Innovation in teaching_An essay by Babita Sarangi

1. Introduction

Education is the systematic process of facilitating learning or acquisition of knowledge, skill, and understanding about anything at school, college, university or other educational institutes which gives us an enlightening experience. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but learners may also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. Better education is necessary for all to go ahead in the life and get success. It develops confidence and helps building personality of a person. School education plays a great role in everyone’s life. The whole education has been divided into three divisions such as the primary education, secondary education and higher secondary education. All the divisions of education have their own importance and benefits. Primary education prepares the base which helps throughout the life, secondary education prepares the path for further study and higher secondary education prepares the ultimate path of the future and whole life. Our good or bad education decides that which type of person we would in the future.

Home is the first place of education and parents are first teacher in everyone’s life. In our childhood, we get first impression of education from our home especially form our mother. Our parents let us know the importance of good education in the life. When we become three or four years old, we go to the school for the proper, regular and sequential study where we have to give many exams and then we get a pass certificate for one class. Slowly we go ahead by passing our one by one class until we get passed successfully till 12^thstandard. Then start preparations for getting admission to the technical or professional degree which is called as higher study. Higher study is very necessary for all to get good and technical job in the life. We become a well educated person in life by the efforts of our parents and teachers. They are real well wishers of us who helps us in leading our life towards success. Now-a-days, many governmental programmes have been implemented to enhance the education system so that everyone may get access to the proper education. Lots of advertisements are shown on the TV and news to make people aware of the advantages and importance of education especially in the rural areas as people in backward or rural areas do not want to study because of poorness and improper understating towards the education.

2. Importance of education

Islam attaches such great importance to knowledge and education. When the Qur'an began to be revealed, the first word of its first verse was 'Iqra' that is, read. Education is thus the starting point of every human activity. A scholar (alim) is accorded great respect in the hadith. According to a hadith the ink of the pen of a scholar is more precious than the blood of a martyr. The reason being that martyr is engaged in defense work while an alim (scholar) builds individuals and nations along positive lines. In this way he bestows a real life to the world.

“Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man” – (Swami Vivekananda)

 Education is a light that shows the mankind the right direction to surge. If education fails to inculcate self-discipline and commitment to achieve in the minds of student, it is not their fault. We have to convert education into a sport and learning process has to generate interest in the students and motivate them to stay back in the institution than to run away from it. Education should become a fun and thrill to them rather than burden and boredom. It is an integral part of their growth and helps them become good citizens.

One wise man said “destroying any nation does not need the use of atomic bombs or missiles...it only requires the quality of education”.

 Education is an engine for the growth and progress of any society. It not only imparts knowledge, skills and inculcates values, but is also responsible for building human capital which breeds, drives and sets technological innovation and economic growth. The Education Commission (1964-66) has emphatically opined that 

“The quality and competence and character of teachers to be the most significant factor influencing the quality of education and its contribution to National development.”

In today’s era, information and knowledge stand out as very important and critical input for growth and survival. Rather than looking at education simply as a means of achieving social upliftment, the society must view education also as an engine of advancement in an information era propelled by its wheels of knowledge and research leading to development. Effective education is a learning experience. Education brings about an inherent and permanent change in a person's thinking and capacity to do things. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

 Many people have a superficial concept of education; equating it with doing a particular course or obtaining a particular qualification. Qualifications and courses however do not always equate with effective education. There's no escaping the fact that good learning takes time. Reading a book and understanding what you read, does not mean that you have been educated, if you don't integrate what you read into your attitudes and memory. Similarly, attending a course and hearing a lecture doesn't mean you have changed or been educated. Real education is very different to just having access to (or being exposed to) information about something. Real education embeds things into one's brain, and anyone who understands learning will understand that this comes from repeated exposure and use of information or skills. Sadly, in today's world, people want to fast track everything: but learning is something that cannot usually be fast tracked. Shorter courses simply mean that less is learnt.

