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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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Teachers must master the art of critical thinking
Physically fit students perform better academically |
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Teachers must master the art of critical thinking
THE standard of education in our institutions of higher learning is not up to the mark. Our pedagogy still relies on an outdated education system that lays emphasis on ‘what to think’ rather than ‘how to think’. As a result, mastering content takes precedence over critical thinking skills. This approach promotes rote learning instead of inculcating curiosity, application of knowledge and ‘learning by doing’. A vast majority of our teachers lack soft skills that inhibit their knowledge dissemination capability. The problem has been compounded by the users, i.e., industry. Till the 1990s, in the era of controlled economy, the industry needed only process managers, and higher education institutions responded accordingly. But after the economy opened up, the industry started competing at the global level and investing in research and development vigorously. Thus, a need was felt for problem solvers and innovators. However, higher education institutions were not geared to meet those requirements and the industry started complaining that universities were producing ‘unemployable’ graduates. Regulatory bodies have also not helped much by placing reliance on degrees and numbers rather than aptitude for teaching and research. Thus, it is ironic that we expect our faculty, which is a product of ‘examination- and teacher-centric’ system, to produce innovators, problem solvers and knowledge creators. That is a tall order; the art of learning by curiosity and challenging the status quo has to be developed right from the school days. Higher educational institutions have to make up for those lost decades, comprising school and college education, to get the best out of our teachers. Our existing pedagogy lays stress on acquisition of facts and information, while learning scientific methods and concepts, transmitting skills of correct investigation, and understanding and evaluation of data are ignored. Working in watertight compartments is a major bane afflicting our education system. Acquisition of broad-based knowledge that could build strong fundamentals is ignored. For example, study of humanities is ignored in technical education. Subjects like literature, philosophy, anthropology, history can very effectively teach the basics of critical thinking by incorporating exercises to compare, contrast, contradict, extrapolate and deduce. Teachers must realise that a great amount of new information will surely follow in the near future, and students will have to be prepared to possess skills to acquire that knowledge as part of the life-learning process. Another major lacuna in the higher education system is our failure to incorporate technology in teaching as well as evaluation processes. Teachers still rely on the verbal or in some cases the visual mode of teaching, whereas the present generation has a penchant for ‘learning by doing’. For instance, computer-based testing could not only save teachers from the drudgery of evaluating voluminous answer scripts but also help in pragmatic testing of the knowledge gained by students. Thus, we need to train our teachers to develop the art of critical thinking. The following traits may be nurtured in the faculty: Capability to use evidence skillfully and impartially; skills to organise thoughts and articulate these concisely and coherently; ability to distinguish between logically valid and invalid inferences; ability to understand the difference between reasoning and rationalising; expertise to anticipate the probable consequences of alternative actions; capability to see similarities and analogies that are not superficially apparent; ability to apply problem-solving techniques in different domains; capability to structure informally represented problems in such a way that formal techniques can be used to solve them; potential to grasp the essentials of an argument quickly and arrive at valid deductions; courage to question one’s own views and the ability to understand both the assumptions that are critical to those views and their implications; and the ability to recognise the fallibility of one’s own opinions, the consequential bias and danger of weighing evidence accordingly However, the art of critical thinking cannot be taught by lecturing alone. Skills to imbibe critical thinking — analysis, synthesis, reflection, etc. — can only be learnt through practice. Thus, practical assignments should be essential components of any training module that attempts to inculcate the skills dealing with critical thinking. It has to incorporate exercises to bring about a change in the way of thinking, approaching a problem and attempting to find solutions to it. Therefore, specialists would be needed to develop modules comprising formal critical thinking exercises, programmes and materials. In addition, junior faculty would need mentors to facilitate their learning process. Training modules, therefore, should be prepared very carefully. The lecture component in the modules could be there only to teach basic principles of critical thinking and to initiate the faculty to this process. There would also be a need to incorporate assignments to design problems that a student may have to attempt in a laboratory. Further the modules would need written problem-sets and questions to invoke critical thinking by practicing, listing of errors and failures, and reflections. There are some modules that are available off the shelf to teach various courses and these incorporate the points discussed above. We must realise that it is going to be a long haul and we should be prepared for that.
