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Constructivism in Teaching and Learning
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Constructivism in Teaching
and Learning
Constructivism in Teaching and Learning
Selected Papers presented at the International Conference
Pondicherry University,
13-14 Oct 2022

Edited by
Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah
Director, Directorate of Distance Education
Pondicherry University
&
Prof. K. Chellamani
Dean, School of Education
R.Venkataraman Nagar, Kalapet,
Puducherry - 605 014. India
2022
Selected Papers presented at the International Conference on Constructivism in Teaching
and Learning (ICCTLFDL-2022), 13-14 Oct 2022.
Edited by
Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah
Director, Directorate of Distance Education, Pondicherry University
&
Prof. K. Chellamani
Dean, School of Education, Pondicherry University
Editorial Team
Dr. V. Umasri, Directorate of Distance Education, Pondicherry University
Dr. S.K. Md. Nizamuddin, Directorate of Distance Education, Pondicherry University
Dr. A. Punitha, Directorate of Distance Education, Pondicherry University
Prof. Sreekala. E, School of Education, Pondicherry University
Dr. Vijaykumar R, School of Education, Pondicherry University
Dr. Bhukya Devendar, School of Education, Pondicherry University
Volume Printing
Lt Cdr. Raj Kumar
R. Sivaraman
Proofreading Cover Design
Charles Lourdes Sun Star Xerox, Puducherry
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication
Constructivism in Teaching and Learning: Selected Papers presented at the International
Conference on Constructivism in Teaching and Learning in the context of Formal and Distance
Learning, held at Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 13-14 Oct 2022. Edited by C.K. Ramaiah
and K. Chellamani. — Puducherry: PU, 2022.
XXV, 1-306; 24 x 16 cm
ISBN: 978-93-5768-275-6
1. Constructivism in Education 2. Formal Education 3. Distance Learning

371.33-dc22
Price: Rs. 700/- $ 30
© 2022, PU, Puducherry – 605014

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Indian Copyright Act 1957, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or
transmitted, stored in a database or a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors and publisher.
The views expressed in the book are those of the authors only. The editors or publisher do not assume responsibility for the statement/
opinion expressed by the authors.
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
PREFACE
This is the Transformational Era of Education. Its main goal is to integrate into the rapidly
evolving labour market and global ecosystem where children not only study but also—and
perhaps more importantly—learn how to learn. Therefore, education must move towards less
content, and more towards learning about how to think critically and solve problems, how to be
creative and multidisciplinary, and how to innovate, adapt, and absorb new material in novel and
changing fields. Hence, knowledge is not to be seen as a 'commodity' to be acquired through
mere transmission, but as a subjective experience then required learning will take place within an
individual. Learners are creating their own knowledge through the process of understanding
during their encounters with reality, involving objects, persons and events. Construction of
knowledge, skills and attitudes requires “consciousness of being conscious”, and the awareness
of “the how of my action”. It is otherwise referred as metacognition, the process of thinking and
regulation of one's own thinking process and learning process. It is always identified in terms of
thinking, knowing, learning, and interrelation and integration of these components.
The pedagogical approaches from National Education Policy, 1986 to National Education Policy,
2020 (NEP2020) though carry different labels, the underlining principle is the same i.e. self-
directed learning and construction of knowledge. NEP2020 talks about experiential learning and
in this post-pandemic period, education at all levels is in hybrid mode. Online, hybrid, or blended
modes are just tangential labels in the learning space. The objective indicates the competency to
be targeted as well as the type of learning environment we wish to provide for the students. The
best way to teach is to never get engaged in the content. Transforming printed course materials
into digital formats and transmitting them over the Internet are just the most basic examples of
online transactions. By creatively utilising mixed learning paradigms, this problem can be
resolved.
The conference theme on Constructivism is spread under four sub-themes dealing on the various
modalities available for teachers to construct knowledge, build skills, develop critical thinking
among learners. This international conference provides a platform for the teaching community to
know and deliver about the different types of learning, the various strategies for facilitating
construction of knowledge and prepares for the undefined challenges of the future.
The International Conference has received close to 80 papers from leading academicians,
professors, other faculty members from colleges, and research scholars. The participants of the
conference are from many countries including Malaysia, Sri Lanka in addition to India. The
volume covers the broad areas of Constructivism in Teaching and Learning that discuss and
address the key issues in Self-Directed Learning in the distance mode, adapting hybrid learning
for the clinical phase during the pandemic, aligning teaching, learning and assessment towards
metacognition, teaching and learning in Hybrid Mode, Blended Learning and Discipline-based
teaching and learning (pedagogical content knowledge). The Editors hopes that this book will be
a valuable resource not only for the participants of ICCTLFDL-2022 but also for the total
research community working in this field of Education in general and distance education in
particular.
First and foremost, our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Gurmeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor of PU who is the
strong supporter of Directorate of Distance Education, this conference and also approving
ix
required financial support. Also thanks to Registrar, Director (SEI&RR), Director (C&CR), and
the Finance Officer for extending their cooperation and support to this conference.
Our sincere thanks to our sponsors including Indian Council of Social Science Research
(ICSSR), New Delhi, McGraw Hill Education, India, Indian Bank, Pondicherry and Himalayan
Publishing House for providing financial support for organizing this conference.
Thanks are due to all the contributors of the papers appeared in this volume including all
presenters. We would like to thank the members of the Organising Committee, International and
National Advisory Committee members. Our profound thanks goes to Prof. Gurmeet Singh,
Vice-Chancellor of PU, Prof. N. Panchanatham, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Teacher
Education University, Chennai, Prof. M. Krishnan, Vice-Chancellor of Central University of
Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur and Prof. S. Mohan, Vice Chancellor, Pondicherry Technological
University for sending their messages.
We would like to officially express our gratitude to a number of people, especially B. Satish and
R. Sivaraman who worked closely with the printer and invested a lot of time in completing this
volume on schedule. Last but not least, the organisers would like to express their gratitude to M/s
Gunasundary Printers, Chennai, for publishing the volume on such short notice despite their
hectic work schedule.
Our special thanks are to Dr. M.S.M. Haneef, who acted as Rapporteur General, and Dr.Lakhmai
Milli, Dr.Jayapal Sharmili, Dr.Subbhulakshmi, and Dr. Ruman Banerjee those worked as
Rapporteurs of each session of the conference.
We also extend our gratitude to all the faculty and staff at the School of Education and the
Directorate of Distance Education, who made significant contributions to the conference's
success. Also thank the research scholars and students who offered their time to help make the
conference a success. We would like to officially express our gratitude to a number of people,
especially R. Sivaraman and B. Satish who worked closely with the Sun Star Xerox in typesetting
and invested a lot of time in completing this volume on schedule. Last but not least, the organisers
would like to express their gratitude to M/s Gunasundary Printers, Chennai, for publishing the
volume on such short notice despite their hectic work schedule.
Editors
x
CONTENTS
I. Preface ix
II. Conference Committees xiv
III. Proceedings xvii
IV. Track Keynote Addresses
1. Developing & Implementing an Integrated Pre Clinical Phase Curriculum 1
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Rohini Karunakaran
2. Self-Directed Learning in the Distance Mode 5
Marie Perera
3. Adapting hybrid learning for the clinical phase during the pandemic: our 18
experience at a university in Malaysia
Srikumar P. S
4. Aligning teaching, learning and assessment towards metacognition: 22
Concept Paper
Perumbilavil Kaithamanakallam Rajesh
V. Track- I: Teaching & Learning in Hybrid Mode

5. Benefits and challenges of online class during Covid-19: a critical review 33
Abdullah
6. Informal online learning among Gond Tribal Women 40
Ananya Acherjee, Kasi Eswarappa and R. Hariharan
7. Student Satisfaction on Synchronous Online Learning – A Concept 46
Mapping
Md. Mujahid Alom & Vijaykumar. R
8. Attitude of Swayam courses among the university students in Tamil Nadu 53
R.Udhaya Mohan Babu
9. Psychological and behavioral impact on senior students from online 59
mode in Raipur region: a case study
Priti Kumari and Pragya Kolpal,
10. Teaching & learning in Hybrid mode 67
Arockia Panneerselvam
Track- II: Self- Directed Learning in Distance Mode

11. Promoting Independent Learning in Higher Education: Role of Self 73
Directed and Distance Mode of Learning
Suchinmoyee Mishra, Gyanendra Rawat and Sreekala. E
xi
12. Portfolio writing an emotion regulation strategy for academic 79
achievement among higher education learners
Lopamudra Biswal and K.Chellamani
13. Problems faced by DDE Students while attending online PCP Classes: A 86
Survey
SK. Md. Nizamuddin and C.K. Ramaiah
14. Reflective journal writing: a boon for learners in distance mode 100
Kadambini Mishir and K.Chellamani
15. How Open Educational Resources can be used as a learning platform in 107
Distance Education for self-learning
Nidhi Singh Rathour and Ramesh M.
16. Discovery Learning in the Classroom 115
Nataraja R
17. Preferred Learning Styles of Postgraduate student's: An Analysis of 119
Distance Education Learners
J. Sasipriyaa1 and R. Rajkumar
18. Empowerment of Tribal Women through Distance Education 128
Bhukya Devender
Track- III: Blended Learning

135
19. Open Educational Resources in Legal Studies: An Analytical Account
Gurminder Kaur & Arvind Gupta
20. Exploring a unique blended learning model for effective teaching 147
learning in the post Covid era (new normal)
Christina Abitha and S. Singaravelu
21. Blended learning- can it be made compulsory? 152
Shacheendran.V
22. Improving the Self-Awareness towards E-Waste Management through 158
Blended Learning Approaches in Secondary School Students
Paramesh Roy & Maria Josephine Arokia Marie. S
167
23. Dynamics of Teaching Using Model of Flipped Classroom as Blended
Learning Approach
Sarita and Ujjala Singh
24. Blended learning approach: Significance of flex and self-blend model 178
J. Johnsi Priya and M. Gowrishankar
184
25. Effect of digitalized experience through constructivism on students'
learning outcomes
K. Anand
xii
Track- IV: Discipline-Based Teaching and Learning (Pedagogical Content
Knowledge)
26. Psycholinguistics in teaching and learning: a systematic review and 196
bibliometric analysis
Thamizhiniyan K
27. Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning at Secondary Level 210
Chandrang Pathak and Pallavi Tamra
28. Factors of positive socio-cultural environment in schools: An analysis of 217
their role in cooperative and collaborative approaches
Arvind Kumar, Seema, Gyanendra Rawat and Sreekala. E
29. Essential constructs for implement construtvistic learning in schools 224
T.Idayaraja and A. Tholappan
30. Why Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) is Need of the Hour in Science 229
Classroom?
Santoshi Singh Rathour and Ramesh M.
31. Neurolinguistics Programming: A Pseudoscientific approach to enhance 238
English Language Learning
Md. Tarik
32. Enhancing Heuristic Value: an outcome of Mathemagenic Behaviour 246
Purnima Mondal and Vijaykumar. R
33. Rediscovering Self and Discipline-Based Learning through Meditation 254
Praveen Kumar and K Chellamani
34. Promoting Life Skills Through Value Integrated Constructivist Approach 261
B. Sai SoujanyaKumari and P. Lavanya
35. Cooperative learning as an effective means of teaching children with 269
special needs
Sarita Pal
36. Systematic Review of Biographic Method as a Pedagogical Content 274
Knowledge across Disciplines and in Teacher Training
Debani Deb
37. Conceptualizing metalinguistic awareness in developing listening 281
comprehension skill: an experimental study
Kuheli Mondal and K. Chellamani
38. Incorporating Psycholinguistics in the stages of Second Language 290
Acquisition.
Raghi P.Nair
39. Constructivist pedagogical approach for strengthening self-developed 295
employability skills through an e-portfolio
Eliwon Thiumai & Maria Josephine Arokia Marie. S
VI. List of Contributors 303
xiii
COMMITTEES OF THE CONFERENCE
Chief Patron
Prof. Gurmeet Singh
Vice-Chancellor, Pondicherry University
Patrons
Prof. K. Tharanikkarasu, Director i/c, SEI & RR, Pondicherry University
Prof. Rajeev Jain, OSD, C&CR, Pondicherry University
Prof. Amaresh Samantaraya, Registrar i/c, Pondicherry University
Prof. D. Lazar, Finance Officer i/c, Pondicherry University
International Advisory Committee
Prof. Suliman Hawamdeh, University of North Texas, USA.
Prof. Christopher Khoo, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Prof. Namtip Wipawin, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand
Organising Secretary
Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah, Director, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Joint Organising Secretary
Prof. K. Chellamani, Dean, School of Education, PU
Treasurer
Dr. Arvind Gupta, Assistant Director, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Organising Committee Members
Prof. Muntas Begam, School of Education, PU
Prof. Sreekala.E, School of Education, PU
Lt. Cdr. Raj Kumar, Deputy Registrar, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Dr.A. Punitha, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Dr.V.Umasri, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Dr. SK. Md. Nizamuddin, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Dr. R. Vijaykumar, Assistant Professor, School of Education, PU
Dr.Bhukya Devender, Assistant Professor, School of Education, PU
Sub-Committees
Fund Raising Committee
Committee Chairman : Prof.C.K.Ramaiah, Director, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Members: Prof. Chellamani, Dean, School of Education, PU
Registration Committee
Committee Chairman: Dr.V.Umasri, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education,
and Prof. Sreekala E, School of Education, PU
Members: Dr.Madhavi Latha, Academic Coordinator, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Ms. Nivedita, Academic Coordinator, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr. Arumugam, Senior Assistant, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr. Sivamurthy, Junior Assistant, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mrs. Sunitha, Receptionist, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Charles Lourdes, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
xiv
Brouchers & Invitations Committee
PU and Dr.Vijaykumar,Assistant Professor, SOE, PU
Members: Dr.Madhavi Latha, Academic Coordinator, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Sathiyarangam, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Satish, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Charles Lourdes, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Sakthi Perumal, Attender, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Reception Committee
Committee Chairman: Lt Cdr Raj Kumar, Deputy Registrar, Directorate of Distance Education
Members: Dr.Nizamuddin, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mrs. Sunitha, Receptionist, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Stage Decoration & Venue Committee
Committee Chairman: Lt Cdr. Raj Kumar, Dy. Registrar, Directorate of Distance Education,
PU & Dr.Sreekala E, Professor, School of Education, PU
Members: Dr. Arvind Gupta, Assistant Director, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.S.Balamurugan, EMRC, PU
Mr.Sivaraman, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Anandhan, Assistant, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr. Satish, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Sakthi Perumal, Attender, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Programme Coordination Committee
Committee Chairman: Prof.C.K.Ramaiah, Director, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Members: Prof. Chellamani, Dean, School of Education, PU
Dr.A. Punitha, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Website Creation Committee
PU
Members: Dr.R.Vijaykumar, Assistant Professor, School of Education, PU
Editorial Committee
Committee Chairman: Prof.C.K.Ramaiah, Director, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
and Prof. Chellamani, Dean, School of Education, PU
Members: Dr.V.Umasri, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Dr.SK.Md.Nizamuddin, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Dr. A. Punitha, Assistant Professor, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Prof. Sreekala.E, School of Education, PU
Dr. R. Vijaykumar, Assistant Professor, School of Education, PU
Dr.Bhukya Devender, Assistant Professor, School of Education, PU
Mr.R.Sivaraman, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
xv
Proofreading: Charles Lourdes, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Media & Publicity Committee
Committee Chairman: Prof. Clement, Dean & Head, Dept. of English, PU
Members:
Lt Cdr. Raj Kumar, Deputy Registrar, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.K. Mahesh, PRO, Assistant Registrar, PU
Dr.Bhukya Devendar, Assistant Professor, School of Education, PU
Mr.R.Sivaraman, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Rapporteuring Committee
Committee Chairman: Dr. Haneef, Associate Professor, Dept. of EMC, PU
Members: Dr.Lakhmai Milli, Associate Professor, Dept. of English, PU
Dr.Jayapal Sharmili, Assistant Professor, Dept. of French, PU
Dr.Subbhulakshmi, Assistant Professor, School of Law, PU
Dr. Ruman Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Dept. of History, PU
Catering Committee
Committee Chairman: Dr.Arvind Gupta, Assistant Director, Directorate of Distance
Education, PU
Members: Mr.Arumugam, Senior Assistant, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr. Sathiyarangam, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Sivamurthy, Junior Assistant, Directorate ofxvDistance Education, PU
Mr.Nagaraj, Horticulture Attender, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Accommodation & Transportation Committee
Committee Chairman: Dr.Arvind Gupta and Dr.Bhukya Devendar
Members: Mr. Satish, DEO, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Arumugam, Senior Assistant, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Mr.Sivamurthy, Junior Assistant, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Compering:
Dr.Ritu Tyagi, Assistant Professor, Dept. of French, PU
Recreation (Cultural Programme)
Committee Chairman: Dr. Arvind Gupta, Assistant Director, Directorate of Distance
Education, PU
Members: Dr. Madhavi Latha, Academic Coordinator, Directorate of Distance Education, PU
Sponsors of the Conference

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi
M/s. McGraw Hill Education (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Indian Bank
Himalayan Publishing House
xvi
Proceedings
International Conference On Constructivism in Teaching and Learning in the context of Formal and Distance Learning
Proceedings of the International Conference on

Constructivism in Teaching and Learning in the Context of
Formal and Distance Learning (ICCTLFDL-2022)
Organized by the Directorate of Distance Education

