Through liberal arts and sciences education, Parami adopts student-centered learning to create an active learning environment, foster creativity and problem-solving skills. The pedagogical elements of liberal arts and sciences education mainly focus on teaching students to instill the interdisciplinary mindset and curriculum combined with the four C’s of 21st-century skills: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity.

Parami students from the Fall semester modular period 1 have recently completed their eight-week courses. The first modular period was composed of high school students, university students, and working professionals. Gradually, the students became familiar with the pedagogy elements of liberal arts education and online learning at Parami. We spoke with the students and asked them to share their top study tips. The provided study tips are good examples of the key educational terms at Parami, including student-centered learning/learner-centered education, flipped classroom, active learning/experiential learning, and homework/self-study. 

Student-centered learning

Student-centered learning represents both a mindset and a culture that incorporates teaching and instruction methods that focus on the learner.

“Maybe because of the culture in the country, students just come to the class, and they are just ready to listen to what the lecturer says. They think that the lecturer will explain everything. But this is not the case in Parami. They [lecturers] do explain a lot. If you do the reading in advance, you can catch up with the lesson better.” ⸺Zin Khaing, Trade & Business Development Officer, Mandalay Region.

“My recommendation is to use the Notion. It is a productivity application. It allows you to schedule, take notes, etc. For example, I take notes, reread them, and put them in the Notion with paraphrasing. You get to study it again, and you are saving it for future use. You can revisit your Notion revision before the exam, and another suggestion is to use Google Calendar, which helps organize and manage study and free time. Finally, I would recommend students use the Pomodoro Technique, a time management system. It says that you study for 25 minutes and take a break for 5 minutes, and then you repeat that 2 to 4 times and take a 30-minute break. You repeat the whole process for 4 hours or so. It really helps you focus on a particular subject and take your mind out of it. It is really helpful when you have to work in the long term.” ⸺William Tin, High School Graduate, Mandalay Region. 

Flipped classroom

A flipped classroom is a type of blended learning where learners view class content at home before class so that in-class time consists of engaging in activities to promote a deeper understanding of the content.

“Firstly, you need to understand the topic of the course. You should choose the class topic you are really interested in, or you might lose interest and eventually drop out because it is hard to commit. And you should not take two courses if you don’t have time—just take only one and commit to the end. I saw students who took two courses, and they dropped out.”⸺Nay Myo Zaw, Organizational Development & HR Project Manager, Yangon Region. 

Active learning/Experiential learning

Active learning is a pedagogical approach focused on student-activated learning through guided social interaction.

“The last tip is to prepare ahead for classes. Your learning will be more effective. Also, please do not hesitate to participate in the class and ask questions during class as we are here to learn.” Nay Myo Zaw added. 

Homework/Self-study

Students study independently outside of contact hours, following teacher instruction before class as a way of a flipped classroom or after class to reflect, digest, or otherwise continue learning.

"The first tip, if your internet connection is strong enough, always attend the class with your camera on. It is just a small thing. But, it will help you concentrate on your lessons better. The second tip is always to write a summary of what you have learned in the class as soon as the class is dismissed. It will help you understand your lessons better. Last but not least, make a folder to put all documents and links relating to the course so that you can have all the resources after the course." ⸺Ca Hlei Lang, Assistant Lecturer, Chin State.

"1) Study when you have plenty of time, 2) Read other resources in addition to class materials. 3) Get in touch with classmates because there might be a classmate who knows the subject, so we can get ideas and opinions as they are also willing to help." ⸺Waing Chit Aung, Programme Management Associate, Sagaing Region. 

Parami students from the Fall semester modular period 1 encouraged new students to read through the course content, study the assigned reading material before class, adapt to the new learning environment, ask questions and connect with other classmates. They also advised keeping the camera on when attending Zoom classes for a more engaging and enjoyable learning experience. Online learning can be challenging, sometimes. However, the students added that these challenges are easily outweighed by the opportunity to interact with students from diverse backgrounds and learn with excellent teachers worldwide. These were the main factors that motivated and inspired them to attend class and complete the courses.