Bringing abstract concepts alive. How to base learning success on the principles of playing, curiosity and in-classroom differentiation

Abstract

This article addresses the question which goals a valuable and sustainable learning process should aim at. Meaningful learning activities, emotional commitment and meeting individual needs are identified as core principles. According to these principles, several theories that support the construction of such lesson sequences are discussed. In particular, the importance of knowledge as compared to pure information retrieving is highlighted. From this perspective, the concept of In-Classroom Differentiation is derived. Finally, a concrete example demonstrates how this concept translates from theory into practice. Thus, this article addresses both, the theoretical foundation and the practical implementation. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.