Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. Students gain knowledge and upgrade their skills by using the concepts which they newly learned from their respected educational institutes. There are various educational techniques by which educators deliver the lessons to the students; organizing an educational tour is one of them. Educational tours play an important role in educating students in a practical and interesting manner. It is the natural fact that something that is seen in real can be easily perceived than something that we simply read in a book and memorize theoretically. Learning something by seeing it in person is far better than just learning from books. Also, practical learning stays longer in our mind. So, taking students to trips that will relate to their academics can help them learn the things in a much better way. Educational tours can also be a way to fun and recreation and act as a stress buster for students. Every school must encourage students to participate in Educational Tours. Making the educational tours a part of the curriculum is a good idea to enhance the knowledge of the students. Educational tours are based on an interest-driven approach to improve the overall learning and development of students. On an educational tour, students are energized, excited and thrilled in anticipation of fresh perspectives and informal environments. It is a fun and pleasant time while travelling from one city to another with your classmates and friends. It allows students to witness things from a fresh perspective while trying to learn more about new situations in an informal environment. Many schools and colleges nowadays are following the practice of educational tours so that students can learn more effectively.
Importance of Educational Tours
There is a general saying “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand,” it describes the theory of retaining more information when visually experiencing the activities in a chosen environment. Below are some of the key benefits of educational tours and reasons why getting students on these trips are good for them.
- Interactive Learning: Field trips help students to interact with what they are learning. The experience goes beyond reading about a concept; students are able to see it, manipulate it or participate in it physically. Students are able to see elements with their eyes rather than reading about it and believing what they are told in books or by educators. These tours provide the students with the opportunity of learning through travel, especially to places that they may not otherwise get to visit. Educational trips provide valuable educational opportunities away from the classroom, without using textbooks and other tools which are used in a normal school setting. Students on educational trips can often learn while having fun in a more informal environment. If the educational trip destination has a professional guide who do hands-on teaching to visiting students such as at a science centre or historical museum, the learners will be excited to learn from someone new.
- Entertainment: The learning trips also provide entertainment for students. They often act as a powerful motivator for students. Breaking away from the routine provides students refreshment that might make them more focused back in the studies. Learning and fun always make a great combination. Field trips are considered as a fun, but the students learn as well, whether they realize it or not. No matter how much students learn during an educational trip, their favourite memories may be based on their enjoyment of the day. Getting away from the Institute for a day or even half a day is always exciting for students and educational trips are always highly anticipated. Students will have fun with their friends or classmates and they also may return to the classroom with a renewed focus.
- Social Interaction: Getting away from the routine atmosphere of the college or school gives students an opportunity to spend time with each other in a new environment. They may be able to connect on more of a personal level without the structure of the normal school day. Students may be able to spend much of the educational trip day in small groups, observing, chatting and learning about each other. Having a trip in the early part of the term or semester is wise since it will allow the students to make a bond with whom they may not know very well. Also, leaving the classroom for an educational tour places the students in a different social environment. They encounter a new set of folks during the course of the average field trip. These interactions teach them how to behave in different environments. They learn more self-control and communication etiquettes. It creates a sense of teamwork and community among the students as they experience a field trip together. Furthermore, students can interact with other people from all sections of society. It gives them a chance to gain new perspectives, and learn from complete strangers with unbiased opinions.
- New Experiences: Many students do not get to experience the typical trip locations with their families. Because of money constraints or lack of resources, not all parents are able to take their kids to zoos, museums and other field trip destinations. An educational trip gives the opportunity for students to experience new venues or places. While field trips take a great deal of work and energy, broadening the horizons of the students is worth it. Moreover, when students and teachers are together going on a trip, new educational environments and experiences are possible. Students may have the opportunity to observe many things that are not available at school or college, including exotic wildlife, rare plants, mechanism of industries etc. Discussing the educational trip beforehand is wise because it allows students to know what they will experience during their time away from school.
- Better Exposure: Better exposure is yet another benefit of educational tours in a student’s life. Students get to visit new places and this is a great opportunity for students who do not get many opportunities to go on trips. Especially for curious students who have the constant urge for learning new things, these educational tours are a great way of putting their knowledge as well as experiences to test. They can learn new things and this practical knowledge will help them in going a long way in their careers.
- Passion for Travel: An educational tour can be a safe way to experience the world outside of one's home. On the tour, students are surrounded by other people they know and they are guided throughout the experience by their teacher and other guides. Further, they often pay much less than they would if they went by themselves. When students realize how much they enjoy travelling, it can open new doors for them. They might decide to study abroad to more thoroughly immerse themselves in different cultures. They may also be more likely to travel independently in the future, continuing to broaden their understanding of the world. Some students might even realize their passion for learning about other cultures and turn it into a career.
- Cultural Observation: On a good educational tour, students experience a different culture through their eyes. Nowadays, many travel agencies organize the tours which are offering volunteering opportunities and other chances to see how people of varying socioeconomic levels in a variety of local people live. Such experiences can help students develop more compassion for people from different styles of life. It can also help them to reflect on how these issues affect people near their home, inspiring them to work toward change.
- Independent: While away from home and the ease of a regular support system, students have opportunities to see what they are capable of accomplishing by themselves. Travelling allows students to develop themselves in ways that cannot be achieved without stepping outside of their comfort zone, becoming more mature, independent and self-aware.
- Better Academic Performance: On an educational tour, students get to experience different styles of teaching and see a new side to their subject of study. When able to see, touch and smell the very things they have learned about in books, students return to the classroom with a deeper connection and greater motivation for their studies.
Students gain a better perspective of the world around them by going on educational tours as they are brought in direct contact with new situations which prepare them for facing challenges in their upcoming professional lives. The importance of taking the students out of the classroom to absorb, interact and be immersed in history and educational tours have several learning benefits for students to obtain practical information within the brain.
