Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

Assessment and evaluation are very important parts or aspects  of the teaching and learning cycle. Assessment is a tool used to measure   students learning   for the improvement of teaching and learning. In other words, it    refers to the   feedback   from the students   to the teacher or instructor about their learning. Worksheets, quizzes, oral tests, project works, presentations   etc could be given to assess how much the students have learned.

On the other hand   evaluation   refers to   methods used   to judge student learning   and the understanding of the   content material   for the mere purpose of   grading and reporting. Evaluation is the feedback given by the instructor to the students about their learning.

Diagnostic assessments

Diagnostic assessments are assessments given at the beginning of a topic to check to see how much the students are familiar with the topics (their experience), their interests, their capabilities and skills in relation to different topics. Through a diagnostic   test, the teacher would be able to identify students’ problems and can plan to help the student in future with the help of most applicable   strategies. Normally diagnostic tests are given at the beginning of an academic year. Using the diagnostic assessment effectively   enables the assessment process as it helps to determine what students know and what they are capable of.

Formative assessments

Formative assessments are an on- going processes which helps  the students continually   throughout a definite term duration  or semester .It  could be taken as a weekly or quarterly manner as there is no definite frequency  set,  as long as  the teacher uses the information got  to make future adjustments  to the instructions (instructional methods used in teaching ).Classroom observations and diagnostic tests come under  formative assessments.

Summative assessments

Formative assessments are designed to be taken at particular intervals .It is specifically designed to test   the knowledge   students have mastered within a given time duration. And it is mainly used for accountability.  The term tests given        in schools   are an example of   summative assessment.

As a matter of fact, the current society expects the   students to score well in whatever way they do .As a result   assessments are very much marks oriented that students   are very much forced  to  produce “quantity results” rather than “quality results”.

Reference:

Goode,K;Kingston,T;Grant,J.M & Munson,L.(2010).Assessment for learning. Retrieved from http://www.etfo.ca/Resources/ForTeachers/Documents/Assessment%20for%20Learning.pdf

Williams,A.E.(July,01,2008) .What is the difference between a formative and a summative assessment?.Retrieved from http://www.letsgolearn.com/faqs/comments/what_is_the_difference_between_a_formative_assessment_and_a_summative_asses/

Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

CREATING A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Parents send   the students  to school  with complete trust and  confidence that their children  will be treated  well and kept safe  with their belief that  the school is the second home of the students. So it becomes   very important to   create a safe, healthy environment for the students to do their learning. On the other hand, if the learning environment is   not so   student friendly, no learning is going to take place in the classrooms.

In the child friendly environment if students are respected, supported, appreciated   and valued ;  learning  would become an easy task for the students and would help the student  to reach their full potential.

Some steps   that would help to create a positive learning environment are as follows:

v  Learn individual  students very well( background/physical health/ability  level / learning  style etc )

v  Try to spend as   much time as possible with the individual students in order to establish a good relationship   between the teacher and the student.

v  Display   the work of students in the classroom. They would feel happy to find them displayed thinking of how great they are.

v  Give positive feedback and reinforcements to   make them feel that their work is appreciated   and let them know the areas that they needed to improve on.

v  Create opportunities to express themselves either orally or in written. Could keep a box for the students to put their suggestions in / Assign a special place for the students to display their art work/ let them to do journal writing .

v  Have  a daily get together  with the students.

v  Allow students  to make appointments with the teacher  for a certain time , to talk in private if they have  any issues to be discussed with the teacher.

v  Let the students know the importance of conducting themselves in a respectable manner  in the classroom and also  to treat others in the same way.

v  Give students who show inappropriate behaviors  a place to cool themselves down. After that , get them to reflect on their behavior  and discuss the other ways in which they could have handled the situation.

v  Do as much as possible   to make the physical environment   as comfortable  and pleasant as possible. Bring in things that could enlighten the classroom like cushions, beanbags, magazines etc (McDaniels, 2012 )

Creating a safe, positive learning environment will enforce  all students, even those with learning disabilities and extraordinary  personal challenges to do well when they are physically comfortable, mentally motivated and emotionally supported. It is the responsibility of the teacher to   make the classrooms   a more enjoyable and better place for learning.

Reference:

McDaniels,M.M(2012).Children respond to a positive learning environment. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/classroom-management/13907-creating-a-positive-learning-environment/

Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

EFFECTIVE  INSTRUCTIONAL  TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES

Instructional   Strategies are methodologies   used in conducting the   lesson   in order to make sure the delivery and the sequence   of the lesson help the students   in their learning. The   instructional   techniques   used   should be effective   to result in students’ progress in their performance. These kind of different   techniques   creates opportunities   for the learners with different   learning styles to participate in. Some of them are as follows:

*        Direct instruction:  This type of instruction involves   more involvement of the teacher. This type of instruction is best   to be used when teaching knowledge acquisition which involves   facts, rules and action   sequences. Examples of this type of techniques include

o   Structured over view

o   Comparing and contrasting

o   Lecture

o   Drill and practice

 

steps in direct instruction

*        Indirect instruction: The students’   role is more in this type of instruction. Students are more participative in the learning process. This is  best to use while teaching  concepts ,patterns /abstractions. Examples  include:

o   Problem solving

o   Inquiry based learning

o   Concept mapping   

*        Interactive instruction :Is a methodology involving  interactions between the teachers and the peers

Eg:

o   Debating

o   Brainstorming

*        Experiential learning: A student centered inductive method of teaching which allows students to participate actively in the process and reflect back on their learning. Examples:

Field trip /role play

*                 Independent study: Consists   of   different instructional methods which helps  to develop students  to do independent learning  with the supervision and guidance  from the teacher or elder person.

