Reinforcing lessons from a study trip is one of the most critical ways of measuring the impact of an academic trip. School trips memories rarely fade, and more so the lessons learnt from those experiences. Looking back at school trips, students can forget what they wore, who they sat next to on the day of travel, but can never forget what they did, what they saw and learned. Study trips are a right of passage for students and the youth as they form the basis of experiential learning, exposing them to the world in school or internships.
Great teachers are resourceful in pushing for applications of the lesson learned during a school trip. Drawing from our interactions with teachers and parents, as well as students we expound on the ways these lessons are useful for students. These include:
Class project after a trip
On a science study trip, students explore real time applications of concepts at school. The simple litmus test at a school lab is a key process in production of perfume as it is used to determine the concentration of the product.
A science experiment on fermentation is the basic principle behind production of beer. Study visits to craft beer factory, not only introduces students to the manufacturing, but they also experience scientific processes, such as fermentation, distillation, etc
Students on science school trips can be assigned a project to extract colours from flowers or leaves and use distillation to extract colours from the concentrate. Such initiatives help to reinforce lessons after school trips.
Exam after a study trip
During a recent study trip to the East African coast, students were tasked with collection, documentation and classification of geological material. This included rocks, sea creatures, plant material etc, found during the trip.
Classification of materials helps students understand the context, the processes in geological formations, such as soil type and ecology, they understand animal identification and plant diversity.
A study trip to Zanzibar will give students a project of the above tasks which could be in the form of an exam.
Presentation and exhibition
After a geography study trip to Iceland, exploring the dynamic landscape, the head of Geography invited students to hold an exhibition at the school square to document the experience. This gave the students a sense of pride in being involved and being the selected few who experienced the magic of Iceland. The results were amazing as the exhibitions inspired other students to study geography as a subject of interest while reinforcing the concepts they picked from the school trip.
Research material and case study
The findings, collection, memories, stories and images used as source of case study. After an architecture study trip to the UAE, the participating group of students from the architecture school brought materials such as books, autographs from architects, maps, portfolios, and architectural models that inspired the rest of the classmates. This created a cohesive spirit for that studio class inspiring great ideas in the school projects.
Articles and blogs
There is always a positive vibe after school trips. Experience is fresh in students minds and once highlighted on a blog, helps to transform the experience from a trip into an active way of thinking. On a recent art trip to the Vatican, the students were able to document the type of art movements experienced at Saint Peter Square. This included classifying the movements into periods and also identifying the great artists behind such beautiful works of art.
As study trips are live learning experiences reinforcing the lessons picked and helps in further cementing the concepts, transforming the learning initiatives.