Optional online assignment
- 1. ONLINE ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: HOW TO PROMOTE STUDENT EFFORTS IN LEARNING ASHA B REG.NO 16514300002 GCTE, THY
- 2. INTRODUCTION It is important for us to remember that what students believe about learning and themselves as learners plays a key role in determining their success as learners. Research evidence is very clear on this issue. If a student believes that no matter what they do, they won’t succeed in a course, even being in a course with a highly rated effective teacher does not change the effects of those beliefs. Because their beliefs matter so much, we must show students that their efforts do make a difference and explain why we propose they use certain strategies. I don’t think we’re always as diligent about this as we should be. A lot of times when we use a learning strategy, whether its concept maps, a reading preparation assignment, or a think-pair-share activity, we don’t explain to students why we’ve chosen this strategy. We don’t tell them that research has shown that when students taking courses like theirs used this strategy, it improved their performance in the course or it developed necessary learning skills like critical thinking and problem solving. Most faculties don’t know as much as they should about learning, but most students know even less. Even without that knowledge, students still have beliefs about their abilities as learners, and those beliefs affect their motivation to learn and the success of their efforts. We can help students by changing what they know about learning and by showing them how the strategies we propose do help them learn. WAYS TO PROMOTE STUDENT EFFORTS IN LEARNING Several methods have been demonstrated to promote higher levels of student engagement. Instructors can enhance student engagement by encouraging students to become
- 3. more active participants in their education through setting and achieving goals and by providing collaborative opportunities for educational research, planning, teaching, evaluation, and decision-making. Providing teachers with training on how to promote student autonomy was beneficial in enhancing student engagement by providing students with a more autonomous environment, rather than a controlling environment. Another method of promoting student engagement is through the use of learning communities, a technique that has a group of students taking the same classes together. By being part of a group taking the same classes, students show an increase in academic performance and collaborative skills. Increasing student engagement is especially important at the university level in increasing student persistence. It may also increase students’ mastery of challenging material. 1. Enhance students’ self-belief — There is no agreement in the research literature as to what motivates learners to engage, but the dominant view is that students engage when they act as their own learning agents working to achieve goals meaningful to them. This means that what students believe about themselves as learners is very important. They must believe they can learn, including that they can overcome and learn from failure. Giving students some control over learning processes helps develop this confidence and commitment to learning. 2. Enable students to work autonomously, enjoy learning relationships with others, and feel they are competent to achieve their own objectives — When institutions provide opportunities for students to learn both autonomously and with others, and to develop their sense of competence, students are more likely to be motivated, to engage and succeed. Not unrelated to the first recommendation, the focus here is on cultivating intrinsic motivation, which fosters the self-determination that leads to engagement. 3. Recognize that teaching and teachers are central to engagement — Much research places teachers at the heart of engagement. For example, the teacher is perceived to be approachable, well prepared, and sensitive to student needs, students are committed to work harder, get more out of the session, and are more willing to express their opinion. 4. Create learning that is active, collaborative, and fosters learning relationships -- Active learning in groups, peer relationships, and social skills are important in engaging learners. 5. Create educational experiences for students that are challenging and enriching and that extend their academic abilities — Easy learning activities and assignments are not as effective at engaging students as activities and assignments that challenge them. When students are reflecting, questioning, conjecturing, evaluating, and making connections between ideas, they are engaged. Teachers need to create rich educational experiences that challenge students’ ideas and stretch them as far as they can go. 6. Ensure that institutional cultures are welcoming to students from diverse backgrounds — To become engaged, students must feel they are accepted and affirmed. They must feel they belong at an institution.