Eg: Journal writing

These instructional   strategies   should be used wisely and in a purposeful manner   for students effective learning to take place. They help the students and   the teachers to assess and evaluate learning in a meaningful manner.

Reference:

Moore, K.D (n.d ).Effective Instructional Strategies .Retrieved from http://sagepub.com/upm-data/11705_Moore.pdf

   Effective   instructional  techniques. Unpublished lecture notes, MCHE, Maldives

Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

ADDRESSING STUDENT DIVERSITY

Our students in a classroom has a lot of differences among them like   cultural, religious and political beliefs, way of dressing, gender, age , family background  , intellectual ability and learning styles. Despite these differences in the students   we have to cater to their needs   to make learning more meaningful to them.

Gender bias: A term used to describe   the preference towards one   gender over the other knowingly or unknowingly. In other words   “favoring”    girls or  boys   over the other.  Even though this   is something that should be avoided   , some people   think that’s its human nature   to favor   someone and that it’s something that cannot be avoided. However in the classrooms teachers should make sure that   they don’t favor any   group or anybody as this would create a bad image of the teacher in front of the   students.

Socio economic status: It describes the extent to   which the society    influences  other individuals, peers, families, school community and our whole society too. We don’t find much cultural differences   in the classroom itself, even though there are   situations and conflicts created between the high socio economic status group and the low economic status group. For instance students coming from   low socio economic   status   scoring low in academics, facing more health and   behavioral problems , etc.

Special educational needs: SEN or special  educational need students  are students who  desperately needs  professional help and aid from the elders as they have some sort of  learning difficulties due to some  disability. According to Wool folk ( 2010 ),special educational need students include  students with learning disabilities, students with individual differences, students with learning challenges, students with hyperactivity and attention disorders, students with language ,  communication, emotional and behavioral   disorders.Depending on the severity of the   disability  , these students can be incorporated into normal classrooms  in inclusive education.

Reference:

Wolfolk,A (2010).Educational Psychology. Eleventh edition.Pearson Education,Inc

Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

Understanding learner characteristics & Learning   styles

“Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart.”

Henri Frederic Amiel

Each individual is a physically, mentally, psychologically and socially different character. According to Psychologist, Robert Sternberg , intelligence   is defined as the  "mental activity directed toward purposive adaptation to, selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to one’s life." It is defined as the intellectual potential,something with which we’re born with.

General Intelligence: The capability      to think about ideas, examine and evaluate situations, and solve problems.

Gifted: Gifted  or talented students normally  are talented in one  or two areas.

Multiple   Intelligence: Howard Gardener says that people do have  intellectual capacity  with many different intelligences

Howard Gardener’s nine   types of intelligence 

1. Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart) 

2. Musical Intelligence (“Musical Smart”)

3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)

4. Existential Intelligence

 5. Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart”) 

6. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”)

7. Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

8. Intra-personal Intelligence (Self Smart”)

9. Spatial Intelligence (“Picture Smart”)

Learning styles

 Different students learning styles are different from one another.It is the teachers responsibility  to include  varieties of activities catering to the different learning styles of students  to make learning more meaningful to them.

Reference:

Cherry,K (2013).Theories of intelligence.Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/p/intelligence.htm

Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

MOTIVATION

Motivation refers   to   the driving force that makes a person to do something. For example; a man works   in two   jobs   to earn more money, a   boy learns his lessons    to play computer games, a student   writes neatly to get a badge. Motivation is what makes us to act, whether it is to eat something   to reduce hunger   or   read a story to complete a book review form. These motives involve biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate   certain behaviors.

Motivation is of two types; intrinsic motivation & extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation refers to the motivation when the learner does   something   to get an external reward, whereas intrinsic motivation   motivates   the   learner   to experience   a rewarding result.

Student motivation   is important because students need motivation for them to do effective learning. Without any motivation the students sitting   in a classroom won’t achieve anything.

Theories of motivation

·       Behavioral view –   Completing   a   task in order to get a reward only.

·      Social cognitive view

·     Humanistic view - Motivation influenced by fulfilling different levels of need ( Roza,2013)

Factors that influence motivation

·         Values and beliefs of one’s culture

·         Emotions

·         Degree of competency

·         Prior knowledge

·         Perceptions

Students can be motivated   using external rewards at the beginning. And later the reward could be removed, once the students are intrinsically motivated.

Reference

Yunus,K.R.M., Razali,M & Jantan,R.(2011).HBEF2013: Educational Psychology. Open University Malaysia: Pearson

 Roza,I.(2013,April).Motivation. Unpublished lecture notes, The Maldives National University, Maldives.

Understanding Pedagogy & Learning Theories (CST 413 )

CONSTRUCTIVE  LEARNING THEORY

According to  Borich and Tombari’s  (1997, as cited in  Yunus , Razali & Jantan ,(2011) ,constructivism is an approach where the learners try and make sense of what is being learned by making connections or relationships among the knowledge and ideas that are being taught. This approach   involves and encourages learner to experience and participate actively in the learning process through social interactions. By doing this, the new   skills and concepts are combined or integrated into the existing conceptions  to make meaning   after which the learner applies it in a new context.

Hence, teachers should encourage students to participate actively in the activities, discover things for themselves to enhance their learning.

Reference

Ø  Yunus,K.R.M., Razali,M & Jantan,R.(2011).HBEF2013: Educational Psychology.Open University Malaysia:Pearson