Improved Pace and Content of Learning

Module Details

1. Subject Name Adult Education

2. Paper Name Teaching Techniques

3. Module Name Improved Pace and Content of Learning

4. Module Number 6.5

5. Principal Investigator Prof. Vandana Chakrabarti, Director, Lifelong Learning &

Extension, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai

6. Paper Coordinator Dr. Asha Patil, Associate Professor, Department of Continuing &
Adult Education & Extension, SNDT Women’s University,
Mumbai

7. Content writer Dr. Mohan Kumar, Director, IAEA, New Delhi & Mr. Sanjoy
Kumar, Research Officer, IAEA, New Delhi

8. Content Reviewer Dr. Rajan R., Associate Professor, Dept. of Life Long Learning
School of Education, Alagappa Univ., Kazaikudi, Tamil Nadu,
Tamil Nadu

Content Outline

 Introduction
 Genesis of IPCL
 Concept of IPCL
 IPCL Approach
 IPCL Curriculum
 Approach to the Development of IPCL Material
 Summary

Introduction

In the year 1987 Government of India instituted five Technology Missions –

Telecommunication, Immunization, Drinking Water, Literacy and Oil Seeds as an offshoot
of the Seventh Five Year Plan (1988-93) to take the advantage of ongoing scientific
development worldwide for effectively addressing the problems of some of the critical
areas which may have massive impact on the welfare of common citizens.
Subsequently, one more Mission was launched for Dairy. As decided by the then Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sam Pitroda, the Advisor to Prime Minister on Technology
Missions these missions focused immensely on certain pre-identified areas of national
development.

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 The target set for the literacy mission was to teach around 80 million people in
the 15-35 age-group (75% of the adult illiterate) to read and write at the rate of 10
million each year. In view of achieving this Herculean task GOI launched National
Literacy Mission as a nationwide programme on 5th May, 1988 following the success of
the areas specific, time bound, voluntary based campaign approach first in Kottayam city
and then in Ernakulum district in Kerala in 1990. NLM also adopted the literacy
campaigns as the dominant strategy for achieving its immediate target of imparting
functional literacy to almost 80 million adults in the age group of 15-35 over a period of
next eight years.

IPCL method of teaching was adopted during the Total Literacy Campaign (TLC)
phase to achieve the desired result within specified time period. It is based on certain
basic conceptual notions that all adults are not uniformly endowed, they do not also
learn at a uniform pace and their ingenuity for learning, receptivity and retentivity are
varied. The teaching learning materials used in IPCL method is developed keeping
certain fundamental conceptual establishment that adult learners are motivated to learn
better if the duration of learning is neither too long nor too short; the content of the
materials is in conformity with the learners’ needs and the learners are able to perceive
the progress of learning from stage to stage.

Genesis of IPCL

As a technology mission, NLM since its inception, attempted to demonstrate the

use of science, technology and management for tackling the enormous task through
large scale, area-specific, volunteer based, time-bound, cost-effective and outcome-
oriented Total Literacy Campaign. Analysis of previous programmes and experiments
being undertaken in the field of adult education and literacy, in and outside the country
by NLM revealed the fact that the success of any literacy movement largely depends on
certain crucial factors such as high personal motivation of learners and instructors,
systematic teaching and learning, high quality of programme content, visibility of
success in learning and optimum programme duration.

Evaluation of adult education programmes in some of the educationally better

endowed as well as backward states like Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha (earlier called Orissa),
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu further corroborated the relationship between
the motivation, learning outcome and duration of the programme. It also underlined that
faster decline in attendance in adult education centres sets in after 3 or 4 months of
starting of centres, longer duration does not necessarily increase the achievement, i.e.
there is no additional gain in learning after certain duration and shorter learning period is
seen to result in higher output at lesser costs.

These findings compelled NLM to have a fresh look at the whole gamut of adult
education in the country which resulted in the holding of workshops, seminars and
meetings involving top-level adult educationists, pedagogists, linguists, officials and field
workers.

