Some nations are seeking to
develop their brightest and most talented for a stronger tomorrow. Evaluating successful and unsuccessful gifted
education programs help decision makers understand what works and what doesn’t
work in progressive programs. Research by Aljughaiman & Ayoub (2013)
evaluated an Oasis Enrichment Model in Saudi Arabia to determine whether or not
it produced successes in fostering greater talent.
An Oasis Enrichment Model
rests on three premises in gifted development. It seeks to enhance their
cognitive, emotional, and social needs to create higher performing students. To
determine success they conducted a meta-analysis of 35 other programs. It
helped compare, summarize, and correct findings to determine better estimates
of variable relationships.
There are many different
types of enrichment programs that include excelled classes, full schools,
pull-out programs, weekend programs, afternoon programs, boarding schools,
summer camps and enhance in-class programs. Each has their benefit. Primarily
nations pick a particular program based upon their national philosophies and
available resources. In-class enrichment is cheaper but boarding school options
may be more impactful in the social aspects. Each has their own merits.
Those who enter such programs
were evaluated for intensities and abilities. Such individuals were deemed as
more likely to excel in one or more fields of study. They may have inherited
innate skills, cognitive advancements, personal and social traits, cultural
knowledge, and experiential abilities to learn from experience. At a basic
level these abilities include memory, exploratory behavior, creating meaning,
planning long-term, inference, imagination, idea development, problem solving,
decision-making, leadership, logic, and higher forms of energy.
The goal of any enrichment program is to enhance and embolden. It is
to teach gifted students the ability to be masters of their own fate and excel
in areas that interest them and can have the greatest benefit for society. They
need an uncritical environment that allows them to ask questions, explore their
environment, and delve deeply into concepts without the pressures of others. It can take considerable time and effort to
create appropriate mental pathways to higher performance.
Oasis Enrichment Programs rest on three major concepts that include
1.) Research and Thinking Skills, 2.) Academic Content, and 3.) Affective
Traits. The programs select a main topic
of interest to the student and then use that as an umbrella for other learning.
They use the three stages of Exploration, Perfection and Creativity.
Exploration consumes 15% of their time, Perfection another 60%, and Creativity
25%. Students learn to explore, perfect their abilities and then create new
knowledge.
The results found that such programs do enhance student’s ability to
think critically, scientifically and freely. One of the advantages of the
program is that students pick their own interests and this fits within their
higher levels of independence. If the teacher picks the topic, a number of
students begin to underperform. The
other important aspect is to ensure that the students are in an uncritical
environment that allows them to choose their own path without forced adherence
to the teacher’s wishes.
Comment: The success of gifted programs are based in their ability to
socialize with others who have a gifted nature and hold similar interests.
Likewise, the students like to control their own learning and this creates
higher levels of motivation. Teachers are used as support in this learning
process and provide curriculum that enhances the student’s abilities without
forcing them down an improper path. If the student feels they are in a critical
environment they will simply demotivate and develop apathy toward the
educational process.
Aljughairman, A. & Ayoub, A. (2013). Evaluating the effects of
oasis enrichment model on gifted education: a meta-analysis study. Talent Development & Excellence, 5
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