Teaching and Learning Methods [NTA NET Paper - 1]
Teaching
has been defined as the process of facilitating learning and learning is
broadly defined as the process of acquiring knowledge, attitude, skills, habits
and abilities. To determine whether teaching has facilitated learning,
evaluation is carried out. In other words, teaching, learning and evaluation
are the three interdependent aspects of the educative process. This
interdependence is clearly seen when the main purpose of instruction is
conceived in terms of helping students achieve a set of learning outcomes that
include changes in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. The
instructional objectives or the desired changes in students (learning) are brought
about by planned learning activities (teaching) and the students’ progress is
determined by tests and other devices (evaluation).
Teacher-Centered Teaching Methods
Lecture Method: Lecture method is the most conventional and
dominating teaching method and is preferred by many teachers. In this method, a
teacher attempts to explain facts, principles or relationships to help learners
understand. Here, the teacher is an active participant, the students are
assumed to be passive listeners. Usually, the students do not converse with the
teacher during lecture by the teacher. That way, it is one way communication.
The teacher talks more or less continuously to the class. The class listens,
writes and notes facts and the ideas for remembering and to think them over
later. It can be made a two-way communication, if the teacher allows students
to ask few questions to clarify a point but no discussion is usually held.
Basic
Features
1. It is formal and narrative in nature.
2. It presents a series of events or facts.
3. It explores problem.
Advantages
1. It is economical and a single teacher can teach a large
number of students at a time which is not
possible by using other methods. It saves much time
and the syllabus can be very easily covered
within a limited time.
2. It simplifies the task of the teacher.
3. It is useful for imparting factual information and drawing
attention to its important points.
4. During lecture, interruptions and distractions are usually
avoided.
Limitations
1. It provides very little opportunity for student activity;
the teacher takes special care to make the class interesting.
2. It usually does not provide opportunities to
learners to solve problems.
3. It offers limited opportunities for checking
learning progress, whether the students are attending and understanding all
that the teacher is explaining.
4. The interests, abilities and intelligence of
students are not taken care of.
5. It does not allow individual pace of learning.
Suggestions
to make lecture method more effective:
1. The teacher should avoid the tendency to read from
the lecture notes word by word.
2. The teacher should maintain eye to eye contact with
the students so as to seek their continuous attention.
3. Good lesson planning with introductory remarks, main
headings, sub-headings, figures and important data and concluding remarks. The
students should get opportunity to make notes.
4. Use of simple language so that students are able to
understand. The main points should be repeated in alternative language.
5. Make effective use of audio-visual instructional facilities
to improve communication of ideas.
6. Make appropriate use of illustration and examples. There
is a need to ensure fair presentation of different views and theories.
7. Provide short breaks during the lecture period for asking
thought provoking, stimulating and problem-solving questions. Leave time at the
end for clarifications and questions.
Team Teaching Method: Team teaching is an
innovative approach in teaching large groups in which two or more teachers are involved
in planning, executing and evaluating the learning experiences for a group of students.
Advantages
1. Sharing the best faculty by more students.
2. Optimum use of multiple teaching techniques and devices.
3. Improvement of teaching quality.
Limitations
1. Finding teachers with special competencies is a
difficult task.
2. More teachers are required for this method.
3. Not useful for teaching all subjects.
4. Requires much time for planning and scheduling.
Tv or Video Presentation: Television or video
presentation is an improved presentation of radio or audio presentation and it
can virtually bring the whole world inside the classroom. Screening of video
presentation is followed by a discussion or task.
Advantages
1. Many important personalities and experts are
brought to the classroom through video presentation.
2. Specifically useful for adult learners.
3. Illustrated lectures and demonstrations can be supplemented
by other teaching instructional facilities, such as slides, models, specimens,
etc.
4. Easily accessible for learners in remote areas.
5. Specifically useful for subjects, such as
geography, astronomy, etc.
Limitations
1. Less possibility for two-way communication.
2. There can be difficulty in adjusting to complicated
schedules to telecast period.
