Learning by Experimentation: children laboratory experiences at the higher environment of the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar
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Abstract
Background: The Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (IPT), located in the center of Portugal, has created the Academy of Science, Art and Heritage for children aged eight to fourteen, during their vacations, since 2013, with the aim to educate, stimulate creativity and learning through observation, experimentation and construction, by making available a scientific, diversified and happy learning environment.
Purpose: This paper presents the work and challenges IPT Laboratories of Archaeology, Conservation and Restoration, Chemistry, Engineering, Graphic Arts, Physics, Photography and Tourism were faced with in elaborating and run small practical workshops for two groups of up twelve children.
Methods: With a duration of one and a half hour, the workshops run with the help of a teacher or technician, plus IPT student-monitors, and are organized to allow a space to learn how to perform, test, apply and/or be creative with the recently acquired knowledge. For a symbolic enrolment tuition, the children stay within IPT premises for a full day, and provided of lunch and two snacks.
Results: The children increasingly interest for a laboratory environment work, the gradual developing of their skills, reasoning and motor dexterity capabilities, the group learning experience itself, the increasing interest and happiness of parents, and the positive IPT contribution for helping student-monitors financially, as well as the spreading of IPT work and knowledge towards the local population.
Conclusions: The positive and increasingly high development of the children, and the beneficial interaction between a university environment and its local population.
Keywords: Learning; Creativity; Experimentation; Leathership; Entrepreneurship; Interdisciplinarity
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