and School of Education, Pondicherry University on 13-14 Oct 2022.
Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.
- Albert Einstein
Knowledge is constructed, not transferred.
- Peter Senge
India has the distinction of having used and still continuing to use home-grown indigenous
teaching methods that are specific to our cultures and needs. In a globalized world today, digital
technologies usher in an era of technology-driven, AI-driven educational models. While
underpinning various theoretical approaches, these new developments call for a critical
engagement in terms of how to deploy them according to the requirements of local contexts.
Further, the need for decentering teacher as the ubiquitous and all-knowing subject has arisen
giving way to the concept of knowledge construction that is not top-down but embraces
horizontal networks of peer-peer learning, collaborative learning and blended learning to name a
few. The two-day International conference on Constructivism Teaching and Learning in the
Context of Formal and Distance Learning held during October 13-14, 2022 was predicated on
this framework. The International conference was organised by the Directorate of Distance
Education (DDE) in collaboration with School of Education, Pondicherry University at the
University Convention-cum-Cultural Centre. Inspired by the leadership and encouragement
shown by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Gurmeet Singh, to fulfil the National mission, the Director
DDE, Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah and the Dean, School of Education, Prof. K Chellamani
jointly organised this conference.
The theme of this conference is built on the conceptual premise of constructivism.
Constructivism posits the idea that knowledge is an active construct of human beings and their
interactions. It denies the argument that knowledge is innate or one is born with. While
information can be passively received, its understanding demands an active participation. In fact,
the underlying principle of pedagogical approaches from National Education Policy, 1986 to
National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP2020) is that of self-directed learning and construction of
knowledge. NEP 2020 emphasises on experiential learning and in this post-pandemic period,
education at all levels has inexorably advanced towards hybrid learning mode.
The inaugural event of the conference had a stellar line-up of three Vice-Chancellors including
Prof. Gurmeet Singh, Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, who was the Chief
Guest for this conference. The other two Guests of Honour were Prof. N. Panchanatham, Vice-
Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University, Chennai and Prof. M. Krishnan, Vice-
Chancellor, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur.
xvii
Prof. N. Panchanatham drew on his wide experiences in Administration and Teaching and
highlighted that there are at least 150 pedagogic methods that teachers can adopt. He urged
teachers to desist from resorting only to lecturing as a predominant mode of content delivery. His
talk was effusive filled with humour. Prof. M. Krishnan emphasised that teachers should educate
students about the glory of India's indigenous products. Further, students should be trained on
manufacturing products of Indian origin instead of depending on products imported from other
countries. Further, he said that teachers should introspect if they are discharging their duties in
this regard. Prof. Gurmeet Singh urged teachers to be impromptu while delivering lectures. All
the three Vice Chancellors appreciated the context and relevance of the conference in the wake of
the post-pandemic period. Prof. Tharanikkarasu, Director of Studies, gave an historical overview
of philosophies of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle and their ideas of teaching.
The conference has been a huge success with over 80 (Eighty) papers received from leading
academicians, professors, other faculty members from the universities, colleges and research
scholars, wherein around 42 (Forty-Two) research papers were presented. The participants of the
conference were from many countries including Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The presentations were
spread under four sub-themes: 1. Teaching & Learning in Hybrid Mode 2. Self-directed learning
in distance mode 3. Blended Learning and 4. Discipline- based teaching and learning (two
sessions). All papers discussed various modalities available for teachers to construct knowledge,
build skills, develop critical thinking among learners. Each of the four sessions was preceded by a
Technical session in which luminaries from Malaysia and Sri Lanka presented their keynote
address reflecting critically on concepts, case studies germane to the field of education.
TRACK I
Technical session I, Teaching and Learning in Hybrid Mode, was chaired by Dr. Srinivasalu,
Professor, School of Management and International Business, Pondicherry University. The Key
note speaker of the session Dr. Rohini Kurunakaran, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine,
AIMST University, Malasyia, in her lecture Developing and Implementing an Integrated
Preclinical Phase Curriculum - Challenges and Lessons Learnt, explained the difficulty of
curriculum change in Medical education mainly due to lack of will, infrastructure and
understanding of the change process. Integration of curriculum in medical school is meant to
make the teaching-learning activities effective and meaningful. She argued that an integrated
medical curriculum will help graduates to put together the learned facts to adopt a holistic
approach while treating a patient or planning a health care strategy.
The first paper titled Benefits and Challenges of Online Class during Covid-19: A Critical
Review, by Abdullah explained how the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered and
disturbed the educational system. He spoke about the attitudes of students regarding online
classes throughout the epidemic. The positive aspects included developing a digital learning
community, enhancing students' digital learning abilities, and maintaining contact throughout
difficult times. Students faced difficulties with adaption, time management, social media
distraction, and technological barriers. The paper concluded stating that the post-pandemic
period requires a blended mode that integrates face-to-face and online learning.
xviii
The next paper titled Informal Online Learning among Gond Tribal Women was by Ananya
Acherjee, Dr. Kasieswarappa and Dr. R. Hariharan, discussed the issues faced by Gond tribal
women which prevented them from securing formal education. The proliferation of smart phones
have opened the avenue for informal education. Based on the survey results, the presenter
analyzed the issues which can potentially be ameliorated via informal education and also issues
which still need to be addressed. In addition to education, technological resources often offer
access to online entrepreneurship, of which the tribal women can take advantage and improve
their economic conditions. Within the field of traditional rural occupations, there are several
technological resources which offer assistance and information. Radio programmes about 'krishi'
and such, various DIY projects regarding cultivation of profitable crops, guidance on cutting
down labor and cost of farming, are also available to those who are techno-literate, the paper
discussed.
The paper on Online Learning during Covid-19 Period among Higher Secondary School
Students and Teachers: A Case Study by Rubina Khatum and Dr. Vijaykumar. R, proposed how
online learning modalities encouraged student-centered learning and a convenient way of
interacting with mentors throughout the Covid-19 period. The study was conducted in Patha-
Bhavana, a school unit of Visva-Bharati, covering 13 Teachers and 90 students. The study proved
that most of the students and teachers were reluctant to continue with online classes after the
pandemic. But a few of them advocated blended learning, a combination of both online and
offline modes.
The following paper titled Students' Perception towards Online and Offline Learning by Saiful
Alam and Dr. Mumtaz Begum discussed the positives and negatives of both modes of learning.
Online learning gives students opportunities to access course materials anytime and enable them
to work from anyplace. Offline learning which involves physical presence of both teachers and
students, by providing a meaningful platform for interaction, discussion, activities, and debates,
creates a greater interest among the learners.
The paper titled Psychological and Behavioral Impact among Senior Students from Online Mode
in Raipur Region: A Case Study by Priti Kumari and Pragya Kolpal presented a case study to find
the impact of online mode of learning on the psychological and behavioral attitudes of senior
students. The positive and negative effects of online mode of learning were discussed. The
presenter concluded that the online mode of learning is found to have more disadvantages than
advantages.
The paper Hybrid Mode: An Integral Component of Higher Education Systems by Aswathy C.K.
reviewed the importance of hybrid mode of teaching and learning. She further discussed the
challenges and trends in hybrid mode. She concluded that the hybrid mode of learning draws out
the merits of face-to-face interaction and virtual learning by trying to reduce the negatives of both
or by mutually compensating the negatives. The demerits or challenges of hybrid learning can be
solved to an extent by proper planning and effective utilization of different resources available.
The last paper in the Track Group Learning Behaviour among Pre-service Teachers by Dorothy
De Sousa studied the differences in group learning behaviour of Arts and Science Pre-service
teachers of Mangaluru Taluk. The presenter pointed out that collaborative learning suggests a
way of dealing with people as it respects and highlights individual group members' abilities and
xix
contributions. She concluded that teacher educators need to be oriented about collaborative
learning strategies and motivated to apply the same in Teacher Education Programme.
TRACK II
The second half of the technical session was interesting, inspiring and educative as suggestive of
the title and the keynote address by Dr Marie Perara as “Self-Directed Learning in Distance
Mode”. The session was chaired by Professor Malavika Deo, Dean, School of Management,
Pondicherry University. Dr. Malavika briefed the audience on the theme of the conference as a
prelude to the subject matters that followed for discussion and debate.
The session began with the first paper presentation by Ms. Suchinmoyee Mishra. The title of the
paper was, “Promoting Independent Learning in Higher Education: Role of Self Directed and
Distance Mode of Learning”, where the major highlight was on the shift from teacher centered
learning to student centered learning which could lead to motivate to a self-directed learning. The
second paper titled, “Discovery Learning in Classrooms” was presented by Dr.Nataraja R. The
paper focused on the tools of learning and aimed at discovering the hidden learning skills of the
students that could eventually lead them to self-directed learning. The next paper presentation
was by B. Sai Soujanya Kumari who highlighted on the importance of promoting life skills
through value integrated and constructive approach to teaching and learning. The audience
responded with lively discussion and debate on many issues related to modern- day maladies on
valued education-its problems and possible solutions. This was followed by a case study based
paper titled, “Empowerment of Tribal Women through Distance Education” and was presented
by Dr.Bhukya Devender. The paper highlighted the low percentage of tribal women in higher
education and how the distance mode of education can provide them the needed platform to learn
and make themselves eligible for job opportunities. The paper voiced for the improvement of the
literacy rate of the tribal women and men with inclusive policy for development.
Mr. Narasinghapa presented a paper on Co-operative learning where collaboration and friendly
methods of teaching and learning that discussed the importance of collaborative and cooperative
methods in bringing out the best in students. The last presentation for the session was a co-
authored paper on, “Problems faced by DDE students while attending online PCP Classes by
Dr.SK Md. Nizamuddin and Prof. CK Ramaiah which was presented by Dr.SK Md. Nizamuddin.
The paper highlighted the problems faced by the students in Distance mode of Education while
attending online classes where issues like internet facility, technological tools for support such as
video, sound system, software inputs have to sync in with the online platform. The session came
to an end with clarifications and questions. Professor CK Ramaiah engaged the audience with
possible solutions and plausible answers to the issues laid bare by the paper presenters. The
important take away from this session was on the discussion on the Implementation of New
Education Policy with the features of integrated education system which is aimed at wholesome
learning and development of students to the nation building process.
TRACK III
Track III began with a keynote address by Dr. Srikumar P.S. from AIMST University, Malaysia.
The keynote speaker Dr. Srikumar P.S. spoke about ABIM MINICEX and RIME Framework,
and the relevance of innovations in online Medical Education and Blended Learning that he and
his colleagues are actively pursuing, particularly with simulated patients.
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Track III was chaired by Prof. K. Chandrasekhara Rao, Dean i/c, CDC and former Dean, School
of Management. Dr. Kaur and Dr. Arvind Gupta's work focused on the diverse aspects of Open
Education Resources (OER) on legal studies. She cautioned that OER has been a boon to the
education industry but it should not be followed blindly. The authors were asked to to share the
OER resources on legal studies with the learned communities that were mentioned in the
presentation. To a question on whether there is any institutional setup that authorizes and
supervises the quality of the OER, Dr. Kaur replied that no institutions exist for quality control,
however, teachers can train the students so that they do not upload substandard educational
materials online. Responding to another question, Dr. Kaur mentioned mentioned that platforms
like SWAYAM and other GOI initiatives can be incorporated and implemented so that MOOCs
and other such tutorials can be created and uploaded via relevant and valid avenues.
Dr. S Singaravelu, the next presenter, explained his practical experience of teaching in Africa and
India proving his own models of enquiry. Being a teacher of Mathematics, he introduced several
new empirical ways of pursuing blended learning in different continents via the inclusion of tri-
semester pattern. To the question by the chair Prof Rao, Chandrasekhar Rao, on how mathematics
is learned online, the presenter answered that it requires peer group learning, discussions and
online learning.
Subsequently, Miss Snehakumari presented about snowball sampling method and the objectives
of her research regarding the analytical synthesis of student-teacher relationship. She presented
various pie-charts to quantify her data and results. The next paper by Mr. Paramesh Roy spoke
about e-waste management among school students and how to sensitize them so that they could
be made aware of the perils of e-Waste using online teaching methods.
Mr. Gawrishankar presented on the benefits of the self-blend Model and also discussed the new
dimensions of blended learning. Dr. Anand talked about Digitalized Experience (DE), flipped
classroom strategy, constructivism and evaluation through the literature review. Also, he
mentioned a few theoretical models and included empirical results. The session chair thanked all
and summarized his observation regarding the blended mode of learning detailing all the
different parameters that the speakers had introduced.
TRACK IV (Session 1)
Track IV was spread over two sessions and focused exclusively on Discipline-based Teaching
and Learning (Pedagogical Content and Knowledge). The second day proceedings of the
conference started with Track IV chaired by Prof. Clement S. Lourdes. The keynote speech was
presented by Dr Perumbilavil Rajesh (AIMST University, Malaysia) on Aligning teaching,
learning and assessments towards metacognition: Concept paper. He started his presentation by
stating that most of the current education system is based on memory without the inclusion of
creativity. Scores are prioritised over the mastering of concept. The speaker focussed on the
outcomes of every undergraduate course: Graduates require not only knowledge but should also
acquire competencies that include employability, leadership skills, communication skills,
problem solving skills, entrepreneur skills etc. He said that the different learning outcomes are
cognitive, affective and psychometric skills. Thus, the various facets of “Outcome Based
Integrated Curriculum” are SBL (Subject Based Learning) and PBL (Problem Based Learning).
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Finally, he concluded on the four important characteristics of learning - reflect, inquire, suggest
and elevate - which will improve learning and subsequently raise the teaching standards.
Paper 1 on Psycholinguistics in teaching and learning: a systematic review and bibliometric
Analysis by Dr. Thamizhiniyan presented the bibliometrics analysis of literature published on
psycholinguistics. According to the study, the most productive journals are from UK and
Germany, and that academicians from Indonesia and Czech Republic have published more on
psycholinguistics. He concluded by saying that quantitative and qualitative examination of
worldwide scientific publications over the last five decades revealed that research publications in
this domain need to be given further importance.
Paper 2 on Factors of positive sociocultural environment in schools: An analysis of role of
cooperative and collaborative approach by Arvind Kumar, Seema, Gayendra Rawat and Dr.
Sreekala. E. briefed about collaborative and co-operative learning for establishing positive
socio-cultural environment in school, as well the crucial role of teachers in school. In the final
part, the three dimensions of cooperative and collaborative approach, that is 1) social etiquette, 2)
normative morality and 3) intercultural respect, and its advantages in improving student-teacher
and peer relationship, and subsequently developing enjoyable learning process was touched
upon in detail.
Paper 3 on Impact of Blended Learning in Distance Education by David Prabakaran discussed 1)
Provision for socialisation and 2) Provision for all round development. He explained the different
generations of Distance Education. He reflected on the fact that standard blended learning
techniques should be created by the teachers in order to achieve a standardised teaching model.
Paper 4 was on An analysis of available ICT Tools to facilitate teaching-learning process by
Prakhar Pratap Singh and Shrivriddhi Vyas. The paper discussed the commonly used ICT tools in
the classroom and the challenges f using ICT tools such as limited teaching accessibility, and the
need of extrinsic and intrinsic process. Appreciating the contributions of the Indian Government
to the incorporation of ICT in education, the author suggested ways to overcome the challenges
of ICT.
The next paper on Essential constructs for implement constructivistic learning in schools by T.
Idayaraja and Dr. A. Tholappan emphasised on the need for adopting constructivist learning
approach. Further emphasis was laid on changing the the physical setup of the classroom to
accommodate a democratic environment facilitating smooth interactions between students and
teachers. The new environment should integrate the following elements like dialogue making,
interpretation skills, self-discipline for ensuring sustained motivation among learners.
Paper 6 was on An outcome of Mathemagenic Behaviour by Purnima Mondal and Dr.
Vijaykumar R. The study briefed about how mathemagenic behaviour can enhance heuristic
values. The presentation discussed four principles of heuristic values: 1) Understanding the
problem 2) Making a plan 3) Execution of the plan 4) Evaluation and adaptation. Mathemagenic
Behaviour refers to the process of linking up situational information according to given
instructional information in order to achieve a specific goal. She highlighted how tools and
techniques along with mathemagenic behaviour play an important role in imparting heuristic
values.
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The last paper titled Rediscovering Self and Discipline-Based Learning through Meditation by
Praveen Kumar and Dr. K. Chellamani established the relevance of meditation in learning. The
paper focused on three types of meditation: Concentrative, Generative and Reflective
meditation. The study explained that mediation is also curative in addressing chronic and acute
stress. The different benefits of meditation such as efficient time management, enhancement of
the immune system, reducing frustration, improving cognitive flexibility etc. were enumerated.
It was also underlined that meditation improves disciplined learning and hence should
incorporate meditation as one of the pedagogical approaches.
TRACK IV (Session 2)
The first paper of the session titled “Cooperative learning as an effective means of teaching
children with special needs in inclusive classrooms” by Sarita Pal discussed the different types of
Cooperative Learning (STAD, Jigsaw, CIRC, Learning Together and so on), their importance
and impact specifically on children with special needs and how these techniques motivate the
children for a larger socialization.
The second paper titled “Biographic Method as a Pedagogical Content Knowledge across
Disciplines in Teacher Training” was presented by Debani Deb, Department of Education,
Central University of Kerala. Biographic method is unique as it focuses on locating an individual
at the intersection of life experiences, social connections and historical events within a context
and how this approach has now infiltrated into a multidisciplinary space in research. The
presenter also spoke about three aspects of the 'Narrative Turn' and emphasised how this method
could be utilized as a tool to promote inclusivity, diversity and creativity within the teaching-
learning community with the aid of supporting literature.
The next paper titled “Immersive Learning” by Anjugam R and Prof Dr. K. Chellamani, School of
Education, Pondicherry University, focused on immersive learning, a method that aims to help
students immerse in the context and surroundings to give them enhanced experience using
techniques such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and 3D immersive
learning. She spoke about immersive learning in pedagogical content like E-rat and VRML
(Virtual Reality Modelling Language) and added that such methods facilitate haptic, aural and
visual experiences. Further, Artificial Intelligence takes learning to heightened experiences.
The fourth paper titled “Conceptualizing metalinguistic awareness in developing listening
comprehension skill: an experimental study” by Dr. Kuheli Mondal and Prof. Dr. K Chellamani,
School of Education, Pondicherry University made an effort to investigate the impact of
metalinguistic awareness by developing a lesson plan and a model on metalinguistic elements to
use in the classroom for enhancing the listening comprehension skills of learners.
The paper titled “Incorporating psycholinguistics in the stages of second language acquisition”
by Dr. Raghi. P. Nair, Vivekanandha College of Education, Puducherry investigated the impact of
metalinguistic awareness in the classroom especially on acquisition of second language. She
built her argument on various concepts including that of Noam Chomsky, who postulated that
linguistic skills and cognitive skills mutually influence each other discounting the arguments that
one is determinant of the other.
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The paper titled “Podcasts and Language learning: A systematic review” V. Kamatchi,
Krishnasamy College of Education for Women discussed the effectiveness of podcasts as a tool
for language acquisition and language skill development. She emphasized that podcasts enhance
the listening and learning skills. The study did not profess replacing professors by podcasts but
rather highlights the significance of using such digitally-mediated techniques in language
acquisition.
“Constructivist pedagogical approach for strengthening self-developed employability skills
through an e-portfolio” by Eliwon Thiumai and Dr.Maria Josephine Arokia Marie.S, Dept., of
Education, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak (M.P) enlightened the
potential of e-portfolio and proposed new ideas on how to self-regulate and strengthen personal
employability skills using e-portfolio.
The paper titled “Emotion regulation during Online learning” by K.R.Geetha and Dr. M.
Parimala Fathima, College of Education, Alagappa University, Karaikudi elaborated on how
emotions are formed by discussing the brain and emotion processing in the lymphic system. She
discussed the strategies like reappraisal and suppression. Emotion regulation is very crucial as it
impacts the Cognitive Behavioural Triad.
The last paper in the Track on “Perception on Communication Competency through Psycho-
linguistics Strategy”, by Sangeetha, College of Education, Alagappa University, discussed the
relevance of psycholinguistics in language acquisition. She further elaborated on phonic,
phonology, semantics, pragmatics and how they are central to teaching and learning.
SUMMARY
From the two days conference, it emerged that online learning became a Hobson's choice during
Covid 19 pandemic. While the use of online teaching and learning method is relatively an older
phenomenon, the erasure of traditional teaching methods during the pandemic gave rise to, as
some scholars say, panic-gogy (Baker, 2020 - derived from pedagogy). The sudden move to go
online shocked teachers as well as students causing panic to both. It was indeed a forced
paradigm shift. In equal measure, online teaching and learning also presented new opportunities
to teachers and students. Investment in technologies and infrastructures increased during the
pandemic. Yet, the success of online learning depended on several factors - the preparedness of
the country and educational institutions in terms of infrastructure, lectures to be redesigned for
online learning, students' access to infrastructure, especially the internet, the home environment
of students etc.
Having discussed the prospects and challenges of online learning, several papers made a strong
call for hybrid and collaborative learning. Blended learning has become the new normal and
higher education demands an extensive use of this approach. However, one needs to realize that
the term blended learning is capacious and one needs to consider the quantity and quality of
online provision required in relation to traditional modes of learning (Caird and Roy, 2018).
Discussions also focused on self-directed learning. All presentations had either overt or
tangential references to National Education Policy 2020 that highlights the features of integrated
education system which is aimed at wholesome learning and development of students to the
nation building process.
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With the arrival of the internet, every aspect of our life is changing. This includes scholarly
communication that is being reshaped and redefined in many ways. Open access and OERs have
promoted free access to all scholarly publications on the internet. The paper on OERs in Legal
Studies discusses the resources available as well as the philosophy of open education movement
that furthers access to information through the use of free and open content. Access to
information is a human right in many senses. In a similar vein, access to OERs empowers learners
and academicians.
The discussions endemic to psycholinguistics shed light on incorporating psycholinguistics into
second language teaching drawing on the principles of how learning a language is interconnected
with cognitive processing. Interestingly, it was presented that research publications on
psycholinguistics are predominantly from academicians in Indonesia and Czech Republic. The
discussion on how mathemagenic behavior, linked to teacher-initiated and learning-oriented
instructive strategies, enhances heuristic-value offers interesting insights on renewing
pedagogies in the context of online education. One of the papers discussed neurolingusitic
programming as a method to enhance English language learning. Likewise, meditation is found
to be contributing to mental stability and therefore better assimilation of content. The paper
discussed the role of meditation in enhancing memory, attention and retention of knowledge.
The pandemic has heralded new changes and challenges in teaching and learning methodologies.
One of them chiefly is embracing technologies and using digital tools to augment knowledge
transfer and knowledge production through constructivist approaches. The discussion on a
plethora of digital tools and resources opened a vista of possibilities that could be deployed to
enhance teaching and learning in the current times.
In all, the papers presented over the two days of the International conference touched upon a wide
variety of topics generating a wealth of literature on online education, digital tools and their
relevance for distance education as well as laying the groundwork both theoretically and
advocating practices for additional and future research. Technology is an integral part of human
lives and, to be specific, of teaching and learning. Further, as NEP 2020 prescribes, our new
pedagogies should encompass hybrid learning in terms of using online and offline teaching
methods, interdisciplinarity, multimodal pedagogies etc.
The conference ended with the valedictory function in which the chief guest, Prof. S. Mohan,
Vice-Chancellor of Puducherry Technological University, addressed on the concerns of teaching
that ought to be concise and effective. Prof. C. K. Ramaiah welcomed the gathering and detailed
the salience of the conference. The conference ended with feedback from students. Prof. Rajiv
Jain, Director, Culture and Cultural Relations, Pondicherry University appreciated the organisers
of the conference for taking up a topic of contemporary relevance to deliberate on. The
conference ended with a vote of thanks from Prof. K. Chellamani, Dean, School of Education,
Pondicherry University.
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Keynote Addresses
Developing and implementing an integrated Preclinical phase

curriculum - Challenges and lessons learnt
Rohini Karunakaran
Associate Professor,
Unit of Biochemistry, Preclinical Coordinator &
Medical Education Unit Coordinator,
Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, 08100 Semeling,
Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
Abstract
Curricular changes in undergraduate medical education programmes are quite
challenging. In medical education it is hard to change their existing curriculum or
develop a new integrated curriculum mainly because of a lack of will, infrastructure
and understanding of the change process. Integration of curriculum in medical school
is meant to make the teaching-learning activities effective and meaningful. An
integrated medical curriculum helps graduates to put together the learned facts to
adopt a holistic approach while treating a patient or planning a health care strategy.
This article reviews the challenges and lessons learned during developing and
implementing an integrated Preclinical phase curriculum at a private university in
Malaysia.
Keywords: Integrated pre-clinical curriculum, challenges, horizontal integration
Introduction
The curriculum has been defined as a series of planned teaching-learning and assessment
activities that bring about student learning. The curriculum is both a plan and a process. It is
usually documented and readily available for anyone to see as a plan. The curriculum is a system
of parts that are related to each other structurally and functionally. To be effective, new learning,
built on existing learning, must be related to past learning. When the learner recognises these
relationships, the learning of each is reinforced by the other and is most effective. The spiral
curriculum is one in which concepts learnt in previous segments of the curriculum are brought
back repeatedly in later segments and at increasing levels of complexity. The concepts learnt
earlier are reinforced, facilitating the integration of their more complex aspects.
Integration of Curriculum:
The objectives that promote integrative learning behaviour are those that require the student to
link subject areas or knowledge to real-life experiences and problems, those that require the
student to relate specific facts to broad principles and generalisations, and those that involve the
intellect and feelings, beliefs and values.
Experiences:
Bloom suggests that, for effective integration to occur, students must have the opportunity to
relate educational experiences that are taking place close to one another. In curricula that adopt an
organ-systems approach to horizontal integration, relevant patient care experience would
undoubtedly go a long way in impressing upon the student the significance of what she is
learning.
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The experiences will be divided into six categories:

i) component-focused integration, where the focus of integration is a particular
component of the curriculum
ii) horizontal integration involves a significant part of the curriculum
iii) vertical integration, also involving a significant part of the curriculum
iv) problem-centred integration, which belongs to Dressel's third category
v) community-based integration, where the locus of integration is the community
vi) multi-professional integration, where learning occurs with students from other health
professions.
vii) integration of the art and science in medical curriculum.
Horizontal integration can occur at preclinical and clinical levels within the medical curriculum.
The conventional preclinical curriculum is based on a 'code' established by each department,
with definite boundaries that may or may not include the student's personal experience of the
world. Vertical integration is one means of overcoming this disadvantage to some extent.
Relating educational experiences in the curriculum through the exposition of the application of
the basic sciences at the time they are learnt and the clinical sciences are taught.
Multiprofessional education in the health sciences is learning experiences arranged for students
from two or more health professions to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes that prepare them
to act cooperatively and collaboratively in providing healthcare to the patient and the community.
Community-based education occurs in the community's environment rather than in the context of
single patients, such as in ward-based or clinic-based clinical teaching. The problem can
potentially integrate curricular units, which are the body organ systems in many instances. Thus,
a given problem may impact many organ systems, calling upon the students to link prior learning
with present learning. The concept of the spiral problem, where the same problem is presented at
increasingly complex levels in successive curriculum units, encourages such integration while
reinforcing previous learning through application to new learning. The science and art of
medicine are closely linked.
Curriculum Development and Delivery – A range of instructional methods should be used to
deliver the programme that utilises the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, thus
making the medical graduate achieve their programme educational objectives (PEOs). The
horizontal and vertical integration of the subject must be ensured. Programme management
should be representative of key stakeholders.
Assessment Methods – Assessment must reflect the educational objectives and should be based
on an appropriate sampling of the programme learning outcomes (PLOs) in alignment with the
Course Learning outcomes (CLOs). Assessment strategies must assess core competencies, skills,
behaviours, and professional domains. Assessment must provide high-quality formative
assessment through regular feedback.
Challenges:
Integration is greatly hampered by a lack of agreement on the objectives of the curriculum among
the various players. First, an agreement between the planners (medical educationists) and the
2
implementers (faculty members) is essential. Second, agreement among the faculty members is
critical if an integrated experience is given to the students. Third, however integrated the
experience may be, if the students are either unclear about or do not agree with the objectives
formulated by teachers, integrated learning will be endangered. The next level is unit-wise
objectives and integration into systems where medical education has jurisdiction over a segment
of the curriculum; or phase, unit, or system objectives in medical school where the curriculum is
interdepartmental.
Quality assurance in medical education is a method of enshrining the principles of accountability
(teaching-learning, assessment, and student learning time), self-evaluation, and external peer
review, all of which are tied to the medical school's educational progress and accreditation. The
Medical Education Unit (MEU) plays a significant role in developing and implementing the
integrated curriculum. The MEU is not a separate entity but an integrated part of the faculty. The
vital element for MEU is to plan and conduct faculty development programmes, monitor, and
evaluate the programme and conduct regular curriculum reviews with the surveys and feedback
from the stakeholders.
The mandate of the MEU is to provide faculty members with the leadership and support for
teaching, learning and curriculum innovation through the development of teaching technologies,
faculty development initiatives, and research. The MEU provides support to the faculty through
collaboration and partnerships in the domains such as:
i) Teaching and learning, including technological innovation and integration.
ii) Curriculum review/renewal and innovation/developments.
iii) Fostering and disseminating research associated with teaching, learning, curriculum
and learning technologies.
iv) Promote consultancy services in educational technology.
Summary
The determining and agreeing on a standard set of goals and general objectives for the integrating
curriculum is with the faculty and MEU. A clear understanding of the concept of integration by all
participants in the planning and implementation stages is critical if any attempt to introduce an
integrated curriculum succeeds. Achieving the curriculum components in a logical order
('sequencing'); some as teaching-related parts, for example, the structure and function of an
organ, together ('synchronisation'); some as teaching undertaken by teachers in different
disciplines together ('team teaching') is quite challenging. A clear understanding of the concept of
integration and the need to link contributions from different disciplines to achieve wholeness in
what the student learns must be attained by all curriculum planners and implementers to promote
real integrated learning. Faculty development activities that focus on this crucial characteristic,
replete with examples highlighting links among the various disciplines, must be conducted from
the outset of the curriculum-planning exercise.
3
References:
Benor DE. Interdisciplinary integration in medical education: theory and method. Med Educ.
1982; 16: 355-61.
Dupont GE. Toward an integrated curriculum. J Amer Assoc Collegiate Registrars 1954; 29:
197–214.
Katz J, Fulop T. Personnel for health care: case studies of educational programmes. Public
Health Pap. 1978; 70: 1–260.
Mager RF. Preparing Instructional Objectives. Palo Alto, CA: Fearon; 1962.
Muller JH, Jain S, Loeser H, et al. Lessons learned about integrating a medical school
curriculum: perceptions of students, faculty and curriculum leaders. Med Educ. 2008;
42: 778–85.
Penfield WG. From hippocratic facts to fiction. Clin Neurosurg. 1956; 4: 11-20.
Rotem A, Bandaranayake R. How to plan and conduct programme evaluation. Med Teach.
1983; 5: 127-31.
Tresolini CP, Shugars DA, Lee LS. Teaching an integrated approach to health care: lessons
from five schools. Acad Med. 1995; 70: 665–70.
4
Self-Directed Learning in the Distance Mode
Marie Perera
Department of Humanities,
University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Abstract
This paper examines the connection between self-directed learning (SDL) and
learning through the distance mode. SDL is a process in which individuals take the
initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs,
formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning,
choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning
outcomes. This paper argues that SDL is an effective approach especially adult
learners for learning as it caters to the characteristics of adult learners. Similarly, the
distance mode, especially in the modern era where alongside the growth in modern
institutional distance learning there is a shift towards offering courses through the
online distance mode. Self-directed learning environments as well as the distance
modes are different from a lecture-based classroom and in implementing this
pedagogy, challenges are faced by both the instructor and the student. Therefore, it is
imperative that there should be proactive planning during the course design process
taking into consideration the challenges that would be faced by the students and the
tutors and how to facilitate effective learning. Strategies for both the tutors and
learners are discussed in the paper.
Keywords : Self-directed learning, Distance mode, adult learning
1.0 Introduction
Distance education has traditionally been defined as instruction through print or electronic
communications media to persons engaged in planned learning in a place or time different from
that of the instructor or instructors. (Manushak et al, 2001)) The traditional definition of distance
education is slowly being eroded as new technological developments challenge educators to
reconceptualize the idea of schooling and lifelong learning. At the same time, interest in the
unlimited possibilities of individualized distance learning is growing with the development of
each new communication technology. With these new trends, Distance Education is referred as
learning through the distance mode rather than Distance Education.
1.1 Development of Distance mode of learning
Distance education is not a new concept. In the late 1800s, at the University of Chicago, the first
major correspondence program in the United States was established in which the teacher and
learner were at different locations. Correspondence study was designed to provide educational
opportunities for those who were not among the elite and who could not afford full-time
residence at an educational institution. However, many correspondence courses were viewed as
simply poor excuses for the real thing. Yet, the need to provide equal access to educational
opportunities has always been part of the democratic ideals, hence, correspondence study took a
new turn.
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1.2 Modern distance learning