Group Discussion (GD): This may be counted under
small as large group teaching methods. It is one of the oldest methods used by Greek scholars and
scholars from Nalanda University. A discussion method of teaching is a democratic method used to develop
better understanding among students, for supplementing a lecture, in connection with an
observation visit or case presentation and for sharing information. In this method of
considering various facts about the topic under consideration, understanding of these facts by studying their
relationships and drawing out conclusions of the facts and their relationships are studied. It stimulates
students’ thinking process to analyse and integrate facts and help in developing their abilities in
presentation of their ideas and facts clearly and fluently.
Advantages
1. A stimulating thinking
process, it helps in the development of critical thinking.
2. It is pooling of
knowledge, ideas and feelings of several persons analysis and integration of
facts, ideas and concepts.
3. Rationalization of
facts and it thus promotes intelligent learning.
4. Learning together,
sharing responsibilities and interests.
5. Developing team spirit
in teaching-learning process.
6. Discovering talented
students. Good for developing oral and non-verbal communication
Limitations
1. It requires more time,
efforts and resources of both teachers and students.
2. It may involve
unnecessary arguments. Discussion may go off the track.
3. It may create
emotional stress and unpleasant feelings.
4. Possibility of
domination of session by a few students.
5. It is not suitable for
all the topics.
Seminar: It
is a type of group discussion where one trainee or several, prepare a paper on
a given topic, issue or problem, which is then presented to the
whole group for discussion and analysis. A series of seminars can be
presented by the trainees around a major topic, so that they
form a linked series of discussions. The main stages in seminar
are preparation of paper, presentation of paper and discussion on it. Seminars
can be bigger ones also.
Advantages
1. This method gives more
independence, which leads to the development of presentation skills of the
participants.
2. It provides
opportunity for the trainees to prepare and contribute to a particular topic
thoroughly.
3. It provides
opportunity to the trainees towards practical group leadership and allows them
to use analytical skills, research on conclusions, solve a problem, etc.
Limitations
1. It is time consuming
and may cause stress to participants.
2. It needs a group of
trainees with fairly high-level of attainment.
Panel Discussion: A
panel consists of a small group of six to eight people. They
carry on a guided and informal discussion before an audience. For
example, a panel discussion takes place on the issue of climate change.
The leader must, in addition, take special care to select the panel
members who can think and speak effectively? He must also be sure,
that they prepare themselves to discuss the subject.
Advantages
1. Panel discussions, if
well conducted, are usually more interesting to the audience than the
single-speaker forum.
2. Usually on socially
relevant issues.
Limitations
1. Bringing experts to a
single forum can be difficult.
2. The audience is not
actively involved.
Brainstorming: Brainstorming
is a creative group work in which the group members produce a large number of
ideas quickly
on a given topic or problem for subsequent evaluation. In this method,
anyone can exchange remarks with anyone except that the participants
are not
allowed to criticize the ideas at the time when views are being invited.
Sometimes quantity of ideas is more important than quality. Spontaneity is the
hall-mark of brainstorming sessions. Several rounds of brainstorming are
conducted till all the ideas are exhausted. Participants are then asked to
evaluate all ideas and list the best one.
Advantages
1. It encourages
creativity that helps trainers to produce, think and explore ideas.
2. Scope for larger
participation.
3. It is economical as it
does not require much preparation.
Limitations
1. It is not a very
systematic way of studying a subject.
2. There is a possibility
of some trainees being reluctant to participate.
Project Method: This
can be described as both a small group and an individualized instruction. In
this method, the students are allowed to explore and experience their
environment through their senses and direct their own learning by their
individual interests. Very little is taught from the textbooks and the emphasis
is on experiential learning rather than rote learning and memorization. A
project method classroom focuses on democracy and collaboration to solve
purposeful problems.
Advantages
1. Students are likely to
develop the habit of critical thinking.
2. They develop the habit
of working in teams.
Limitations
1. Continuous monitoring
may be required and Additional resources may be required.