The workshop conducted at Pune in July 1988 and at Indore in November 1988
arrived at the conclusion that the literacy norms set by NLM are achievable in 200 hours,
provided there are better teaching/learning materials, active and interesting teaching
methods, motivated instructors and timely supply of materials. Under the light of these
conclusions three more important meetings were held in quick succession – one was in
January 1989 at New Delhi in which State Directors of Adult Education and State
Resource Centres participated, the second one was in June 1989 at New Delhi in which
Educational experts were the participants and the third one was NLMA Executive
Committee in June 1989 at Bengaluru (then called Banglore). These meetings helped all
the stakeholders to arrive at a broad consensus that owing to the short-lived motivation
of learners, smaller duration courses for literacy with intensive learning have better

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prospects of success. In other words, experts were of the view that higher quality inputs
should compensate for what is lost in terms of time.

Hence, a new techno-pedagogic approach, known as the Improved Pace and

Content of Learning (IPCL) method of teaching was introduced during TLC phase to
enhance the quality of learning materials while shortening the time span for achieving
the NLM norms of functional literacy. Probably with some improvements the Naya Savera
technique of teaching developed and practiced by Lucknow Literacy House provided a
basis to realize all these findings.

By the year 2002 the Total Literacy Campaign was implemented in 596 districts
out of the total 600 districts of the country. The success of the TLCs was on several
counts including adoption of IPCL method of teaching on one hand and its focus on
imparting functional literacy on the other hand. Adoption of the Improved Pace and
Content of Learning (IPCL) method of teaching, in fact, reduced the duration of learning
from 500 hrs to a minimal 200 hrs and there by successfully increased the pace of entire
campaign and widened the coverage area both in terms of persons to be taught in a
specified time and the area to be covered.

Concept of IPCL

As a pedagogical concept IPCL is the output of a long and serious thinking which
attempts to provide and answer to the problems of slow and poor learning. According to
it, learning would be qualitatively better and faster if certain conditions are fulfilled,
which are as follows:

 There should be heightened motivation and voluntarism among the instructors.

 The short lived motivation of learners is fully exploited for learning.
 Learner’s motivation should be sustained through improved materials.
 Learning should be a joyful, robust, lively and confidence-building activity.

It is to be noted that psychological satisfaction is essential in sustaining the

motivation of an adult in the learning as easy and rewarding. It is expected that the
above steps will improve the pace of learning.

IPCL Approach

IPCL was introduced not only as a method of teaching but an essential approach
for launching a successful literacy campaign. It analyzed the methodologies used in the
past and took important elements that suit the ongoing adult education programme in
the country. Creating motivation, its sustenance and confidence-building activities
formed the cornerstone of the IPCL approach. The following points signify the IPCL
approach in brief:

 Creation of proper environment for launching a programme

 Identification of learners and planning their coverage, duration of the programme
and resources
 Training of instructors for voluntary service
 Development of integrated and graded material for learners and volunteers
 Making the learning process a joyful and rewarding activity
 Completion of each learning session in 200 hours spread over 6 months
 Conducting formative and summative evaluation unobtrusively and in festive
atmosphere and
 Assured provision for re-entry and further learning.

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 The net result of this approach is visualized as credible and comparable high
quality of learning outcomes in shorter period.

IPCL Curriculum

Inclusion of the very concept of ‘functional literacy’ which was much more than
merely acquiring the ability of reading, writing and numeracy formed the basis of the
development of IPCL curriculum. Going beyond the existing concepts of 3R’s i.e.
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, the functional literacy stood for -

 Achieving self-reliance in literacy and numeracy

 Becoming aware of the cause of deprivation and moving towards
amelioration of oppressive conditions through organization and
participation in the process of development
 Acquisition of skills to improve the economic status and general wellbeing
and
 Imbibing the values of national integration, conservation of environment,
women’s equality, observation of small family norms, etc.