By the beginning of the 21st century, there was a shift towards offering distance education
courses, primarily through the Internet.
Although the theoretical trend in the 1990s seemed to be towards a stronger reliance on video,
audio, and other multimedia, in practice most successful programs have predominately utilized
electronic texts and simple text-based communications.
Modern distance learning courses employ Web-based course-management systems that
incorporate digital reading materials, podcasts (recorded sessions for electronic listening or
viewing at the student's leisure), e-mail, threaded (linked) discussion forums, chat rooms, and
test-taking functionality in virtual (computer-simulated) classrooms both proprietary and open-
source systems are common. Although most systems are generally asynchronous, allowing
students to access most features whenever they wish, synchronous technologies, involving live
video, audio, and shared access to electronic documents at scheduled times, are also used. Shared
social spaces in the form of blogs, wikis (Websites that can be modified by all classroom
participants), and collaboratively edited documents are also used in educational settings but to a
lesser degree than similar spaces available on the Internet for socializing.
2. Web-based services
Alongside the growth in modern institutional distance learning, has come Web-based or
facilitated personal educational services, including e-tutoring, e-mentoring, and research
assistance. In addition, there are many educational assistance companies that help parents choose
and contact local tutors for their children while the companies handle the contracts. The use of
distance learning programs and tutoring services has increased particularly among parents who
homeschool their children. Many universities have some online tutoring services for remedial
help with reading, writing, and basic mathematics, and some even have online mentoring
programs to help doctoral candidates through the dissertation process. Finally, many Web-based
personal-assistant companies offer a range of services for adults seeking continuing education or
professional development.
The emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in the first and second decades of the
21st century represented a major shift in direction for distance learning. MOOCs are
characterized by extremely large enrollments—in the tens of thousands—the use of short
videotaped lectures, and peer assessments. The open-online-course format had been used early
on by some universities, but it did not become widely popular until the emergence of MOOC
providers such as Coursera, edX, Khan Academy, and Udacity. Although the initial purpose of
MOOCs was to provide informal learning opportunities, at present this format is also used for
degree credit and certifications from certain universities.
2.1 Characteristics of distance mode of learning
1) The learning for the student and teacher – the student is learning in different place, time
and maybe both with the tutor.
2) The learner needs to be self-managed – students need to be independent and well
organized to learn by themselves.
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3) The teaching is through a 'synchronous and asynchronous learning' process – the tutor
will be teaching and learning that maybe at the same place or at different times.
4) The course can be unlimited access – students can have unlimited access
5) Learning process is on-demand and 'Just in time' – the digital learning will provide
knowledge as often as students required regardless when and where.
6) Provides an institutional accreditation - the institution or agency has a certification or
accredited and the learning by self-evaluation that without the recognition of the official
learning from the institute.
7) The mixed-media is in use for the courseware - such as radio and television, video, print,
audio cassette, telecommunications, and computer-based learning and for pre-tested
and up-to-date before use.
8) It is a two-way communication – the student and tutor can communicate from passive
receipt by using web-based instruction broadcast signals such as synchronous or
asynchronous.
9) Face-to-face meetings for the tutorials - the students can connect with others in library
study, practice sessions, and laboratory.
10) The learner can learn at his/her own pace.
Although Distance Education is used increasingly in the modern world to teach young learners,
this paper examines the use of distance mode in teaching adult learners. Therefore, it is necessary
to examine the characteristics of adult learners
3.0 Main Characteristics of Adult Learners
According to Knowles (1984) who was one of the pioneers in this field, there are 6 main
characteristics of adult learners.
1. Adult learning is self-directed/autonomous.
Adult learners are actively involved in the learning process such that they make choices relevant
to their learning objectives. As such, adult learners also direct their learning goals with the
guidance of their mentors. As an educator, it is important to facilitate the process of goal-setting.
Students need to be given the freedom to assume responsibility for their own choices. When it
comes to workload, they also need to be proactive in making decisions and in contributing to the
process.
2. Adult learning utilizes knowledge and life experiences
Under this approach, educators encourage learners to connect their past experiences with their
current knowledge base and activities. Learners are taught ways to bring to their current
placement past knowledge, opinions, and experiences. Educators need to be well-versed in how
to help students in drawing out relevant past knowledge and experiences. In addition, educators
must know how to relate the sum of learners' experiences to the current learning experiences.
3. Adult learning is goal-oriented
The motivation to learn is increased when the relevance of the “lesson” through real-life
situations is clear, particularly in relation to the specific concerns of the learner. The need to
7
acquire relevant and adequate knowledge is of high importance. With this in mind, adult learning
is characterized as goal-oriented, and intended learning outcomes should be clearly identified.
Once the learning goals have been identified, it is now imminent to align the learning activities
such that these objectives are fulfilled within a certain period of time. This approach is a great
way to maximize a student's learning experience.
4. Adult learning is relevancy-oriented
One of the best ways for adults to learn is by relating the assigned tasks to their own learning
goals. If it is clear that the activities they are engaged in, directly contribute to achieving their
personal learning objectives, then they will be inspired and motivated to engage in projects and
successfully complete them.
5. Adult learning highlights practicality
Placement is a means of helping students to apply the theoretical concepts learned inside the
classroom to real-life situations. It is very important for educators to identify appropriate ways
and convert theoretical learning into practical activities! Learning is facilitated when appropriate
ways of implementing theoretical knowledge in real-life situations are made clear.
6. Adult learning encourages collaboration
Adult learners thrive in collaborative relationships with their educators. When learners are
considered by their instructors as colleagues, they become more productive. They are willing to
put-up their best work when their contributions are acknowledged.
The most important characteristic out of these six characteristics is Self -Directed (SDL) or
autonomous learning. Knowles defined SDL as, “A process in which individuals take the
initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating
learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and
implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.” Thus, the
students learn on their initiative and have primary responsibility for planning, implementing, and
evaluating the effort. The responsibility of learning remains with students.
The comparison of the above characteristics with the features of modern distance mode of
learning in 1.2 indicates that it caters well to the adult learners.
3.0 Distance mode of learning and Self-Directed Learning
The distance mode has made it possible to implement the “classes suspended but learning
continues” policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The distance mode of learning has the
potential to make learning processes more student-centered (Dwivedi et al., '–2019, –2020). The
intangible sense of the online educational setting requires self-directed learning (Sun et al. 2022).
A number of scholars (i.e., Boyd, 1966; Knowles, 1970) have described autonomous learning as
especially characteristic of learning in adulthood. It is argued that children tend to have a self-
concept of dependence. Therefore, it is natural for them to look to adults, including teachers, for
reassurance, affection and approval. They are usually willing to follow a teaching program,
regardless of its congruence with any learning program of their own. Adults, on the other hand,
have a self-concept characterized by independence. In most aspects of their everyday lives, they
believe themselves capable of self-direction and they are generally also capable and willing to be
self-directed in their learning
8
Research also indicates a relationship between SDL and academic achievement. Cazan and
Schiopca's (2013) study indicated that SDL is a good indicator to predict learners' academic
achievement. Khiat's (2014) study showed that SDL left an effect on students' academic
achievement. A study by Tekkol and Demiral (2018) proved that SDL has made a significant
change in university students' academic achievements. Saeid and Eslaminejad's (2016) study
showed that there is a relationship between students' academic achievement, SDL and learning
readiness while a study by Kan'an and Osman (2015) indicated that SDL is necessary for Science
students to become successful students. Suknaisith's (2014) study revealed that at university
level, students were satisfied with SDL while Malison et al., (2018) study proved that SDL
positively showed learning with intention, open-mindedness', characteristics of self- discipline
and self-management and desire to learn.
However, it has been reported that during COVID-19, students' engagement in higher education
through the distance mode has been low (Pengpai News, 2020). In this context, the distance mode
of learning effects mainly depends on students' self-directed learning (SDL) (Sun et al, 2022)
Institutional programs of distance education normally have three kinds of adult learners
according to Boyle (1966). The first type could be regarded as self-directed learners who have
decided that the teaching programs of the institution generally meet their learning goals. It is
possible that only part of the program meets a person's goals, and he/she might drop out before the
end, might not submit certain assignments, and in other ways might not conform fully with the
norms for a "class" or tutorial group. Such persons though, are in the position of customers
buying a service; they are well in control of the educational program and should give us no cause
for real concern.
Other members of the tutorial group, or other distant learners in a distance education institution,
are the learners who are motivated by the need for a degree or some other formal accreditation
which can only be obtained by following the teaching program offered by the institution. In this
case, the teaching program might not fit the learning program of the students in the course. Such
students are not engaged in an educational program per se, but merely are undergoing the
formalities associated with certification. Though not self-directed learners, they are self-directed
in pursuit of their non-educational goal.
Finally, there may be students who have neither a learning program, nor a need for certification,
but who use the educational institution to satisfy an emotional need for dependence. They need
affection, reassurance and approval, and have learned in school to win this from their teachers. In
schools, many teachers fail to assist children in becoming self-directed in learning. As a result, it
is very common, as Knowles (1970) has pointed out, to leave school as an adult in other ways, but
still dependent, or at least retarded in independence, as a learner.
There is a need for considerable caution in this regard on the part of tutors and counselors in
distance teaching institutions. It is important that the legitimate desire to give emotional support
to students in distress, does not result in actions that reinforce their dependence. The role of
educational councellor or tutor requires that the first priority be to reduce dependence and
encourage students to become self-directed. The adult learner is entitled to do what Boyd refers to
in his "psychological definition of adult education," that is to,...approach subject matter directly
9
without having an adult in a set of intervening roles between the learner and the subject matter.
The adult knows his own standards and expectations. He no longer needs to be told, nor does he
require the approval and reward from persons in authority. (Boyd, 1966, p. 180).
This is fully autonomous or self-directed, and adult learning. It is the learning of the person who
is able to establish a learning goal when faced with a problem to be solved, a skill to be acquired,
information that is lacking. Sometimes formally, often unconsciously, self-directed learners set
their goals and define criteria for their achievement. They know (or find out) where and how and
from what human and other resources to gather the information required, collect ideas and
practice skills. They judge the appropriateness of the new skills, information and ideas,
eventually deciding if the goals have been achieved, or can be abandoned.
A phenomenon of the Euro-American culture, which has been exported around the world, is that
schools and universities are generally neglectful of learning programs, and preoccupied with
sustaining and studying teaching and the work of professional teachers. This is a consequence in
part of an inability to conceptualize more broadly, and also a reluctance to challenge one's own
institutions. Although education is about both learning and teaching, educational institutions
have focused too much and for too long on the latter, on teachers' intentions, to the exclusion, or at
best subordination, of the equally relevant side of the educational relationship, intentional
learning. Self-directed learning, if considered at all, is regarded as a careless and casual activity
on the periphery of the educational field, hardly worthy of systematic study or major support.
If adult learners are willing and able to be self-directing in study, how might the educational
institution, especially the institution of distance education, modify its teaching in order to give
each learner the chance to exercise autonomy?
Malcolm Knowles (1970) in writing about "andragogy," the art and science of helping adults
learn as well as several recent writers have made several suggestions.
The basic underpinning of SDL is that students take responsibility for learning well beyond what
is presented by an external body (e.g., faculty members, the curriculum). In a more traditional
educational setting, an instructor will provide learning objectives, assessments, and resources to
help students learn the material. However, in SDL, the learner initiates the process by setting
learning objectives, identifying assessments that allow feedback, and identifying resources to
help them reach their goals. By taking the lead on their learning, the learner takes responsibility.
A physical climate (if meeting face-to-face) and more notably, a psychological climate that
shows the learner is accepted, respected and supported, and in which there exists a spirit of
mutuality between teachers and students as joint enquirers should be provided.
b. Emphasis should be placed on self-diagnosis of needs for learning. This means giving the
learner a way of constructing a model of the competencies or characteristics aspired to - whether
it be, for example, a good parent, good teacher, or good mathematician; a way of diagnosing the
present level of competence and of minimizing the gap between the desired level of competence
and the present level.
c. Involve the learner in planning a personal program based on this self-diagnosis, turning the
needs into specific learning objectives, changing and conducting learning experiences to achieve
these objectives, and evaluating the extent to which they have been achieved.
10
d. The tutor acts as a resource person, a procedural specialist, and a co-inquirer, and does not try to
make the other person learn. The SDL approach is a fundamental shift for an educator because it
moves them from being a purveyor of information to assume the role of facilitator of learning,
motivator, designer of the learning situation, and often joining the students as a co-learner as they
learn instructional skills (e.g., facilitation) and knowledge (e.g., context beyond their expertise).
(Abraham et al, 2005) As such, SDL instills a sense of autonomy and mastery in the learner, and a
sense of purpose into the educational process. In a well-designed SDL environment, students'
motivation increases, as well as their feelings of control, confidence, and belief in themselves.
(Boyer et al, 2014). Most importantly, it supports the unlimited learning potential and creativity
of the students.
e. Assessing a learner's progress in becoming self-directed is challenging. While faculty
members can assess the results of self-direction (acquisition of skills and content), assessing their
development of skills to engage in the SDL process is not that straightforward. Unfortunately,
there is a lack of literature on how to objectively assess self-directed learning skills because the
domains commonly assessed are affective in nature (problem-solving, collaboration,
communication, self-awareness, innovation and professionalism.
f. It is necessary to place great emphasis on techniques that tap the experience of adult learners.
There must be a distinct shift of emphasis away from transmittal techniques such as the lecture
and assigned readings, toward discovery learning, especially in field projects and other
techniques which give the learner a chance to be actively involved.
4.0 Self-directed learning, self-paced learning, and self-regulation
It is important at this point to differentiate two important concepts related to SDL self-paced
learning and self-regulation (Table 1). Self-paced learning is when students have a deadline but
complete learning activities at their own pace. Essentially, students are given the autonomy to
choose when and for how long they work on various tasks. Self-paced learning does not involve
the identification of learning goals or identifying resources to accomplish the goals, which are
requirements for SDL. For example, giving students two weeks to read a chapter for the class is
self-paced, but because they do not determine what they learn, it is not self-directed. The learning
goals and any needed resources are supplied by the instructor.
Self-regulation refers to the process of an individual guiding goal-directed activities over time,
that is, acting in their own best self-interest. Self-regulation maximizes the long-term best
interest of an individual, resulting in learners controlling their impulses and looking out for their
own well-being. This regulation involves modulation of affective, cognitive, and behavioral
processes throughout a learning experience to reach a desired level of achievement. Some
important differences between self-regulated learning and self-directed learning are that self-
regulated learning stems from cognitive psychology while SDL stems from adult education; self-
regulation is mainly discussed within the academic environment while SDL usually takes place
outside of the traditional classroom; with self-regulation, the task is imposed by the instructor,
while in SDL, the student designs the learning environment; finally, self-regulation is a narrower
construct than SDL. For example, a student can demonstrate self-regulation by spending extra
time studying less familiar material and selecting appropriate study strategies to do so. However,
11
this does not necessarily require the learner to identify their own goals of what they want to learn
because the goals are set by the instructor.
Table 1 summarizes the differences between the three concepts of Self-Directed Learning, Self-
Paced Learning, and self-regulated learning.
Table 1. Comparison of Traditional Classroom to Self-Directed Learning,
Self-Paced Learning, and self-regulated learning
Traditional Self- Self-paced Self-

Learning Directed learning Regulated
Learning Learning
Learner chooses the timing No Yes Yes Yes
of to-be-learned material
Learner chooses the order of No Yes Yes Yes
to-be-learned material
Learner must identify own No Yes No Yes
resources
Requires student motivation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Foster metacognitive No Yes Some Yes
awareness
(Adapted from Robinson et al. 2020, p.293)
SDL is an important concept in today's educational climate, where MOOCs and other
supplemental learning tools abound. As Biggs (2015) states “before long, we'll be earning digital
badges instead of degrees, and when this happens, self-directed learning will be a critical skill
possessed by any student who hopes to succeed”.
Yet in the same article, she says that decades of research have confirmed that self-directed
learning must be explicitly taught and requires time for depth of learning and reflection. If so what
are the strategies that can be used to develop self-directed learners?
5.0 Strategies to Develop Self-Directed Learners
The strategies for both instructors as well as students are discussed in this section.
5.1 Strategies for instructors
Before creating educational activities to develop SDL, the instructor must first understand what
SDL is and what the key components of the SDL process are. Self-directed learning can be
described as a six-step process as shown in Table 2
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Table 2. Steps involved in Self-Directed Learning

Step Definition Example
Goal setting Development of learning By the end of the section of material,
objectives I will be able to describe ……….
Assessment Measurement that the student Summative assessment
is progressing and achieved the
goal
Activities Defining the structure and First define
sequence of activities Next search to fill gaps in
knowledge
Timeline Benchmarking when activities Final paper will be done by the last
will be accomplished day of the course.
Resources Identify the resources needed
to accomplish the goal
Feedback Identifying individuals who Course instructors
may provide feedback on
learning
(Adapted from Robinaon et al, 2020, p.294)
In addition, developing self-directed learners requires a scaffolded approach in which more self-
paced or teacher-directed activities are introduced early on, during didactic instruction, to help
students become more self-regulated in their “self-directedness.” Over time, as the student moves
from the classroom to the experiential setting, control of the learning environment can be shifted
from the instructor to the student. This scaffolding may include starting with more self-paced
activities and providing guidance to the learner on how to be more self-regulated. Some
programmes that could help develop SDL are flipped classrooms, learning contracts, and minimal-
guidance instruction (Robinson et al, 2020).
A “flipped classroom” can be described as a learning model where students obtain some
foundational material on their own, prior to class, and then class time is used to help apply that
learned information (DeLozier and Rhodes, 2017). An example of a highly structured flipped
classroom is team-based learning (TBL). Flipped classrooms have the potential to move students
towards self-directed learning. First, students prepare prior to class through faculty-provided
materials. This preparation allows students to develop confidence in self-regulation skills (e.g.,
what to focus their time on, selecting appropriate study strategies, self-assessment) and self-pace
learning (e.g., “I need to get this done before class, but I am free to study when I want and for how
long I want”). With the help of the instructor, the targeted content acquired outside of class can be
applied, expanded upon, and worked with in such a way to reinforce and deepen learning. This may
serve to model and assist the student in the development of the skills needed for future self-
direction (Robinson et al, 2020)
Another method that can be used to help promote SDL is through learning contracts. A learning
contract is an agreement between the instructor and student that specifies the work the learner will
complete in a given period (Knowles, 1975). Learning contracts can be used to keep individuals
organized, normalize expectations, and increase communication between the learner and
instructor. These contracts consist of five components, similar to that of the SDL process: learning
objectives, learning resources and strategies, the target date for completion, evidence of
13
accomplishment, and criteria for evaluating (Galibrath and Gailley, 1984) These can be used
within courses, as independent studies, or even to help guide extra or co-curricular activities.
A minimally guided instructional approach is another strategy that can be used to enhance SDL.
This approach suggests that people learn best in an unguided or minimally guided environment.
Popular formats for minimally guided instructions include problem-based learning (PBL) or
inquiry-based learning (IBL). Because of the minimal guidance provided, this type of instruction
may foster self-directed learning.
As an example, Lyons and colleagues reviewed some of the literature on the influence of a type of
IBL, problem-based learning (PBL), on self-directed learning (Sofie et al, 2008). The results of
the review were mixed, making conclusions about the effectiveness of this approach difficult to
ascertain, though most studies showed that PBL fosters self-directed learning. Effectiveness may
be impacted by group size and how well instructors or students understand self-directed learning
(Robinson et al, 2020).
5.2 Strategies for students
Biggs (2015) has identified the following strategies:
1. Identify your learning goals: You can't achieve what you haven't envisioned. Identifying what
you want to learn is the first step of the process.
2. Question the significance of things: Make a habit of not taking things for face value and you'll
start to ask questions because you actually care about the answer.
3. Seek out interesting challenges: Who says challenges are unpleasant by definition? Identify a
problem you care about and reward yourself by solving it. That's what genuine learning is all
about.
4. Monitor your own learning process: Learning is much more enjoyable when you've set your
own standards. Whether you receive the grade you want or not, try to measure your progress
against your own personal learning goals.
5. Understand your owns approach: Many of us assume we know our own learning styles and
preferences, but do we really? Take a moment to consider what format or medium helps you learn
best.
6. Use game-based motivation strategies: Reward systems can work wonders when it comes to
self-directed learning. Give yourself fun reasons to challenge yourself and work hard.
7. Start with background on a topic: Get to know your topic by reading the Wiki page on it first.
It's important to have context before you dive into details.
8. Cultivate intrinsic motivation: Intrinsic motivation doesn't come naturally to everyone, but it
can be learned. Help yourself enjoy learning more by collecting interesting facts or planning to
share your knowledge with other people.
9. Share your learning with peers and mentors: Knowing you are going to share what you've
learned with someone else can make a huge difference when it comes to learning. Your attention
and memory both receive a boost when you picture yourself relaying new material to another
person.
14
10. Create something out of what you've learned: Make a habit of creating something – a
diagram, a song, a journal entry– with the new material you've learned. Not only will it help
solidify the material in your long-term memory, but it will also help you look forward to future
learning endeavors.
11. Build your own personal learning syllabus: Have you ever looked at a syllabus from a course
and wished you had more of a say in it? Now's your chance. Learn what you want, when you
want, and how you want.
12. Use time (or lack thereof) to your advantage: We're all busy, but sometimes this can be an
advantage. Take the thirty minutes you have during your lunch hour or post-work session at the
gym to complete a “unit” on a topic of interest.
13. Pursue knowledge, not good grades: It's hard to ignore grades when they seem to mean so
much to university admissions staff. But it's important to keep in mind that they aren't the end-all-
be-all. Grades don't always reflect how much you've actually learned, and that's what counts in
the end.
14. Create your own personal learning record: There are so many great tools out there to help you
document your learning. Have some fun with a digital learning portfolio– especially ten years
down the road when you're going through your old notes and projects!
15. Verbalise your achievements: It's one thing to know what you've learned; it's quite another to
make it known. Verbalising your achievements can be extremely rewarding and can help you
reflect on what you think you've learned vs. what you've actually learned.
16. Make a list of topics “to master”: Creating a list of topics to master is almost as fun as
crossing them off. Remember to make concrete, easily-achievable goals as well as more general,
overarching ones.
17. Practice using what you've learned: We all value knowledge we can actually use. Sometimes
we need to make an effort to use it, though. Create your own opportunities to use your knowledge
and you'll find the results very rewarding.
18. Value progress over performance: We never stop learning, and that's one of the many reasons
why self-directed learning can be so enjoyable. Countless topics, questions, and problems mean
countless opportunities to feel stimulated and accomplished.
19. Keep your goals realistic: One of the major killjoys of self-directed learning is created not by
the “system” but by ourselves: unrealistic goals. It's easy to get discouraged when we don't
achieve what we want to. Try to keep things in perspective and create goals you can reasonably
achieve
20. Build a network of “learning colleagues”: We are collaborative learners by nature. Take
advantage of online and in-person communities that will support you through your learning
journey and help illuminate your path.
6.0 Conclusion
Self-directed learning was described in terms of its relevance to adult education. Adults are
especially interested in learning that arises from the roles they play. Such learning is described as
being particularly well-supported by distance teaching, and by a proposed learning advisory
15
network. Implications for teaching in distance education and for the organization of distance
learning institutions were discussed. Some aspects of the phenomenon called "self-directed
learning" and the implications which follow for the curriculum and teaching methods in distance
education were examined. It was revealed that the Distance mode especially with its shift
towards web-based learning has the potential to promote Self-Directed Learning and thereby
effective learning. However, such a pedagogical approach poses challenges to both the instructor
and the students and such challenges should be taken into consideration during the course design
process. Further, both the learners and the instructors should be equipped with the necessary
strategies to overcome the challenges.
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17
Adapting Hybrid Learning for the clinical phase during the pandemic:
our experience at a University in Malaysia.
Srikumar P S
Associate Professor
Deputy Dean, Academic & International Affairs,
Unit of Psychiatry & Unit of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine,
AIMST University. Malaysia
Email: srikumar@aimst.edu.my
Abstract
The regulations and uncertainties caused by the covid pandemic demanded that we
adapt our teaching-learning strategies. Our experiences adapting the hybrid mode for
the clinical phase with the challenges and solutions are many and varied. Keeping the
students engaged and interested during the isolation phase and ensuring the best use
of time while ensuring that the learning process takes place in both groups of students
was a challenge. Faculty development programmes, advanced technology, and
regular meetings helped overcome the challenges. The support of the management in
timely interventions and financial support also played a major role in ensuring the
process of hybrid learning.
Keywords: Hybrid learning, clinical phase, faculty development
1. Introduction
The pandemic and the ensuing social distancing required that we adapt and continue with our
academic programme. The regulations were very strict, and the students were stranded as they
did worldwide. The regulatory authorities (MQA-Malaysian Qualifications agency) stipulated
that the outcomes must be achieved; however, the whole academic weeks for the students per
year were limited. The students, staff and parents were unsure of the future path.
The Deanery of the faculty of medicine deliberated and planned on a synchronous online mode of
teaching-learning for the preclinical phase, with the practical sessions planned for a later face-to-
face phase. The clinical phase became a challenge as the hospitals were closed for teaching,
students were stranded at home, and some at hostels, and the clinical environment was difficult to
replicate in a classroom on campus. (Baldry-Currens & Bithell, 2000). The University had to
ensure a safe and secure way of delivering our curriculum (Goh,2021). The solution was to adopt
a hybrid mode of teaching-learning with remote delivery of skills training using simulations
(Grafton-Clarke et al., 2022).
Blended and Hybrid Teaching -Learning
Blended learning is defined by Dziuban, Moskal, & Hartman (2004) as a mode of instruction
where the traditional aspects of face-to-face teaching-learning, with the opportunities for
communications and social interactions, are combined with the advantages of digital online
modes of delivery. The blended mode of teaching-learning is characterised by: a. opportunities
for interactions among students and between students and faculty, b. each student can be
individually monitored, and each student has to be involved in the teaching-learning process, c.
18
adequate opportunities for assessments and feedback at all levels. The terms hybrid learning and
blended learning are often used interchangeably. However, there is a difference between the two:
In hybrid learning, the online mode can substitute for face-to-face sessions, and in blended
learning, the online mode is used to enhance and build on the face-to-face sessions (Singh, Keele
& Singh,2021).
The advantage of hybrid learning is that the students still retain most of the advantages of
traditional classroom teaching(Singh, 2017), and our staff and students accepted it as the best
alternative during the pandemic. However, our staff were not convinced about teaching clinical
skills in the hybrid mode. With further meetings and discussions, the faculty were convinced that
hybrid/blended learning could ensure that students have information outside of the usual
teaching-learning environment and that I would help enhance the students' productivity during
the face-to-face sessions (Powell et al.,2015).
The four models of hybrid and blended learning, according to Christensen et al. (2013), are (a)
rotation, (b) flex, (c) A La Carte, and (d) enriched virtual. The rotation model involves multiple
modalities, with at least one being in the online mode. The flex model incorporates the online
model as the cornerstone, and the student can take in an individualised schedule. A La Carte
Model offers the choice of completing modules in traditional or online modes. In the enriched
virtual mode, the students are offered courses where they have to complete a part in the traditional
mode and then a part in the online mode.'
Adaptation of Hybrid learning
We adopted a rotational model with students taking theory sessions, skill lab sessions, simulated
patients and case-based learning. The faculty agreed that a video-assisted model of imparting
clinical competencies for the clinical skills and simulated sessions would be ideal. The
competencies were based on adapting the RIME framework (Pangaro,1999) to our
undergraduate clerkship phase. However , faculty were worried about the efficacy of online
modes of learning skills without direct patient interactions and the difficulty of sustaining their
motivations (Bugaj & Nikendei, 2016; Khalil et al., 2020).
The students continued with their original groups of 24-28 students per group. The clinical skills
centre and other seminar rooms were converted to accommodate the students on campus and
modified for video conferencing using ZOOM platforms. Advanced Hi-Fidelity cameras and
lapel microphones were bought on an emergency war footing. The staff underwent training in
running Zoom and managing the demonstration of practical skills on mannequins while being on
video. Simulated patients and patients were brought after testing for Covid. The staff and
students helped stand in as simulated patients when required. The Zoom meetings were recorded
with the consent of the students and the simulated patients. Youtube videos and discussions
supplemented the live sessions.
The challenges and solutions
Faculty
Faculty resistance to change was a major challenge, and we had multiple meetings and training in
the Zoom platform. The faculty's lack of familiarity with the new teaching-learning interphase
19
and technology was overcome by the training and support of the IT personnel. Financial
commitments for the new technology, the management was very understanding and complied
with our requests promptly. Technological breakdowns and connectivity issues were ongoing
and solved by a team from the IT department, who were available for nearly 24x7.
Standardised patients were difficult as we needed a larger number, and covid conditions
prevented external personnel from entering the campus. The staff and student volunteering
solved this by taking part. A lack of direct interaction was a concern; however, the Zoom platform
allowed for narratives and dialogues with the online students. The students who were on campus
had the benefit of direct interactions and hands-on skill training. Online students were advised to
practice the examination skills with their friends or willing family members during and after the
sessions.
Student
Lack of social interaction was a concern. The students online were advised to discuss the case and
related experiences asynchronously after the live sessions to improve interactions and learning.
The students in some parts of the nation had poor networks and connectivity, which was a
hindrance. Some students had problems with affordability and a lack of a conducive home
environment which is also a common case in other parts of the world (Sahu,2022).
Advantages
The hybrid model ensured that the students were engaged and learning during the phase of social
distancing and isolation. The online phase with simulated patients and interactions with real-
world scenarios promote critical thinking( Badowski, Rossler, & Reiland, 2021). During the
hybrid phase, the students in the classroom and online both used videos as tools for enhancing
their access to learning (Jang & Kim, 2014). The learning outcome were achieved as evidenced
by their performance in the high-stakes exit examination.
The way forward
Hybrid learning will become the new norm—integrated planning with our IT team, curriculum
committee and other stakeholders. Faculty development programmes and training. Plan for
customised software and learning management systems.
Acknowledgement
Thanks to our Dean, Snr. Prof. Dr K.R.Sethuraman, our Medical Education Guru, spearheaded
all the planning and innovations in teaching-learning and assessment during the difficult phase of
social isolation and uncertainties.
References
Baldry-Currens, J & Bithell, C. (2000). Clinical Education: Listening to different
perspectives. Physiotherapy. 86. 645-653. 10.1016/S0031-9406(05)61302-8.
Badowski, D., Rossler, K. L., & Reiland, N. (2021). Exploring student perceptions of virtual
simulation versus traditional clinical and manikin-based simulation. Journal of
professional nursing : official journal of the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing, 37(4), 683–689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.05.005
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Bugaj, T.J., & Nikendei, C. (2016). Practical clinical training in skills labs: Theory and
practice. GMS Journal for Medical Education. 33(4), Doc63. doi:10.3205/zma001062
Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2013). Is K-12 blended learning disruptive?
Clayton Christensen Institute. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566878.pdf
Dziuban, C. D., Moskal, P., & Hartman, J. (2004). Higher education, blended learning, and
the generations: Knowledge is power-No more.
Grafton-Clarke, C., Uraiby, H., Gordon, M., Clarke, N., Rees, E., Park, S., Pammi, M.,
Alston, S., Khamees, D., Peterson, W., Stojan, J., Pawlik, C., Hider, A., & Daniel, M.
(2022). Pivot to online learning for adapting or continuing workplace-based clinical
learning in medical education following the COVID-19 pandemic: A BEME systematic
review: BEME Guide No. 70. Medical teacher, 44(3), 227–243.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2021.1992372
Goh P. S. (2021). The vision of transformation in medical education after the COVID-19
pandemic. Korean journal of medical education, 33(3), 171–174.
https://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2021.197
Jang, H. W., & Kim, K. J. (2014). Use of online clinical videos for clinical skills training for
medical students: benefits and challenges. BMC medical education, 14, 56.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-14-56
Khalil, R., Mansour, A. E., Fadda, W. A., Almisnid, K., Aldamegh, M., Al-Nafeesah, A.,
Alkhalifah, A., & Al-Wutayd, O. (2020). The sudden transition to synchronised online
learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study exploring
medical students' perspectives. BMC medical education, 20(1), 285.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02208-z
Pangaro L. (1999). A new vocabulary and other innovations for improving descriptive in-
training evaluations. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American
Medical Colleges, 74(11), 1203–1207. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199911000-
00012
Powell, A., Watson, J., Staley, P., Patrick, S., Horn, M., Fetzer, L., Hibbard, L., Oglesby, J., &
Verma, S. (2015).Blending learning: The evolution of online and face-to-face education
from 168 Journal of Educational Technology Systems 50(2) 2008–2015. iNACOL, The
International Association for K-12 Online Learning.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED560788.pdf
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Best practices for effective implementation of online teaching and learning in medical
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Singh, J. (2017). Enhancing student success in health care programs: Active learning in a
hybrid format. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 18, 1–14.
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Singh, J., Keele.S., & Singh, L. (2021). Combining the Best of Online and Face-to-Face
Learning: Hybrid and Blended Learning Approach for COVID-19, Post Vaccine, &
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140–171.DOI: 10.1177/00472395211047865
21
Aligning Teaching, Learning and Assessment towards Metacognition
Perumbilavil Kaithamanakallam Rajesh

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics & International Affairs,
Director, Centre of Excellence, Learning & Teaching
AIMST University, Malaysia
This article has excerpts and references used in the author's assignments and projects
submitted for PG Diploma in Medical Education, Dundee University, MSc Medical
Education, South Wales University and PhD Medical Education, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth
(Deemed to be) University. Separate detailed publications will follow.
Abstract
Metacognition refers to the ability of a learner to evaluate their learning. This is
important as the learner progresses from a novice to a master challenging thresholds,
adopting newer techniques, reflecting on their his learning experiences. However,
without proper training in the process the learner might fail to evaluate their
knowledge accurately. This article refers to four ways a learner grows in their
knowledge building process-From the teacher, by self-directed learning, from their
peers and by lifelong learning. Teaching can be traditional, integrated, industry based
or apprenticeship based but should be focussed on the objectives and have a robust
lesson plan for each encounter with the learners. The initial phase can be
instructional, with the learners being oriented and informed about the desired tasks to
be achieved and the outcomes. Active learning techniques which retain and enhance
knowledge, like self-directed learning and collaborative learning, should be
encouraged. The learning must have intended outcomes which that are specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant, and time- bound. To achieve metacognition the
learner should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses to be able to regulate their
learning process. This can be achieved by their teacher's guidance, spiral
reinforcement and feedback, their own self-directed learning, peer mentoring,
collaborative and experiential learning and by reflection of learning, and appropriate
assessments simulating real life situations and work-based assessment, followed up
by prompt constructive feedback.
Keywords: Taxonomy, HOTS, Self-Directed Learning, Collaborative learning,
Reflective practice, Threshold phenomenon, Metacognition
1. Introduction
'Education is what survives after what has been learned is forgotten', this quote from B.F.Skinner,
deeply signifies the need for essential appropriate curriculum and effective study and assessment
methods to ensure the future workplace has an industry ready graduate.
Literature has reviewed how a learner undergoes the process of constructivism to stack up and
reinforce his cognition. While determining how the learning process occurs, we have identified
certain study styles among the learners including VARK (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write and
Kinaesthetic).
22
An ancient Sanskrit slogan describes on how we learn and grow.