Role Playing: Role
playing has been used effectively by many teachers to help solve classroom
interpersonal problems and to teach human-relations skills in the classroom. Role
playing has also been used to facilitate subject-matter learning through the
dramatization of literary and historical works and historical or current
events. In
all these uses, role playing provides the student with a dramatic confrontation
and clarification.
Advantages
1. It is the semblance to
real-life situations.
2. Interactive and
interesting, it entails participation of every member of the group.
3. It gives immediate
feedback.
4. It develops social,
decision-making, problem-solving, negotiating and manipulating skills.
5. It is effective to
change the attitude of the participants.
Limitations
1. It has unpredictable
outcomes.
2. Real-life situations
are usually more complex.
3. It requires a
considerable number of resources.
Simulation: Simulation
means creating conditions that are quite similar to actual conditions and then
training is provided under those conditions. For example, the training of
pilots and astronauts takes place in conditions that are quite similar to
actual flight conditions. Simulation is specifically used for training purpose.
Advantages
1. They are economical in
the long run.
2. Safety aspects are
taken care of.
Limitation
1. It entails high
initial investment in machinery equipment, etc.
Tutorials: Tutorial
method is a method employed for teaching small groups for
developing skills for solving numerical problems, providing individual guidance
and sorting personal problems. It is appropriate for taking care of
individual differences and guiding the students as per their needs,
mastery, learning, comprehending concepts, principles and their
applications and for remedial exercises.
Advantages
1. Focused attention
2. Generates more ideas
3. Better control over
pace of teaching and learning process.
Limitations
1. It is difficult to
find a suitable pace if the trainees vary greatly in ability.
2. It can be time
consuming.
Demonstration Method: This
method is based on the principle of learning by doing and learning from
concrete to abstract. The term demonstration means to show. It is
adopted in the classroom for the achievement of cognitive, affective and
psychomotor objectives. Demonstration can be defined as a combination
of verbal
explanation coupled with a live display of using apparatus for presenting
important facts, ideas or process. It may entail audio–visual explanation.
Advantages
1. It is effective in
explaining materials, objects and ideas.
2. It is effective in
explaining abstract concepts.
3. It is useful for
achieving objectives in cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains as there
is mental and physical participation of students.
Limitation
1. Only few get
opportunities to participate in the experimental process.
Learner
- Centred Teaching Methods
The learner centred
teaching methods try to accommodate the differences displayed between the
learners. The main teaching methods include assignments, case-study approach,
computer-based learning, open learning, personalized system of instruction and
programmed instructions, which are discussed below.
Assignments: Assignments
are given to students for a number of purposes, such as for acquiring additional
information, surveying, application of knowledge and solving numerical
problems. Although the main role is of the learner, the teacher too has a
crucial role. The teacher has to plan the assignments and guide the student
regarding references for collecting relevant information. Assignments can be
prepared on any type of topic, but the nature of assignment should be such that
the students may not merely copy from the books. The assignments should be
open-ended and should promote creativity among the students.
Advantages
1. It helps students work
independently.
2. It helps in sharpening
the student’s comprehension, analytical and problem-solving abilities.
3. It helps in the
inculcation of creativity among the students.
Limitation
1. Students may copy each
other’s material unless the assignments are carefully planned.
Case Study: For
students who have been exposed only to the traditional teaching methods. The
case studies call for a major change in their approach to learning.
A
case is usually a ‘description of an actual situation, commonly involving a
decision, a challenge, an opportunity, a problem, or an issue faced by a
person or persons in a social set up such as an organization’. In
learning with case studies, the students must deal with situations
described in the case, i.e., in the role of a decision maker
facing the situation. This method has applications across
disciplines, such as psychology, management, biology, law, sociology,
history, etc., to name a few.
By
allowing the students to gain hands-on experience of the real world and
shifting the work focus from professor to the student, the case-study method becomes
an efficient tool for the creation of a learner-entred education rather than a
teacher-centred education. The student becomes actively involved in
the course and is no longer an observer in class developments. The
cases can be short from brief classroom discussions to long and elaborate
semester-long projects. It is important for bringing real-world
problems into a classroom or a workshop. They ensure active participation
and may lead to innovative solutions to the problems.
