Once more ‘active teaching and learning’ in Ghana: MSM successfully delivers KNUST Summer School 2017

Recently, MSM trainers Miriam Frijns and Rita van Deuren delivered the KNUST Summer School 2017 for senior academic staff with a training on active teaching and learning. Following the successful delivery of a similar training in March 2017 for around 30 KNUST staff, this time KNUST invited MSM to deliver the training to an audience of around 400 to 500 senior academic staff.

KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) is one of the largest universities in Ghana and hosts around 50,.000 students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The university aims for continuous improvement of its teaching programs to prepare students adequately for the labor market. The MSM training contributed to this objective by providing hands-on techniques related to student centered teaching and learning. The training dealt with topics such as 21stcentury skills, ILO’s (integrated learning objectives), learning styles, presentation skills, and active forms of teaching and learning.

The MSM approach in delivering the training gave participants practical examples of how interaction between teacher and students can be realized in large classes. Traditional methods were used, such as asking questions, interviews, small group assignments, presentations and competitions. In addition, the trainers also used more recent techniques such as creating a KNUST Summer School 2017 WhatsApp account that participants used to ask questions or give comments. Furthermore, the use of KAHOOT! (a free game-based learning platform) allowed participants to participate in quizzes and surveys by using their smartphones. Finally, with help from participants in the previous training as sub-peer group leaders, participants got the opportunity to practice in small groups what they learned in the large group.