Getting the teaching and learning done only in classrooms is no longer an effective way in this digital era.

Active learning entails indoor and outdoor activities, discussions, varied reading material, brainstorming, games and many more.

“ KDU Penang University College (KDU Penang) introduces the new shift in pedagogy, the ‘active learning approach’, in which students are encouraged to ‘do’ something in class and then apply critical thought and reflection to their work and activity,” said Leong Mi-Chelle, the Head of Department of Languages, KDU Penang, and also a speaker for the SMJK Chung Ling Penang’s staff development programme on August 24th, 2019.

The staff development programme organised by KDU Penang, involved 152 teachers from SMJK Chung Ling Penang, to train them to implement inventive teaching techniques in the classrooms.

A scavenger hunt was conducted during the programme and the teachers were required to identify English words around the campus and construct full sentences with those words.

“The main objective of this scavenger hunt was to show teachers how to conduct classroom activities that are more interesting and fun.

The teachers can create these kinds of interesting teaching techniques for their students to make the class more interesting and fun,” said Mi-Chelle.

She added that practical learning will engage the students’ critical thinking and apply the right methods to solve problems. Fun learning will also build students’ interest for their studies.

KDU Penang focuses on practical education, through which students not only gain knowledge from textbooks but also learn new outcomes outside of classroom work. KDU Penang is now creating its bold, new chapter with University of Wollongong, Australia, one of the top 250 ranked universities worldwide, and 16th in the world in the QS Top 50 under 50 Rankings 2019.