Reading, writing and numeracy i.e. simple arithmetic popularly quoted as 3R’s too
has a specific meaning in terms of abilities to be acquired by a neo-literate which is as
follows:

Reading Writing Numeracy

 Reading aloud, with  Copying, with  Reading and writing

normal accent, and at a understanding, numerals 1 to100.
speed of 30 words a 7 word a minute.  Doing simple
minute, a simple  Taking dictation at calculations (without
passage on a topic of 5 words a minute. fraction) involving
interest to the learner.  Writing with proper addition and
 Silent reading at spacing and subtraction up to 3
35 words a minute, of alignment. digits, and
small paragraphs in  Writing multiplication and
simple language. independently, short division by 2 digits.
 Reading with letters and  Working knowledge of
understanding the road applications, and metric units weights,
signs, posters, simple filling in forms of measures currency,
instructions and day-to-day use to distance, area and unit
newspapers/broadsheets the learner. of time.
designed for neo-  Broad idea of
literates. proportion and
 Ability to follow simple interests (not involving
written passages fractions) and their
relating to one's working use in practical
and living environment. situations.

Entire IPCL curriculum revolves round the programme goal set by the NLM so that
it helps not only in transacting skills but also imparts awareness and develops
functionality as well. In adult education parlance, scholars often use the term FANV to
indicate what has to be achieved in short. The term stands for: Functionality, Awareness
and National values.

In the context of Improved Pace and Content of Learning –

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 ‘Functionality’ means that whatever information or knowledge is transferred would be
utility-oriented or of practical value. The learners should be able to use it in their life
or work situation in the immediate future for personal and social development. Thus,
functional information or knowledge can be from the areas of literacy skills, life skills,
income generative skills, etc.

 ‘Awareness’ means critical understanding of social conditions in which the learners

live and work. This would involve understanding of the factors contributing to their
existing predicament and problems and finding ways to solve them for betterment of
life.

 ‘National values’ means the inculcation of issues of national importance like national
integration, conservation of environment, women empowerment, population
education, small family norms, etc.

The content of IPCL curriculum is broadly classified into two types, viz. Core
Content and Locally Relevant Content. ‘Core Content’ includes national values (NV) like
national integration, women’s equality, population education, conservation of
environment and development of scientific temper. As part of ‘Locally Relevant Content’
the scholars expected the curriculum to be decided by the programme organizers,
academic sub-committee of the District Academic Committee and the material writers,
etc. who by virtue of their experience and background understand the local needs of the
learners.

Besides the core and locally relevant contents the IPCL curriculum also gives due
coverage to the topics that provides for entertaining, interesting and joyful reading.

The table below gives a list of some specific topics which are essentially covered
in the IPCL curriculum/primers.

Functional Literacy

Core Content Locally Relevant Content (LRC)

Main Areas Specific topics Main Areas Specific topics

National - Communal Harmony Health - Need to Keep the

Integration - Equality of All People Services Baby Clean
- Humanistic Approach - Need to Keep the
to Caste House and
- Equal Rights to All Surroundings Clean
- Democracy - Safe Drinking Water
- Unity in Diversity -Prevention of
- Our Heritage Diarrhea
- Freedom Struggle in -Nutrition Deficiency
India Problems
- Life Sketches of -Low-Cost Nutritious
Freedom Fighters Food
- Geography of India -First Aid
- Etc. -Tuberculosis,
Spitting, Defecating,
Urinating,
Indiscriminately, etc.
Women’s Women and Men are Social issues -Drinking
Equality Equal -Indebtedness
- Women's Role in -Bonded Labour
Decision Making -Child Labour

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 - Right of Women to -Child Marriage
Take up Non- -Female Infanticide
Stereotyped Roles -Devadasi Custom
- Credit to Women's -History and
Traditional Work Geography of District
- Education of Girls and State, etc.
- Life-Sketch of Women
Noted for their
Contributions
- Property Rights of
Women
- Legal Rights of Women
- Equal Wages for Equal
Work
- Welfare Programme for
Women's Development
-Agencies Helping
Women

Conservation -Grow More Trees Economic -Developmental

of -Bad Effects of issues Programmes
Environment Deforestation -Loan Facilities
-Air Pollution and its -Co-operation
Prevention -Money Order Form
-People's Relationship -Bank and Official Forms,
with Environment, etc etc.