Advantages
1. It provides
opportunity to the participants to analyse, critically examine, evaluate and
express reasoned opinions.
2. It enhances
decision-making and problem-solving skills.
3. It ensures active
participation, which may lead to innovative solutions.
Limitations
1. It requires training
for the teachers to use this method.
2. It is not useful for
all subjects and situations.
Programmed Instruction: Programmed
Instruction (PI) is a general term for a highly structured system of learning,
which is based on logical sequence of self-paced, learning steps with
feedback between each step. The learner gets
immediate feedback after each step.
Advantages
1. There is regular
feedback.
2. This ensures active
participation of the learner and it can be used for any subject.
Limitation
1. Learner motivation may
get diminished after sometime.
Personalized System of Instruction: Personalized
System of Instruction (PSI) can be used for all subject matters except where
the students are to select the contents. Learners must achieve mastery of a
series of written mastery units, assisted by teachers, proctors and enriching
lectures before proceeding to the final test. PSI consists of five basic
elements as shown below.
1. Mastery learning
2. Self-pacing
3. Stress on written
material
4. Proctors
5. Lectures
It is best suited for
contents that are usually conveyed through written material.
Advantages
1. It is based on mastery
learning.
2. It facilitates
self-paced learning.
Limitations
1. It is not suitable for
rapidly changing course contents.
2. It is not suitable for
psychomotor and affective domains.
Computer-Assisted Learning: Computer-assisted
Learning (CAL) is concerned with the use of a computer to mediate the
flow of information in a learning process. A computer has the ability to
process information very quickly, accurately and to adapt and respond to the
learner’s need, difficulties, and progress, which is much greater than that
of a book
or video tape.
Advantages
1. It has more
flexibility and better control in comparison to other methods.
2. It can be effectively
used for drilling and practicing, simulation and modelling.
Limitation
1. It is impersonal and
costly.
Open Learning: It
is a flexible method of delivering the instruction, where the learner has open
access to learning resources of people, material, equipment and accommodation,
although regular class attendances are not necessary. There are no
or minimal restrictions on admissions. The face-to-face interaction between
teachers and students through tutorials should form a part of open learning.
For open learning, the learning packages are to be developed, making use of
multimedia. Open learning instruction is, however, not suitable for the rapidly
changing nature of content as this involves time, expertise and resources.
Advantage
1. It offers flexibility
to the learner.
Limitations
1. It is not suitable for
achieving psychomotor and affective learning objectives.
2. It requires time, expertise,
resources and hence, not suitable for subjects of rapidly changing nature.
Interactive Video: The
interactive video approach to teaching can be employed to achieve cognitive,
psychomotor and affective objectives. It allows the learner to randomly access any
piece of information and provide immediate feedback regarding the consequences
of their action. The essence of the interactive video experience is video simulation
with a greater number of video presentations of real images as possible.
Advantage
1. Interactive video
approach enhances the decision- making power of the individual.
Limitation
1. This method is time
consuming and requires resources and expertise.
Heuristic method: This
method was advocated by Professor Armstrong. In this method, the student has to
find out the answer to his/her own problem by unaided efforts. Thus, the child
becomes a discoverer of knowledge by developing a spirit of inquiry. The main
aim of teaching by this method is not to provide much facts about Science, Mathematics,
Grammar, etc., but to teach how knowledge of these can be obtained.
Advantage
1. Self-learning approach
Limitation
1. Not much focus on
factual knowledge
Differentiated Instruction (DI): Differentiated
instruction is a dynamic, proactive method of teaching. It means that the
teacher plans and uses a variety of ways to teach learning. It is a
combination of whole group, small group and individual instruction methods. In
this method, the qualitative aspects are given more weightage than quantitative
aspects. It uses multiple approaches to accommodate multiple intelligences. It
is student-centered, meaning that the lessons are engaging, relevant,
interesting and active. It is an organized and planned method of teaching.
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