Guidelines for Creating
Learning Activities
A learning activity that is not carefully planned and structured can confuse and discourage learners. As educators, our challenge is to use activities in a way that will motivate learners, and help them to achieve worthwhile learning outcomes. If activities don’t motivate and encourage learners, learners will try to find ways not to do them! When planning an activity, you should ask yourself the following four ‘big’ questions:
1. WHO is the activity for?
- Is the activity at a manageable level for learners in this grade?
- Will the activity be real and interesting for the learners? (This will apply particularly if it is based on things that are part of their experience.)
2. WHY are they doing it?
- What is the purpose of the activity?
- What new information will the learners learn?
Teachers should be able to explain the principles of using ICT in education, describe how these principles can be put into practice, analyse the issues that arise in implementing these principles and how the issues can be addressed (KD.1.a).