Experimenting with experiential learning

By Staff Writers Cecilia Cheng, Amy Han, Saesha Prabhakar & Lucas Zhang

Introduction

In today’s digitized world, classrooms have evolved beyond the use of traditional lecture-based teaching techniques to increase student engagement. From virtual reality math lessons to year-long community report projects, schools have been increasingly implementing multimedia and service-based teaching methods in the classrooms. Through these innovations, educators have transformed modern classrooms into interactive and creative spaces.

Multimedia

To keep up with the use of digital tools in the modern workplace, educators at MSJ have been implementing AI into the curriculum as a tool to aid learning rather than to restrict it. “I look at using ChatGPT and Gemini in the same kind of a way… to figure out how to utilize new technologies while still maintaining the integrity of what we’re teaching in classrooms, with students still [producing] their own thought-provoking, self-generated work,” Assistant Principal Bridget Medrano said. 

Additionally, following educational technology trends, FUSD has piloted Virtual Reality (VR) technology to integrate physical learning concepts into digital worlds.  Following its introduction in March 2024, six FUSD math classrooms currently use the PrismsVR program to enrich student learning. At Hopkins, for example, teachers have used VR to teach fractions and equations by allowing students to simulate a physical balance scale model with equivalent expressions to find the most efficient way to fight deforestation. Overall, the implementation of VR has had positive feedback, with 66.5% of students in those six classrooms reporting that the PrismsVR tools have helped them feel more engaged in math class, according to an FUSD Board of Education meeting. Although the program was discontinued due to hygiene concerns and issues with equipment distribution, VR technologies has still proven to be a valuable tool for furthering students’ comprehension of abstract concepts.

Moreover, MSJ is also undergoing significant technological overhauls. In collaboration with California’s Career Technical Education program, MSJ Math Teacher Freddy Saldana incorporates 3D printing into classrooms. His current 3D printing classroom, Project Lead the Way, aims to increase the versatility of 3D equipment and expand the scope of 3D design lessons beyond the standard curriculum. This development allows students to  express their ideas and solve problems with greater reliability and accuracy.

Extending beyond classrooms, programs across Fremont are enhancing learning through technological resources. Camp Integem and the Ohlone for Kids and Teens program (OFK), for example, have incorporated personalized digital instruments — such as AI tools, robotics, drones, and holographic augmented reality software — for each student to introduce them to the environment of today’s workplace. “[These technologies] are hardware, but [they] can also [push you to] think about engineering designs [as an] expression of your creativity in the physical world,” Camp Integem CEO Eliza Du said. In the same way, OFK encourages students to truly understand and explore physical technology instead of using it without consideration to its mechanics. With the recent inclusion of 3D printing and drone dynamics courses in their summer camp, students are able to apply a hands-on approach to tackle technological problems. These lessons help combine designs and physics principles with today’s progressing technologies, keeping students prepared for future technological developments while providing them with an engaging and personalized learning experience. 

Service-Based Learning

In addition to embracing technological advancements, MSJ continues to emphasize experiential learning through its service learning requirements. A 2017 University of Toledo study discovered that students who participated in service-learning at school often had higher GPAs and were 47.7% more likely to graduate than students who did not. They also observed that service based learning opportunities at schools correlated with information retention rates. Experiential learning’s benefits extend to MSJ through the school’s 40 service hour graduation requirement. Students are pushed to expand their skillsets through volunteering and engaging with the local community.

Fremont is not limited when it comes to offering resources for service programs. Olive Children Foundation is an educational organization with three sites in Fremont that embodies the ideal that students can make a significant impact by serving their community.  Olive Children Foundation provides high quality programming to children K-12, preparing them to be leaders through innovative and hands-on educational programming, and the foundation organizes volunteer days with local shelters to help build homes in Mexico in partnership with Doxa. The Olive Children Foundation makes service learning accessible and beneficial to students, helping them build community connections and experiences. Similarly, Irvington High School’s Question Understanding Expert Service Testimony (QUEST) graduation requirement also serves as a way of including service learning in high school curricula. The QUEST instructs high school seniors to report on a social issue of their choice. Through the program, students can learn to advocate for their ideas on a topic substantial to them while addressing a genuine socioeconomic concern.  Such programs help connect classroom concepts to real-world applications, removing the disconnect between school material and practicality. 

At MSJ, students have the opportunity to work as a Teacher’s Assistant for a teacher on campus as part of their class schedule. A TA’s responsibilities include grading homework, providing personalized feedback, and clarifying teacher instructions. Acting as a TA allows students to share their knowledge and communicate with peers who have experience in the course while also developing interpersonal skills.

With the integration of new learning approaches, students can now explore learning beyond the limits of school curricula. “You want to give students something that seems relevant for them,” English Teacher Beum Chung said. “If you’re giving them entertainment or literature or stories in the medium that they’re actually not used to, or [enjoy] seeing it in, it often helps their engagement rise.” Experiential learning trains students on soft skills like communication, adaptability, and empathy that current school curricula often suppress, making service learning a long-standing and essential component of the educational experience.

We want to hear your voice! What’s your take on experiential learning and the incorporation of multimedia in education?