Can Afterschool Programs help with learning loss?

Co-curricular activities (CCAs) are an emerging phenomenon, especially since Covid19. Activities like sports, arts, crafts, and field trips may seem like fun or unimportant extras but they actually can have a significant impact on how students acquire content. Co-curricular activities provide opportunities for students to work with others, apply knowledge outside of the classroom and build interpersonal skills. Although there isn’t much research on the effects of CCAs specifically, new initiatives are popping up around the world to address this concern. Here are some ways co-curricular activities are addressing learning loss from CCA programs:

Team-building exercises are great ways to engage students

Teams can be great for building social skills and students can get to know and understand one another. There are various ways to engage students in the community as well . There are Activities like:

• Engaging in problem-solving using a story- Participants receive one page of a book or magazine, and must make a poem or story by using the context, words, or theme.

• Requiring critical thinking- Real problem and pretend play- Bring in a real-world problem like water scarcity to pretend play and ask them to think of solutions. Set a timer, and have them present.

• Forming a deeper understanding- Solving a problem- How can we make the entrance to the school feel safe and welcoming? Draw, create, or make a T chart on the current status and future entrance.

• Encouraging constant reflection on behavior, content, and curriculum. Activities in which students work together to solve problems, learn new skills or interact outside of their normal classroom environment can help address deficiencies in specific skills. Reflection circles allow students to make sense of material/experience in relation to themselves, others, and the conditions that shaped the material/experience; Reimagine material/experience for future personal or social benefit. (Sawyer)

As students spend more time working independently in standardized environments, they lose opportunities to develop these skills. Team-building exercises can be designed to improve these skills. Asking a group to solve a problem, identify skills gaps, and identify new ways to solve them can have a significant impact on student learning.

How To Make Abstract Learning Fun Through Game-based learning

Games have been a staple of education for centuries. They have the unique ability to make abstract concepts seem fun. Researchers have found that when students can see the value in their coursework and connect it to something that’s relevant to them, they find the subject more interesting and are more likely to retain the information. Students need experiences where they can apply what they’re learning, and gaming provides unique opportunities to do so. Many games allow players to create their own stories or build worlds where they’re the main character. And with technology now at the centre of so many people’s lives, it’s critical that students develop the digital skills needed to navigate this new world.

Education Outside The Classroom and After-School Programming

CCAs can help address learning loss by providing students with experiences outside the classroom that apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom. These topics listed below can be fun activities during an afterschool program that students can use inside of the classroom. Topics such as:

1. Geology - Find two rocks compare and contrast their characteristics, identify their type, and explain why they are different.

2. Biology- Hunting for insects and observing their natural habitats.

3. Biodiversity- Students can observe the different plants and dog/animal species can be the topic of discussion.

4. Ecosystems -Students can build a food-web ecosystem, or draw one.

5. Human body- Students can discuss the human body anatomy and our bodily functions.

Bringing this knowledge outside the classroom can bridge the gap, helping students apply what they’re learning. This can help support learning loss issues in two ways. First, it can help students understand the value of knowledge outside of the classroom. Second, it can bring abstract concepts to classroom conversation. The outdoor experience game could help learners acquire new knowledge by interacting with real-world learning activities. (Yang)

Conclusion

Co-curricular activities can address learning loss but it takes time and collaboration. This is an “All hands on deck” effort by all stakeholders. The afterschool program, teachers, content experts, curriculum teams, and administration must come together to make this happen. If this is done right, other schools will not only adopt these fun practices, but you will start to see many after-school ideas and activities slide into school traditions. While CCAs can be a fun way to spend time in school, they can also be an effective way to address learning loss while out of the classroom.

How Technology is Changing Education. Today, most schools use some form of technology. Whether it’s a laptop for each student, a network connecting all the classrooms, or an iPad for each student, technology has changed the way we learn.

References

Yang, Ming-Jhe & Chen, Jui-Hung & Chao, Louis & Shih, Timothy. (2009). Developing the Outdoor Game-Based Learning Environment by Using Ubiquitous Technologies. 270 - 272. 10.1109/ICALT.2009.27.

Sawyer, David. Activities. Chapter 5: Activities - Facilitating Reflection: A Manual for Higher Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/reflection_manual/activities.html?_ga=2.78189597.889451958.1667506858-616651106.1667506858