- 4. 7. Invest in a variety of support services — Sometimes it seems as though students don’t take advantage of support services like learning and advising centers, but a wide variety of research findings confirms the importance of these support services. They are perceived as part of the institutional culture, and students engage when that culture values and supports their efforts to learn. 8. Adapt to changing student expectations — An institution should never be satisfied with how it is promoting student engagement. As students change and new research evidence emerges, institutional practices should be adjusted. Engagement cannot just be promoted, it must also be maintained. 9. Enable students to become active citizens — What is needed is a democratic-critical conception of engagement that goes beyond strategies, techniques, behaviours, and a conception in which engagement is participatory, dialogic and leads not only to academic achievement but to success as an active citizen. 10. Enable students to develop their social and cultural capital — This kind of capital derives from a sense of belonging, from active relationships with others, and from knowing how things work around the institution. It is especially essential for minority students who need to be successful not only in the classroom but beyond it as well. There are some other methods in our curriculum to promote student efforts in learning. Some of the are collaborative learning, co-operative learning, interactive sessions, dealing with heterogeneous groups, project work, work shop, seminar, symposia, debates, anchoring, event management,etc. 1. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together. Unlike individual learning, people engaged in collaborative learning capitalize on one another’s resources and skills (asking one another for information, evaluating one another’s ideas, monitoring one another’s work, etc.). More specifically, collaborative learning is based on the model that knowledge can be created within a population where members actively interact by sharing experiences and take on asymmetry roles. Put differently, collaborative learning refers to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in a common task where each individual depends on and is accountable to each other. These include both face-to-face conversations and computer discussions (online forums, chat rooms, etc.). Methods for examining collaborative learning processes include conversation analysis and statistical discourse analysis. Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product.
- 5. Collaborative learning is based on the idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among themselves. It is through the talk that learning occurs. There are many approaches to collaborative learning. 1. Learning is an active process whereby students assimilate the information and relate this new knowledge to a framework of prior knowledge. 2. Learning requires a challenge that opens the door for the learner to actively engage his/her peers, and to process and synthesize information rather than simply memorize and regurgitate it. 3. Learners benefit when exposed to diverse viewpoints from people with varied backgrounds. 4. Learning flourishes in a social environment where conversation between learners takes place. During this intellectual gymnastics, the learner creates a framework and meaning to the discourse. 5. In the collaborative learning environment, the learners are challenged both socially and emotionally as they listen to different perspectives, and are required to articulate and defend their ideas. In so doing, the learners begin to create their own unique conceptual frameworks and not rely solely on an expert's or a text's framework. Thus, in a collaborative learning setting, learners have the opportunity to converse with peers, present and defend ideas, exchange diverse beliefs, question other conceptual frameworks, and are actively engaged. Collaborative learning processes can be incorporated into a typical 50-minute class in a variety of ways. Some require a thorough preparation, such as a long-term project, while others require less preparation, such as posing a question during lecture and asking students to discuss their ideas with their neighbors. In collaborative classrooms, the lecturing/listening/note-taking process may not disappear entirely, but it lives alongside other processes that are based in students' discussion and active work with the course material. Regardless of the specific approach taken or how much of the ubiquitous lecture-based course is replaced, the goal is the same: to shift learning from a teacher- centered to a student-centered model. 2. CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING Cooperative learning is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Cooperative Learning is an instructional strategy that simultaneously addresses academic and social skill learning by students. It is an instructional strategy and has been reported to be highly successful in the classroom because of its increasing need for
- 6. interdependence in all levels, providing students with the tools to effectively learn from each other. Students work towards fulfilling academic and social skill goals that are clearly stated. It is a team approach where the success of the group depends upon everyone pulling his or her weight. Students receive training in small group social skills. Activities are structured with each student having a specific role. The teacher observes, listens and intervenes in a group when necessary. Students submit work at the end of class for evaluation. Students assess individual and group performance. Cooperative learning, which will be the primary focus of this workshop, is a specific kind of collaborative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups on a structured activity. They are individually accountable for their work, and the work of the group as a whole is also assessed. Cooperative groups work face-to-face and learn to work as a team. In small groups, students can share strengths and also develop their weaker skills. They develop their interpersonal skills. They learn to deal with conflict. When cooperative groups are guided by clear objectives, students engage in numerous activities that improve their understanding of subjects explored. In order to create