3. Teaching

The role and responsibilities of a teacher is very complex. Teachers are responsible for making sure their learners acquire the knowledge they need, but also achieve their qualification by the end of the course in a safe learning environment, so they have the skills and experience they need to start their careers. To achieve that goal a teacher must be creative, professional, flexible and knowledgeable enough to deal with daily challenges and find different ways to help their learner’s needs. Establishing a safe and stimulating environment for learners, creating mutual respect and set goals that stretch and challenge learners of all backgrounds and abilities. The biggest challenge for any teacher is capturing each student’s attention, and conveying ideas effectively enough to create a lasting impression. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy. Teaching isn’t an easy job. It necessitates a lot of effort for standing up and speaking loudly which can take toll on one’s physical and mental health.

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see”-(Alexander K. Trenfor)

Seven principles for good teaching practice

Ø  Good Practice encourages student-teacher contact in and out of class.

Ø  Good Practice encourages cooperation among students: Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race.

Ø  Good Practice encourages active learning: The students must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experience, and apply it to their lives.

Ø  Good Practice gives prompt feedback: The students should assess them – what they have learned, what they still need to know and how to assess themselves.

Ø  Good Practice emphasizes time on task: Learning to use one’s time well is critical for students and professionals alike.

Ø  Good Practice communicates high expectations: Expect more and you will get. High expectations are important for everyone.

Ø  Good Practice respects diverse talents and ways of learning: Many roads to learning.

4. Conventional teaching

Conventional teaching or traditional teaching refers to a teaching method involving instructors and the students interacting in a face-to-face manner in the classroom. These instructors initiate discussions in the classroom, and focus exclusively on knowing content in textbooks and notes. Students receive the information passively and reiterate the information memorized in the exams. Technology in education is not something new in today’s classrooms, but many education systems are still limited by conventional teaching and learning methods. Many teachers are still teaching their students in the same manner as how they were taught and how their own teachers were taught, not much of progress in terms of the teaching perspectives. Transformation to less conventional methods of teaching results in fear and reluctance from teachers, who find the change hard and risky. Many lecturers are still using conventional teaching and have noted that in conventional teaching classrooms, while the lecturer is explaining and writing on the board, students will be copying the same thing onto their notes, some day-dreaming and some sleeping. It would be difficult to stop students from copying the notes from the board and at the same time ensured that every student was paying attention in the class because the lecturer was too busy explaining the lecture. Conventional teaching is also limiting the room for more creative thinking and also seldom considering individual differences.

Ø  Teaching in classroom using chalk and talk is “one way flow” of information.

Ø  Teachers often continuously talk for an hour without knowing students response and feedback.

Ø  The material presented is only based on lecturer notes and textbooks.

Ø  Teaching and learning are concentrated on “plug and play” method rather than practical aspects.

Ø  The handwriting of the lecturer decides the fate of the subject.

Ø  There is insufficient interaction with students in classroom.

Ø  More emphasis has been given on theory without any practical and real life time situations.

Ø  Learning from memorization but not understanding.

Ø  Marks rather than result oriented.

 It is necessary to realize these limitations in conventional teaching and take a step to move forward.

Teacher

Students

 

Conventional Method- A One Way Flow

5. Innovative teaching strategies

Innovative teaching strategies encourage students to use their imagination to dig deep when engaging with the content of the lesson. The students are actively involved with the learning and can work with their peers in collaborative groups to showcase their learning. Many of these strategies take students to levels of learning they never thought possible. The students actively seek knowledge and don’t just sit and receive the knowledge from a lecture or worksheet. Any method using computers or modifying the existing conventional chalk-talk method are innovative if they ultimately serve the attainment of core objective of teaching.

