Technology has 'boosted' self-learning opportunities

School staff should consider embracing independent learning and avoid 'spoon feeding' pupils with too much information, it has been suggested.

According to Timothy Seldin, president of the Montessori Foundation, technological advances over recent years have meant that opportunities for self-learning have increased hugely.

"It's a very rich environment for exploring ideas in comparison with the way things were just ten years ago," he stated.

The particularly notable advancement, said Mr Seldin, is the internet, which makes a massive amount of information easily accessible and therefore makes the idea of self-learning "much more appealing".

However, teachers must be "willing to accept" that they do not have to "spoon feed" all the relevant information to their pupils if this is to prove successful.

According to research published last year by education charity Futurelab, giving pupils a greater say in their education can help improve their attitude to school.

It suggested that those who worked in partnership with their teachers and played a role in designing their own curriculum appeared more confident, engaged and positive about school.




Published On 21/04/2009