Article | The Value of Object-Based Learning within and between Higher Education Disciplines | Arabella SHARP, Linda THOMPSON, Helen J. CHATTERJEE and Leonie HANNAN | 2016
Nina El Laban-Devauton
31 July, 2024
Germany
This text presents the results of a quantitative and qualitative study about object-based teaching and learning (OBTL) carried out at University College London (UCL) from 2012 to 2014. Students from a wide range of subjects and across study levels were asked about their experience with OBTL. The results are significant for teachers engaging in OBTL.
Following an object-based learning session, 432 students from 17 undergraduate courses and seven postgraduates modules filled out a questionnaire about their impressions of the experience.
It was observed that the lower the students’ level – first or second year of undergraduate studies –, the higher the gain in knowledge and understanding of the study subject. OBTL continues to benefit students in higher semesters, but in terms of consolidating knowledge rather than acquiring new knowledge. Crucial at any level of study is the planning of the object-related session and its anchoring in the broader course and degree program. A precariously organised study unit might otherwise be seen as disconnected from the curriculum, leading to confusion for the students.
Overall, the participants in this study reacted positively to OBTL and identified the achievement of valuable skills, such as observation, identification, comparison and classification; analytical skills; tactile literacy – how to handle objects –; and communication skills – in having to present, speak about, and discuss the object afterwards. Strikingly, OBTL proved particularly efficient for students of predominantly theory- and text-based programs, such as English, History, or History of Art.
Source
Sharp, A., Thompson, L., Chatterjee H. J., Hannan L. Chapter 5: “The Value of Object-Based Learning within and between Higher Education Disciplines” in Chatterjee, H. J. and Hannan, L. Engaging the Senses: Object-based Learning in Higher Education, Routledge (2016), pp. 97-116.