an environment in which cooperative learning can take place, three things are necessary. First, students need to feel safe, but also challenged. Second, groups need to be small enough that everyone can contribute. Third, the task students’ work together on must be clearly defined. The cooperative and collaborative learning techniques presented here should help make this possible for teachers. Also, in cooperative learning small groups provide a place where: learners actively participate; teachers become learners at times, and learners sometimes teach; respect is given to every member; projects and questions interest and challenge students; diversity is celebrated, and all contributions are valued; students learn skills for resolving conflicts when they arise; members draw upon their past experience and knowledge; goals are clearly identified and used as a guide; research tools such as Internet access are made available; Students are invested in their own learning. 3. INTERACTIVE SESSIONS
- 7. Interactive sessions are a way for students to engage with energy professionals and get hands-on experience or pitch in their own innovative ideas, work in teams to solve critical problems and learn new ways of communication! Interactive sessions are designed to transfer the focus from teacher-based lectures to learner centric participation. Interactive sessions engage and encourage the participant to be active in their learning. They allow the learner to process new knowledge by connecting what they have just learned to their existing knowledge base. The average adult attention span is approximately 20 minutes. However, allowing the brain to break from lecture by participating in experiential learning extends concentration through practical application of new knowledge. Group sessions with interactive learning can turn into team building outings. Adding an element of fin and cooperation among co-workers can further enhance the learning experience and increase knowledge retention. 4. DEALING WITH HETEROGENEOUS GROUPS Heterogeneous Groups are groups that include students with a wide variety of instructional levels. Heterogeneous Groups stem from the education precept that a positive interdependence can arise from students with varied learning levels working together and helping each other to reach an instructional goal. Heterogeneous grouping is a type of distribution of students among various classrooms of a certain grade within a school. In this method, children of approximately the same age are placed in different classrooms in order to create a relatively even distribution of students of different abilities as well as different educational and emotional needs. Gifted children will be scattered throughout the various grade level classrooms, rather than all together in one classroom. Heterogeneous or nongraded education is the practice of teaching children of different ages and ability levels together in the same classroom, without dividing them or the curriculum into steps labeled by "grade" designations. The practice is also known by several other terms which basically designate the same concept; ungraded education, multi-age grouping, mixed age grouping, open education, vertical grouping and family grouping. Multi aged grouping does away with grade levels, and combines younger and older students together. Adherence to chronological age/grade groupings or ability groupings is disregarded. Children progress at their own rates, making continuous progress rather than being "promoted" to the next grade. This eliminates the necessity of retaining students and the stigma many low performing children face. Usually students in this program keep the same teacher or team of teachers for more than one year. Students move from group to group, classroom to classroom, based on their individual needs and interests. School becomes a fluid environment, where coursework may change weekly, even daily, depending on a student’s progress. The structure for play and projects is more closely linked to real life in which children spontaneously group themselves. Individuals are allowed to learn at their own pace in their own ways. The approach is
- 8. child-centered, with an emphasis on recognition and honoring of individual differences. The approach to nongraded groupings encourages spontantey and better reflects naturalistic settings such as family groupings. Once we expand our definition on success, we come to the conclusion that research strongly supports the positive effects of heterogeneous groupings of students because of its noticeable effects on; attitude toward school, increase of self-concepts as learners, relationships with peers, reduction of anxiety, and future aspirations. Students in a nongraded setting increased their interactions with other students and their teachers. The increased interactions as a result of pairing older/younger students were even noticeable in pre-school children. Leadership skills increased in older children, prosocial behaviors increased while aggression among students lessened. Unfortunately, the idea of grouping students heterogeneously is not without its’ criticisms. One concern voiced by teachers and parents of gifted students is that the advantages of high-achieving students would be compromised. Parents criticize schools for not offering separate enrichment classes. It is interesting to note that in most cases, parents’ criticisms are not concerned with the quality of the curriculum, but rather with that fact that their children are no longer singled out and treated differently. For the teacher, the increased time spent for lesson preparation is also a drawback. Even though children interact better with others older and younger than themselves, they often experience difficulties in making same sex/same age friends since they do not have a pool of peers to draw from, as students in graded classrooms have. The results of the studies mentioned here indicate that educators cannot assume that students who are in multi-age classrooms will perform better academically, but they can safely conclude that students probably will do no worse. Multi-age grouping can be an effective way of dealing with different rates of development so that instruction is appropriate for all students, not just those who happen to be on grade level. As we enter the new millennium, we must work even harder to ensure that no student is left behind. Multi-age classrooms can help make this goal a reality. 5. PROJECT WORK Too often we hear from middle school students that school is boring and that they cannot relate to nor understand the material that is presented to them each day in class. To those of us who teach and love our subjects, it seems incomprehensible that students are not passionate about them. Rather than feel disheartened, we need to understand that we have before us both a challenge and an opportunity. Project-based learning experiences will help us figure out how to make learning come alive for our middle school students. Imagine what a classroom would look and sound like when students are actively engaged in inquiry work, where they are reading, talking, questioning, analyzing and creating products, in large groups, small groups,
- 9. independently – toward the goal of demonstrating their learning based on self-selected compelling questions and topics. The purpose of project-based learning is to provide a structure through which students can demonstrate mastery of a subject by creating, and presenting, a research-based project that is driven by their own interest in a topic and allows them to work within the same parameters as real researchers. While the projects can assess the students’ knowledge of content, concepts and skills and the level of depth and complexity to which students have understood them, they also allow students to think deeply and analytically and to question a topic which has particular resonance and meaning for them. The use of project-based learning results in increased student engagement for several reasons. First, students thrive when they have the opportunity to become experts with what some researchers call “exportable knowledge.” Students who work on in-depth projects tend to learn even more about the subject than they demonstrate within the confines of their final product. They translate the information they discover to real knowledge and then share (or “export” into conversations) with others. Second, projects usually present opportunities for authentic investigations and presentations. There is a real reason for students to learn something and for them to present their learning. Students identify real problems to pursue and they investigate them through real-world sources of information (e.g., interviews, Internet sites, magazine articles, primary sources). Because students are doing their own research, they find connections to their own (real) interests. Third, learning is social. Projects lend themselves to students’ working and learning collaboratively. Students are highly motivated when they have frequent opportunities to talk over ideas with their peers. Lastly, projects enable students to be active learners. They take charge, question, make decisions, analyze, think critically, create, present – they become independent thinkers. Nothing is more engaging to a middle scholar than that. 6. WORKSHOP In education, a workshop is a brief intensive course, a seminar or a series of meetings emphasizing interaction and exchange of information among a (usually small) number of participants. The workshop itself: 1. Create a relaxed atmosphere for learning. If this is your first class, introduce yourself and have the class get to know each other. Open yourself up to questions and suggestions. 2. Outline your objectives for the workshop. Explain to the class what you hope to accomplish in the available time. Outline what is expected of them and the purpose behind all the tasks. Provide a schedule setting benchmarks that they can aim for. Get feedback on where the class stands and be prepared to make some changes to best meet the needs of the students.
- 10. 3. Encourage active participation and allow for problem solving and/or skill acquisition. Involve the group in all phases of the workshop. Invite questions, group discussion, and debate. Encourage the students to learn from each other – if a problem is presented, allow the class to offer their solutions rather than giving them the answer. 4. Provide relevant and practical information. Although active participation and interaction are essential to a successful workshop, students must also feel that they have learned something. Begin class with a mini-lecture setting the tone for the activities, covering the required knowledge, and ensuring a common ground for all students. 5. Vary your activities and your style. Keep the workshops flowing at a pace that keeps participants’ attention, leaving room for the group to slow down or speed up. 6. Summarize your workshop and request feedback from the class. Leave time at the end to restate the learning objectives and what you hoped to achieve, synthesize the main points and tie the activities in to concrete learning goals for the course. Ask students to summarize what they have learned during the workshop and if they found the method helpful. 7. SEMINAR The most important first step in planning a seminar programme is to ensure that activities complement the lecture programme. In contrast to lectures, seminars offer good opportunities for interaction between the tutor and students, and the key function of a seminar is to exploit these opportunities. Tutors are able to diagnose students’ difficulties and present challenges that should focus students’ efforts on the more critical ideas to understand and techniques to master. Students are able to check their understanding and seek advice when they recognize that their understanding is incomplete. Through these interactions, students should be able to deepen their understanding, recognize the relevance of ideas introduced in the lecture and make connections between ideas and evidence presented in different lectures. If a seminar begins to resemble a mini-lecture, it has completely lost its way. A seminar is a group meeting led by an expert that focuses on a specific topic or discipline, such as business, job searches or a university field such as literature. Seminars typically take place over the course of a few days and involve cooperative discussion, multiple speakers and opportunities to share perspectives and issues related to the topic. Attending a seminar has numerous benefits, including improving communication skills, gaining expert knowledge, networking with others and renewing motivation and confidence.
