The White Paper discusses how activities outside the classroom has a positive impact on student’s development. The paper, titled The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom talks about the importance of involving students in multiple extracurricular activities to ensure social and emotional maturity.

1. WHITE PAPER
THE RELEVANCE OF
ENCOURAGING
LEARNING
OUTSIDE CLASSROOM
w w w . i a o . o r g

2. Table of Contents
1 Executive Summary
2 The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside Classroom
3 College Field Trips
4 Participation in Debates
5 College Plays/Theatre Performance
6 Campus Sports
7 Volunteerism in College
8 Conclusion
9 About IAO

3. Executive Summary
Students engaging in both academic and non-academic activities - inside and outside the classroom -
especially during their undergraduate years, accelerate their learning and personal development.
Institutions should aim to make classroom experiences more productive and encouraging for students to
give more of their time outside the classroom to educationally focused activities and enhance learning.
Institutional circumstances, encouraging students to utilize their out-of-class experiences to their
educational development are as follows:
1. Clear, coherent, and consistently expressed educational purposes;
2. A guiding institutional philosophy that values talent development as a primary goal of
undergraduate education;
3. Complementary institutional policies and practices congruent with students' characteristics and
needs;
4. High, clear expectations for student performance;
5. Use of e¬ffective teaching approaches;
6. Systematic assessment of student performance and institutional environments, policies, and
practices;
7. Ample opportunities for student involvement in meaningful out-of-class activities;
8. Human scale settings characterized by ethics of membership and care; and
9. An ethos of learning that pervades all aspects of the institution.
In this white paper, we are going to discuss as to how certain extra-curricular activities can
enable students to develop as individuals, tremendously helping them in their learning.
1 Executive Summary

4. The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom
Introduction: The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom
today’s technologically-oriented world. In this day and age, teachers and learners value the various
opportunities of learning in various areas. By being involved in a diverse range of activities and experimenting
This has a profound impact on the students’ personal, social and emotional development.
Key Reasons why learning outside the classroom should be encouraged:
It is an engaging experience for students;
Improves students’ imagination and creativity;
It accelerates students’ personal, emotional and social development through acquiring diverse knowledge.
2 The Relevance of Encouraging Learning Outside the Classroom

5. Field Trips
Apart from the long bus rides, sack lunches and
varied students’ development needs and be
conducted in various ways, stimulating deep,
active learning.
the learning experience, creating a learning
community, along with the engagement with
concepts that is required by these experiences.
room to get to know their students more closely
world compared to their teachers.
This observation into student world-views
enables teachers to better communicate the
concepts of their subjects.
Impact of field trip on student learning
ely which enhances overall learning of a new and
different environment.
• It gives students a chance to get to know each other and interact in a more relaxed way, without the pressure of
grades or the constraints of a classroom environment.
• Students who learn through doing rather than listening grea
Actually doing things and experiencing new learning environment greatly enhances learning.
ce, college students can travel to different parts of the world
to study their culture. School children can go camping and experience outdoor nature.
ere students learn about helping the underprivileged
people which often results in further volunteering activities by the student.
3 Field Trips

6. Participation in Debates
Anyone who has participated in academic debate
competitions should have no doubt about their many
advantages, greatly impacting on one’s level of under-
Debate encourages students scholarship:
Even though students worry that debate may impede
with thier academics, it, on the contrary, encourages
them to pursue thier regular course work with more
energy and determination.
-
Debate prepares for leadership: The primary
requisite of all leaders in any position is to provide
direction and be able to explain why the direction is to
be taken.
Debate trains in argumentation: Debates have always been the most accurate tool for argument.
problems: Debate topics touch upon areas of knowledge students won’t otherwise explore as the
curriculum won’t have allowed. Debaters agree that having researched and debated on a topic, they are
now more interested in that topic.
Debate aids in knowledge integration: Debate topics are versatile and intersect numerous disciplines.
This permits debaters to expand their knowledge of unique disciplines outside their routine academic
subjects.
Debate augments aptitude in resolute inquiry: Debate topics on the cutting edge, deal with new
technology and varied ideas from the norm of the day. By taking up in-depth research and conduct inquiry
Other advantages of participating in debate competitions include:
• Debate develops the ability to make prompt, analytical responses
• Debate develops critical listening skills
• Debate develops proficiency in writing
• Debate develops courage
• Debate encourages effective speech composition and delivery
• Debate helps develops social maturity
4 Participation in Debates

