Go out of town or make it an international trip! Study Tours are a great way to make learning go beyond the four walls of the classroom.
Study Tours can be done for most, if not all, courses and specializations. It’s just a matter of finding the right destination and curating a rich itinerary! For this design pattern, we’ll look at two examples:
Details
- A local trip taken by Political Economy students to Cagayan De Oro.
Professor: Sir John Avila
Subject: Development Studies
Intended Learning Outcome: Learners taking up Development Studies will go on a Study Tour to CDO to observe and assess the industries that helped the city develop. - An international trip taken by Early Childhood Education students to South Korea.
Professor/s: Ms. Lexie Estacio, Ms. Concha dela Cruz, Ms. Melissa Garcia
Subject/s: Several CDE/ECE Majors
Intended Learning Outcome: Learners will go on a Study Tour to Korea to observe and assess the educational standards and practices of a 1st world country.
Feedback and Comments:
| Trip to CDO | Trip to South Korea |
| • The students appreciated how they got the chance to coordinate with the CDO Mayor and Tourism Office. • For this particular Study Tour, the students only needed to plan their lodging. This is because the CDO Tourism Office was very accommodating and took care of the tour itinerary and transportation. | • The students were really excited to take an international trip to learn more about educational standards in a first world country. • The students appreciated that they got to plan the entire itinerary, contact the schools, and handle other logistics (with approval from their professors). This made the trip more personal and memorable. Since the students planned the trip, they were also able to work within their budgets (this also gave some students enough time to raise funds for the trip). |
“For a highly theoretical class such as development studies, the trip to CDO has enriched and complemented my learning experience since it showed how theories come to or are applied in life. We visited places such as the Del Monte plantation and Steag State power–where I enjoyed learning how the energy and agricultural sectors played important roles in transforming a small city like CDO into one of the wealthiest cities in the PH.”
– Pol Eco Student
“If I’m being very honest, I love the schools in South Korea and had plenty of thoughts of staying there to work after the visits. They take such good care of not only the students, but the teachers as well. It was so tempting but then I remembered that I was based in the Philippines for a reason. I am a Filipino who loves teaching for a reason. If I want to improve the education system and schools in the Philippines, I have to stay and work on it. This study tour taught me that the Philippines has a long way to go [but I will try my best to apply what I’ve learned and to do my part in improving the Philippine education system].”
– CDE Student
U.N.I.T.A.S. Design Principles demonstrated in this design pattern:
| U.N.I.T.A.S. Design Principles | Application |
| Understands the learner | The learning practice is real, practical, and relatable. |
| Inspires curiosity and self-development | The activity prompted self-reflection and personal development and motivated the students to learn beyond what is taught in class. |
| Thoughtfully done | The learning experience, including the content and environment, is well prepared, organized, and conducive for learning. |
| Achieves learning goals | Since Ethics is all about the person and “knowing thyself”, this activity certainly helps achieve the learning goals. |
