One of the criticisms of schools and teachers is the failure to make what children learn applicable to the real world. Often there is a disconnect between what students learn and how they think they might use the information or skill.

This is most significant in subjects where concepts and ideas can be abstract or require higher order thinking. Asking students to think differently is a skill and needs to be practised by student and teacher alike. Teachers need to be able to assess student’s styles of learning and cater for differences when planning and implementing learning experiences.  Using different or non-preferential thinking techniques can help build knowledge and assist students in creative processes in their learning.

One of the key issues for students in learning is a connection or recognition of a link with other or prior learning. This is true for adults too. Effective learning has the potential to take place when students see a connect between new information and something they already know. This has much to do with relatively recent theories in brain research. If teachers, and parents for that matter, can tailor or create situations where students can encounter new knowledge through existing information it is much more likely to be retained and used later.

Other situations such as hands on learning or experiential learning can make the learning experience more “real”. Making relationships or links to the real world in simulations and experiences enables students to see some meaning and correlation between what they are learning and what they perceive its use to be in the future. This is commonly heard as, “But when will we ever need to know about iambic pentameters?” or “This algebra is so not useful.” (Excuse the grammar)

What may seem useless or trivial for many students and even many adults also is the type and level of thinking required. Asking students to think abstractly or in a higher order is good for the brain and importantly, good for developing in-depth and critical thinking skills. So one could argue it is less about the content, as such, and more about the complexity.

Making it real at school can sometimes be obvious but not always. Less obvious is not a bad thing, it just might require more thinking. More thinking can mean more learning, and that’s a good thing.