7. College Plays/Theatre Performance
Students participating in theater enjoy a wide
to sing, dance and perform on stage, the
performers is phenomenal.
Furthermore, participating in a performance
is a great time commitment. The time
required in auditions, rehearsals and
performances requires dedication, prioritizing,
responsibility and organization. Since theatre
demands high commitment level, it teaches
performers responsibility.
The highs and lows of theater prepare students performing for the highs and lows of real aspects of life.
While sometimes you may take the center stage and enjoy the limelight, you may also at times have to play
a backstage role. Real life too comes with its set of failures and successes.
Theater programs in schools are essential, and educate students in ways that textbooks cannot. Every
Broadway-worthy performance.
Both students and teachers must recognize and value theater as an art form in its own Students
participating in theater also encounter aspects of multiple other forms and disciplines - such as movement
and dance, literature, vocal music, media, design principles and visual art, various technical skills, and public
relations - woven together in a distinctive theatrical theme.
However, one must take into account the importance of the combination of teachers, students and theater
theme to make the experience more complex and variable. The mere participation in a play does not
guarantee the presence of all possible advantages expressed here.
5 College Plays/Theatre Performance

8. Campus Sports
Students extensively participating in sport
and physical activity support the health
and well-being of the college community
on the whole. As a result, learners tend to
with their overall academic experience.
Sport as a tool to aid retention:
Students who play and train within an
Academy have better attendance and
retention rates than other students and
are more inclined to continue their studies
in order to receive the support, guidance
and expertise that the sport and team/club provides. In most cases, students have to succeed within both
their sporting activity and their academic studies in order to stay on the program which assists with both
attendance and retention at college. Sport can also instill a strong sense of unity across the college and
contribute towards achieving higher satisfaction amongst students.
Raising self-esteem and self confidence & improving behavior: A number of colleges can prove,
through their institutional stats, as to how involvement in sports raises self-esteem and boosts the
while improving behavior within class and on-campus at large.
A contribution to achievement, attainment and success: Sport, being the perfect platform to facilitate
students’ attainment and achievement, the knowledge and experiences gained through it is transferred to
classroom learning too. Again, many colleges show evidence of how students who participate in sports
gain higher levels of attainment than their non-participative peers.
Increased employment prospects:
on the whole and provide students with crucial vocational experience to enhance their resume. Having a
links with recognized sport and leisure employers. Participative students hence enjoy greater potential to
gain employment
6 Campus Sports

9. Volunteerism in College
IAO outlines the advantages of
volunteerism in college, as colleges at
times do not quite consider them while
planning voluntary schedules:
Boosts Participants’ Resume: Many
students mention voluntary work on
their college resumes. Volunteerism
can totally be worth students’ time
and efforts in pursuing a volunteer
position. Employers like seeing that
applicants volunteer their time, and
are able to manage it well enough to
take on an unpaid position. Volun-
teerism also suggests that the
applicant is a team player, a quality
many employers will look for in potential human resource. Many companies also lead a number of annual
volunteer projects on their staffs, so if students are active in community service and apply to work for such an
organization, they can surely play up that experience.
Builds Participants’ Network: Volunteer positions are a great way to meet people, especially if you volunteer in
an area that could be of use to you post-graduation. Aside from a professional network, volunteerism can also
help you build your social network. You’ll not only be able to find like-minded people who share your interests,
but people from different walks of life as you, as well.
Helps Participants Grow: Whether it’s a somewhat selfish reason to volunteer or not, volunteerism makes one
feel good nonetheless. The work one does is always rewarding and beneficial to segments of the population and
areas of the community that need volunteers to thrive. In a volunteer situation, one person can make a real
difference, getting that feeling once they start. Volunteering can also help you build on your existing skill sets. If
you’re relatively shy and want to become more outgoing, find a position that will build up your communication
skills.
7 Volunteerism in College

10. Conclusion
Surpassed?
The circumstances that promote student learning outside the classroom cannot be created by any one
individual. Nevertheless, an institution can increase the chances that students will experience college as a
across the academic and out-of-class scope of students' lives and removing obstacles to students' quest of
their academic and personal goals.
In order for this to happen, faculty, administrators, and others must challenge students and each other to
8 Conclusion

11. About IAO
Accreditation and educational quality assurance are essential factors that complete the educational
ecosystem.
While regional accreditation bodies have dutifully evaluated education providers on a regional scale; a
body to recognize and accredit education providers on an international scale was needed in the wake of
growing globalization. With more students studying at Educational Institutions or working for companies
-
outside their home country, it was imperative to create standards that are both regionally and internation
ally recognized and accepted.
practices in education in one place. IAO gathered educational quality assurance standards from around in
world in collaboration with various regional accreditation bodies and created evaluation criteria, that
works as a general basis of evaluation for any education provider, regardless of its regional location. The
providers that will supplement their regional accreditation.
System for students on an individual level that will increase individual acceptability and recognition of
students in both educational sector and the employer market.
IAO owes its success to its strong network and team of accreditation professionals spread in over 25
countries around the world. IAO has also collaborated with regional accreditation bodies to supplement
their strict accreditation methods with its expertise of standardizing the educational environment interna-
9 About IAO

12. Contact Office
IAO, 10685-B Hazelhurst Dr. #11524
Houston, TX 77043, USA
Phone E-mail Website
1-866-2768-IAO (426) contact@iao.org www.iao.org