A. Inquiry-based learning

Inquiry-based learning is one of the most powerful teaching strategies in the classroom because research tells us that students learn best when they construct their own meaning. Inquiry-based learning triggers student curiosity. Teachers act as facilitators during the inquiry-based learning process. There are four steps in the process:

1.     Students develop questions that they are hungry to answer

2.     Students research the topic using time in class

3.     Students present what they’ve learned

4.     Students reflect on what worked about the process and what didn’t

In a classroom where students research a topic then present their findings, inquiry-based learning allows students to "learn deeper and wider than ever before". In traditional teaching, students are less likely to ask questions and are expected to listen and answer questions posed by the teacher. Inquiry-based learning allows students to pose the questions and research and convert the information into useful knowledge, thus ramping up the level of student engagement.

B. QR Codes

QR (Quick Response) codes are easy to create and have multiple uses in classrooms at all grade levels. QR codes can lead students to information just by scanning the code on a student’s digital device. In the classroom, students can use QR codes to

·                Check their answers

·                Vote on answers during class discussions

·                Extend information found in textbooks

·                Get survey information for math units on data

·                Participate in scavenger hunts

·                Access video tutorials on the material being tough

·                Link students directly to Google maps

QR codes allow students to access information without leaving their seat. Students can even generate QR codes to showcase their learning with peers and parents.

C. Project-Based Learning

Research confirms that project-based learning (PBL) is an effective and enjoyable way to learn. PBL also develops deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life. Project-based learning uses real-world scenarios, challenges, and problems to engage students in critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and self-management. Once students solve the problem or challenge, they present their solutions. The problems students solve can be presented to community leaders to solve problems in their own community. PBL uses collaboration, digital tools, and problem solving skills to come up with a solution to the problem presented.

·PBL makes school more engaging for students

·PBL improves learning

·PBL provides opportunities for students to use technology

·PBL makes teaching more enjoyable and rewarding

·PBL connects students and schools with communities and the real world.

D. Wisely Managed Classroom Technology

Many schools have become one-to-one schools, i.e., each student has his or her own technology item (typically a tablet or computer) to work with each day. In some districts, students can take the technology home to complete their homework. There is a delicate balance with technology use in the classroom. Teachers must use technology in a wisely managed way and with a variety of activities. Several activities that lead to student engagement are Google Docs, YouTube videos, Quizlet, Kahoot!, and the Remind app. These innovative apps and websites can help teachers engage their students, remind them about upcoming assignments and homework, provide visual learning through videos, organize student learning, provide group collaboration, and provide check-ups on learning through games and online quizzes. 

E. Jigsaw

The jigsaw technique is a "tried and true" cooperative learning strategy that helps students creates their own learning. Students are arranged in groups and assigned a different piece of information. In their groups, students learn the piece of information well enough to be able to teach it to another group of students. By using this technique, students become experts on the learning as they teach their peers. Once all groups have learned their information, they are placed into new groups with members from each of the small groups. Each group member shares the knowledge they gained in their informational group. This technique brings lessons to life and challenges students to create their own learning. This challenge engages students and encourages them to share their learning with others.

F. Technology in education

The use of technology in education is necessary because students are known as digital natives. Students now-a-days are highly connected with technology in their daily lives. They use Internet to search for information to assist their learning. They also experience various ways of collaboration and communication with their peers and teachers through social networking tools and also chatting software. It has been a norm to see how frequently students use technology in their learning. Therefore, it is necessary to use technology in education to enhance students learning experiences. Although technology can be positively influenced learning, there are teachers who do not have confidence to include them in their teaching. Due to lack of guidelines provided to teachers and education institutions on how they can transform from conventional teaching to learner-centered teaching, many times technology is used for the sake of using it. The traditional classroom teaching is transformed into different setting where Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and multimedia technologies are involved in the process. ICT is playing an active role now in education where it can promote learning through the interactivity feature exists in it. Technology serves as the mediator to form interactive learning with students’ participation. Students like to see lecturers to develop the teaching materials in presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint where the multimedia elements (graphics, animation, sound, video and text) can be used to attract the students’ attention.