¼ from the teacher (pedagogy)
¼ from our own intellect (self-directed learning)
¼ from our peers (peer assisted learning)
¼ only with time (continuous lifelong learning)
ācāryāt pādamādatte, pādaṁ śiṣya svamedhayā, pādaṁ sabrahmacāribhyah, pādaṁ kāla
krameṇa ca (Sanskrit slogan)
Irrespective of the field of study or the methodology of the training imparted, industry or
workplace readiness is the objective of the outcome based or the competency-based curriculum.
Whether the learners go through a discipline-based traditional course, integrated course, or an
industry apprenticeship, the ability to use the knowledge, skills and aptitude to serve is the
ultimate goal of the learning centre and the community.
How does the learner attain metacognition, the process of regulating one's own thinking and
learning process? How does a learner evolve from a novice to a master? How can a learner travel
through challenges to their limitations and break through that threshold?
Metacognition implies the learner could regulate and reflect on their learning, its application and
utilisation. This would require a deep understanding of the basic knowledge and its application in
various situations or scenarios. Attaining metacognition requires all the 4 levels of learning
starting from pedagogy to self-directed learning to learning from peers and continuous lifelong
learning.
The threshold concept involves four main components including, transformational, integrative,
irreversibility and troublesomeness (Randall, Brooks & McNally, 2018). Transformational, the
learner has an ontological shift and starts considering himself a professional. Integrative, the
learner can join the dots of the small information and grasp the big picture. Irreversibility is being
unable to unlearn the information. Troublesomeness is when the learner is unable to adapt to the
new situation, the new learning environment, feels stressed and may end up dropping out of the
course. Once the learner attains the threshold concept, they could be encouraged to share their
experience with their peers to enhance the zone of proximal development (Fani & Ghaemib,
2011).
¼ from the Teacher (pedagogy)
The teachers, trainers, or coaches mainly go through these phases
1. Orient the students to the topic to be taught
2. Discussing the topics in detail and
3. Training the 'minds' to think.
These steps align with Merrill's five principles of instruction. (Merrill, 2009)
1. The learners should be engaged in solving real world problems
2. Existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge
3. New knowledge is demonstrated to the learner
4. New knowledge is applied by the learner
23
5. New knowledge is integrated into the learner's world.

For more than 70 years now, since Bloom's taxonomy we have references to SMART (Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound), outcomes for teaching and assessment.
Various improvements over the years have seen Bloom's taxonomy evolve with special reference
to Anderson et al, 2001, Marzano & Kendell 2001, 2007, 2008 and Churches 2008. Anderson's
modification resulted in the order - Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing,
Evaluating and Creating. This was a change from the original order of Knowledge,
Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation.
Marzano's New Taxonomy Marzano & Kendall, 2001, 2007, 2008 includes the domains of
knowledge, cognition, affect and self, metacognition, and psychomotor procedures. Churches
introduced the digital Bloom's taxonomy. Editing and linking silo-based information to a concept
aligns with applying and analysing levels, respectively. Grading, choosing, or preferring one
method or technique over the other aligns with evaluating. Posting original material would
amount to creating. Creation can include role play or directing the peers to act like a patient or in a
particular scenario (Churches, 2008; Wedlock et al, 2017).
In the Malaysian Qualifying Framework (MQF, 2018), the intended programme learning
outcomes have been mapped to clusters.
Table I. Malaysian Qualifying Framework (MQF, 2018)
M QF Learning Bloom’s
M QF Learning Outcomes Domains
Outcome Clusters Taxonomy
Knowledge and Cognitive -

1 Knowledge
understanding LOTS
Scientific methods, critical thinking, and Cognitive-

Cognitive Skills 2
problem-solving skills HOTS
Practical Skills 3 Practical Skills Psychomotor
Social skills, and responsibility /
Interpersonal Skills 3 Communication, teamwork, and Affective
leadership skills
Communication, teamwork, and
Communication Skills 3 Affective
leadership skills
Lifelong learning and Information
Digital Skills 3 Affective
management skills
Scientific methods, critical thinking, and Cognitive-
Numeracy Skills 3
problem-solving skills HOTS
Leadership, Autonomy and Communication, teamwork, and

3 Affective
Responsibility leadership skills
Lifelong learning and Information

Personal Skills 4 Affective
management skills
Entrepreneurial Skills 4 Entrepreneurial and M anagerial skills Affective
Ethics and Professionalism 5 Ethics, professionalism, and humanities Affective
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HOTS "higher-order thinking skills" address the top three levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: analysis,
evaluation and synthesis or analysing, evaluating, and creating.
Constructive alignment between what is taught; the teaching methods and the assessment are of
paramount importance.
The programme learning outcomes stated in Table I, aim to produce a graduate who after 3-5 years
(Program educational objectives) becomes
1) A competent health care provider who delivers evidence-based services applying
knowledge and skills to treat medical conditions of the individual and the community
2) A competent health care provider with efficient and effective communication skills, who
is a good team player and a leader, effectively solving health-related issues of the
individual and community at large.
3) A competent health care provider who demonstrates entrepreneurial skills and engages
in lifelong learning and updates his skills and knowledge by direct and technology-
enhanced learning.
4) A competent health care provider who is empathetic to the patients, caregivers and
colleagues, delivering services ethically and professionally.
Table II. Course learning outcomes mapped to Teaching Learning strategies and assessment
Communication Teaching Learning

Knowledge Practical and presentation Strategies Assessment strategies
skills Skills
Cognitive Lectures Written Tests –
domain Tutorials Single Best Answers

Extended Matching Items
Modified Essay Questions*
Affective Presentation Rubrics for assessing
domain (Poster /Oral) presentation/Assignments
 Problem based
learning
Psychomoto Demonstration in Laboratory reports, reflective
r domain practical sessions portfolio,
 Hands on practical and Objective structured
sessions practical examinations
(OSPE).
For example, before the course or module, the educators need to set the lesson plan, topic
outcomes, the teaching learning delivery methods, and the assessment methods, which should be
shared with the learners early.
The learners should be made to be aware of the syllabus, the schedule, the delivery methods, and
the modes of assessment.
For instance, Factual Knowledge refers to the essential facts the learners must know to understand
a discipline or to manage a situation they would face at work.
Conceptual Knowledge is the knowledge of the classifications, the principles, relevant to a
discipline.
25
Procedural Knowledge refers to information with which learners can draft algorithms or follow
certain techniques or methodologies.
Metacognitive Knowledge is a strategic or reflective knowledge about how to go about solving
problems. (Anderson et al, 2001)
Using examples in medical microbiology relevant to medical students:
Assessment of Remembering/Knowledge
State the vaccines available to prevent polio.
Answer expected-Salk's inactivated vaccine, Sabin's live attenuated vaccine.
Assessment of Comprehension/Understanding
Differentiate the route of administration and the mechanism of action of the available polio
vaccines.
Answer expected-Salk's inactivated vaccine-Injectable, Sabin's live attenuated vaccine-Oral
Injectable vaccine produces IgM/IgG for systemic protection.
Oral polio vaccine develops local immunity with IgA production and systemic immunity.
Please note that the question at the level of understanding by default tests the basic knowledge.
Assessment of Applying/Application
Distinguish the advantages and disadvantages between using the oral polio vaccine and the
injectable polio vaccine during an outbreak of polio.
Answers can include-circulating vaccine derived polio, contraindications of using injectable
during an outbreak, local and systemic immunity, availability of trained health care workers.
Note that this level of questioning also assesses the recall and understanding levels too.
Assessment of Analysis or even Evaluation
An outbreak of polio is reported from a village in Afghanistan, where cold chain facilities are not
available. Construct a plan to prevent further spread of polio in the village.
Answers expected- Investigation of an outbreak, plus choosing/using the heat stable vaccine.
A Grab food vendor was bitten by a dog suspected to have rabies. The doctor attending to this
patient has the availability of two types of protective measures. One a vaccine that contains the
inactivated rabies virus, and the other is a serum globulin preparation that contains antibodies
against the virus.
Prioritize and explain the immunization plan.
Answers expected-
Immediate protection
The serum globulin preparation containing antibodies against the virus is best because it provides
immunity in the shortest time.
The vaccine containing the killed virus should be used together with the serum globulin because
it provides long-lived immunity. The post exposure regimen is to be followed.
Please note that all the example questions can feature at a different cognitive level other than
26
specified above. Some of the verbs might feature in and be appropriate in more than one cognitive
level. The vignette and the task to be performed determines the actual level of difficulty.
Synthesis/Creation could involve developing guidelines with the rational explained on pre-
exposure and post exposure vaccine prophylaxis. To align with the digital Bloom, the students
could create a video or a vlog on the same. Addressing the issues of threshold phenomenon and
the zone of proximal development it would be prudent to factor the synthesis level assessments
towards the later years of the course, especially if it is a spiral curriculum.
Educators should take on the role of mentors to motivate the learners and guide them with
sufficient amount of critical reasoning in every discipline, with the levels of competence
increasing as the learner progresses through his studies.
¼ from our own intellect (self-directed learning)
Most of the curricula take into consideration student learning time. An appropriate time is
factored in the schedule for the student to do justice to his own learning. During the problem-
based learning sessions (to be addressed again under peer assisted learning), the students prepare
their learning needs and present the same in the subsequent session.
The material or resources for their classes (lectures etc) could be provided in advance to make the
students deep learners. The students would have time to do their own exploration and come ready
for the session. This would benefit a deeper understanding even if the session is not a flipped
session.
Students would benefit from the pre- and post-session quizzes which now can be done online on
learning management systems. This would constitute directed self-learning. The organisation of
knowledge based on prior information and periodic reinforcement in the systems should help the
students retain the principles of the basic information (van Kestern, Krabbendam & Meeter,
2018).
For the MBBS program, the clinical year lecturers usually give feedback that most students are
not able to relate to laboratory investigations during case discussions during the clerkship phase.
The students learn to list the investigations required to identify, screen, or diagnose an organism.
However, the students are unable to draft an algorithm to identify an organism from urethral
discharge.
There is a gap between the academic questioning of 'State the lab diagnosis of Candida albicans'
to a question with a clinical vignette. The better approach would be to ask the students to discuss
the differential diagnosis and the algorithm of a 'Case of a 35-year-old lady presenting urethral
discharge'. The syndromic approach. The objective focuses on ensuring that the teaching
learning and assessment reflect real-life learning. These students might have gone through
practical sessions as a routine academic exercise. They do not apply the clinical significance of it
probably because they do not relate to the practical as a significant exercise in the clinical setting.
It would greatly help if the learners were informed and briefed about the clinical significance and
asked to explore certain clinical scenarios independently.
The ability of the learner to apply the skills acquired to a new situation could be assessed.
For instance, a student who has processed a respiratory sample with Gram-positive cocci should
27
be able to apply the same when dealing with a CSF sample with Gram-positive cocci. In addition,
pre-session tests before the CSF sample exercise can serve to direct the student to revise the
respiratory sample or Gram-positive cocci.
Inclusion of case-based discussions simulating a real case scenario of how clinical samples are
processed in the hospital laboratory is expected to enhance the skills training. Questions in the
OSPE could be set to 'for learning' and 'as learning' and not just 'of learning (Wiliam, 2011)
Similarly, questions in theory such as list ANY THREE tests to confirm the diagnosis of an
infectious disease, begets broad answers like molecular biology, serology, and ELISA. In this
case the assessment would not be able to distinguish between a student who understands the
concept or one who just lists the tests with superficial knowledge.
To ask the order of the steps (algorithm) taken to do the tests for identifying/confirming the
organism causing the infection, rather than asking for any 3 tests would encourage deeper
learning and the assessment would be more authentic and closer to real-life situations.
Short study modules where the students research on a topic of their interest and cite the references
is a good mode to encourage and guide self-directed learning.
¼ from our peers (peer assisted learning)
Group assignments, Problem-based learning sessions, and Peer Assisted Learning strategies are
some methods for peer-assisted collaborative learning. Apart from the cognitive learning it maps
other desired traits such as teamwork, leadership, digital skills and communication skills.
Following up on the examples used earlier, we can look at group assignments requiring students
to link between immunology and microbiology. This also develops collaborative learning skills
and the responsibility of sharing information and workload.
a. Define Pyrexia of Uncertain Origin (PUO). List 5 common causes of PUO applicable to
Malaysia. Describe the laboratory diagnosis of PUO. (Include screening and
confirmatory tests. Stress on the immunological tools used and draft a diagnostic
algorithm based on the 5 causes of PUO listed.)
b. Define primary and secondary immunodeficiency. Explain the term 'AIDS defining
illnesses. List 10 opportunistic pathogens that can affect an AIDS patient. Draft a
diagnostic algorithm according to the 10 opportunistic pathogens listed.
The initial response to these assignments linking across topics is that of excitement and curiosity
(Dyche & Epstein, 2011). The topics were issued to the students at the beginning of the course,
and they were asked to submit the assignment after the teaching learning sessions of the topics
concerned are over. This has led to an increased awareness among the students and their ability to
manage information seems to have improved. A change of behaviour has been observed moving
from total dependence on the teacher to self-regulated learning. With the real-life incidences
being demonstrated as learning tools, with the collaborative learning with peers, simulated and or
real patients, retention of information and communication skills of the students improve (Al-
Wahaibi & Almahrezi, 2009). It has been evidently proved that students retain and can retrieve
information better after a team activity (Gregory et al, 2013).
Collaborative learning, Self-directed learning, Critical thinking, Communication skills, seeking
28
appropriate resources are some of the advantages of PBL and the learners would benefit this best
if they are briefed and oriented about these advantages (Azer, 2004). The collaborative learning,
and the socioeconomic or ethical issues involved should be assessed to make the students aware
that all these can be the opportunities PBL provides (Azer, 2004; Rajesh et al, 2017).
PBL can be the bridge between modules and organ systems. It can be used for intra and inter-
system integration. For example, a case of jaundice can link between haematology and
gastrointestinal systems, involving anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology,
pathology, paediatrics medicine and surgery. The students should be aware of the spiralling
nature of the curriculum and how to think and link information (Rajesh & Sengodan, 2017). The
threshold concept framework applies here with the learner getting the 'aha' or the 'eureka'
phenomenon when they realise the purpose of PBL or any other collaborative learning method.
According to the threshold concept the learner experiences an epistemological and ontological
transformation when they grasp a certain principle. (Howden, 2018). Another factor that needs to
be impressed upon on the learners (and the facilitators) is that the stating the final diagnosis of the
PBL case is not the desired outcome, it is the process of learning (learning based on the problem
and problem solving) that is desired (Kwan, 2016). For instance, diagnosing the PBL case as
malaria or filaria or leukaemia is not the objective, but the approach to diagnosing a case of fever
with rigor, going about the history, investigations, including discussing at length about peripheral
blood smears and discussing the differential diagnosis.
Peer Assisted Learning strategies (PALS), where the learners and their peers are partners in their
learning encourages more active discussion as the dependence on the facilitator is minimal in
PALS (Rajesh, Sengodan & Sabesan, 2021).
¼ only with time (continuous lifelong learning)
Reflecting on these learning experiences, be it instructive approach, constructivism by active
learning methods leads to continuous quality improvement and lifelong learning. (Kolb, 1984).
Reflection on the experiences of themselves and their peers will help the learners handle similar
situations better when they come across the same issues the next time. This will help
collaborative learning too (Ku and Chang, 2010). Aronson, (2011) in his article 'Twelve tips for
teaching reflection at all levels of medical education', states that if medical educators are aware of
the conceptual frameworks of reflection it will favour experiential, reflective and life-long
learning skills positively.
Learners can be encouraged to write their reflection periodically. As assessment drives any
curricular process marks could be allotted for reflective portfolio and a rubric for assessment
derived.
The following rubric is based on Gibb's reflective cycle steps:
Grade E- (1 mark) for submission on time with the minimum number of reflections.
Grade D-(2 mark) Describing a learning session. (Lecture, Practical, Seminar, PBL, Tutorial,
assessment). Grade C-(3 marks). Describing a learning session and highlighting its importance in
the learner's relevant industry Grade B-(4 marks). Comparing between two learning experiences
(good vs not so good) and explaining how each affected the student's learning Grade A-(5 marks).
The above plus and or how the student will react to similar sessions in the future to improve the
29
good experiences and to counter the not so good. (How the experience taught the student to be a
better learner).
According to Sanders, 2009, “Reflection is a metacognitive process that creates greater
understanding of self and situations to inform future action”.
By reflecting on learning experiences, the learners discover their most preferred methods like
making short notes, realising the benefits of collaborative learning, using the principles and of
concepts known previously to new situations and so on. Applying the digital Blooms to the
reflective portfolio can progressively help an evolving learning to mark the milestones especially
in a spiralling curriculum. Beckers, Dolmans & Merriënboer, (2016) in their systematic review
state that e-portfolios enhance self- directed learning.
Preparation for seminars, symposia, quizzes, debates, and collecting CME points are lifelong
learning tools of cardinal importance.
Table III. Closing the loop
Learning Outcomes Domains Assessment

Knowledge and
Knowledge Multiple choice questions
understanding
Single best answers
Scientific methods, critical
Cognitive Skills Modified essay
thinking, and problem-solving skills
Viva
Practical Skills Practical Skills Practical and Clinical examination

Social skills, and responsibility /
Interpersonal Skills Communication, teamwork, and Reflective Portfolio/PBL/Presentations
leadership skills
Communication, teamwork, and
Communication Skills Presentations/Hackathons/PBL
leadership skills
Lifelong learning and Information Continuous Medical Education /Special
Digital Skills
management skills Study Modules/PBL
Scientific methods, critical PBL/Problem solving exercises/Special
Numeracy Skills
thinking, and problem-solving skills study modules
Leadership, Autonomy and Communication, teamwork, and
Organising events/Reflective Portfolio
Responsibility leadership skills
Lifelong learning and Information Continuous medical education/Reflective

Personal Skills
management skills Portfolio/PBL
Event management
Entrepreneurial and Managerial
Entrepreneurial Skills (Medical Camps/Co-Curricular Activities,
skills
CSR, and fund raising)
Ethics, professionalism, and
Ethics and Professionalism Work based assessment
humanities
Once the learner attains the threshold concept, they could be encouraged to reflect and then share
their experience with their peers to enhance the zone of proximal development. Sharing his
expertise is again an active method which helps retain and enhance knowledge and skills.
30
Dreyfuss (1988), has a model where in the learner progresses from a novice to expert. Novice-
Advanced Beginner-Competent-Proficient-Expert. This could be closely aligned with the
threshold theory and the zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal development
(ZPD) stages traditionally proceed from expert- to self-assistance and later from internalization,
as concepts are automatized.
To quote from His Royal Highness, the legendary (Dr) Prince of Mahidol of Songkla, Thailand.
“True success is not in the learning, but in its application to the benefit of mankind”.
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32
Teaching and Learning
in Hybrid Mode
Benefits and challenges of online class during

Covid-19: A Critical Review
Abdullah
Research Scholar
School of Education, Pondicherry University
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered and disturbed the educational
system; schools and universities have shut down their campuses, and many have
switched to online learning. The pandemic highlights how different people have
access to the tools they need to succeed as online learners or instructors who are
suddenly expected to offer lessons remotely. Before the epidemic, online classes
were connected with several advantages and disadvantages, and the pandemic may
have introduced additional advantages and disadvantages. This article explored the
attitudes of students regarding online classes throughout the epidemic. Students
perceived benefits included developing a digital learning community, enhancing
students' digital learning abilities, and maintaining contact throughout difficult
times. Students fighting the rapid switch to online education presented difficulties
with adaption, time management, social media distraction, and technological
barriers. The student believes the post-pandemic period required a blended mode that
integratesface-to-face and online classrooms.
Keywords: Online learning, students' perceptions, Covid-19 impact on student's
blended-learning.
Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward the use of online education in higher
education as a means of preventing the transmission of the virus by cutting down on human
contact.Institutions worldwide now exclusively use online platforms for instruction and
evaluation to stop the virus from spreading and guarantee the continuation of teaching and
learning . Online learning offers increased access to online knowledge, the capacity to teach and
study remotely, a broad audience, cost-effectiveness, tools to assess learning outcomes, and
student-teacher cooperation. The study on professors' techniques and practices for effective
teaching and proper evaluation utilising online learning platforms, notably the pros and cons of
the different methodologies, has significant gaps.
Different tactics are needed for online learning platforms than for conventional face-to-face
training regarding teaching and assessment facilitation. Learning utilising an online studying
environment takes more effort than in a regular classroom. Online educators need diverse skill
sets to flourish in the current online learning environment . To provide the efficient teaching and
learning that the modern environment demands, professors must create and enhance their online
teaching tactics and approaches. What are the advantages and difficulties of the tactics used by
university lecturers to support efficient teaching and evaluation during Covid-19? School closure
is a critical problem that has to be addressed. Once you have an understanding of the advantages
and disadvantages of the teaching and assessment techniques used in online learning, it will be
33
clear which teaching methods are best for online learning, which issues are pertinent to online
teaching and assessment, and what can be done to address the challenges that arise when using
online teaching and assessment in higher education.
Therefore, this research examines how professors educate and evaluate university students using
online platforms before and after the Covid-19 limitations. Finding the advantages and
difficulties of the teaching and evaluation procedures used by the lecturers is the primary goal of
this investigation of them . So, the following are the research questions to answer the purpose of
this study:
• What teaching techniques do lecturers use to support online learning when Covid-19
school constraints are in place?
· What evaluation techniques do professors use when Covid-19 school regulations are in
effect?
• How do the Covid-19 school limits affect successful teaching and assessment in the
online environment?
A Review of Related Literature
Teaching and Learning through Online Learning Platforms
Online educational tools helped sustain teaching during the Covid-19 stoppage. An online
learning platform, a desegregated collection of interactive internet technologies, may improve
education administration and delivery. Higher education institutions employ online learning
systems, which may impact instructional activities and lecturer-student interaction. Online
learning augmented face-to-face instruction before Covid-19. In recent years, online learning has
superseded classroom teaching at universities. Online education must meet teaching and
learning objectives' . Studies reveal several benefits of online learning, including synchronous
and asynchronous learning through emails, discussion forums, videos, and live sessions. Online
learning's benefits include the capacity to teach and learn remotely, engaging a varied audience,
cost-effectiveness, expanded access to online material, and tools to assess learning results. This
study assessed academics' online teaching and learning strategies.
Teaching Techniques and Online Learning Strategies
The methods a teacher employs to complete the goals of a lesson are sometimes referred to as
"teaching strategies." Known teaching methods including lectures, case studies, debates,
cooperative learning (small group), brainstorming, and active learning are used in traditional
face-to-face training. Given that the current teaching approach in higher education institutions
employs an online learning platform, it is essential to comprehend the benefits and challenges of
the teaching strategies employed by university lecturers during online teaching . According to
various authors, online learning is more effective than traditional face-to-face learning in aiding
students in absorbing and processing knowledge. It was shown that academics supported the idea
that online education may enhance the educational process, interact and communicate more
effectively, provide flexibility, and help students understand lectures.
On the other hand, it claimed that several elements, such as the absence of peers in person,
demotivated learners, and slow feedback from lecturers, had a detrimental impact on teaching on
34
online learning platforms. It made the case that these obstacles may be removed by instructors
who modify their lesson plans following the requirements of their pupils. This research aims to
determine the advantages and drawbacks of university instructors' teaching and evaluation
methods on online learning platforms.
Strategies for Online Learning Assessment
In an era of quick and frequent changes in teaching style and evaluation (from traditional to
online learning), it is essential to understand how lecturers evaluate students' knowledge,
comprehension, and application of what they have learned. Assessment should be a significant
aspect of school to indicate how well kids learn. Focus on student assessment. Lecturers evaluate
students as part of the assessment process, give helpful comments and teaching ideas, and assess
students' progress using formative and summative procedures. Conversations, examinations,
written assignments, practical assignments, problem-solving assignments, quizzes, diaries,
projects, and presentations are also used. Projects, portfolios, self-assessments, peer reviews,
peer reviews with feedback, timed exams, quizzes, and asynchronous discourse are all
acceptable for online learning systems .
Since these studies were done before Covid-19, instructors had more time to prepare for online
tests. Given the fast transition to online learning alone, it is still vital to look at how lecturers
administer tests, mainly to understand the advantages and obstacles that university lecturers
encounter when delivering exams using online platforms. Knowing the pros and pitfalls of online
assessments can help them deliver an accurate and relevant evaluation.
The way education is delivered globally has altered significantly as a result of the Covid-19
pandemic. Many schools and higher education institutions now strongly emphasise online
teaching and learning. Technology-assisted instruction and learning have improved education
and had a beneficial effect on the educational process. Even before the Covid-19 outbreak, some
studies discovered that teaching online was advantageous. One advantage of online education is
that it allows teachers to create a variety of submission tactics and offers different forums for the
instructor to clear up any ambiguities in a forum where all students may contribute . In the
research on online learning, promoting student-centred learning was another essential benefit of
online teaching and learning. Learning is proven far more effective when kids take the initiative
and are engaged in the process.
In a conventional lecture hall, the teacher's job was to lecture the students, who sat in orderly rows
of desks, paying close attention and taking notes. As students became increasingly involved in
the learning process via conversations and presentations, this job shifted over time to become a
facilitator. Many professors and students were confused by the abrupt transition from in-person
to online instruction.
Computer technology skills are among the numerous difficulties professors have while teaching
online. Less than half of professors have had formal training in information and computer skills,
much alone online instruction. Lack of knowledge and computer proficiency are significant
issues that might make online instruction more difficult. In addition to technological difficulties,
online education calls for creating and using more inclusive methodologies that consider various
learning styles. Professors must use several techniques to keep students engaged and informed
while teaching online.
35
Professional development is required, including successful course design, instruction,

