“Our students build their knowledge with real-life experiences”

There are two learning models used in today’s educational system. Academic and constructivist. Constructivism is a perspective on learning focused on how students create or build their knowledge out of real-life experiences.

This “hands-on” model provides opportunities for learning through real-life cases, work experience, tangible projects, and troubleshooting. The academic model uses lectures and textbooks to teach concepts and material. Both learning models have their benefits. You must understand the fundamentals before applying them to the experience before deciding which best suits your needs.

Which one is better?

According to Luis De León, Professor in Atlantis University School of Computer Sciences and Technology, “a hands-on program model is more effective for technology students. It exposes them to real-life scenarios; they make decisions based on real cases and build their knowledge through experience. They have the chance of making mistakes, correcting them and seeing the solution; they acquire the troubleshooting and exposure to the IT environment through physical labs, simulations, and virtualization.”

When we talked about specific benefits for students who go for hands-on programs over a traditional one, De Leon explained that the benefits are the experience that the student gains through lab equipment, troubleshooting different scenarios, and designing solutions for real-life cases. “The use of simulations and virtualization are just some of the factors that our students gain with programs like the ones we have at Atlantis University.”

Professor De Leon emphasized that it is essential for students in the IT area to achieve enough practical experience to pursue their degrees. “It is fundamental to complete their assigned labs, to be involved in the handling of equipment, to dedicate time for their simulations, and make use of virtualization.”