The writer is Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh |
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Physically fit students perform better academically
MIDDLE school students who are more physically fit make better grades and outperform their classmates in standardised tests, researchers say. The newly published study is among the first to examine how academic achievement relates to all aspects of physical fitness including endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body fat. “Not only does improving fitness have physical health implications for the child, it also has implications for their academic achievement,” Dawn Coe, lead researcher of the study, said. “We know a lot of schools are cutting out physical education classes and physical activity opportunities throughout the day. Some of my previous research showed that if kids have one hour of physical education during the day instead of an academic class, they did not show a decrease in academic achievement compared with students who received an extra hour of academic instruction per day. By being active, they could potentially raise their grades,” Coe said. Coe, who conducted the study while a doctoral student at Michigan State University, examined 312 sixth- through eighth-graders from a single public school in western Michigan. She conducted a series of assessments on the students, including shuttle runs, curl-ups, and push-ups. She then measured the children’s academic achievement in four core classes over the course of one school year as well as their performance on a standardised test. She found that students with highest fitness levels performed better on the standardised exam and earned better grades. “Youth who are engaged in a physically active lifestyle reap benefits not only in their physical health but also in other aspects of their well-being, such as mental health and academic performance,” the report states. The study has been published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
— ANI |
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Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak THE re-election to the post of president of the Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers’ Association (MDUTA) will be held on December 20. The re-election will be held between Dr Raj Kumar of the Institute of Management Studies and Research (IMSAR) and Dr Vikas Hooda of the Centre for Biotechnology. According to the Returning Officer, Prof. V.K.Sharma, the polling will be held from 9.15 am to 11.15 am at Dr Ambedkar Hall of the university. Faculty members of the UILMS, Gurgaon, will also cast their vote here. However, polling in respect of faculty members of Indira Gandhi PG Regional Centre, Meerpur (Rewari), will be held at their centre. Counting of votes will be held at Dr Ambedkar Hall from 1.30 pm onwards, informed the Returning Officer. M.Ed counselling Maharshi Dayanand University will conduct the second admission counselling for the M.Ed (regular) course from December 19 to 20. According to the Head of the Department of Education, details of the admission schedule are available on the university website www.mdurohtak.ac.in.
Workshop on analytical techniques The Department of Commerce of the university will organise a one-week national-level workshop on “Analytical Techniques for Research” from December 23 to 29. The workshop is being organised in collaboration with Global Network of Business Researchers and the department concerned. The workshop will focus on areas like quantitative techniques, research methodology, research software like SPSS and statistical tools. It will also focus on providing interactive platform for participants to learn advanced statistical techniques for research and get hands-on experience for data analysis using research software.
Placement drive Maharshi Dayanand University organised its first “Planetskool Conclave” on the campus recently. The mega placement-cum-industry interaction programme was organised under the aegis of the University Institute of Engineering and Technology and the University Industry Liaison Cell. According to organisers, several companies, including MoSpay, Technovite Lab, BrandGain, Polar Star, Kumisys and Tourist Link, took part in the placement-cum-industry interaction programme.
Fight against social evils The volunteers of the Youth Red Cross Society can become an instrument of social change by donating blood, creating awareness about HIV/AIDS, fighting social evils like female foeticide, etc. There is also a need to expand such activities in schools, colleges and universities. These views emerged from a seminar organised by the Youth Red Cross Society of the university recently. International delegate Stephen Ryan, experts Ramesh Sharma, Dr S.S. Yadav, R.P. Saini, Dr Dinesh Chahal, Dr Sonia Malik, Dr B. Madan Mohan, Dr Inderjeet and R. Mor were among those who spoke on the occasion. About 200 delegates took part in the seminar.
Emerging issues in
derivative markets The Institute of Management Studies and Research (IMSAR) of the university organised a meet on “Emerging Issues in Derivative Markets in India” recently. According to the Director, IMSAR, Dr H.J. Ghosh Roy, the emerging issues like forward and future markets, hedging strategies, future and options in stocks, interest area derivatives, trading mechanism in stock exchanges, options pricing models, derivatives trading in commodities, currency futures and swaps, etc., were discussed at the conference.
HoDs appointed The Vice-Chancellor has appointed Dr Kultaj Singh as Head, Department of Physical Education, with immediate effect, while Dr Narismhan B. has been appointed Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences for a period of three years in terms of provisions of the MDU Act. The Vice-Chancellor has also nominated Dr Sanju Nanda of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Dr Seema Singh of the Faculty of Management Sciences to the Academic Council of the university with immediate effect for a period of two years, informed the spokesperson. — Contributed by Bijendra Ahlawat |
