The Value of Interactions:
Learning takes place through interactions with the
environment around, nature, things and people, both
through actions and through language. The physical
activity of moving, exploring and doing things, on one's
own, with one’s peers or in the company of adults, and
using language — to read, to express or ask, to listen
and to interact — are the key processes through which
learning occurs. The context in which learning takes
place is thus of direct cognitive significance.
Much of our school learning is still individual
based (although not individualised!). The teacher is seen
as transmitting ‘knowledge’, which is usually confused
with information, to children, and organising
experiences in order to help children learn. But
interaction with teachers, with peers, as well as those
who are older and younger can open up many more
rich learning possibilities. Learning in the company of
others is a process of interacting with each other and
also through the learning task at hand. This kind of
learning is enriched when schools enrol children from
different socio-economic backgrounds.
In the early primary school years, a beginning has
been made in the area of group work. Projects and
activities that can be carried out by groups need to become a feature of learning in the middle and high
school also. There are ways in which such group
learning can be assessed and evaluated. Schools could
also consider giving mixed age groups of children
projects to do together. In such mixed groups, there is
much that children can learn from each other, such as
team work and social values. In the company of others,
one has opportunities of participating in larger tasks
where one may find a niche to contribute to, thus
achieving something above one’s own potential, and
one may be able to try out what one does not fully
know. Group learning tasks, taking responsibility, and
contributing to a task at hand are all important facets
of not only acquiring knowledge but also in the learning
of arts and crafts . In a multi-grade class situation, such
vertical grouping, which cuts across different grades,
and which allows a single activity to be used across
different age groups, could provide a pedagogically
feasible and sound curriculum plan
