ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22
Experiential learning is an invaluable aspect of our teaching and learning programme. Our students learn skills that are needed in cross-cultural interactions that are critical for success in the globalised world. Students at OSC enhance their experiential learning in multiple ways both in the classroom and beyond.
Experiential education encompasses service as learning in PYP and MYP, and Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) in the Diploma Programme. It also includes various learning experiences beyond the classroom. The Secondary School’s “Experience Sri Lanka! Week Without Walls” is a key aspect of this. Individual classes conduct field studies and fieldwork in our neighbourhood and in close proximity to the ecosystems in Sri Lanka. Highlights include long-term socio-economic surveys near the Sinharaja rainforest, urban wetland system studies in Diyasaru park, tourism studies in Galle Fort, and energy studies in the Central Highlands. These all contribute to a holistic approach to education and fulfil our School’s mission and vision.
CAS at OSC
The CAS component is a vital part of the educational experience for all DP 1 and DP 2 students at OSC. As stated in the OSC mission statement, we recognise that education neither begins nor ends in the classroom or the examination hall. The essential aspects of education may exist outside both of these. An international education must go well beyond the provision of information and is inevitably involved in the development of attitudes and values which transcend barriers of race, class, religion, gender, and politics. As per the IB design, CAS encompasses a broad range of extracurricular activities including SAISA sports, creative pursuits, activities such as the Colombo Operated Model United Nations (COMUN), and service to the community.
The defining aspect of our CAS programme is the use of blogs to channel student reflections. These are public spaces that DP students maintain to keep a running record of their goals and learning in the CAS programme. A look through OSC’s blogs from this year illustrates the diversity and wealth of experiential learning of our DP students. Our students’ blogs going back to the Class of 2012 can be accessed through the OSC website, https://www.osc.lk/learning/secondary-geckos/diploma-programme/reflective-spaces.
DP students structure their CAS experience around seven learning outcomes stipulated by the IB. These are broad ideas that help students to focus their learning in the CAS programme and guide them effectively in goal setting, action, and reflection.
- Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
- Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
- Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
- Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively
- Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
- Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Experience Sri Lanka! Week Without Walls (WWW) Programme
Following a challenging period brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Experience Sri Lanka: Week Without Walls programme was successfully held in January 2022. Holding this programme of diverse learning excursions after a lapse of one year was nothing short of a miracle. The teachers, support staff, and administration worked tirelessly during the year to organise an excellent learning-based programme that was appreciated by students and their parents. As in previous WWW learning experiences, the success of this year’s programme was the outcome of effective organisation, planning, and excellent teamwork on the part of teachers and administration. The programme is divided into a large group WWW experience (for MYP1-4) and smaller groups with an element of choice (for MYP5 and DP1). The students visited historical sites in Kandy and Galle, cycled in the Cultural Triangle, rafted on the Kelani River, hiked the three highest peaks in the island, watched birds in Bundala and participated in many more rewarding experiences.