 |
|
| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
|
Encourage peer learning Adopt a blend of offline and online education Campus Notes
|
|
|
Encourage peer learning FAMILY is the first social group a child interacts with, and it is within this primary institution that children first acquire skills to interact with peers. Siblings and cousins are the initial playmates of the child. It is in the neighbourhood park, swimming pool and the library where the child interacts with his age mates. As he proceeds to play or nursery school, he becomes exposed to a wider range of children of the same age. Thus, he establishes more peer relations.
Parents go a long way in influencing their children’s peer sociability. As they monitor their activities, they encourage as well as discourage certain associations, thus affecting kids’ sociability within his playmates. Children interact with others close to their age. They may prefer some playmates and may not play with the others, thus forming friendships. As the child grows, simple playmates may become trusted friends and a more meaningful relationship may emerge. There is exchange of emotions and the social circle of the child widens. It is a recognised fact that outside the family, it is the peer group that affects the behaviour of the child the most. Peer interaction permits the child to learn social behaviour. An only child maybe a selfish brat at home but once he makes friends, he learns to share his toys. As he grows up he is the happiest in school or in the playground when he is surrounded by those nearest to him in age. In the peer group the young learner masters social skills and learns co-operation. There is ample social exposure for him. He also becomes culturally aware of his surroundings. At times a child cannot understand what has been taught in class. In such cases peer learning is effective. A simple maths sum is learnt better if taught by a peer. Many academicians encourage peer learning. Children respond to the friendly gestures of age mates and when there is intense bombardment of information during tutoring, the confused scholar turns to his age mates for help. Learning is reinforced by peer activity and the problem solving becomes easier in a peer group. In the new method of evaluation introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), many teachers make use of peer group activity to do project work and find it a very effective tool. Peer acceptance is very important during the growing up years. The child is conscious of how he is viewed by his age mates. He has to portray a certain image so that he can gel with the group. He has to look and talk right so that he does not stick out like a sore thumb. Certain vocabulary, a dress code, place to hangout with friends, possessing the right gadgets form part of the peer sub-culture. Children who do not adhere to these are often ridiculed. So, all pupil make an effort to get peer approval. Peer group view of the individual is very important for self-esteem. If a child is frail or timid, he often becomes an easy target of peer victimisation. Verbal and physical attacks on the victim are a few examples of bullying. Most cases of this go unreported and parents and teachers also tend to overlook these. It is survival of the fittest in the peer group. Some children become highly popular while others are likeable. Teachers and counsellors play an important part in the personality development of students. They act as facilitators and help the young scholars to gain acceptance by the age mates. It is the joint responsibility of the parents and teachers to look out for signs of abnormal behaviour in the child. A usually bubbly child may appear withdrawn because he does not have peer approval. Rejection by peers affects the child. During the teens there is extreme peer pressure to use substance, bunking, easy access to literature bearing explicit content. Divya Jyoti, a counsellor with the Chandigarh Administration, says, “Peer group is of prime importance in the pre-teens or teens. Children with authoritarian and conservative parents need the peer group more. Certain things like the birds and the bees are not openly discussed by the teachers and parents. Kids can discuss this openly with their peer mates. There is bonding because of being of the same age group. Peer learning can work wonders. Parents have to keep a check on the friends of their children and often cross check when the children plan outings with their age mates.”