implementation, and assessment, since online teaching and learning are still relatively new ideas
to both seasoned and rookie educators. Compared to industrialised nations, developing countries
have less access to the internet, making the issue even worse. Unreliable internet connectivity,
according to research done at a university in Botswana, poses a severe obstacle to online teaching
and learning. Similar to this, the failure of specific rural communities to provide internet access
hindered the development of online teaching and learning. Studies have also shown that teaching
online requires much more time than in person.
Benefits of online teaching
As will be covered below, there are benefits to online education. According to participants, one
benefit of online teaching is the freedom to teach from the convenience of their homes or
workplaces. The following benefits are covered, along with others:
Flexibility: Participants described how online learning allowed them to teach from the
convenience of their workplaces or even their homes. Because students and professors did not
have to commute everyday, online learning was convenient. Teachers at home did most teaching,
gathering, and grading assessment tasks . They were able to work while still taking care of their
home and spending time with their loved ones.
One advantage of online instruction was that lecturers had more flexibility in scheduling their
sessions since there was no set timeline or schedule. The results of this study corroborate other
research showing that most lecturers saw time flexibility as a benefit of online instruction. Many
participants cited the possibility of recording courses as another benefit of online learning.
Students had the option to record classes so they could access them whenever it was convenient
for them. Therefore, many relied on the recorded lectures since they could not attend live classes
because the internet was unavailable.
Managing a large student body: Core modules, in particular, have a large student body. It was
simple since professors could educate them all at once using online learning. Teachers can
accommodate the most significant number of pupils at once when they use online learning. It was
more straightforward with online instruction since they could educate them all at once . Online
made it easier to handle administering and grading tasks. Teachers would continue using online
learning environments, particularly for classes with lots of students.
Participants said that teaching online enabled them to manage several pupils at once. In contrast
to a face-to-face setting, many students might be managed online using online teaching and
learning. However, this conflicts with previous data that indicated faculty found e-learning as
time-consuming and challenging to supervise students, leading to students losing interest.
Participants also felt that marking online assessment tasks was made simpler by online
instruction. Teachers discovered that the automated marking of assessment activities lowered the
time and effort required to grade assessments.
The boosted connection between professors and students: Compared to the conventional method
of instruction, the various online teaching and communication platforms, such as discussion
boards on Big Blue Button, Panop to, Zoom, and WhatsApp, increased student and lecturer
36
participation. Many students, according to lecturers, utilise WhatsApp and discussion boards to
engage in conversations rather than in-person instruction. Even timid pupils who often would not
speak out in class did so during these talks. Behind the keyboards, several students seemed to let
their guard down and join freely in debates, as is typically the case. The interaction may improve
learning outcomes and motivate pupils.
Additionally, sharing educational resources like notes and reference materials were made simple
via online platforms. Conversely, instructors said that informal evaluation was made difficult, if
not impossible, by online education. Lack of face-to-face contact made it difficult for professors
to do informal evaluations.
Learning opportunity: Many professors were given a chance to study via online instruction. They
mentioned how they had to pick up new technological knowledge they had not previously
possessed. Even though it seemed like the instructors were thrown into the fire, they learnt a lot.
They may now teach, plan, post, and grade assessment activities on an easy online platform and
simultaneously send emails to every student.
Challenges of Online Teaching
Although online teaching and learning had numerous benefits, there were also drawbacks. Here,
the professors discuss the difficulties they had with online instruction:
Lack of technology and computer literacy: According to the study's results, only a few instructors
have undergone official training in computer literacy. Most lecturers said they acquired their
computer abilities via brief training or seminars, often lasting a few days to a few weeks. The
participants said that the brief computer instruction or courses they took were enough for doing
daily chores like typing, sending emails, keeping track of grades, etc. They were not quite
prepared for the significant online teaching assignment, however . Using web-based
communication and virtual learning tools like Zoom, Moodle, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams,
WhatsApp, and others are part of online teaching and learning. Therefore, lecturers must have a
basic understanding of computers and technology to teach and interact utilising such platforms.
Loneliness: When a person is cut off from others or their community, loneliness sets in. When
face-to-face teaching and learning activities were suddenly stopped, several participants
expressed how silent and alone they felt. The campus changed from a bustling activity hub to a
quiet one. The connection and physical touch between teachers and students are eliminated in
online learning. The participants said that they felt more alone than usual at this time. The
situation was significantly worse for those who often interact with many people regularly, like
professors. Many were unprepared for the abrupt adjustment from regular social engagement to
remaining at home . Many people have had detrimental mental health effects due to the
circumstance, with much citing anxiety and despair during the Covid-19 epidemic. According to
recent research, the pressure of needing to adjust to offering online lessons during the lockdown
quickly caused stress among many instructors.
Internet access and availability are among the difficulties highlighted by the participants as
having had a detrimental impact on online instruction, particularly on the part of students. It was
encouraging to see that many professors did not have internet connection issues apart from
37
system failure difficulties. Sometimes during presentations, the system would freeze. It was
difficult to interact with the students and change PowerPoint presentation slides since the system
kept stalling.
Many teachers and students may have encountered system difficulties due to many users.
Participants acknowledged that the online platform sometimes went out entirely for the whole
day.The low number of students who signed in for live classes presents another difficulty for
lecturers teaching online. When the teacher logged in for a lesson, she sometimes found only a
few pupils present .Why some students skipped live courses is unclear. Given the financial
situation of many students, accessibility and connection to the internet may be one of the causes.
The University has attempted to supply internet-enabled devices for students, but there is a
chance that the data will not be enough for them to attend all their live sessions.
Conclusion
We might infer that the covid epidemic has transformed how education is delivered globally and
that we may never fully return to conventional teaching and learning methods . To guarantee that
teaching and learning continue, online instruction has become essential. Online instruction and
learning have benefits and drawbacks, as was already mentioned. This research showed that
despite its difficulties, educators see online instruction as advantageous and a chance to improve
their use of technology in the classroom. Thus, educational institutions must expand on the
highlighted benefits to promote online teaching and learning. Enhancing technology
infrastructure and offering assistance to instructors and students may enhance online learning .
To assist them in overcoming the difficulties they face while teaching online, lecturers require
training in using online teaching and learning resources. Additionally, instructors require mental
assistance to lessen their emotions of loneliness and isolation throughout the epidemic.
Recommendations for further research
The following are some knowledge gaps concerning the advantages and difficulties of online
teaching and learning that follow from the study's results and might be helped by more research:
1. The impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on teachers and students' mental health; 2. Techniques to
improve online instruction and learning; and 3. From a student's point of view, the advantages
and difficulties of online instruction.
References
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39
Informal Online Learning among Gond Tribal Women
Ananya Acherjee1, Kasi Eswarappa2 & R. Hariharan3

1
Research Scholar,
Department of Education, IGNTU, Email:ananyaacherjee@gmail.com
2
Assistant Professor
Department of Tribal Studies, IGNTU, Email:kasie030873@gmail.com
3
Assistant Professor
Department of Education, IGNTU, Email:dhari.haran@gmail.com
Abstract
Tribal women are under-privileged in different sectors, such as social, economic, and
political sectors. In recent times, technology has attained a major role in our daily life,
but before the covid-19 outbreak, we were not properly aware about the use of
technology in academia, and after the breakoutwe have been forced into it. However,
tribal women who are in poor economic condition, are alsoengaged in daily
hardwork; and this prevents them engaging in traditional learning activities. With the
proliferation of smartphones, most of them possess these, they generally use them for
essential phone-calls only. However, it is through these devices that they can most
conveniently engage in informal learning through technology. Since they generally
have little need for formal certification and degrees, it is rather convenient that they
can avail themselves of informal education. Instead of becoming mired in the
corruption and complications of institutional education – vocational as well as
avocational – the freedom and control which informal technological learning offers
can be highly beneficial to them.
Furthermore, because informal technological learning is a from-home system, it can
benefit the children of the house who are traditionally left in the care of women in
tribal communities. Compared to the accessibility and convenience of informal
technological learning, traditional institutional learning offers various hindrances to
tribal women. There are numerous gender biases and superstitions which prevent the
communities from reacting favorably to the latter. There is also a distinct lack of
financial infrastructure which allows women to access education without
jeopardizing their livelihoods. Due to the asynchronic, episodic, and voluntary
nature of informal technological learning, tribal women are able to take control of
their academic decisions instead of being subservient to circumstances and an
androgenic society's whims.
In addition to education, technological resources often offer access to online
entrepreneurship, of which the tribal women can take advantage and improve their
economic conditions. Within the field of traditional rural occupations, there are
several technological resources which offer assistance and information. Radio
programmes about 'krishi' and such, various DIY projects regarding cultivation of
profitable crops, guidance on cutting down labor and cost of farming, are also
available to those who are techno-literate.
Keywords : Online Learning, Gond Tribal Women, Informal Learning.
40
Introduction
Tribal women belong to measurable conditions, and their lives are segregated from the social
mainstream. They cannot afford formal education due to poverty and lack of economic stability.
A significant number of them are unable to procure as much as three meals a day; nor can they
avail themselves of ration cards due to ignorance and lack of awareness.A majority of the tribes
are in a state of under-nutrition (“Undernutrition among Dhimals of Naxalbari, West Bengal,
Comparison with Other Tribes of Eastern India”,2007). Hence the question arises, as to how the
condition of tribal women can be elevated to the standards which our culture claims to have
attributed to women since the Ancient Era – one of prosperity and power.
In a patrilineal society, women are saddled with the responsibilities of entire households at a very
early age, due to their marital traditions. Up to that stage, literacy is rarely found within their
numbers, and even where it does exist, the levels of their literacy seldom progress beyond
primary education. They are not economically sound, and even their reservation benefits exist at
merely agrass-root level – since reservation in employment and higher education may only be
availed after they have completed their primary education to a sufficient degree. As such, they are
almost entirely devoid of socio-economic presence in the national mainstream. They have no
decision making power, and are routinely subjected to familial violence. Financially, they are
dependent both on their husbands' income as well as agricultural and labor work. This
furthermore reduces their time of engagement with, and exposure to, education.
In the situation discussed above, wherein tribal women are confined in a vicious loop of poverty
and illiteracy, there are few opportunities for them to experience progress in an impactful manner.
Their economy is unsustainable and reliant to an unfortunate degree on the seasonally changing
agricultural circumstances. Years such as the present 2022 – where La-Nina has severely
impacted agriculture in India – are years when they face inordinate amounts of hardship and
inconvenience. Without technological know-how and access, in the absence of pesticides,
convenient financial support, sufficient irrigation, they suffer huge losses in agriculture. Even
when occupied as laborers, they are exploited and underpaid, as well as have no means of job-
security. Their physical, mental, and familial wellbeing suffers as a result. As a last recourse,
tribal women have in recent days invested their time and effort in handicraft, making sanitary
napkins, papad, pickles, candles, ceremonial and festive masks and decorations, and similar
articles. Even in these fields such as, techno-literacy can help broaden their horizon and offer
greater opportunities.
Before the covid-19 pandemic, when tribal women were primarily employed in fields of
agriculture, household help, labor, and handicraft production, their remuneration suffered from
wage-gap. Regrettable as it was, it still enabled them to earn a living in collaboration with their
husbands and other male family members. However, since and during the pandemic, a significant
number of tribal men were forced to emigrate in search of work, or leave their present
employment and move elsewhere during the lockdown phases. A large section of those who were
affected by covid-19 and its aftermath belonged to the younger, working generation, thus further
affecting their financial conditions.
41
Traditional professions among tribal women, such as harvesting honey, timber, fish, and other
resources from forested regions have faced several restrictions in recent days, and even before
said restrictions were levied, there was a significant element of life-risk associated with these
professions. In circumstances such as these, tribal women can surely benefit from exposure to
technological learning regardless of the source of said learning.
Review of Literature:
Kelly, M. D. Pomerantz, S. & Currie, H. D. (2006) discussed in their work “No Boundaries”?
Girl's Interactive, Online Learning about Femininities', that in Canada, 93% of the
populationowns computers, and 88% of them have access to internet. Within this
population,girls were involved in e-mail, IM, and computing assignments but boys were
involved in games, using internet for news, weather, sports etc.These activities in turnsupposedly
reveal boys' masculine character.In the present Indian society technologically educated women
are privileged in technological sectorscompared to men. On the other hand girls typically set
different profile picturesand investigate who can view them. Sometimes they use the internet to
form different personalities, while boys on the other hand use it to expand their social circles.
Joerans, L. J. &Leinhardt, G. (2006) explained in 'Going the Distance with Online Education'
how online learning has spread in academic sector. Institutions like Harvard are offering online
courses through which children get education in a much shorter time. Open course wares, open
learning initiatives, video lectures, projectsand similar initiatives are more easily made
applicable online. Through the internet one can connect to the outer world, experiencing a goal-
oriented approach to education such as asynchronous lectures, virtual labs, online simulation,
and similar educational pipelines. In Harvard, and Boston – among others –students receive
liberal education.Because they get minimum study time, Indian women can benefit greatly from
programmes such as these.
Davidson, N. C. (2012) discussing about 'Our Digital Age: Implications for Learning and its
Institutions', states that collaborative knowledge is important. In Africa, people use cell phones
rather than computers, because they can easily search through their phones compared to
computers. Social gaming environments often prove beneficial to them because through the
social interactions therein people can learn skills such as English communication. Compared to
the tedium of formal lectures, these sessions offer more productive, interactive learning
environments.
Jin, Bora. Kim, J. &Baumgar, M. L. (2019) discussed in 'Informal Learning of Older Adults in
Using Mobile Devices: A Review of the Literature', howolder peoples search their health-related
issues, spiritual motivation, and self-motivation on mobile devices. Older people engage in
shopping, Facebook, online banking, checking financial accounts, bible study, etc. as expansions
of social learning. Cognitive, psychomotor, and social learning may be beneficial for them to this
end.
Belanger, M. (2008) explained in 'Online Collaborative Learning for Labor Education',the mixed
methods, and case study methodology, used in pursuit of online learning. Laborersare offered
modular, collaborative reading, general discussion, technical workshops, and therefore are
introduced to convergent thinking and, group learning. Therein they attempt question-answer
sessions and get feedback.
42
Rasi, P., Vuojarvi, H. &Rivinin, S. (2021) discussed on 'Promoting Media Literacy amongOlder
People: A Systematic Review', people using media, software, web browsers, search engines,
operating systems and such. E-health literacy and pedagogical aspect are also reflected here –
which assist peer-to-peer collaboration tasks. It also reduces technological anxiety; online
searching may help develop computer skills, increase ICT-literacy –which enhances quality of
life, happiness, self-esteem, and optimizes lives.
Gangadharan, P. S. (2017) explained in 'The Downside of Digital Inclusion: Expectation and
Experiences of Privacy and Surveillance among Marginal Internet Users',mixed method
research, participant observation, participatory actions which are followed therein, and how
structured interview is conducted. According to him, marginal usersconsider technology as a
means toseek employment, children's education, and socialize with friends. But they instead
become entrapped by the digital world. They are afraid of the commercial world because they are
a low income group. Predatory advertisements, spams, scams, and phishing incidents make it
even more dangerous to newcomers. Women are primarilytargeted in online environments,
which causes them to feel a sense of insecurity in these situations. In portals such
as“hotjobs.com” or “monestar.com”, they search for employment opportunities,but are often
made to pay for the privilege of having their resumes uploaded by third-party brokers.
Literat, I. (2021) discussed in “Teachers Act like We're Robot” TikTok as a Window Into Youth
experiences of Online Learning During covid-19”, how it is problematic for language students to
use platforms such as Duolingo due to a language barrier. There is a risk of the workload over
online platforms becoming overwhelming, due to the disconnect between the instructors and the
student. Children suffering from ADHD have especially suffered during the pandemic; similarly,
there are several instances of students cheating during online examinations, as well as students
who are not from the larger cities suffering both in their studies and examinations due to power
failures and faulty as well as expensive internet connections due to an infrastructure which is not
yet ready for consistent online education.
Objectives:
i) To study how online informal learning encroaches upon students' daily life
ii) To study the constraints of online learning
Methodology:
Population: Tribal women in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh.
Sample: Tribal women, especially the Gond community from Lalpur village, Madhya Pradesh.
Sampling technique: Purposive sampling has been used here. Purposive sampling means that it
has certain purpose and criteria – such as that the women are from tribal sections and also from
the Gond tribes. Furthermore, the women have been primarily selected with the requirement of a
minimum level of knowledge regarding cell phone technology and usage.
Research type: Focus group discussions may follow in order to receive the opinion of those
interviewed. Case study may also follow, in order to discern detailed description of their use in
technology.
43
Discussion:
The twenty-first century is an age of information technology, especially since the Covid-19
pandemic. Several people have lost their employment, due to lack of proper categorization of
certain service sectors and the protocols in relation to them. Several institutions had to be closed
either temporarily or permanently, and even when the institutions remained in function, several
workers became unemployed due to loss in revenue.
Migrated laborers, because they lost their employment, were compelled to return home and
search for new means of income. Women are engaged in agriculture – though it is subsistence
agriculture – and they are often self-employed, but there are restrictions such as transportation,
market, storage, which limit their opportunities. They are culturally sound, yet even cultural
activities and trade related to the same were restricted during the pandemic. Economy for them
became equivalent to and reliant on employability. Informal education offers distance-education
without physical contact, however, tribal women are rarely in possession of smart phones. The
few who do, are literate to the extent that they can search online for necessary things like medical
advice. They also can use applications like WhatsApp and Facebook for recreational purpose.
But informal learning had to be introduced in their community during the pandemic out of
obligation and in an unprepared manner.
Sahaj– an organization for women's development – is for skill development, a facility offered by
the institute of aeronautical engineering. Dindigul Campus exclusively offers training for tribal
women, aimed at making them independent. (TIDE) offers technology interventions for the
disabled and elderly initiative, as well as for unemployed groups of tribal people. They offer 60
days training on bangle making, stitching of traditional handicraft, preparing decorations, and
such. Women in Varanasi are engaged in toy making, which has significant cultural and
traditional value. Mahila Shakti Kendra is another similar organization. In Koria district of
Chhattisgarh, tribal women are involved in spot billing in electricity sector, which has also
empowered them. Dashmi Pratika from Nuagaon village in Odisha promotes traditional
thinking, animal husbandry, mushroom cultivation, farming as means of empowerment. As a
veterinarian, she helps the doctors in the field, while also making leaf-plates. In Madhya Pradesh,
the Gond tribes are engaged in wooden block making, which has also given them employment,
alongside promoting traditional aesthetic values of the tribe. At Dindori in Madhya Pradesh,
Tejaswini Rural Women Employment Program, initiated by the state government's Mahila
VikasEkav Vitta Nigam in collaboration with the International Fund for agricultural
Development, has been working on Kodo, and Kutki revival since 2012, which also serves to
empower the tribal people. But during the pandemic, they could not conduct the programme and
would have benefitted from the availability of online learning mediums.
A case study was conducted among Gond tribes:
Bindu Goyel, who is from Gond community, completed her intermediate degree.She has an older
phone, but her husband has a smart phone, which allowed her to browse the contents that she
required.She is also comfortable with social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp. She works
in a central university campus, and has done a computer training provided by university. Her
daily income is Rs. 390. She also knows how to make doormats, but she has received no training
44
for the same. Trainings for such activities are crucial for tribal women and must be organized over
synchronous medium. However, her children receive online training over smartphones.
Sunita Banawal, who is another respondent, has done her studies till class eight. She is also able
to usesmartphones for day-to-day usage purposes. She is also working at a university, and is
skilled in traditional cooking of her tribe. She is able to work in parlors, but would highly benefit
from government initiated programmes which can allow them to further their skills in their
respective fields.
Another lady named Puspa is a cashier in Livelihood Business Incubation Training Centre in
IGNTU. She has completed her graduation, and she is well-versed in the use of smartphones.
During the pandemic, she faced severe problems until the government began certain initiatives
which enabled her to afford sustenance. During the lockdown, she learned to make handicrafts
online, using her smartphone.
Conclusion
In this modern era, online learning is highly important, because andragogy is possible with the
help of online education. Most of the tribal women live in extreme poverty, which means that
employment and learning simultaneously is highly important for them. On the other hand,
smartphones have encroached upon our society and made it practically impossible to exist
outside the world of technology. Through online learning, they can learn their health status,
whether or not they suffer from any diseases, the means of tackling said diseases, train for their
regular professions, and in many ways impose themselves into the greater world through
exchange of communication and information. But in a developing country, women cannot
readily afford access to technologyas much as the men due to thestigma attached to technology as
something which does not belong in most traditional societies.
References
Kelly, M. D. Pomerantz, S. & Currie, H. D. (2006). No Boundaries? Girl's Interactive, Online
Learning About Femininities. 38(1), pp.3-28. 10.1177/0044118X05283482. http://
yas.sagepub.com
Larreamendy-Joerns, J. & Leinhardt, G. (2006). 'Going the Distance with Online Education.'
Review of Educational Research. 76(4), pp. 576-605.
Davidson, N. C. & Goldberg, T. D. (2012). E-learning and Digital Media. 9(3),
www.wwwords.co.uk/ELEA
Jin, B. Kim, J. & Baumgartner, M. L. (2019). Adult Education Quarterly. 69(2), pp.120-141.
DOI: 10.1177/0714713619834729
Belanger, M. (2008). Labor Studies Journal. 33(4), pp. 412-430.10.1177/1060449X07306652
Literat, Ioana (2021). Teachers Act Like We're Robots: TikTok as a Window into Youth
Experiences of Online Learning During COVID-19. AERA Open, 7(1), pp.1–15 DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858421995537
45
Student Satisfaction on Synchronous Online Learning – A

Concept Mapping
Md MujahidAlom1 & Dr.Vijaykumar. R2

1
Ph.D. Scholar, School of Education,
Pondicherry University, Email: mujahidalommsd@gmail.com
2
Assistant Professor, School of Education,
Pondicherry University, Email: vijaykumarsoe@gmail.com
Abstract
Online learning or e-learning is the use of technology to create learning experiences.
Online Learning is of two main types, synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous
online learning focuses to community in real time. Synchronous learning is about the
learner and instructor being in the same place and same time. Satisfaction of students
in online learning is more complex and multidimensional in nature. Complex and
multidimensional includes communication, flexibility, online discussion, and
workload technology support and instructor's pedagogical knowledge. This article
includes the tools used for synchronous online classes, principles and practices of
synchronous online environment, importance of synchronous online learning,
factors of student satisfaction, student satisfaction in synchronous online learning
and limitations of synchronous online learning. The main objective is to find students
satisfaction in synchronous online learning. This study used conceptual data from
secondary sources like articles, research paper, journals newspaper, government data
etc.
Keywords: Synchronous Online Learning, Online Learning, Students Satisfaction.
1. Introduction
Online learning or e-learning or virtual learning is the use of technology to create learning
experiences. Online learning is a two main type synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous
online learning focus to communication in real time. Synchronous learning is about the learner
and instructor being in the same place and same time. It facilitates peer to peer engagement
among learners, students receive real time feedback to questions suggestions and deals. In
asynchronous learning there is no timing requirement. Asynchronous activities are
communicating via email, seeing Pre-recorded videos, posting in discussion forum,
reading articles and interacting with content in an learning management system. In synchronous
setting environment teacher presentations via videoconferencing, discussion are made through
breakout rooms or chat tools (Fabrizet.al.2021). Faculty members creatively used the chat room,
whiteboard and videos (Fatani 2020).
Satisfaction of students in online learning is more complex and multidimensional. Complex and
multidimensional includes communication, flexibility, online discussion, workload technology
support and instructor pedagogical skills. Students satisfaction with online learning refers
learner attitude and feelings and perception about how online learning is effective, efficient and
46
beneficial for both student and teacher and student's satisfaction also represents value of learning
experiences. The key indicators are academic achievement, learners instructor engagement and
interaction which are important elements of student satisfaction with a synchronous online
learning (Luna,2019). Almusharraf (2020) studied that student satisfaction with online learning
experience in COVID-19 pandemic, the study also focuses on students who are highly satisfied
with online synchronous environment through Google classroom, hangouts and learning
management system for course management and assessment.
1. Tools Used for Synchronous Online learning platforms
2. Principles and Practices in Synchronous Online Learning

Steps of implementing the online learning:
 Plan and prepare: Synchronous online learning platform that gives opportunities to
coordinate their scheduled regular and consistent time schedule.
 Budget or Funding: is order to conduct the online classes, fund will be needed to develop
the online courses.
 Design and Training: well prepared instructions are needed for the online classes and
train instructor on the system in online platform.
 Develop and test: piloting the online learning for the best outcome.
 Implementation: implementation of rules and regulation on the online learning platform.
 Evaluation: evaluate the students interactivity with peer and instructors and overall
learning outcomes.
 Dissemination: share and record all the experiences both good and bad to improve the
online learning and outcomes.
47
Practices in synchronous online learning environments:

 Attend synchronous online sessions and promote on equitable peaceful learning
environment. Articulate meaningful interactions and clear learning outcomes. Provide
space for learners and give opportunities to ask questions which promotes active
engagement with instructions and peers during Synchronous online session. Engage
most effectively in synchronous online session and consider chunking into logical
segments. To establish and communicate guidelines for synchronous online learning.
Supporting interactive appropriate communicative tools and establish rapport and
decorum.
 Managing live online content for classes- teacher generated content built live prepared
PPT, video, whiteboard, questions answers in advance. Students have also generated
content by creating live share screen, whiteboard, chat, make presenter in advance.
 Managing live online interaction teaching- start the session with tech check as a routine
and be aware of about camera on camera off as well as speaker on speaker off activities.
Plan the lesson stages carefully and consider different layouts for different lesson stages
(e.g. sharing, discussion and collaboration). Set clear rules and timing guidelines for
students and instructors to join the session, sending outside and re-join of the live
session. Live interaction sessions need to consider what resources students have with
them (e.g. course books, notepads, workbooks) and how to use them.
3. Importance of Synchronous Online Learning
Synchronous online interaction is a real time engagement in virtually from different places that
provide opportunity to consultation, to raise questions, to clarify concepts, listen to others and
receive feedback in real time. It enhances skills in expressing oneself and establish of a sense of
community. Virtually here we work and learn together to achieve the best learning outputs. It is
the moment for meaningful engagement and interaction between students and teachers. Time is
essence for online presence, commitment to learning and virtual connection. Synchronous online
presence is essential for active class participation and environment.
Students engagement increases learner satisfaction, learner motivation and improve student
performance (Martin 2018). Interactivity and sense of community is related to student
engagement learner engagement focuses on peer to peer engagement, learner to content
engagement and learners to instructor engagement in the online learning setting. Synchronous
online learning helped to interactive and significant engagement during the session (Park and
Bonk 2007). Some of points increase learner motivation and engagement that are create a
constructive and environmentally sound that helps students to be open discussion, scaffold
students discussion, provide materials for discuss and facilitate a small group based discussion.
Major benefits listed by Bonk (2007) are encouraging to exchange multiple presence, improving
bitter communication among learners and instructors, strengthening social presence,
encouraging the exchange of emotional supports and applying verbal elements and providing
immediate feedback. Bhatti (2005) found that synchronous online learning environment helped
students: develop their communication skills, be more confident in expressing their ideas, be
confident to their best work and be independent learner.
48
4. Factors of Student Satisfaction in Synchronous Online learning

Two main factors contribute to students satisfaction with online learning one is personality
characteristics and another is behavioural characteristics.
 Personality factors based on Intrinsic motivation of learners. It focuses need for
affiliation students who were higher in the need for affiliation and were less likely to
want to take other online courses and students spend a lot of time talking to others
students.
 Based on behavioural factor there three main types of online learners mastery oriented
online learners, task oriented online learners, and minimalist oriented online learners.
Mastery oriented learners focus to spend a lot of time in online classes, log in frequently
and interact with material and resources. Task oriented online learners focus on
interacting with online resources and materials. Minimalist oriented learners spend the
least time in online.
Mastery oriented and task oriented online learners more satisfied and more learn in online.
Minimalist oriented online learners more desire to work in-group. Dziuban (2015) identified
three factors that are relational evaluation oriented Engaged learning, agency balanced feature
oriented and transactional content oriented learning. Ke (2013) indicated five factors of learners
satisfaction that is learners autonomy, learners relevance, authentic learning and active
learning.Dziubanet.al. (2007) revealed six elements of students satisfaction: an straight forward
rules for the learners and instructor, instructor commitment, an interactive and attractive
environment, ambiguity, enriched learning environment and reduced contradictory attitude and
values about the synchronous online setting. Butt (2010) Studied that key factors course offered,
teacher expertise, learning environment and classroom facilities among these teacher expertise
are most influential factors of students satisfaction. Bai (2021) focuses on students' satisfaction
which is based on remote instructional setting and students engagement are key factors that affect
student learning outcomes. Another way student instructional setting based on perceived
interaction, engagement and perceived learning outcomes impact students satisfaction.
Summarizing the above mention studies the influence the learner satisfaction is students related
Variables that focus on learners skills, need and satisfaction, learning environment related
Variables focuses on interactivity in online classes and teacher related Variables are focuses on
applied teaching pedagogy and teaching practices.
5. Students Satisfaction in Synchronous Online Classes
Students satisfaction refers learners attitudes and emotions toward the learning process or the
understanding the level of fulfilment attached to one's desire to learn because of the learning
experiences. Studied that Most of the students satisfaction attitude and feelings towards the
learning when interactivity is presence that the way communication between learners and
instructors, learners with peers more engage with online tools. Maini (2021) studied students
satisfaction and engagement towards online synchronous classes during COVID-19 pandemic,
the study also found learners engagement is significantly affect students satisfaction. Thu (2021)
Studied that COVID-19 pandemic directly affected learning systems, students attitudes, values
and learning efficiency, the study also found synchronous online learning help universities to
49
improve quality learning.

