LEARNING CAMP
MERRY LOUDEN P. LIANGCUNGCO
As we all know, learning camp is an educational environment outside the traditional
classroom setting where students engage in experiential learning activities. These camps
provide opportunities for students to acquire important skills that are not always explicitly
taught in the classroom, such as sportsmanship, positive peer relations, social skills, and
a sense of belonging. Learning camps can take various forms, including summer camps,
field trips, and extended stays at research stations. They offer a different physical setting that
fosters a bond among class members and creates a learning community. Learning centers,
which are another type of educational environment, can also provide self-directed
learning opportunities for students to enhance academic skills in various areas. Overall,
learning camps and centers aim to provide students with direct experiences and opportunities
for deep learning outside the traditional classroom setting.
Teaching and learning can become inherently spontaneous and student-centered when
moved from the confines of the classroom into the world at large. From the collaborative
learning atmosphere that results from the unique relationships developed outside the classroom,
to the deep learning that occurs when students must put into practice “in the real
world” what they have theorized about from behind a desk, field experiences are unmatched
in their learning potential. Field experiences early in a student’s career can be formative and
can inspire students to continue in a field. The outside the classroom learning experience,
commonly known as “field trip,” is a type of experiential learning which get students away
from the formal classroom into a new environment. It can as be simple as taking the class
out on to the campus for a drawing exercise. Outside classroom activities can include
summer field camps, extended stays at research stations and even a semester abroad. the
potential benefits for teaching and learning outside the classroom activities can be enormous.
putting a class into a different physical setting generates a bond among class members
and creates a learning community.