|
||
|
Adopt a blend of offline and online education INFORMATION and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a crucial role in education, and the traditional method of teaching, commonly called the ‘talk-and-chalk’ method, is getting replaced by modern methods of teaching and learning. Ancient methods of teaching were mainly successful because of focus on limited content and dedication of the teacher and the student. Today distance learning or correspondence courses have come to a maturity level, but online education by universities and institutions is relatively new to Indian students. In earlier stages, institutions had apprehension even of the success of distance learning programmes and only non-science subjects were offered. Now, BCA, MCA, and engineering in various disciplines, including M.Tech, are being offered by the distance learning mode by a large number of universities. These courses are generally subscribed by students who don’t get admission in regular courses in good institutions. The debate whether technology can replace classroom has been going on in the education circles for some time. There are numerous advantages of online learning. It alone can meet the paucity of institutions, courses and quality faculty as we have very few good universities and colleges, offering limited seats to a large mass of students. Cut-off percentage of Delhi University is the most recent example of this phenomenon. Unlike offline courses, where physical presence of the learner is a must, the online method gives a lot of convenience and flexibility to the learner. Quality, particularly of higher education, can be improved because it is far better to have one good faculty from Harvard or MIT rather than having 10 mediocres who may do more damage than good. Those who criticise the online system feel no system can replace the face-to-face mode of teaching and learning as education is a ‘performing art’. Eye-contact feedback can help the teacher to adjust and modify what is being delivered to ensure the student actually learns. One may ask, where is the emotional connect of the student with the teacher? All learners don’t learn the same way; special methods and means need to be adopted for different type of learners. So, ‘one size fits all’ approach may not help the majority of learners. Discipline too requires hands-on skills which must be delivered when the learner is physically present. This includes all technical courses, where adequate time for workshop and laboratory work is needed. In developed countries, online education is more for the educated and employed. In our context, its pitfalls must be addressed. Perhaps the best option for a country like ours is to adopt a blend of offline and online education. From primary to higher secondary education, an offline system supported suitably by technology may be the best, while for higher education in non-technical disciplines, online systems can be a good idea. Most suitable for online delivery through technology are such courses which do not involve doing the thing while observing a skill being taught. A step-by-step transition, keeping in mind the mandatory physical presence for workshops and laboratory work for technical and other such professional courses, should be the way ahead. Online education is something that has to happen whether one likes it or not. It is something like what happened in the communication system, when it moved from landline to cordless to pagers to mobile phone to smart phones. An experiment by seven IITs and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, named National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning, which is supported by the HRD Ministry, has shown very encouraging results. Now, it is for us to think and plan how to make the best of an idea whose time has come. In an era of 3G and 4G, online education is bound to become more convenient and useful. In any case, the ultimate choice lies with the learner. |
||
|
Campus Notes THE Department of Livestock Products Technology of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) has developed and transferred three technologies to four budding entrepreneurs. The first processing technology of egg jam, prepared from eggs as base materials, offers a nutritive alternative to existing fruit jams in the market and have protein content of 16-18 per cent in comparison to 2-4 per cent in fruit jams. The second technology of ready-to-eat meat products such as meat cutlets, meat croquette, meat samosa was also transferred. The third processing technology was of the development of Emu Meat Products such as pickle, burger patties, nuggets, balls and koftas. Dr Vijay Kumar Taneja, Vice-Chancellor, GADVASU, said the concerted and pragmatic approach of university scientists has resulted in the development of a number of new technologies which can be beneficial for animal industry personnel, farmers, and budding entrepreneurs.
Workshop for dairy and fisheries officers
The university organised a one-day workshop for dairy and fisheries officers of the state on its campus recently. Dr G. Vajralingam, Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries, was the chief guest. Vajralingam while addressing the gathering appreciated the role of livestock sector in providing food and financial security, employment generation, and asset creation in the current scenario of Punjab’s agricultural economy. He said the Punjab Government was doing its best to uplift this sector further. More than 200 delegates from all over Punjab attended the workshop.
3 dignitaries awarded
Three persons, who were recently awarded the Punjab Government State Award at a state-level function in Ludhiana, are associated with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. State Award winner Sukhharpreet Singh is a member of the board of management of the university. This progressive young dairy farmer of Rode village has a herd of 150 cattle. The second dignitary is Jyoti Saroop who is manager of UNATI Co-operative Marketing-Cum-Processing Ltd which was established in the year 2003 by a group of 14 young persons to develop respectable employment for the local people. This society is consortium partner in GADVASU’s National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP). The third award was conferred on Veena Sharma, president of Sada Shiv Modern Self-Help Group which was formed in the year 2003 with 36 village women with the primary objective of providing gainful employment to women. This self-help group is also associated with NAIP.
Oath-taking ceremony
The university recently organised an oath-taking ceremony for 48 passing out veterinary graduates of the 2008 batch, including 17 girls. Dr V. K. Taneja, Vice-Chancellor, was the chief guest on the occasion. He advised the young veterinarians to follow the ethics of profession and serve mute creatures of Nature with passion and empathy. — Contributed by Charanjit Singh Teja
|