Bai (2021) found that students satisfaction perceived in remote instructional setting are less
engagement in synchronous online learning. Fabriz(2021) Studied that majority of students in
synchronous online learning reported more peer-centred activities such as immediate feedback
than the asynchronous settings.Xieet.al. (2006) Studied self-motivated student's behaviour
associated with positive outcomes or quality of learning in online synchronous environment and
the study also found that learner motivation associated with participation, guidance and
feedback. Gopal (2021) stated that the course planning and design, quality of instructors, prompt
feedback and expectation of students positively affect learner's satisfaction and then students
satisfactions positively influence student performance for online courses. Darwis (2021)
indicated that student's satisfaction through learner's attitude is supported by instructional
design, quality of technological tools and learner's skills. Kim (2021) found that synchronous
online setting has a more effects on student's satisfaction and achievement than the key factor
such as student engagement, student peer communication and instructor presence. Fatani(2020)
found that majority of students highly satisfied with web based video conferencing. Alquarashi
(2019) showed that learner content interaction was the most significant predictor of students
satisfaction in synchronous online learning. Wijaya 2011) found that small group interaction in
synchronous online learning was key predictor of student's satisfaction.
6. Limitations of Synchronous Online Learning
Slow internet connectivity is the biggest drawback in online live interaction everyone is not able
to run internet. In online communication, there is no relationship of pupil teacher. In synchronous
online learning environment one of the most issues is related to lack of flexibility all the learner
presence at one online learning platform and to perform everyone in one place in real time but
some students like to learn own pace. The reliance on technology is excessive it because
synchronous classes depend on live video conferencing for that need high speed internet
connectivity but some time miss out some crucial point. Appana (2008) listed limitations of
Synchronous Online learning environment among them are: organizational preparedness, start-
up funding and learner readiness. Fadde and Vu (2014) Suggested some challenges in
synchronous online learning first materials must be properly uploaded in live video
conferencing, second webcam or microphone must be configured and tested, and third students
who are participating by audio and video should have checked and tested their audio and video.
References
Alqurashi, E. (2019). Predicting student satisfaction and perceived learning within online
learning environments. Distance Education, 40(1), 133-148.
Almusharraf, N., &Khahro, S. (2020). Students satisfaction with online learning experiences
during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in
Learning, 15(21), 246-267.
Appana, S. (2008). A review of benefits and limitations of online learning in the context of the
student, the instructor and the tenured faculty. International Journal on E-learning, 7(1),
5-22.
50
Bailey, D., Almusharraf, N., & Hatcher, R. (2021). Finding satisfaction: Intrinsic motivation
for synchronous and asynchronous communication in the online language learning
context. Education and Information Technologies, 26(3), 2563-2583.
Bai, X., Eyob, E., Ola, A., & Reese, S. (2021). Factors Affecting Students' Satisfaction with
Synchronous Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of
International Technology and Information Management, 30(3), 78-107.
Bhatti, A., El-Qawasmeh, E., &Tubaisahat, A. (2005). Using technology-mediated learning
environment to overcome social and cultural limitations in higher education. Informing
Science: International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 2, 67-76.
Butt, B. Z., & Ur Rehman, K. (2010). A study examining the students satisfaction in higher
education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 5446-5450.
Darwis, M., Arhas, S. H., &Nasrullah, M. (2021, December). Online Learning Based on the
Borneo E-Learning Application (A Study of Student Satisfaction Analysis in the Use of
the BEL Application at the Universitas Borneo Tarakan). In International Joined
Conference on Social Science (ICSS 2021) (pp. 576-581). Atlantis Press.
Dziuban, C., Moskal, P., Thompson, J., Kramer, L., DeCantis, G., & Hermsdorfer, A. (2015).
Student Satisfaction with Online Learning: Is It a Psychological Contract? Online
Learning, 19(2), n2.
Fabriz, S., Mendzheritskaya, J., & Stehle, S. (2021). Impact of synchronous and
asynchronous settings of online teaching and learning in higher education on students'
learning experience during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 4544.
Fadde, P. J., & Vu, P. (2014). Blended online learning: Benefits, challenges, and
misconceptions. Online learning: Common misconceptions, benefits and challenges,
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COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 1-8.
Gopal, R., Singh, V., & Aggarwal, A. (2021). Impact of online classes on the satisfaction and
performance of students during the pandemic period of COVID 19. Education and
Information Technologies, 26(6), 6923-6947.
Kim, S., & Kim, D. J. (2021). Structural relationship of key factors for student satisfaction
and achievement in asynchronous online learning. Sustainability, 13(12), 6734.
Liu, Q., Peng, W., Zhang, F., Hu, R., Li, Y., & Yan, W. (2016). The effectiveness of blended
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Maini, R., Sehgal, S., & Agrawal, G. (2021). Todays' digital natives: an exploratory study on
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pandemic. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology. 38(5),
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Reinholz, D. L., Stone-Johnstone, A., White, I., Sianez Jr, L. M., & Shah, N. (2020). A
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Wijaya, M. I., Suzanna, S., Utomo, D., & Adnizio, K. (2021, August). Analysing The Impact
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Synchronous Online Learning. In 2021 International Conference on Software
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52
Attitute of Swayam Courses among the University Students in Tamilnadu
Dr. R.Udhaya Mohan Babu

Assistant Professor in Education,
Modern Institute of Teacher Education,
Kohima, Nagaland - 797001.
Email: Mohanbabu@emite.co.in
Abstract
This paper examines the attitute of online courses of SWAYAM project which is
developed by MHRD, Government of India. Learners enroll in the SWAYAM to
study different courses in different subject categories. Enrolment in the different
courses shows learners' attitudes towards studying the new model of open and
distance learning. The scope of this study has been limited to a few subject fields
where courses are already completed, and to explain how this new model of open
education can bring opportunities to society. It unveils some views that people and
institutions have shared globally on the adoption and integration of e-learning
technologies in education through surveys and other observations. It looks at the
meaning or definitions of E-learning as given by different researchers and the role
that e-learning plays in higher educational institutions. There are five universities
taken for the study. The investigator established the Survey method for the present
study and administered it to the university students. The researcher had chosen the
Simple Random sampling technique for the study. 400 university students were the
sample for this study. The researcher had selected the objective questionnaire form.
The tool had 25 items. The MOOCs - SWAYAM Attitute Inventory was prepared and
developed by the investigator. The consistency and rationality of the tool were
recognized. SWAYAM is a digital stand by which any single can effortlessly record
knowledge at any time.
Keywords: SWAYAM, MOOCS, University Students additude.
1. Introduction
Under the 'Digital India' Initiative of the Government of India, one of the thrust areas is 'Massive
Online Open Courses (MOOCs)'. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of
India has embarked on a major initiative called 'Study Webs of Active Learning for Young
Aspiring Minds' (SWAYAM), to provide an integrated platform and portal for online courses,
covering all higher education, High School, and skill sector courses. SWAYAM is an indigenous
(Made in India) IT Platform for hosting the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). To
improve Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), from 20% at present to 30% by 2020 SWAYAM
promises to be a possible solution with the capacity to revolutionize the education system in
India. The journey of SWAYAM can be drawn back to 2003 with the initiation of the NPTEL, a
joint programme of IITs and IISc. This was the first major attempt at E-learning in the country
through online Web and Video courses in Engineering, Science, and humanities streams.
Significance of the Study
Education is one of the most powerful instruments to enlighten the lives of human beings. Just
53
like technical education, teacher education also plays a very important role in the enhancement of
prosperity of the society but unfortunately, it is left neglected. Though it is the Government's
responsibility due to unlimited population growth and limited means, Government finds it
difficult to fulfill the requirements of society. At the moment privatization appeals as an ideal
substitute.
The higher education scenario at present is marked by considerable transformations with
changing characteristics and circumstances of learners; new demands in terms of knowledge,
skills, and competencies; greater diversity in relationships between learners and educational
providers; and increased opportunities for interpersonal communication and access to digital
resources in the 'networked society.
Title of the Problem
“Attitute of Swayam Courses Among The University Students In Tamilnadu”.
Operational Definitions
The investigator has adopted the following definitions for the terms used in this title of the present
study.
1. SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active – Learning for Young Aspiring Minds programme)
2. University Students- a student enrolled in a college or university
General Objectives
i) To find out the level of Attitute of Swayam Courses among University Students in
Tamilnadu.
ii) To find out the difference between the attitute of swayam courses among university
students in Tamilnadu.
Null Hypotheses
1 There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among male
and female university students in Tamilnadu.
2 There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among
urban and rural university students in Tamilnadu.
3 There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the
Arts, Science, and Management university students in Tamilnadu.
Delimitation of the Study
Though every attempt has been made to make the study as objective as possible certain
limitations have crept into it.
1. The study is limited to only universities.
2. The study has been confined only to Tamilnadu.
3. The study is done only by questionnaire.
4. The sample for the study is limited to 400 Postgraduate students.
54
Method Adopted In the Present Study

The investigator used the normative survey method for collecting data. It is that method of
investigation which attempts to describe and interpret what exists at present in the form of
conditions, practices, attitudes, etc.
Tools used for the Present Study
The investigator used the tool “Attitute Scale of Swayam Course” developed by the Investigator
for the present study.
Establishing Validity
To establish content validity, the tool was submitted to experts in the field of education.
Following their suggestions and opinions, the investigator deleted some items and modified a
few. The finalized tool contains 25 items. Thus, the validity of the tool was established.
Establishing Reliability
The finalized tool was administered to 50 university students studying at Alagappa university. It
was administered to the same students after 15 days. Then both the responses were scored. The
coefficient of correlation between two sets of scores was calculated. The reliability coefficient is
found to be 0.65. Thus the reliability of the tool has been established by the test-retest method.
Population: The population for this study consisted of university students in Tamilnadu.
Sample: A small proportion of a population, selected for observation and analysis is known as a
sample. The method of sampling is based on the nature of the problem, the size of the universe,
and the availability of finance and personnel.
The sample for the present study consists of 400 university students from 6 universities selected
by a random sampling method.
Sample Analysis
Table 1. Gender-wise distribution of the sample
Gender No. of Students Percentage
Male 125 31.25
Female 275 68.75
Total 400 100
Table 1 makes it clear that the percentages of Male university students are 31.25% and that of
Female university students is 68.75%.
Table 2. Location of the students wise distribution of the sample
Location of the students No. of Students Percentage
Urban 197 49.25
Rural 203 50.75
Total 400 100
Table 2 makes it clear that the percentages of students from Urban are 49.25% and that of Rural is
50.75%.
55
Table 3. Faculty-wise distribution of the sample

Faculty No. of Students Percentage
Arts 195 48.75
Science 189 47.25
Management 16 4.0
Total 400 100
Table 3 makes it clear that the percentages of Arts university students are 48.75%, Science
university students are 47.25% and that of Management university students is 4.0%.
Differential analysis
Null hypothesis - 1
There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among male and female
university students in Tamilnadu.
Table 4. Difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the male and
female university students in Tamilnadu
Male Female
Dimension N = (125) N = (275) Calculated ‘t’ value Remarks at 5%
Mean SD Mean SD
E-tutorial 11.26 1.792 11.80 6.362 1.29 NS
E-Content 46.22 3.489 46.97 4.597 1.81 NS
Web Resources 27.26 3.569 27.12 3.207 1.37 NS
Self-Assessment 12.42 1.981 12.63 1.827 0.96 NS
(At a 5% level of significance the Table value of 't' is 1.96)
The calculated 't' Self-Assessment is less than the table value in dimensions E-tutorial (1.29), E-
Content (1.81), Web Resources (1.37), and Self-Assessment (0.96). Hence, the null hypothesis,
“There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the male and
female university students in Tamilnadu”, is accepted. Hence, there is no significant difference in
dimensions of E-tutorial, E-Content, Web Resources, and Self-Assessment with respect to Sex.
Null hypothesis - 2
There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the urban and
rural university students in tamilnadu
56
Table 5. Difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the urban
and rural university students in Tamilnadu
Urban Rural
Calculated Remarks
Dimension N = (197) N = (203)
‘t’ value at 5%
Mean SD Mean SD
E-tutorial 11.30 1.958 11.96 7.284 1.24 NS
E-Content 46.39 3.945 47.08 4.587 1.62 NS
Web Resources 27.50 3.265 26.83 3.350 2.01 S
Self-Assessment 12.30 1.857 12.81 1.865 2.73 S
(At a 5% level of significance the Table value of 't' is 1.96)
The calculated 't' Self-Assessment is less than the table value in dimensions E-tutorial (1.24) and
E-Content (1.62). Hence, the null hypothesis, “There is no significant difference between the
attitute of swayam courses among the urban and rural university students in Tamilnadu”, is
accepted.
The calculated 't' Self-Assessment is greater than the table value in dimensions Web Resources
(2.01), and Self-Assessment (2.73). Hence, There is a significant difference between the attitute
of swayam courses among the urban and rural university students in Tamilnadu.
Null hypothesis - 3
There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the arts, science,
and management university students in tamilnadu.
Table 6. Difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the arts,
science, and management university students in Tamilnadu
Source of Sum of Mean Calculated Remarks at
Dimension df
Variation Squares Square ‘F’ Value 5%
Between Groups 52.333 26.166
E-tutorial 0.906 NS
Within Groups 11460.37 28.867
E-Content 0.863 NS
(2,397)

Web Resources 0.443 NS
Self- Between Groups 7.704 3.852
1.095 NS
Assessment Within Groups 1396.734 3.518
(At a 5% level of significance the table value of 'F' is 3.03)
From the table 6 it is inferred that the calculated 'F' Self-Assessment is less than the table value in
dimensions E-tutorial (0.906), E-Content (0.863), Web Resources (0.443), Self-Assessment
(1.095) and Exploitation (0.792). Hence, the null hypothesis, “There is no significant difference
between the attitute of swayam courses among the Arts, Science, and Management university
students in Tamilnadu” is accepted.
Results & Findings
The calculated 't' Self-Assessment is less than the table value in dimensions E-tutorial (1.29), E-
Content (1.81), Web Resources (1.37), and Self-Assessment (0.96). Hence, the null hypothesis,
“There is no significant difference between the attitute of swayam courses among the male and
57
female university students in Tamilnadu”, is accepted. Hence, there is no significant difference in

dimensions of E-tutorial, E-Content, Web Resources, and Self-Assessment with respect to Sex.
The calculated 't' Self-Assessment is less than the table value in dimensions E-tutorial (1.24) and
E-Content (1.62). Hence, the null hypothesis, “There is no significant difference between the
attitute of swayam courses among the urban and rural university students in Tamilnadu”, is
accepted.
The calculated 't' Self-Assessment is greater than the table value in dimensions Web Resources
(2.01), and Self-Assessment (2.73). Hence, There is a significant difference between the attitute
of swayam courses among the urban and rural university students in Tamilnadu.
From the table [6] it is inferred that the calculated 'F' Self-Assessment is less than the table value
in dimensions E-tutorial (0.906), E-Content (0.863), Web Resources (0.443), Self-Assessment
(1.095) and Exploitation (0.792). Hence, the null hypothesis, “There is no significant difference
between the attitute of swayam courses among the Arts, Science, and Management university
students in Tamilnadu” is accepted.
Conclusion
SWAYAM is being seen as an instrument for self-regulated learning and providing opportunities
for lifelong learning. As an alternative of reinventing the wheel government has taken an suitable
step to structure the India MOOC around the existing facilities and capitals developed under the
NMEICT.
References
Ambadkar, R. S. (2020). E-Learning Through SWAYAM MOOCs-Attitute And Motivation
Among Commerce Students. International Journal of Scientific and Technology
Research, 9(2), 3529-3538.
Chauhan, J., & Goel, A. (2017). An overview of MOOC in India. International Journal of
Computer Trends and Technology, 49(2), 111-120.
Kamble, R. M., & Chavan, S. (2020). SWAYAM–a free MOOC course; its concept and
implications. Editorial Board, 9(6).
Sahoo, P. K., Sahoo, N., & Devi, U. (2019). A Study of Higher Education Students Attitute of
MOOC (SWAYAM) Programme and Usefulness of a Teacher Education Course offered
through SWAYAM.
Samanta, A. (2018). Analytical Study of SWAYAM. International Journal of Research and
Analytical Reviews, 5(3), 1374-1379.
58
Psychological and Behavioural Impact among Senior Students from Online

Mode in Raipur Region: A Case Study
Priti Kumari1 & Pragya Kolpal2

1
Assistant Professor, Education, Kalinga University, Chhattisgarh,
Email: pritikumari99@gmail.com
2
Student, Ryan International, Chhattisgarh, Email: kolpalpragya@gmail.com
Abstract
Due to Covid pandemic a new method of learning has emerged before us- Online
method. During Covid, the whole world was confined to its home. All official work
were being done online from homes. People were hesitant to meet each other.
Continuing education was emerging as a major problem. Education has always been
a source of teacher-disciple contact. Pandemic was eliminating all means of direct
communication. During this time, online mode learning emerged as a life-giving
force for education. All levels of education whether it is primary level or senior
schools or college level, education started being given through online mode. The
internet became an important medium of imparting education.
Today, when India has been completely opened in all respects, economically and
socially; education is being imparted in the same way as the system was made three
years ago. Still, it would not be wrong to say that even today the importance of online
mode of learning has not diminished. Ever since the internet became easily
accessible in India, it has been used in education. But the extent to which, if said, the
trend of online study inevitably increased during pandemic, it continues even today.
Online mode of learning has become an integral part of today's education system. It is
said that every coin has two sides. The positive aspect of online mode of is that it
made learning accessible even in extreme circumstances. Some negative aspects of
online learning have also been recognized. This study is devoted to the effect of
online mode of learning. A case study was conducted to find the impact of online
mode of learning on the psychological and behavioral attitudes of senior students.
Keywords: Online Mode Students, Psychological Impact, Behavioural Impact,
Raipur Region
1. Introduction
There are many means of acquiring knowledge. Learning is the first step to the attainment of
knowledge. Lots of learning methods are popular. Online learning is one of the most modern
methods which is prominently featured in today's technological age. Online platforms have
created a vast scope of knowledge acquisition. All the information of the world is available online
through the internet. With a single click, a wealth of knowledge opens in front of us. You can learn
whatever you want according to your interest and desire. Online mode is taking up by becoming a
powerful medium of knowledge acquisition. The complete encyclopedia, rare to rare copies and
all agent of knowledge, constantly updated, is available on online platforms.
To know the vast effect of online learning, a survey was conducted on senior students on higher
secondary school of Raipur.
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Action Plan
1. Selection of topic.
2. Collecting information.
3. Preparation of questionnaire.
4. Interviewing students.
5. Data gathering and analysis.
6. Preparation of detailed report.
Objectives
1. To know about the behaviour changes among senior students due to online learning.
2. To see the psychological impact of online mode among senior students.
3. To find out the effect of online learning on studies and exams on senior students.
Research Questions
1. What has changed in the behaviour of senior students due to online learning?
2. What is the psychological impact of online learning on senior students?
3. What is the impact of online learning on senior student's studies and examinations?
Research Methodology
Survey conducted to know the impact of online learning. Some questions of psychological and
behavioral aspects were prepared which were asked to the students through interview. The
student was selected through random sampling.
Results and Discussions
Behavioral Characteristics
Emotional- 80% of the students commit that in recent years they have turned emotional. That
means they have started getting strong feelings and have started getting affected by it.
Self-love- 100% of students perform it which clearly says that till today kids lack appreciating for
themselves and taking care of their own needs rather than sacrificing it for other's well-being.
Curious- 20% of the students' state they have developed the desire to investigate or learn
something doesn't matter in which field.
Open-minded- 40% turned as open-minded people which means they are ready to consider all
new ideas and opinions with no boundaries or limitations in it.
Optimistic- 90% of students comment on having an optimistic nature or say have tended in
having a positive approach and attitude toward outcomes and desires.
Confident- 10% of aspirants had built trust in themselves over the past years for their desired goal
and success they have received hope and certainty in life.
Adventurous- 30% call themselves adventurous which means they are excited to try out new
methods, feel new experiences and look for new ideas.
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Fig 1. Behavioral Characteristics
Psychological Characteristics
Ambivert- 10% of students are balanced and flexible in various situations, often knowing when to
listen and when to speak. They exhibit both qualities of introvert and extrovert.
Introvert- The majority of 80% of students feel more comfortable with themselves and focusing on
their own inner ideas and thoughts rather than looking at and judging the external world.
Confused- 10% of aspirants are confused, not knowing, or unsure about their future or career.
Many types of thoughts and suggestions tend to be the reason for a student to get confused.
Short-tempered- 70% state to have a short-tempered nature which means they get angry easily
without a good reason. For a student having such a nature may be due to family issues, career
stress, or low resisting power in oneself.
Overthinker- 90% of students practice the act of thinking too far over a topic or situation and
wasting their maximum time and attention which could be used elsewhere. At this age making a
pathway for a good future and accomplishing their goals are the most probable reason for
overthinking.
Procrastination- Out of a total 30% of students who procrastinate say they put off their tasks
unnecessarily until the last minute or till the deadline. They knowing end up having negative
consequences.
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Fig 2. Psychological Characteristics
Online learning experience

Technical issues- 100% of students faces technical issues during online classes. This may be due
to poor network connections or glitches, or problems with electronic devices.
Unfair exam-Around 90% of students go against online exams since they lacked honesty and
resulted in an unfair practice. This gave a negative impact since the potential of a student was
faked.
Lack of concentration- 90% commits that during that phase it was easy to get deviated from
studies since there was no hold and restrictions of teacher in class. Various ways of distractions
resulted in a lack of concentration in students.
Monotonous- 90% say studies went monotonous which means in a one-way or unvarying method
of learning. And eventually, this never changing process turned out to be boring. There was no
excitement during the class, no interaction in person, either by teacher or classmates. They had
lost interest in studies as it was nowhere same as offline class.
Exhaustion- 90% complain that too much screen time exhausted the students completely which
wasted their rest working hours too in reviving themselves.
Health issues- Not just academically but 100% students say they also faced health issues like eye
problems which again has a probable reason for the long duration of screen time. Eye strain and
headache were some common issues faced.
Communication gap- An interaction between students and teachers, between a student and
student, is an important process while learning. This does not result in a lack of concentration and
gives a better understanding of the subject. And 80% of students complain that lack of
62
communication and interaction was a major loss in online learning.