G. E-learning

A learning system based on formalized teaching but with the help of electronic resources is known as E-learning. While teaching can be based in or out of the classrooms, the use of computers and the Internet forms the major component of E-learning. E-learning can also be termed as a network enabled transfer of skills and knowledge, and the delivery of education is made to a large number of recipients at the same or different times. Learning is facilitated conveniently in web-based environment. One common tool students like to use is Internet, and followed by another form which is E-learning. The students find learning using the technology is helpful to their study as well besides the conventional teaching environment because this new way of learning is not boring, they still can interact with the computer or the learning application. Therefore, it is also considered as interactive learning.

The use of technology in the classroom has not increased much on the learner-centered practices. It is also noted that when tradition education involves technology, it does not mean education reformation will take place automatically. It is important for education institutions to understand students’ learning needs and not focusing to have technology alone. Therefore, technology is to be treated as part of the learning process but not the process itself.

H. Multimedia learning process

I hear and I forget.

I see and I believe.

I do and I understand. - Confucius

Multimedia, is the combination of various digital media types such as text, images, audio and video, into an integrated multi-sensory interactive application or presentation to convey information to an audience. Traditional educational approaches have resulted in a mismatch between what is taught to the students and what the industry needs. As such, many institutions are moving towards problem based learning as a solution to producing graduates who are creative; think critically and analytically, to solve problems.

Multimedia technology can attract students’ attention easily. Once students are attracted to the multimedia presentation, they are motivated in a way to continue exploring the presentation. When this process goes on, the students are engaged in the learning process. Hence, the multimedia technology is able to create some initiatives for the students to keep learning. Advantages of instructional multimedia include

Ø  Increased availability and repetition of instructional content,

Ø  Improved ability of students to learn at their own pace,

Ø  Increased student control of material,

Ø   less demand on instructor time, and the provision of an alternative approach to describe complex topics or three-dimensional relationships

Ø  Improve the students learning outcome.

Student

Multimedia

Teacher

 

Multimedia Learning- An Interactive Learning Process

I. Brainstorm

 Brainstorming sessions are a great way to get the creative juices flowing. When you have multiple brains focusing on one single idea, you are sure to get numerous ideas and will also involve everyone into the discussion. These sessions will be a great platform for students to voice their thoughts without having to worry about right or wrong. Set some ground rules before you start. You can go for simple brainstorming or group brainstorming or paired brainstorming.

6. Conclusion

 All the innovative teaching methods use strategies in which students’ question, research, use technology, and create meaning from provided materials. These techniques also allow students to solve problems, challenge themselves, and present their findings to others. Student engagement builds on curiosity, interest, passion, and attention. All of the techniques incorporate several of these needed items for student engagement. But, the conduct of education in this 21st century has been witnessed with a paradigm shift from face-to-face teaching environment to a more technology-based learning environment. The advancement of ICT has influenced the development of education. Across the world, information technology is dramatically altering the way students; faculty and staff learn and work. Internet-ready phones, handheld computers, digital cameras, and MP3 players are revolutionizing the college life. As the demand for technology continues to rise, colleges and universities are moving all sorts of student services, from laundry monitoring to snack delivery online. ICT has made many innovations in the field of teaching and also made a drastic change from the old paradigm of teaching and learning. In the new paradigm of learning, the role of student is more important than teachers. The concepts of paperless and penless classroom are emerging as an alternative to the old teaching learning method. Nowadays there is democratization of knowledge and the role of the teacher is changing to that of facilitator. We need to have interactive teaching and this changing role of education is inevitable with the introduction of multimedia technology and the spawning of a technologically-savvy generation of youths. With these innovative strategies and learning platform, students are exposed to a more student-centered learning experience. It is believed that the human brain can easily remember and relate to what is seen and heard via moving pictures or videos. It has also been found that visuals, apart from holding the attention of the student, are also retained by the brain for longer periods. Various sectors, including agriculture, medicine, education, services, business, and government setups are adapting to the concept of E-learning which helps in the progress of a nation.

             

“The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation”