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Paradigm Shift From Teaching To Learning
By Lieutenant Colonel Anil Nigam, Sat Dec 10th
Paradigm Shift from Teaching to Learning Teaching is one of the oldest professions in the world. In goodold days the students who had desire to learn used to come tolearn and usually were self motivated. Moreover the goingthrough the process was comparatively easy as things andconcepts were relatively easy. With changing socio-economicscene the whole process has undergone a tremendous change. Intoday’s society there are students who come just to earn adegree so as to have a respectable social status. Moreover dueto advancement in various fields, the concepts and applicationshave become quite complicated to understand and practice. The teachers job under these environments has become moredifficult wherein he has to ensure that learning takes placewhen he teaches for most of the students who come from diversebackgrounds. The attitude that our task is to teach and theywill learn only if they want to is a negative approach to mymind.
The Missing Links What has largely been considered classroom teaching and learningprocess traditionally has got certain missing links to my mind.I consider following to be the complete cycle of teachinglearning process and I have tried to stretch it beyond learningto achieving proficiencies and developing competencies. Thecomplete cycle is as shown below: - Teaching may lead to… Awareness, you should go beyond to ensure…Knowing, knowing does not mean …… Understanding, if theyunderstand next stage is… Learning where they even can do thethings them selves this has to be developed to… Proficiencywhere they become proficient in what they do and that has to bedeveloped to… Competencies What is the difference? I always thought that if I teach and they (students) understand.I think I have done my Job well. Is that sufficient? Probablynot! Let us take an example: - I was trying to teach my daughter how to dance I taught her tomy level best, put on the best music, told all the steps toperfection and gave enough time and attention and what not BUTIt came out to be total failure. She probably understood dancingbut could not dance the way I wanted. What did go wrong? Reason is very simple she was only a toddler and was in noposition to dance, though probably she became aware and up tosome extent understood also. But was that enough? Pleaseremember that the very first essential step to ensure that thestudents learn what you teach is to ensure that you are comingto their standards, this becomes the first essential step tobring them to your standards. That could be one reason but there can be many more … What isneeded? For making teaching learning process to be successful a changein teachers attitude and approach is required following can betried out:- Paradigm shift from “Catch me if you can” to “catch them if youcan”. Speak the language which they understand and in the mannerthat they understand. Not only that! make sure that they don’t abandon you in between.You could devise mean to make sure that they stay with you. Onetechnique is to ask the students to repeat part of the teachingof the previous class and you should be able to identify thestudents who are falling behind for what ever may be reasons.Target such students for your questions very often and let it beknown by them after all it is for their own good. How do you Ensure Learning Generate interest in whatever you teach. Test their knowledge,which they gain by way of discussions and question answers. Youcould also ask some good students to give answers to thequestions raised by other students in the class. Force them to come prepared you could take frequent class tests.Let sword be hanging on their heads you could also ask somestudents at random to come on the stage and just give the briefof what was discussed during previous lecture. Strike a good rapport with students. Your attitude towards themis very important and they read it correctly
always and everytime. Be sympathetic but firm in your approach. Your approachcould be almost fatherly. They should be able to sense that youmean their good and that should b by your actions rather thanyou talking about it. Read their mind and Eyes. You should be able to read questionmarks in their eyes. It is not difficult. Do look in their eyesand you will be amazed to see them speaking. Do not ignore thatas if you do that they would soon loose interest and also thetrack of what you are teaching. Why wait take feedback for yourself in the very second week.Talk to them frankly and openly and try changing your style ifrequired. After all what you teach is not important, what theylearn is more important isn’t it? Keep them on toes, if they do not put question bombard them withquestions basically your approach should be to ensure that theylisten to you and are mentally alert. Use students as resource to clarify doubts. It is not at allnecessary that you have to talk all the time. They will be moreattentive if they are to speak. Make your classes interactivewith involvement of students in clarifying basic doubts raisedby other students. This will give them confidence as well asimprove their communication skills. Show your genuine concern for their welfare. Do not only talkjust do it the best you can. Even accompanying some student tohospital in emergencies. Earn respect by your behavior and knowledge. Even how you standhow you talk and how you dress up does matter. Do you rememberyour school/College days? Try to look back into those days andyou will realize as to what needs to be done. Do your homework thoroughly. There can never be any short cutfor depth of knowledge. Each lecture has to be preparedthoroughly as if you are going to teach it for the first time. Why Limit ourselves? Learning cannot be limited to classroom Classroom teaching could well be just less than 50% of the totallearning involved or PUT it otherwise it could be gatewayleading to learning experiences. Use every opportunity presentedto you to make them learn. Other Opportunities to EnhanceTeaching Learning process could be following:- Lab Sessions Tutorial Seminars Projects Industry Visits Make use of this time to fullest advantage. Demonstrate theequipment in lab sessions and during industry visits and couplethis with classroom teaching. Same way projects, seminars andtutorial time can be used to a great advantage. Invoke theinterest in the students by taking practical systems andexamples from the visits, which you had undertaken to enhancethe learning. Food for thoughts Does Serving the food means that it has been eaten and digested?Even if it has been digested completed, has justice been done?Be careful in choosing what you serve. Do you get me ? Yes thesetting of the syllabus is what I am talking about. It is one ofthe most important things for a teacher. I will go to an extentof saying that it is much more important than the teachingitself. What you teach does matter a lot so be careful to chooseshould you get a chance to draft a syllabus. It should meet thetomorrow’s requirement and not that of yesterday. I think that is about all we can do for the students. BUT WAIT! IS THAT ENOUGH ? Haven’t you heard about Self Learning? Just mark my words end ofstudies in the college is going to be beginning of the actuallearning about the real world where continuous updating will berequired. Where we fit in as teachers? Can’t we motivate them to developthe art of self-learning and self-grooming to get ready forfuture?
About the author:Author has 28 years of experience in the field ofTelecommunications. He is M.Sc(Physics) and has M. Tech fromIndian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He has worked indifferent capacities including Signal corps Indian Army,Regional Manager of one of leading Telecom company. Currently heis Associate Professor with Institute of Technology andManagement at Gurgaon, Haryana, India which is rated as the bestEngineering colleges of North India
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