Unclear concept- 90% of students sum upped that due to lack of concentration and interaction
with teachers ended up several doubts which could not get clear and resulted in many unclear
concepts.
Enjoyable- Only 10% says the online learning experience was fun for them. They loved living the
new lifestyle and methods. Online classes saved a lot of time of their such as traveling duration
and gave them a comfortable study environment.
Fig 3. Online learning experience

Distraction
Own fearful thoughts-70% of students get distracted by their own fearful thoughts themselves. It
may be of not clearing competitive exams, what if they could not stand up to their family
expectations or what if he lacks behind everyone and had to face a dark future. So basically, at this
phase of life exams, career, and future are the fearful topic for such aspirants.
Affected by other opinions- 20% of students say that they get affected by society, friends, and
their family's views and opinions. They get easily influenced by others' thoughts and end up
overthinking them.
Social media- 90% of students accept that social media is a major distraction in their life. The
endless scrolling and addiction to it have adversely affected their studies. Some students add that
they were attached to social media but have now overcome the problem but the percentage of
such is very low.
Career stress- 100% of students face career stress. Living a settled life and securing a happy
future is what everyone wishes for. And this is the phase when we take the initial step toward a
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secured future but with it, we receive a lot of negative thoughts and views which results in
demoralizing a student and thus giving them career stress.
Daydreaming- 80% of students perform daydreaming which means they spend their maximum
of waking time imaging or thinking about something. Students say that daydreaming often
interrupts them and does not let them focus on their tasks.
Fig 4. Distraction
Family environment
Supportive- All of students have a supportive family which means they are supported by their
family members in their decisions, opinions, and also if they are in a difficult situation. And
someone said family support strengthens an individual.
Studious- All of students have a studious family environment which means they have either
parents or siblings who are well scholars which challenges them to be the same as them.
Encouraging- All of aspirants' comment on having a family who encourages them or gives them
hope for success and growth which every student seeks for. This helps a student not be
demoralized and stay confident during the overall phase of preparation.
Understanding- 30% of students have an understanding family environment around them which
means they are comfortable sharing their views and thoughts with their family.
Expectation- 40% of students' family members have an expecting nature from their child.
Expectations of excelling in the exam and later fulfilling their family needs and wishes
somewhere or other pressurize on the student.
Express feelings- A very few like 10% of students said that they express their feeling to their
64
family which is really a low count. Maximum students do not feel comfortable sharing all their
personal views with their families.
Own decision-making- Half of students say they take the help of their family members in making
a decision and on the other hand rest are their own decision makers. These few percent of students
feel that they are not so mature and old enough to take their own decision so rely on their parents.
Whereas some also say that decisions are taken mutually together by them and their parents.
Fig 5. Family environment

Conclusion
This research was conducted on students of the senior secondary age group. It deals with many
different ways to perspectives of life came up. Everyone had different ways to define themselves
and different styles to tackle their future. Around half-percentage of students said that they do feel
a change in themselves with betterment. They look up to their family's well-being and desire to
work hard for them. Some others also work for their better future or happiness. But all over,
achieving their goals is the only task they see ahead in their life.
90% students admitted that they were affected by distraction problems. Doesn't matter how good
behavior or attitude you own, distraction ruins everything and especially the aim towards study.
Everyone wishes to recover from this distraction and initially they do, but the past time wasted
with it becomes a big loss that everyone regrets. More than social media or games distraction,
everyone blames their overthinking to be the reason for it. Thoughts about future, career, clearing
of exams, family's reaction, hopes, comments, etc. Thousands of thoughts to think and to waste the
maximum time.
Only 10% student says they are comfortable expressing his thoughts to his family. Sharing your
emotions and thoughts is very important. Because not just they make you feel lighter but will also
make are closed one own our condition we are going through and could work on it accordingly.
But in this age group kids very well know how to hide their emotions. Either it may be sorrow,
happiness, anger, or frustration. Most of them said they have stopped getting angry and the ones
who think they get frustrated easily want to fix this habit.
65
Talking about the family environment, everyone said their parents were very supportive.
Sometimes they might get invasive in the study but that's genuine as parents. As a result, the
majority of students just work hard to get success just for the sake to return the faith and trust they
have put in them. This turns into pressure for them and eventually becomes the reason for
overthinking.
50% students say that they are their own decision-makers and could take an elder's help in
difficult times whereas the other 50% are more comfortable if a trusted one takes a decision for
them or they take them mutually together.
During the pandemic, schools shifted to homes of every student which stood up as a new
experience for teachers and students both. Only 10% student says that online learning was fun
whereas the majority define it to be a loss for them. Lack of concentration and discipline in
studies, screen-timing, lack of interaction with teachers, and many more.
Everyone had many different experiences related to their exams. Such as some who do not bear
the pressure of exams or maybe of not doing exams well. But all this teaches them a lesson for the
future and gives them the understanding and strength to face them again.
Lastly, everyone faces a different problem in their life and will to fix them perfectly but for the
same desire, that is, success in their goals. Every student speaks about the same expectation in
there with life clearing out the exam they are preparing for and gaining an impression of success
not just on themselves but for their family too.
Educational Implications
We have found more disadvantages than advantages in online learning.
Classes and normal class exams should be conducted in offline mode as before.
There is not much harm in self-study on online mode.
All round development would possible only by meeting, greeting and interaction with others.
References
Chaturvedi, Kunal. Vishwakarma, K. Dinesh. Singh, Nidhi. (February 2021). COVID-19 and
its impact on education, social life and mental health of students: A survey. Elsevier.
ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019074092032288X
Hoofman, Jacob. Secord, Elizabeth. (May 19, 2021) The Effect of COVID-19 on Education.
Elsevier. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8445757/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/socioeconomic-survey
https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/sur1.pdf
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/social_environmental/id/asia/south/india/c8h0vm000
09 um3lw-att/c8h0vm0000bchoqx.pdf
Joshi, Keerat. (1999). Education for tomorrow. Nag publishers. kireetjoshiarchives.com
Ministry of Education, India. Education in India.
Pokhrel, Sumitra. Chhetri, Roshan. (19 January 2021). A Literature Review on Impact of
COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning. SAGE Journals
Roy, Y. Chan. Krishna, Bista. Ryan, M. Allen (13 August, 2021). Online Teaching and
Learning in Higher Education during COVID-19: International Perspectives and
Experiences. Routledge
Vivekananda, Swami (2008). My Idea of Education. Advaita Ashrama publication
department. www.advaitaashrama.org
66
Teaching and Learning in Hybrid Mode
I.Arockia Panneerselvam
Asst.Teacher, St.Joseph's Primary School,
Ramanathapuram, Tamilnadu
Email: panneerselvam9915@gmail.com
Abstract
Education is because education is a catalyst that makes a person human, it helps to
reveal the individuality within a person. It is to reveal the development, culture and
culture of a society to other societies. It is the tool of civilization to measure man
because it is not excessive. Education and educational institutions at that time have
evolved from Gurukula Kalvi and Tinnai Kalvi to become modern. Traditional
education in schooling is on the one hand and on the other hand education is growing
day by day with increasing information technology. During In the time of Covid
pandemic, education is very much online. Whether full-time or part-time, online
learning has taken over the classroom today. There is a high possibility that there will
be no need for teachers when there is online education. To that extent, there has been
tremendous growth in education and schools. To the extent that e-learning has
developed in urban areas, it has not developed in rural areas. There are many reasons
for this, but classroom learning has become an effective alternative to online
learning. In education, the joint effort of the teachers, students and parents is the
foundation for the development of education. Therefore, education is not only about
teaching and learning. Rather, e-learning, synchronous education, continuous
learning, group learning, formal and non-formal education are also playing a major
role in the development of our education. So Our education system is in hybrid mode
of Teaching learning.
Keywords: E-learning, ICT learning, Brick and Mortar, Collaborative, Cooperative
Learning
1. Introduction
Education which used to be very happy in the elementary level is gradually robbing the students
and the adolescent age. Even though they have physical development according to their age, they
are mentally deficient and do not involve themselves in sports and it creates a state of loneliness
and lamentation. Learning and teaching are interwoven like two sides of a coin and like the hands
of a clock. It is like the hands of a clock that tell time and are interwoven with each other.
In a classroom where teaching dominates and learning does not occur, it becomes evident at the
end of that classroom or in class tests. Without teaching there is very little opportunity for
learning to improve. so learning must go hand in hand with teaching. For coherent teaching and
learning to take place in the classroom, teachers, students, parents, and the community must be in
good contact. So we will see the aspects of hybrid mode of teaching and learning
2. Review of Literature
There was a kind of fear and helplessness about education among my students during the
pandemic. Online education has helped a lot in alleviating that fear and helplessness. That too for
67
the children of rural, poor middle-class laborers, it has been an octogenarian. The reason is the
facilities and economy to buy an Android phone in that time of epidemic
They don't have it, they can teach in conjunction with nearby students because the spread of
Corona was a big wall. In addition to that, even though the students have purchased Android
phones, the lack of internet connectivity and low level of internet connectivity has resulted in
asynchronous learning among all the students. Now the situation is improving...it will take a few
more years to reach a steady state. Then there is the possibility that learning achievement
assessments in education will meet and exceed our expectations.
3. Methodology
 Synchronous/Asynchronous Interaction
 Brick and Mortar
 Technology enabled classroom
 Online learning
 Informal Online Learning
 Full time online learning
 Off-line learning
 Collaborative learning
 Cooperative Learning
3.1 Synchronous/Asynchronous Interaction
Nowadays, education in schools has evolved after the corona pandemic. Teachers, students,
blackboard classroom time management, uniform classroom environment have changed and
modern technology has developed to the extent that students can sit and study at their own time at
home. Especially online classes and online continuous workshops have created a revolution in
the learning and teaching of students. In the Covid Pandemic period has ushered students into a
new method of teaching and learning. In generally Education is because education is a catalyst
that makes a person human, it helps to reveal the individuality within a person. It is to reveal the
development, culture and culture of a society to other societies. It is the tool of civilization to
measure man because it is not excessive. Only if there is a coherent trend in learning, the students
will improve their learning. If there is an inconsistent trend, the achievement of the students will
suffer and they will not be able to play the expected achievements in learning.
In classroom teaching and learning is hybrid mode because the relationship between teaching
and learning in classroom teaching is like flesh and blood. It is impossible to separate one from
the other. It is like a meaningless twin. Because education is harmonious and there is a
harmonious atmosphere between the teacher and the students, true learning takes place through
the teaching of the teacher. Synchronous learning means that although you will be learning from
a distance, you will virtually attend a class session each week, at the same time as your instructor
and classmates. Synchronous classes run in real time, with students and instructors attending
together from different locations. Asynchronous classes run on a more relaxed schedule, with
students accessing class materials during different hours and from different locations
68
3.2 Brick and Mortar

Traditional education, also known as back-to-basics, conventional education or customary
education, refers to long-established customs that society has traditionally used in schools.
The primary purpose of traditional education is to continue passing on those skills, facts, and
standards of moral and social conduct that adults consider to be necessary for the next
generation's material advancement. As beneficiaries of this plan, which educational progressivist
John Dewey described as being "imposed from above and from outside", the students are
expected to docilely and obediently receive and believe these fixed answers. Teachers are the
instruments by which this knowledge is communicated and these standards of behaviour are
enforced.
In the traditional teaching methods, teachers ask students to recite and memorize the content of
study and what they teach in the classroom and also students one by one recite the lesson when
their turn comes. Except for those who are reciting, other students listen and wait for their turn. a
structured education program that focuses on face-to-face teacher-centered instruction,
including teacher-led discussion and teacher knowledge imparted to students is called for
traditional education system.
Type of education including Vocational education, General education, Special education, Adult
education, Secondary education, Distance education, Adult basic education, Physical education.
The usual traditional teaching aids(tools) are blackboards, textbooks, charts, pictures, posters,
maps, atlases, globes, flash cards, flip cards, worksheets, science lab apparatus and materials,
models, crossword puzzles, quizzes, storytelling, dramatization, one act plays, dictionaries,
encyclopaedias, reference books, traditional education in schooling is on the one hand and on the
other hand education is growing day by day with increasing information technology. During the
time of Covid pandemic, education is very important online. Whether full-time or part-time,
online learning has taken over the classroom fully today.
3.3 Technology enabled classroom
Technology-rich classrooms included creative, awe-inspiring learning experiences for students
in all grade levels. As Teacher Tap points out, “technology-rich learning is connected to the
learning experience that such an environment can provide”. The difference between traditional
and technology rich instruction. The technology-rich instruction provides educators with a
valuable tool to reinforce lessons, but the technology in itself does not facilitate student learning.
Blended learning, on the other hand, leverages technology to give each and every student a more
personalized learning experience. A learning environment that promotes the use of technology
based on the students interests and skills and not based on teacher selection or district provided
technology Now a days the technology rich classrooms must needed than traditional teaching.
The use of technology during whole-class instruction can foster student engagement for auditory
and visual learners. Integrating simple technologies Power Points, games, internet homework
assignments, or online grading systems can be difference makers in students' growth in the
classroom. We must need technology-rich instruction to develop the skills 21st Century Skills,
So we must teach the students in technology-rich methods, and skills also, these skill are Critical
thinking, Communication skills, Creativity, Problem solving Perseverance Collaboration,
Information literacy, Technology skills and digital literacy.
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3.4 Online learning

Online education is a form of education which is delivered and administered using the Internet.
20 years ago, it would've been difficult to imagine high quality instruction delivered online, but
today, in the digital age, it's become a reality. Now online education, or online learning, is a broad
term and importance of Online courses teach students how to manage their time better since the
student bears the responsibility of engaging with the course instead of simply showing up to class
on an assigned day and time. As a result, students not only gain knowledge from the coursework,
but they also sharpen their time management skills.
There is a high possibility that there will be no need for teachers when there is online education.
To that extent, there has been tremendous growth in education and schools. To the extent that e-
learning has developed in urban areas, it has not developed in rural areas. There are many reasons
for this, but classroom learning has become an effective alternative to online learning. Teachers
are changing from traditional methods of teaching to online teaching methods. It will take some
time for them to fully convert and teach students online and improve students' attainment...but
surely one day all teachers will ensure online learning and teaching.
3.5 Informal Online Learning
Informal online learning is the unstructured learning that happens in daily life while people are
accessing the internet. Research on the use and design of interactive Web 2.0 platforms for
informal learning is minimal, and often platform-specific. Even if you spend a lot of time online,
it is probably the case that most of your online learning is informal. Informal learning is the
learning that goes on in daily life. Informal online learning refers to learning that occurs away
from a structured, formal classroom environment. Informal learning comes in many forms,
including viewing videos, self-study, reading articles, participating in forums and chat rooms,
performance support, coaching sessions and games. Informal economic activities can include
doing odd jobs or providing services for which you are paid in cash. Examples include: home
renovations, car repairs, etc.
3.6 Full-time Online Learning
Online learning is education that takes place over the Internet. It is often referred to as “e-
learning” among other terms. However, online learning is just one type of “distance learning” -
the umbrella term for any learning that takes place across distance and not in a traditional
classroom. Full-time student hours means that a student is generally enrolled in a minimum of
twelve credits or about four classes per semester. You are considered a part-time student if you are
taking fewer than 12 credit hours, usually between two to three classes.
Online learning facilitates the ability to think critically about what you do every day. The goal in
the classroom is to challenge you to think differently, and employers want you to do that, too–to
think critically in your role at work. Mastering this skill is what will set you apart as a student, and
as an employee. E-learning allows the students to interact with their teacher only via the internet.
They cannot learn or communicate with the tutor in any form even if they are on the same
platform. Online learning, on the hand, allows live and interactive learning through video chat
and messages.
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3.7 Off-line Learning

It's refers to a traditional type of learning where learners or students are not exposed to digital
learning but rather use face to face learning. Offline classes encourage students to collaborate on
projects with other students and help them learn new skills. Students become more introverted as
a result of online education since they only communicate with other students through online
chatting rather than face-to-face interaction. Classroom studying provides an opportunity for
students to engage in live discussions where they can better utilise their critical thinking skills to
voice opinions or involve in an argument. Hence, online learning is certainly a more effective
option for students, rather than offline. The main difference between online learning and offline
learning is that online learning is a process where students get access to education and knowledge
via virtual classrooms, while offline learning involves traditional education that allows students
to have face-to-face interactions with teachers and peer groups.
3.8 Collaborative learning
Collaborative learning is an activity where learners are working co-operatively in pairs or
groups. For example: Pair or group discussions. Completing shared tasks in a pair or group, e.g.
matching, sorting, ranking. Collaborative learning can occur peer-to-peer or in larger groups.
Peer learning, or peer instruction, is a type of collaborative learning that involves students
working in pairs or small groups to discuss concepts or find solutions to problems. Plan activities
that give students the opportunity to work and collaborate together to learn and grow from each
other. Collaborative learning has been shown to not only develop higher-level thinking skills in
students, but boost their confidence and self-esteem as well.
3.9 Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning is structuring classes around small groups that work together in such a way
that each group member's success is dependent on the group's success. 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.
4. Discussion and Results

Learning and teaching are like two hands of a classroom clock, two sides of a coin, not milk and
sugar, only if the learning is improved and the students can achieve the learning goals they need to
achieve. . According to the saying of Mata Pita Guru Deivam, there are many dignitaries today
71
who are former students who still stand and pay respect to the teachers. Depending on the
student's achievement in the classroom learning in the elementary classes, his middle, high, high
school, university education will improve... just like if the foundation of the house is special then
the house is also special...
But modern innovative programs, processes, changes in education, various educational
programs in experimental methods are being tried in the initial stage. In this case success is right..
but failure is because of many programs which are not implemented in primary level education ie
1-5. The learning achievement of the class students is completely disturbed and he goes to the
next middle, higher and senior classes with less achievements.
5. Conclusion
Learning and teaching is seen as a hybrid mode by educators "Numbers and letters are for the
eyes" According to the elementary students numeracy basic number symbols, number names,
place value basic addition, subtraction multiplication, division four types of operations, literacy
in Tamil and English language letters, Their learning can be improved by training them in
recognizing sentences and reading them correctly, pronouncing them, creating new phrases,
reading newspapers, weekly magazines, children's magazines, etc., writing comments on them,
vocabulary in general practice, handling new words, rhetorical skills, dialogues, telling stories,
serialization. Can get directories. Ensuring that such learning does not disrupt the teaching
process will also improve student achievement…If we teach this to the students in the elementary
classes with the traditional teaching method and modern technology i.e. computers and online
classes, then learning and teaching will become a hybrid mode that includes synchronous,
technology-rich, formal, full-time online classes full of joint training, group training, etc. A better
way of learning is born
References
Tabor, Sharon W (Spring 2007). "Narrowing the Distance: Implementing a Hybrid Learning
Model". Quarterly Review of Distance Education. IAP. 8 (1): 4849. Retrieved 23 January
2011.
Vaughan, Dr Norman D. (2010). "Blended Learning". In Cleveland-Innes, MF; Garrison, DR
(eds.). An Introduction to Distance Education: Understanding Teaching and Learning in
a New Era. Taylor & Francis. p. 165.
Holmberg, Börje (2005). The evolution, principles and practices of distance education.
Studien und Berichte der Arbeitsstelle Fernstudienforschung der Carl von Ossietzky
Universität Oldenburg [ASF] (in German). Vol. 11. Bibliotheks-und Informationssystem
der Universitat Oldenburg. p. 13. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
Alan Tait (April 2003). "Reflections on Student Support in Open and Distance Learning". The
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. The International
Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. 4 (1).
doi:10.19173/irrodl.v4i1.134.
IAP. distance learning... a magazine for leaders volume 2 number 6. p. 18.
Moore, Michael G.; Greg Kearsley (2005). Distance Education: A Systems View (2nd ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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Self-Directed Learning
in Distance Mode
Promoting Independent Learning in Higher Education:

Role of Self Directed and Distance Mode of Learning
Suchinmoyee Mishra1, Gyanendra Rawat2 & Sreekala. E3

1
Research Scholar, School of Education, Pondicherry University
Email id: suchinmoyee05@gmail.com
2
UGC-Senior Research fellow, School of Education,
Pondicherry University Email id: gyanendrainfo2@gmail.com
3
Professor, School of Education, Pondicherry University
Email id: sreekalaedannursoe@gmail.com
Abstract
A shift away from traditional, teacher-centered methods towards learner-
centered approaches can significantly enhance learning and create the
intrinsic motivation necessary to enable effective, dynamic, lifelong
learning processes. Independent learning, which can be simply defined as
the ability to become fully responsible for one's own learning, is believed to
play a major role in students' success in both academic as well as non-
academic lives. As it is a student-centered learning, students have the
ownership of their own learning, having total learning flexibility. Self-
directed learning and distance mode of learning are those flexible mode of
learning which id positively promote independent learning of students.
Especially, in higher education, where students face difficulty in accessing
offline education due to a number of factors such as demographic and
geographical barriers, independent learning encourages students to be
proactive and independent, which allows them to pursue lifelong learning.
Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the use of distance mode
learning and self-directed learning to motivate and engage students.
Therefore, this study sought to determine how independent learning is
fostered through self-directed and distance modes of learning with the help
of available data from existing studies. It also aims at discussing how higher
educational institutions can instill these learning concepts to promote
learner autonomy.
Keywords: Independent learning, self-directed learning, distance mode
learning, higher education.
Introduction
Education is the pioneer in all kinds of growth and development. It is a clearly a noticeable fact
that, over the last decade, learning has come a long way in terms of methods, approaches, location
and accessibility. Ever since the internet has come into existence, the way of learning is
drastically changed. The introduction of evolution of ICT in education has accelerated the shift of
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learning from conventional face to face method to self-directed, distance mode of online
teaching-learning process. By providing great flexibility on how, what and where to learn, online
learning has acclaimed considerable popularity among the young learners. Self-directed learning
and distance mode of learning are part of this flexible learner-centered learning approaches,
which give students full freedom over their own learning, making them independent learner.
With the flexibility of learning from home, which offers a relaxing environment, children are
being found to enjoy their experiences more and more. This has motivated them to learn on their
own without being pushed.
Having a proper higher education is a dream of every aspiring student. It is an unarguable fact that
lively classroom with physical presence of a teacher gives proper opportunity to students for
asking questions and also enables the students to collaborate with their fellow students and peers
and learn from them promoting social interaction which will help them to be mature and thinking
adults. But students who have to manage their study and work together, as well as students who
cannot have access to higher educational courses due to distance as a barrier, will get restrained
from getting education. For those, distance learning and self-directed learning come as a boon
motivating them to have lifelong education.
Concept of Independent Learning
“The concept of independent learning is associated with, or a part of other educational concepts
and wider policy agendas, such as improving the educational experiences and outcomes for
learners through student-centered learning approaches that personalize learning and enable the
learner to take ownership of the learning process” (Meyer et al. 2008). Having independence in
learning, and providing learner autonomy, is a fully learner-centered learning, where the learner
can choose what s/he wants to learn, how deeply s/he wishes to learn about something and which
methods/ processes are involved in learning as well as from where s/he can learn new skills and
gain knowledge. The process of learning independently means that learners will be able to pursue
their own research and recognize which educational materials are appropriate and valuable to
them.
Independent Learning in Higher Education
Since last two decades, having autonomy and independence in lifelong learning has become a
prominent subject within international higher education. The transition from senior secondary
schooling to graduating from college is the most important phase of career development for every
individual who is aspired of having a good and successful life in the future; as higher education
plays a significant role in developing skills and knowledge. In this fast-paced world, providing
education to adults in more autonomous environment has become a growing need. A shift from
the authoritative attitude of educator to the educator with the role of facilitator of learning, is
required in the field of higher education. Independent learning entails every individual learners
taking initiative and responsibility for their own learning.
Malcolm Knowles (1975), who put the pioneer of the idea of adult education i.e andragogy,
independent learning of young students and self-directed learning, “has identified three key
assumptions about independent learning. These assumptions are:
1. Pro-active learners who take the initiative learn more than passive learners.
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2. Independent learning is more natural approach to adult learning given the natural
adult psychological development.
3. Lifelong learning is an essential component of modern society.
If these assumptions are accepted, independent learning must be viewed as a valid and effective
approach within adult education systems”(Knowles, 1975).
Concept of Self-Directed Learning
“Self-directed learning expresses a view of learning that stands opposed to a more traditional
content-centred practice where the teacher is the bearer of knowledge and the learner's
experience is of minor interest” (Loeng,2019). “Self-directed learning in adults is considered
predominantly a process of self-instruction” (Oddi,1987). As defined by Garrison (1997) “Self-
directed learning is an approach where learners are motivated to assume personal responsibility
and collaborative control of the cognitive (self-monitoring) and contextual (self-management)
processes in constructing and confirming meaningful and worthwhile learning outcomes”.
During this modern era of this educational society, self-directed learning has been an integral part
of education, especially amongst the young learners, the adults. It is a concept in which learners
act independently in their learning process but are permitted of getting facilitation from their
instructors, peers, colleagues etc. As stated by Merriam (2001), “self-directed learning is one of
the important parts of the mosaic which forms the knowledge and intellectual base of adult
learning”. “Self-directed learning entails individuals taking initiative and responsibility for their
own learning. The learners are free to set goals and define what is worth learning. Self-directed
learning can take place both inside and outside of formal educational institutions. When teachers
are involved, they should be facilitators of learning, not transmitters” (Loeng,2019).
Fig 1: The Self-Directed Learning Model by Zimmerman, 2011

Concept of Distance Mode Learning
When the information source and the learners are separated by time, distance, or both, distance
education is a process to establish and offer access to learning. In other words, distance learning
is the process of designing an educational experience for the student outside of the classroom
that is of equivalent qualitative worth.
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In the middle of the 19th century saw the beginning of correspondence education in the West;
however, postal correspondence education, a form of distance education, was first introduced in
India about a century later. The distance education system has emerged as an alternative as well
as a channel of education and training in India. It has already established its credibility and
recognition. “Distance learning was found to be advantageous as it provided flexibility and
convenience for the learners” (Muthuprasad et al; 2021). “Distance Education is a cycle to make
and give admittance to realizing when the wellspring of data and the students are isolated by time
and distance, or both. At the end of the day, distance learning is the way toward making an
educational encounter of equivalent subjective incentive for the student to best suit their
necessities outside the study hall”(Mirza; 2019). In the last twenty years, distant education has
grown phenomenally both statistically and qualitatively, especially since the advent of single-
mode open institutions. Additionally, the use of ICTs has boosted the growth of remote learning.
In the upcoming decades, distance education will play a bigger and bigger role. The process of
convergence between conventional education and online education is accelerating, and it will
inevitably continue to accelerate. The planners and policy makers must immediately develop the
appropriate policies and strategies to raise the standard of remote education in India.
Promoting Independent Learning Through Self-Directed and Distance Learning
The improvement and development of society, the evolution of the working world, and most
crucially, one's own personal growth all depend greatly on each individual's capacity for self-
direction. Learning can be considerably improved and the intrinsic motivation required to
support efficient, dynamic, lifelong learning processes can be created by moving away from
traditional, teacher-centered power relations and toward learner-centered strategies. “Intrinsic
motivation is an essential element of self-directed learning” (Cross, 1992). Learners who are
self-directed, are skilled at teaching others and at overcoming barriers to communication and
mutual understanding. It makes them more independent in their learning process compiling them
to take their own decisions according to their interests and capability. In the global economy and
worldwide culture, self-directed learning is growing more and more significant, and it is linked to
adult learners who share certain traits. To support the growth of intrinsically motivated, self-
directed learning, a wide range of practical tactics and policies may be used, which will in turn
promote learner autonomy and make him or her an independent learner.
Similarly, distance education provides learner with the opportunity to complete higher
educational courses without going to the institutions physically. It encourages them to get
lifelong education. The best answer for educational issues caused by geographic restrictions that
prevent conventional study is distance learning. “Distance learning is an alternative to choosing a
learning model that is implemented to deal with problems that arise due to the distance between
the educational institution/ teaching and the student's location, with distance learning it is hoped
that students can continue to take part in learning without being constrained by geographic
location” (West, 2011).
Discussion
Independent learning has made obtaining educational goals much easier for all kinds of learners.
It has motivated students to pursue higher education and to live their dream life. Distance
learning makes students get a degree without remaining physically present in the educational
76
institution campus, allowing learners the flexibility to complete courses within a flexible time
limit and providing the facility to learn at their own pace. It also makes higher education
affordable for students who have difficulties in affording prestigious higher education courses
physically as well as students from remote locations. Similarly, self-directed learning motivates
the individual to establish elements of control over their own learning, and characteristics of
learners including self-efficacy and motivation (Stockdale, 2003; Hiemstra & Brockett, 2012).
Conclusion
Being independent plays a great part of living a successful and happy prosperous life. Bringing
autonomy in taking decisions in life boosts self-confidence as well as self-esteem. Likewise,
bringing autonomy in educational decisions motivates students for lifelong learning, fostering
self-reliance and allowing learners to feel they have control over their own life. Having the
flexibility of learning things of their own interests in a way of their own interest provides them
with belief that they are capable of taking good care of their learning which makes them good
decisions maker. Learning strategies, especially for adults, should be so designed that learners
will not feel uninvolved and disinterested. Therefore, higher education should inculcate those
learning approaches which motivate learner autonomy in students. By the involvement of two
approaches distance education method and self-directed learning in higher educational system
will push the Indian educational system to a direction of growth and advancement. Consequently,
teachers and stakeholders must take the very importance of independent learning into account
and should adapt the learning situation to varying stages of self-directing ability. All should be
conscious of promoting learner autonomy among young learners.
Suggestions
As shown by the report released by UGC, Government of India, the enrolment in higher
education is visibly lower than in other levels of education. There might be many factors, which
are restraining students from pursuing further education after schooling, like socio-economic,
geographical barriers etc. Including distance method of education and self–directed learning,
will not only promote students' learner-autonomy, but also it pushes higher education enrolment
towards the direction of growth. Government of India and Policy makers should put their
attention towards motivating students to take distance education as well as proper awareness
should be created among learners and their parents by providing adequate information about all
these new-century approaches to learning. They should be encouraged to take a shift away from
traditional learning to new era of learning, the digital individualized way of learning. There is
also an immediate need for the policy makers and educationists to frame necessary strategies and
policies to enhance the quality of distance education in India.
References
Barone, C., Schizzerotto, A., Abbiati, G., & Argentin, G. (2017). Information barriers, social
inequality, and plans for higher education: Evidence from a field experiment. European
Sociological Review, 33(1), 84-96. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcw050
Garrison, D. R. (1997). Self-directed learning: Toward a comprehensive model. Adult
education quarterly, 48(1), 18-33. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F074171369704800103
77
Hiemstra, R., & Brockett, R. G. (2012, June 1-3). Reframing the meaning of self-directed
learning: An updated model [Presented paper]. Adult Education Research Conference,
Saratoga Springs, NY, United States. http://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2012/papers/22
Linkous, H. M. (2021). Self-Directed Learning and Self-Regulated Learning: What's the
Difference? A Literature Analysis. American Association for Adult and Continuing
Education.
Livingston, K. (2012). Independent Learning. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the
Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419- 1428-
6_895https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED611648
Loeng, S. (2020). Self-directed learning: A core concept in adult education. Education
Research International, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3816132
Malcom, K. (1975). Self Directed Learning: a Guide For Learning And Teacher. New
York:Cambridge Adult Educational.
Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learningtheory.
New directions for adult and continuing education, 89,
3-13. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ625870
Meyer, B., Haywood, N., Sachdev, D., & Faraday, S. (2008). What is independent learning
and what are the benefits for students. Department for Children, Schools and Families
Research Report, 51, 1-6. https://lib.bue.edu.eg/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/What-is-
independent-learning-and-what-are-the-benefits.pdf
Muthuprasad, T., Aiswarya, S., Aditya, K. S., & Jha, G. K. (2021). Students 'perception and
preference for online education in India during Covid-19 pandemic. Social Sciences &
Humanities Open, 3(1), 100101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100101
Oddi, L. F. (1987). Perspectives On Self-Directed Learning. Adult Education Quarterly,
38(1), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001848187038001003
Rozi, F., Ramdlani, M., Najah, F., Azizah, N., Niswa, H., Abdillah, M., & Rozi, F. (2021,
May). Distance Learning and Independent Learning of Students in Higher Education.
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https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1899/1/012177
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Development of an instrument to measure self-directedness [Doctoral dissertation].
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
West, R. E. (2011). Insights From Research on Distance Education Learners, Learning, and
Learner Support: As published in Distances et Savoirs (D & S—7/2009. À la croisée des
recherches, pages 571 to 584). American Journal of Distance Education, 25(3), 135-
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Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (2011). Handbook of self-regulation of learning and
performance. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
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Portfolio Writing an Emotion Regulation Strategy for Academic

