webpage.
Set goal: I want to build a simple front page.
Research: My tech stack is html and CSS. and I gather information on html and css from w3school.com.
Break the project: I divided my HTML page into 3 parts first is the navbar second is the main content and third is the footer. after that, we will add css stylesheet
Start working: Make navbar first and give css property then move to main-content then move to the footer section.
Mistake: If you make a mistake. ok, it's normal. but learn from the mistake and move next step.
Reflect: If make the front page try to reflect all concepts you apply to the project.
Seek feedback: Show your project to your friend and community and ask for feedback
Repeat and build: In this step start a new but complex or hard project. It means increasing your level of the project.
In Doing by learning there is no proper roadmap or technique or trick. In this blog, I try to convey my idea the way I am learning.
Thank you.