Experiences

Theory and practice hand in hand

Sandis Breiers

Latvia

Vocational School

Technology

Teaching in class, Laboratory

Direct

I teach subjects that are related to electricity such as electrical machines and electrical equipment assembly. Major problem is outdated lecture notes in my High Secondary School. They contain a lot of unnecessary information, poor quality pictures and just few real samples, which can make it easier to explain the theory. I teach only three years in my High Secondary School, and before that the previous teacher for too many years used the same lecture notes are easily read. Lectures were very boring and uninteresting.
Electrical engineering is constantly evolving, so the lecture notes must continually improve. I have now improved lecture notes with the latest technologies, understandable graphs. I teach theory with presentations on a projector, thus giving students the most important information with interesting images. Of course in-depth learning of a subject can use the full lecture notes. I try to show as much as possible real equipment parallel to the theory and explain theory with practice as far as possible. School has not yet available latest technologies but i show to students informative videos, so that students gain an idea of the actual equipment.
In these few years, I feel that students begin to better understand the theory. They show an interest in electricity. They make and repair at home electrical devices and circuits. They start to ask more and more questions. That means that they are trying to understand theory.
Overall, I conclude that theory can only be taught parallel with its practical use. Theory must be interesting and easy to understand. Best way is that students would like to learn.