STORY PREVIEW

2025

Learn smarter not harder

OS Vuk Karadzic

Serbia

MENTOR

Andrea Besedes Nagy

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

We started thinking about the problems we face. Most of us mentioned school. The weekly number of classes is too high, the lessons are often boring, there is too much homework, too many tests and exams. Most of the time we give up the “fight” and don’t prepare, because we feel that studying is pointless. We study and study, but still know very little. And even that little we forget after two days.

State the problem chosen to work and why.

The students chose learning as the biggest problem because many of them feel it is pointless. They study a lot but often forget what they learned very quickly. This makes them feel unsuccessful, overloaded, and unmotivated. That is why they think learning has no purpose. They know the school is important, the real learning is important. They want to change the situation and help themselves and other students.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

The students discovered the core of the problem: they do not enjoy studying. They asked more than 200 of their peers whether they like school and learning, how difficult they find studying, and whether they are satisfied with their results. After analyzing the answers, they realized that most children find studying difficult and often feel unsuccessful or even consider it pointless. Still, the only possible way forward is to learn how to learn.

Step 2 IMAGINE

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

reduce the number of classes, reduce the number of tests, make the students more motivated, organize workshops with teachers to explain them how to make classes more interesting, use digital tools, learn how to learn more effectively

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

We brainstormed ideas on how we could change these feelings. Our mental health largely depends on how we feel at school and while studying. The best idea won: to help ourselves and others learn how to learn – something useful in the long run. If we can motivate ourselves and each other and work together within our team, it will positively affect the school atmosphere and our performance. We will share our experiences live with the students of our school, and then present the different learning techniques we tried in videos, so others can try them as well. This way not only students, but also teachers will feel better.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

Students decided that they need to help themselves and others learn how to learn. By motivating each other and working together, the school atmosphere and our performance will improve. They will share their experiences and show the learning techniques in videos and in person. They created to mascots (one is the official one, the other one is created as an inner joke for the class - both of them got equal number of votes)

What was the result or impact of your project?

The students did research about different learning techniques and discovered how important it is to find the right method for each person. They realized that every student learns in a different way, so it is necessary to try out several methods and then choose the one that works best. Some of the techniques they explored were mind maps, flashcards, group learning, the active recall, peer-to-peer learning. They also learned that the right technique can save time, reduce stress, and make studying more effective. The students shared these learning techniques with many other classes through presentations and short videos, so that their schoolmates could also try them out. To understand their work better, they created a SWOT analysis, which helped them to recognize both the positive and negative sides of learning. For example, they identified teamwork and creativity as strengths, lack of motivation as a weakness, better results as an opportunity, and spending too much times on social network or playing games endlessly a possible threat. By doing this project, the students not only helped themselves but also inspired others. They learned that studying does not always have to be boring or pointless – with the right approach, it can become easier and more meaningful.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

100

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

"It was so interesting to learn from students." " Good for me, I will try to learn smarter." "Work careful, learn successful." "Shorter time to learn, it is great."

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

We faced with challenge where to meet and how to finish our project. But good people find each other and we have got support from local people.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

MORE THAN 30 DAYS

Which global goals does your story align with?

Quality Education

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

The primary global goal for education is Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all"

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

Students share the project with other students in our school. They gave interview for local television and newspaper. They shared the project on social network, too (Facebook, Instragram, TikTok..). The parents of the involved students where introduced with this project, they helped us and they are still sharing our video.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

The video lessons and stories are shared on Wakelet. This collection is public, so anybody and anytime can see and use it. The collection is made in English, Serbian and Hungarian languages.

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