- 11. 8. SYMPOSIA A symposium is a public meeting about a topic in which people give presentations. If your knitting club holds a symposium, various knitters will give presentations about anything having to do with knitting. A symposium can be a one-time conference or a regular meeting, but it will probably include some amount of discussion or public speeches on a particular subject. Many people who attend symposiums will be part of the audience for many of the presentations, but during the course of the event, give their own presentation or be part of a panel discussion. 9. DEBATES The core of competitive high school debate is to examine every side of important and controversial issues in an atmosphere of reasoned argument and respectful discourse. The enormous effort that students put forth to succeed in this intellectually exciting activity is truly inspiring. They devote a huge number of hours to research, discussion, case writing, and practicing for competitions. They spend countless evenings and weekends at tournaments competing for their schools and teammates. The benefits they accrue as a result of all their hard work are numerous. Here are just a few: Rigorous and Critical Thinking Perhaps the most important skill debaters learn is the ability to think rigorously and critically. A number of studies have reported that participation in debate increasing the critical thinking of debate students. Debate participation promotes problem solving and innovative thinking, and helps students to build links between words and ideas that make concepts more meaningful. Debate students are taught to synthesize wide bodies of complex information, and to exercise creativity and implement different ways of knowing. Learning to think well has far reaching effects into every aspect of a student’s life. Academic Skills Many studies show marked improvement in a wide variety of academic skills as a result of participation in competitive debate. Debate students excel in written and oral communication, and greatly improve their reading comprehension (sometimes 25% more than their peers). 4 Students become comfortable with new concepts and unfamiliar language, and gain access to a wide array of new information such as college-level philosophy, history, public policy and current events.5 Perhaps most importantly, debaters become self-directed learners, allowing them to take control of their education experience and continue to learn throughout their lives.6 This makes competitive debate a particularly affective vehicle for gifted and talented education.
- 12. Mental and Emotional Maturity Debate requires students to engage serious subject matter in a mature and professional environment. Debate students show more maturity in the face of adversity and tend to develop stronger relationships with peers and mentors than the average student. Debate teaches students to recognize how others think, which improves their ability to cooperate and resolve conflicts. This makes debate one of the most successful vehicles for providing affective education to at-risk students. Ultimately, debate increases students’ self-confidence by helping to teach them the skills necessary to become competent adults. Academic and Occupational Achievement All of these skills ultimately lead debate students to notable academic achievement. Debate students consistently receive impressive grades throughout high school and college. The average debate team has a GPA of 3.75 (and it is often higher), and the average debate student is in the top 10% of his or her high school class. Improvement in academic performance is common to all debate students, regardless of their level of academic achievement prior to joining the activity. Debate students also score better on the ACT and SAT than their peers, and are consistently admitted to prestigious post-secondary institutions. A stunning 98.58% of debate students attend college, and debate participation increases the chances of being offered college scholarships. Many debate students go on to earn advanced degrees. Beyond their academic careers, debaters tend to enjoy success in the world of work. Many top corporate executives and high-ranking officials in all branches of government are former high school debaters.Debate students tend to become leaders in their schools and communities because they develop strong listening skills, tact, self-confidence, and often take on strong leadership roles within their teams. Finally, debate students tend to be politically active and have high levels of civic engagement. This is particularly true for women and students of color, because debate skills help to break down traditional barriers to civic engagement. All considered, it is not surprising that many students report that participation in competitive debate was the most educational and rewarding aspect of their high school careers. 10. ANCHORING Anchoring or focalism is a cognitive bias that describes the common human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the "anchor") when making decisions. During decision making, anchoring occurs when individuals use an initial piece of information to make subsequent judgments. Once an anchor is set, other judgments are made by adjusting away from that anchor, and there is a bias toward interpreting other information around the anchor. For