Population -Small Family is a Happy Entertainment -Poems

Education Family -Stories/Fiction
-Right Age for Marriage -Jokes
-Delayed Arrival of First -Puzzles
Baby -Picture Stories
-Spacing Between Two -Games, etc.
Children
-Boys and Girls are
Equal
-Mother's Care
-Child Care and
Immunization
-Customs and Beliefs
Related to Mother and
Child's Health Issues,
-Male and Female Babies
-Effects of Population
Growth on
-
Resources/Development,
etc

Development -Superstitions, Taboos

of Scientific and Beliefs
Temper -Solar Eclipse

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Approach to the Development of IPCL Material

Key aspects of the approach to the development of IPCL material are:

 Generation of interest, motivation and confidence among the learners and

volunteers
 Inclusion of core contents, which are sacrosanct, indispensable and irreducible
 Manageability of material development production, distribution and utilization
 Cross-country comparison of learning outcomes.

In order to strengthen these aspects of the approach the decision taken was that
the teaching-learning materials thus prepared should have the following characteristics:

 The learning continuum leading to NLM norm should be divided into three levels;
for each level there should be a book.
 The entire content should be divided into small manageable units and graded
from simple to difficult.
 Literacy and numeracy, drills and exercise tests and evaluation and certification
must be integrated.
 Besides the nationally important core content and locally relevant content should
be provided in the materials all over the country.

Keeping the above basic pedagogical constraint in view, certain guidelines were
issued by the National Literacy Mission which need to be followed at the time of
preparation of any teaching-learning materials for the Improved Pace and Content of
Learning (IPCL) way of teaching. They are as indicated below:

 There are three sets of primers, each primer being

an improvement on the other in terms of progression.
 Each primer is an integrated one in the sense that it combines workbook, exercise
book, tools of evaluation of learning outcome, certification, etc.
 The primers are prepared through workshops involving creative thinkers, writers,
linguists and artists, pre-tested and their suitability affirmed before actual
application.
 There are exercises at the end of every lesson and three tests in each primer.
 The entire exercise is based on the principle of self-evaluation and confidence (rather
than competition) oriented evaluation. The tests are intended to be simple, non-
threatening and participative.
 Every learner is free to attain the desired level according to his/her leisure and
convenience. It is, however, expected that a learner should be able to complete all
the three primers within the overall duration of 200 hours spread over 6-8 months.

Hence, to enable every learner to achieve measurable levels of literacy, the whole
curriculum specified under IPCL has been translated in the shape of a set of multi-graded
and integrated teaching-learning materials and training.

In order to ensure the materials developed for adult education follow the
prescribed norms under IPCL the NLM constituted a national level IPCL Advisory
Group/Review Committee for examination/approval of teaching-learning materials
designed by State Resource Centres/ Regional Resource Centres, Zilla Saksharat Samitis
and other organizations. Before any material is released for use by the learners, the
approval of the teaching–learning material by this group was made compulsory. The
members of this committee were eminent writers, adult educationists and field
functionaries having long experience of preparing teaching-learning material.

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 So far as the planning of contents for all the three parts of the IPCL primer is
concerned each lesson in the primer is divided into two major sections, a learning
section and a practical section. Each of these sections is further divided into small sub-
sections in a meaningful way as shown in the picture below:

Conclusion

Unlike children, teaching adults has always been a tough task as many a time
they give less priority to acquiring literacy skills in view of the lack of awareness about
the importance of literacy in their life, scarcity of time due to involvement in bread
earning activities and finally inertia towards learning new things. However, keeping the
enormity of the problem and importance of adult learning in the overall development of
the country, individual and institutions have always tried to explore innovative and
suitable methods of teaching adults so that the target of cent percent literacy can be
achieved and the non-literate members of the society can be enabled to become part of
a knowledge society. This exploration has resulted into a continuous process of evolution
of a number of teaching methods in the wider realm of Androgogy. Some of these
methods have become redundant, some are in use while some ways of teaching like
Tara Akshar are yet to be recognized and documented formally although it is a
innovative and suitable for adult teaching in view of sustaining their interest in learning
the things and imparting literacy skills in shortest span of time as it claim to impart
reading, writing and basic arithmetic skills within 56 days. As the subject has to
accommodate a lot of change with the ever changing socio-economic and empowerment
issues and dimensions of people across the world, innovation in the search of more
suitable ways of teaching has to continue further.