- 13. example, the initial price offered for a used car sets the standard for the rest of the negotiations, so that prices lower than the initial price seem more reasonable even if they are still higher than what the car is really worth. Anchoring is a technique used to manage emotional states in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It involves setting up an association with a desired mental state such as happiness or calm by creating an anchor stimulus to that state. Anchoring is one of various NLP techniques which have applications not only in terms of managing thinking and feeling but also as classroom activities to support other learning aims. Example Hearing a song and remembering a sad experience, or smelling a particular food and recalling a time in childhood, are both examples of anchors. In the classroom Anchoring can be used to reduce affective factors such as stress. Learners - and teachers in stressful situations such as exams or observations - can be encouraged to make associations with a previous, happier experience that they have created an anchor to. 11. EVENT MANAGEMENT Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of large scale events such as festivals, conferences, ceremonies, formal parties, concerts, or conventions. It involves studying the brand, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the technical aspects before actually launching the event. Event management is vital for the following purposes: 1. Develops the theme of the Event: - The event management team develops the theme of the event. The theme of the event should be linked to the purpose of the event. It should develop team sprit or friendship between two clubs or states or nations. Therefore, the theme of the event may be described as ‘The friendship Series’ or ‘The Good will Series’. 2. Provides Career Opportunities: - Event management Provides career opportunities. Apart from event manager, there are several other job opportunities in the Event management such as: 1. Operation and Logistics managers. 2. Entertainment manager’s 3.Sponsorship managers.
- 14. 4. Event coordinator 5.Event Designer 6.Security Coordinator, etc. 3. Develops leadership qualities: - Event management develops leadership qualities. To manage an event, the managers require good leadership qualities to influence and motivate the subordinates to work effectively in making the event more successful. 4. DevelopTeam sprit: - Event management helps to develops team spirit in the employees. The success of the Event management largely depends upon the team effort. Therefore, there is need for team work between managers and their subordinates, and between the various departments in the organisation, so as to make the event more successful. 5. Enhances Corporate Image: -Proper Event management helps to develop corporate image of an organisation. If the event is well managed, then there is a possibility of greater success. 6. Encourages Creativity: - Event management encourages and develops creativity in the managers. Managers need to be dynamic or innovative in managing the event. The mangers have to find out new and innovative ways in managing the event. 7. Ensures safety and security: - Event management team ensures safety and security of the people during the event. The Event management team makes proper security and safety arrangements. For instance, the event management team makes proper arrangement to deal with the certain crisis such as occurrence of fire, failure of lighting or air conditioning, gas leaks, and so on. 8. Financial Management: -The Event management team may be responsible for the financial management of the event. The event management team may be responsible for: · Preparation of budget for the event. · Determining break-even point · Preparation of cash-flow analysis, and . Preparation of profit and loss statement, etc.
- 15. CONCLUSION Though they are still limited in scope, there are now a number of efforts to reshape the classroom by altering the way academic support is provided, improving the usability of assessment and feedback techniques, and restructuring patterns of student engagement in the curriculum and classroom. Several of these deserve special attention, not only because of evidence that supports their effectiveness, but also because of their capacity to reshape the nature of classroom learning, and in turn enhance classroom success -- in particular, but not only, for those who enter college academically underprepared. The best lessons, books, and materials in the world won’t get students excited about learning and willing to work hard if they’re not motivated. Motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is a key factor in the success of students at all stages of their education, and teachers can play a pivotal role in providing and encouraging that motivation in their students. Of course that’s much easier said than done, as all students are motivated differently and it takes time and a lot of effort to learn to get a classroom full of kids enthusiastic about learning, working hard, and pushing themselves to excel. Even the most well- intentioned and educated teachers sometimes lack the skills to keep kids on track, so whether you’re a new teacher or an experienced one, try using these methods to motivate your students and to encourage them to live up to their true potential