Achievement among Higher Education Learners
Lopamudra Biswal1 & Prof.K.Chellamani2

1
2
Abstract
Nowadays, lots of ways and means or modes have been adopted to provide education
at every doorstep namely face-to-face mode or formal mode and distance mode.
Distance education mode as an alternative to face-to-face mode has been adopted by
large groups of learners who could not be educated through a formal system due to
diverse reasons. The value of self-directed learning in higher education is high as its
emphasis on personal growth, autonomy and responsibility, which are fundamental
values of higher education. There are various challenges faced by learners in distance
mode of education such as ineffective time management, lack of instant guidance and
communication with teachers and peers, issue in self-motivation, stress, fear,
uncertainty in getting a job, and so on. All these factors lead to create negative
emotions in the academic field that affect their learning process including self-
directed learning. These challenges are arising due to a lack of direct guidance by
teachers, institutions, and peer collaboration. Therefore, portfolio writing is to be
encouraged by the teachers and institutions, which is one of the emotion regulation
strategies and learners are able to manage their own emotions after self-assessment as
well as make plans to foster academic success.
Portfolio writing is the collection of learner's texts that provide evidence of personal
reflection, effort, progress, comprehensive and complex overview of skill. The
portfolio writer when documents the whole achievement and progress over a period,
he/she can get an opportunity to reflect upon his/her work and set goals for future
progress. The writer can identify and analyze their own strength, weakness,
opportunities, and threats. Realization alone helps the writer to manage their own
emotion. Therefore, portfolio writing is one of the emotion regulation strategies. In
higher education, it is an effective strategy, which removes the academic-related
negative emotions and directs a student to go in the proper and right direction to
achieve all the learning objectives.
Keywords: Portfolio Writing, Emotion Regulation, Academic Achievement
Introduction
Nowadays, the demand for education has been increasing over the years. In order to meet this
requirement, there are many ways and means or modes that have been adopted to carry out all
educational activities namely face-to-face mode or formal mode and distance mode. Distance
education mode as an alternative to face-to-face mode has been adopted by large groups of
learners who could not be educated through a formal system due to diverse reasons. In this mode,
the learners can pursue the desired course irrespective of their time and place. The education
providers develop learning materials in a larger friendly manner such as modules or lectures and
send them to learners.
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Self-directed Learning and Higher Education

In higher education, self-directed learning has been accepted significantly. The value of self-
directed learning in higher education is high as its emphasis on personal growth, autonomy, and
responsibility which are fundamental values of higher education. Self-directed learning
facilitates the learners to become independent, autonomous learners. Here, the learners have to
take initiatives with or without the guidance of others; able to diagnose their own learning needs;
formulate their own learning goals; identify learning resources; identify learning strategies; able
to implement them properly, and can assess their own learning outcomes. Learners develop their
own capabilities, willpower, and self-motivated to critically analyse the situation and adopt the
strategies to solve it. The willingness is an essence of self-directed learning and learners have to
take personal initiatives to maintain systematic learning.
Challenges in Distance Mode of Education
In the present scenario, distance mode of education is an effective way to access learning by
learners at the doorsteps through various institutions and online platforms. However, there are
various challenges faced by learners in this mode of education such as ineffective time
management, lack of instant guidance and communication with teachers and peers, issue in self-
motivation, stress, fear, uncertainty in getting a job, and so on. All these factors stimulate
negative emotions that affect their learning process. So, students may leave the course in mid-
way. These challenges are arising due to a lack of direct guidance by teachers, institutions, and
peer collaboration. So, portfolio writing is to be encouraged by the teachers and institutions,
which is one of the emotion regulation strategies and learners are able to manage their own
emotions after doing self-assessment as well as make plans to foster academic success.
Academic Achievement
Every institution frames its institutional goals and objectives towards learner developments.
Academic achievement refers to the expected course outcomes. It includes the level of success
has achieved by learners or groups on completion of tasks designed. So academic achievement
represents outcomes of performance that indicate the extent the learner has achieved the
objectives in both scholastic and non-scholastic areas that are prescribed in the curriculum. In a
general sense, academic achievement requires acquiring knowledge, skill and developing the
right attitude. Academic achievement has become the index of a child's future which shows the
ability, talents, and competencies on which the carrier will be set up. So academic achievement
plays a very important place in every learning process. Taylor (1964) states that the value, the
student places upon his own worth, affects his academic achievement. The academic
achievement of student shows the quality of teaching-learning process. Many factors are
affecting the student's academic achievement i.e., socio-economic status, intelligence, emotion,
social factors, and so on.
Emotion
Emotion is a particular mental state, which is created by neurobiological changes associated with
behavioral responses, feelings, and thoughts. Emotion has a significant influence on the
cognitive process of every individual including attention, memory, reasoning, perception, etc.
The limbic system is a set of structures present in the center of the brain involves in the behavioral
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and emotional responses of an individual. The important structures within the limbic system are -
amygdala, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Amygdala, a small almond-shaped
structure that coordinates responses to stimuli arising in the surrounding environment and
generates emotional responses like fear, anger, and arousal which lead to emotional learning. It is
historically called as emotional brain which is also related to the storage of emotional memories.
The hippocampus involves in context-dependent emotional learning. The amygdala,
hippocampus, and other stress releasing hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine and
glucocorticoids) play a crucial role in mediating negative emotional effects in learning and
memory.
Emotion and Learning

According to neurologist and educationist, learning is possible due to exchange between
cognitive, emotional, and physiological elements. Emotion is the foundation of learning (Zull,
2006, p.7). It plays a great role in the learning process; including self-directed learning. Emotion
can motivate learners to enhance their own learning process or may prevent from effective
learning. Every student experiences many emotions in his/her learning process. The students
may experience positive or negative emotions which come from their social life or may create
within their academic setting. There are four groups of academic emotions namely achievement
emotions, epistemic emotions, topic emotions, and social emotions. Emotions control the
attention of students, influence upon motivation and affect self-regulatory ability in learning
process. In distance mode of education, students also experience these emotions throughout their
academic career. An effective learner should possess the skill to manage his/her own emotion
during the learning process.
Emotion Regulation
Emotion regulation is the ability of the learners to manage their own emotional experiences or
emotional behavior effectively and in a socially acceptable way. Emotion regulation is the
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process in which learners are able to analyze about own emotions, when and how they experience
them, so that they are able to express the emotions in an effective way. Emotionally dysregulated
learners have less ability to control the emotional behavior and react to the environment in an
exaggerated manner. Emotional regulation includes mood regulation, coping, defense, mood
repair, and affect regulation. Positively perceived emotion always provides academic success in
students whereas negatively perceived emotion results in low academic achievement in the
academic career. Both learning and memory are greatly affected when an emotional state is
induced by fear and stress. Positive emotions are activated by excitement, enjoyment, hope, and
pride. These emotions influence the learning process by affecting student's motivation, attention,
critical thinking, logical thinking, and self-regulation of learning. Negative emotions are
activated by anxiety, anger, shame, and so on. Negative emotions reduce the ability of students to
think in the right direction. It undermines the self-regulation of students or demotivates them to
leave the study in mid-way. Therefore, the self-regulation of emotions by learners in the social
context of the educational setting is an important stepping stone for their development to get
academic achievement. Thus, it is important for learners to know the strategies to regulate their
emotions and to continue their academic life in harmony. Students use various strategies to
encourage positive emotion and reduce negative emotion in their life like emotion-oriented
regulation, appraisal-oriented regulation, competence-oriented regulation, and situation-
oriented regulation. In distance education mode, the learners do face some emotional challenges
like feeling isolation, loss of concentration, lack of motivation, conflict creation, fear, stress to
attend and pass exams and so on due to various reasons. Therefore, portfolio writing is one of the
emotion regulation strategies among higher education learners, which leads to academic
achievement.
Portfolio Writing an Emotion Regulation Strategy
In education, Portfolio refers to a systematic, purposeful collection of information describing and
documenting learner's achievement and progress over a period. It provides students an
opportunity for self-assessment, reflection on their own work, and setting learning goals. It
provides a complete progressive view of changes in students' achievement to teachers, parents,
students, and stakeholders. Portfolio can be used for many purposes like assessment, personal
and professional development, and certification of competencies.
Portfolio writing is the collection of learner's texts that provide evidence of personal reflection,
effort, progress, comprehensive and complex overview of skill. It often asks the learner to
preface the collection with some form of a reflective letter. The portfolio writer when documents
the whole achievement and progress over a period, he/she can get an opportunity to reflect upon
his/her work and set goals for future progress. A proper writing reflects the writer's interest,
attitude, and self-development. The learner who writes portfolio records own thoughts, ideas,
experiences, and accomplishment then he/she consciously reconsider, review and assess own
experiences. This whole process helps the learner to do own SWOT analysis. So, the learner can
utilize own strength in the learning process and be able to adopt strategies to overcome own
weaknesses. The learner can able to identify the opportunities in his/her hand and develops
various measures to face threats. Realization alone helps the writer to manage one's own
emotions. It develops self-monitoring skill and self-evaluation skill to regulate one's own
feelings in a proper way so; portfolio writing is one of the emotion regulation strategies.
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The portfolio writer is able to be aware of what he/she lags behind in his/her academic period
through gathering and analysis of evidences and realizes the reason behind this nature and self-
analysis of past situation to make the present and the future life better and prepares proper plan to
achieve desired objectives that have been lagging behind and decides the learning pace and
strategy. It makes aware of both positive and negative emotions of the writer and helps to manage
in an effective way. Dysregulations of emotion lose the tendency to focus one's attention to a task
and develop negative emotional behavior like fear towards study, lack of concentration and being
easily distracted which leads to time wastage, finding no joy in doing the work appropriately, and
so on. This portfolio writing makes one to self-aware and shows a way to handle the academic life
in the right direction. It directs the learner to schedule and to utilize time in a precise way during
the whole academic period. In this way, it removes the fear and stress as he/she utilizes the time
perfectly and is able to make a perfect plan. The writer can express his/her thought with
fearlessness and adopt some strategies for future improvement. A well-planned documentation
shows the efficacy of a writer. It is important to keep focused on practice and stick on to his/her
plan which produces learning achievement.
Portfolio writing not only involves to inform but also to transform the student. It promotes to
change in certain aspects like reflective thinking, time management, interest, abilities, etc.
Portfolio writing improves creativity and fluency in the writing of the learner. Portfolio writing is
associated with the development of higher-order thinking skills in the student. Metacognitive,
cognitive, and affective aspects are involved in portfolio writing. The cognitive aspects involve
to in-depth understanding of own learning process. Metacognitive aspects make the learner to
critically observe and analyse the situation, which develop organization and recognition skill.
The affective aspect of the learner supports to direct and define own emotion, sentiment, and
inner feeling in written form which reflect his/her ideas, thought and value. Therefore, portfolio
writing is the base of intrinsic motivation in the learner.
Self-assessment is one of the most important aspects of portfolio writing. Regular assessment of
own learning pace promotes self-awareness. It motivates the learner to develop self-reflection, to
become a self-directed learner managing all negative emotions, and to exercise self-discipline
and self-restraint to realize own plans and goals. The monitoring over own comprehension from
the analysis of a variety of sources reveals where he/she has gone wrong and after realization of
own mistakes, they think over it and find out a path for rectification.
Portfolio writing on one's own documentation of artifacts is one of the significant learning
strategies in self-directed learning. In an institution, teachers have to encourage the students to
make a document of their own learning process and to reflect upon it how much they have
achieved or need to be achieved and maintain record of time needed to achieve and their learning
pace, etc. So, students prepare their strategy for how to achieve learning objectives keeping in
view time and pace. Students have to coordinate all learning activities and monitor regularly
learning achievement. Now students can self-assess own academic achievement. It reduces
negative academic emotions which have created during the learning process. It improves
performance at work, enriches personal relations, develops attention level, reasoning analysis,
critical thinking, and develops a problem-solving attitude.
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The writing has three different dimensions - describing, analyzing, and reflecting. The writing
portfolio allows describing the information, analyzing in an effective way and providing an
opportunity for the learners to reflect upon their own learning. These indicate the ongoing cyclic
process of writing for one's self-development in the learning process. Hence, the portfolio writer
should organize and structure the format in an effective way.
Procedure To Organise Portfolio Writing
In developing portfolio writing, the writer should decide its purpose and assessment criteria.
Portfolio writing is organized by following these steps
i. Determine the purpose of portfolio writing
ii. Determine the evidence includes in portfolio writing
iii. Determine Assessment criteria
Determine the purpose of portfolio writing: The portfolio writer should determine the purposes
of the writing. When the purpose is decided, the learner includes the kind of items for analysis.
Documentation of a portfolio is determined by the purpose of portfolio writing. The aim of the
learner is to assess his/her progress over a period, reflect upon own work, and prepare the
academic goals; determine own competency and learning style.
Determine the evidence includes in portfolio writing: Portfolio writing is the collection of
learner's texts that provides evidence of personal reflection, effort, progress, comprehensive and
complex overview of skill. The learner should decide how the evidence will be collected and
organized for effective documentation. So that he/she can aware of own learning.
Determine Assessment Criteria: The criteria to assess the own portfolio should be determined. It
gives a clear understanding of achievement. These assessment criteria allow the student to
recognize own work and select high-quality work and encourage discussions among teachers,
peers, higher authorities about the quality outcome.
Conclusion
Portfolio writing is to be encouraged by every higher education institution including distance
mode of education. The practice of writing portfolio regularly makes the student self-regulated. It
encourages learners to do own SWOT analysis and to reflect change and growth in their academic
career; self-assess to know the learning requirement; acquire knowledge, understanding, and
skill and develop the right attitude, to gain values to achieve desired academic outcomes. The
students utilize their strengths and opportunities in the right direction to achieve academic goals.
Realization of own learning styles, nature, learning pace become a path to manage emotions. The
students can develop their ability to control negative academic emotions, which leads to
academic achievement. Reflection of own knowledge occurs when the students consciously
review and appraise upon own documentation of achievements. Learners can develop own
competencies, will power, and self-motivated to critically analyze the situation and adopt the
strategies to solve the problem. This willingness is the essence of self-directed learning in higher
education.
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References
Chellamani, K. (2012). Portfolio Writing: An Innovative Effective Learning Strategy in
Teacher Education. Indian Journal of Applied Research.10(1),80-82.
Macklem, G.L. (2008). Practitioner's Guide to Emotion Regulation in School-Aged Children.
Springer. ISBN-13: 978-0-387-73850-5.
Illahi, B.Y., & Khandai, H. (2015). Academic Achievements and Study Habits of College
Students of District Pulwama. Journal of Education and Practice. 31(6), 22221735.
National Council of Educational Research and Training. (2014). Basics in Education: Text
Book for B.Ed. Course. New Delhi: NCERT.
Nino, M., & Hicks. S. (2021). The 6A E-portfolio Model: Professionalizing Learning in
Higher Education. International Journal of e- portfolio.2(11), 95-107.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2007). Understanding the Brain:
The Birth of a Learning Science. Paris: OECD.
Pekrun, R. (2014). Emotion and Learning. International Academy of Education. Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization, United Nation.
Sangtam, T.Y. (2014). Study of Academic Achievement, Study Involvement and Emotional
Maturity of Secondary School Tribal Students of Nagaland. Unpublished Ph.D., Thesis.
Bangalore University, Bangalore.
Zhoc, K.C.H., Chung, T.S.H., &King, R.B. (2018). Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Self-
directed Learning: Examining Their Relation and Contribution to Better Student
Learning Outcomes in Higher Education. British Educational Research Journal. 44(6),
982–1004.
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Problems Faced by DDE Students While Attending Online PCP Classes:

A Survey
Dr. Sk. Md. Nizamuddin1 & Prof. Chennupati K. Ramaiah2

1
Assistant Professor
2
Director, Directorate of Distance Education,
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to understand the problems faced by the DDE, Pondicherry
University students while attending their online PCP classes and their effectiveness
on the students. This paper studied the challenges faced by the students during their
online classes, and the strategies to be developed for their improvement. This
research has been conducted in the month of August 2022 with the DDE students
attending online PCP classes. The respondents included the students who have been
enrolled for DDE Pondicherry University degree programmes. The survey responses
have been provided by 262 respondents. The survey method used convenient
sampling technique. The instrument used for collecting data was questionnaire tool.
According to the analysis, students preferred to attend online PCP classes and feel
comfortable in online communication and are very much satisfied with the quality of
online classes provided to them. This study has several implications on the educators
from the universities and institutions who are offering online programmes.
Keywords: Online learning, PCP classes, DDE, Pondicherry University
1. Introduction
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have brought a big change in the life of
everyone in the society including learning and teaching. COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, forced us
to break the standard and adopt new procedures to manage and withstand the changes. These
changes allowed employees to work remotely from home and became latest trend and the new
normal procedure. The same necessity to embrace these new pandemic-imposed conditions such
as social distancing and a frozen economy, needed to be addressed by the higher education sector
as well. Both professors and students were forced to re-think the use of available tech resources to
both deliver higher education services and to benefit from those services. As question remains, as
to whether this new setup introduced can be effective. The COVID-19 pandemic and the
consequent lockdowns introduced major changes in behavior regarding work, cooperation,
learning, and the purchasing of goods and services (Elyassi, 2021; Ruiz Estrada et al., 2021).
These sudden changes have put unprecedented pressure on the Internet's infrastructure (Favale et
al., 2020). We can observe rapid use of e-learning platforms such as Google Meet, MS Teams,
Zoom etc. Students have an increased awareness regarding the usefulness and advantages of e-
learning (Al-Fraihat et al., 2020). However, e-learning can cause tremendous difficulties for both
students and teachers alike. Students often become isolated and alienated due to their hesitation
to participate in online communities. This may stem from any number of factors, such as
personality, sense of transactional distance in the online environment, lack of confidence and
trust in the participants in an online community, lack of nonverbal communication (facial
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expression, voice tone, etc.), connection difficulties (e.g., low internet speed), poor writing skills
or language barriers (Rasheed et al., 2019)., capabilities, and venues had to be mastered and
created, both by student and professors.
2. Theoretical Background
Distance education is defined as the planned teaching and learning activities provided through
the use of a communication channel within an institutional organization without any time and
place limitations (Moore & Kearsley, 2011). With the widespread adoption of the Internet and
online tools as the communication medium, online distance education empowered the flexibility
of educational opportunities.
Distance education is commonly divided into synchronous and asynchronous learning
environments. In a synchronous environment, the teacher and student interact in real-time. Often
students meet in a location, typically a classroom, at a designated time for either one-way or two-
way videoconferencing, which is transmitted by the teacher from a different location. The
advantage of synchronous learning is the opportunity for immediate feedback for both teacher
and student. An asynchronous learning environment does not occur in real-time; students have
the flexibility of working at their own pace in their homes or workplaces. Asynchronous learning
is delivered via videotapes, audiotapes, or the web, often using course management systems,
such as Blackboard or WebCT. Most course management systems also provide synchronous
learning via virtual chat.
Distance education has a history that spans almost two centuries (Spector, Merrill, Merrienboer,
& Driscoll, 2008), during time period significant changes in how learning occurs and is
communicated. From basic correspondence through postal service to the wide variety of tools
available through the Internet, society has embraced new forms of communication through the
years. One such form, online learning, is known to have a history of access beginning in the
1980's Distance education is the most renowned descriptor used when referencing distance
learning. It often describes the effort of providing access to learning for those who are
geographically distant. During the last two decades, the relevant literature shows that various
authors and researchers use inconsistent definitions of distance education and distance learning.
As computers became involved in the delivery of education, a proposed definition identified the
delivery of instructional materials, using both print and electronic media (Moore, 1990). The
instructional delivery includes an instructor who was physically located in a different place from
the learner, as well as possibly providing the instruction at disparate times.
3. Online Learning
Maltz et al., (2005) define the term 'online learning' is applied in different contexts, which
includes distributed learning, hybrid learning and online-distance learning. In an online learning
environment, different set of tools and technologies are used, for example, internet mediated
teaching, web-based education, TV and radio broadcast, virtual classrooms and distributed
learning (Rosenblit, 2009). Online learning is flexible learning which makes use of technologies
like, video conferencing, voice chatting and online discussion (Hrastinski, 2008). These
technologies provide an opportunity for the students to interact with instructors and other co-
learners in a more flexible way. Online learning refers to the use of information and
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communication technologies (ICT) in diverse aspects of education facilitate to support and

improve learning. This technology used here as a supplement to traditional classrooms
interaction, online learning or hybrid modes (OECD, 2005). Online learning provides an
opportunity to the institutions and learners with regard to venue and time of teaching and
learning. Sustaining professional development practices, recent calls for the involvement of state
of-the-art technologies that aid flexibility of learning (Smedley, 2010). In addition to teachers'
ICT knowledge and skills, (Broadley, 2012) indicates that perception and attitude of the teachers
towards online learning plays a significant role in online learning implementation. However, for
some learners as well as instructors, online learning foreign to the traditional teaching style, and a
number of teachers feel that technology deprives them of autonomy (Mansour & Mupinga,
2007). It is therefore necessary to examine students who are mostly the beneficiaries of online
learning encountering any kind of problems during their online classes.
4. Objectives:
 To identify the various problems encountered by the students during online PCP classes
 To categorise the various technical issues faced by the students' during PCP classes
 To find out the impact of online PCP classes on the students
 To study the level of effectiveness of PCP classes
 To know needs for specific communication skills for their online classes
 To suggest the guidelines to improve the quality of online PCP classes
5. Hypotheses formulated
 H01 = There is no significant difference in the overall satisfaction of online PCP classes
against the Gender of the students.
 H02= There is no significant difference in the overall satisfaction of online PCP classes
against the marital status of the students.
 H03 = There is no significant difference in overall satisfaction of online PCP classes
against the domicile of the students.
6. Review of Literature
Online learning is useful for students having the necessary resources and technological skills
(Brown, 2019). Efficacy of online learning has long been acknowledged by the education
community (Barrot, 2020, 2021; Cavanaugh et al., 2009; Kebritchi et al., 2017; Tallent-Runnels
et al., 2006; Wallace, 2003), evidence on the challenges in its implementation continues to build
up (e.g., Boelens et al., 2017; Rasheed et al., 2020). However, it is challenging for them who have
limited technical knowledge and lack of online resources (Owusu-Fordjour et al., 2020). During
online classes several technical issues such as login issues, low audio, and video quality, and
downloading errors are encountered (Dhawan, 2020). When the students face such kinds of
technical problems, they get depressed (Kim et al., 2005). Whereas, during formal face-to-face
teaching, students do not face such technical problems. Abdelaziz et al. (2011), in their research
on comparing the effectiveness of online learning versus classroom learning, found that nursing
students are satisfied with online learning but they did not prefer to continue. The lack of
technical skills such as interaction with faculty, participation during discussions prevented them
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to continue with online mode of learning. The students preferred recorded lectures over live
online lectures. Kim et al. (2005), in their research, found the university students highly satisfied
with online learning. The students acknowledged the benefit of online learning and liked its
flexibility. They suggested continuous practice with using technology and training in virtual
teaming skills. However, the students reported difficulty in interacting with their peers and
instructors during online learning besides delayed feedback. Dhawan, (2020) also mentioned
that online learning is unengaging due to the lack of personal attention and interaction. Although
online classes provided a lucrative alternative to traditional classes, they were hidden with many
challenges. The immediate problems were lack of access to resources and infrastructure to
conduct online classes, increased workload at home, mental stress and uncertainties due to
pandemic situation. Other problems were related to inadequate training and responsiveness of
administrative authorities which limited the use of online platform.
Thahmeem et al., (2021) explain that shift from physical class to online classes in the Covid-19
pandemic situation has posited opportunities as well as challenges for teachers and students.
Bahar et al., (2020) in their study identify the challenges faced by instructor when conducting
online teaching and learning. This study found several challenges faced by the instructors, which
includes ineffective real-time communications, technology incompetence, low rate of
interactivity and lack of understanding of learner’s characteristics and attitude. Ferrie et al.,
(2020) identify there are several technological, pedagogical and social challenges. The
technological challenges are mainly related to the unreliability of internet connections and many
students lack of necessary electronic devices. The pedagogical challenges are principally
associated with teachers’ and learners’ lack of digital skills, the lack of structured content versus
the abundance of online resources. The social challenges are mainly related to the lack of human
interaction between teachers and students, lack of physical space at home to receive lessons and
the lack of support of parents who are frequently working remotely in the same spaces. Rahimah
et al., (2020) aimed to determine students’ obstacle when learning online system from home
during covid-19 pandemic in their study which indicated that there are obstacles experienced by
students’ during teaching and learning activities due to several reasons such as students were not
able to understand teaching materials, some of the students do not have sufficient internet quota
from their internet subscription.
7. Research Method:
The data were collected with the help of online Google Form which includes closed and open-
ended questions. The Google Form helped in exploring students’ problems encountered during
online PCP classes, and students’ suggestions to overcome them. The closed-ended questions
were related to students’ facing difficulties during online PCP classes, while the open-ended
questions enquired about challenges in their online learning and their recommendations for
improving online education. The respondents for the study included students of DDE
Pondicherry University. The convenient sampling method was used in this research. The
instrument used for collecting data was questionnaire tool. The questionnaire is divided into five
parts. Part-I consists of demographic details of the respondents, Part-II related to participation of
the students in online classes, Part-III related to the impact of online classes on the students, Part-
IV related to communication skills of the students, Part-V related to problems faced by the
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students during online PCP classes, and Part-VI coves to suggestions and rating of online PCP
classes. The data collected were analysed with the help of Google software tools and SPSS
version 25.
8. Data Analysis
In this study a total 262 completely filled questionnaires were received from the first semester /
year DDE Pondicherry University student who attended online Personal Contact Classes (PCP).
In this study it was found that 50.4% students were females and 49.6% students were males. It is
interesting to know that 75.2 % of DDE students are in between the age group of 21-30 years and
17.6% of them are from age group of 31-40 years. It is also revealed that the majority of our
students are studying MBA which is 76.7%. It is also interesting to note that 67.2% students are
unmarried and over half of (56.2 %) them are from urban area whereas,
Table 1. Summary of Demographic Profile of the respondents
Age Percentage Domicile Percentage
Under 20 0.4 Rural 28.2
21-30 75.2 Urban 56.5
31-40 17.6 Semi Urban 15.3
41-50 5.7 Domicile Percentage
50 and above 1.1 Programme Pursuing Percentage
Marital Status Percentage MBA 76.7
Single 67.2 PG 14.9
Married 32.8 UG 08.4
28.2 % of students are from rural area. It is also found out in this study that most of the
students who have attended online PCP classes are having more than 10 years of mobile
experience and 88.2% students are using mobile phones for attending online PCP classes. The
demographics of the sample students are presented in table 1.
These students were asked to indicate the various devices they have used for their online
classes. Of the total, the majority (88.2%) of them used mobiles, less than a third (32.1%) of
them used laptops, small percentage of them used (4.6%) desktops and (3.8%) tablets for their
classes and same shown in Fig 1.
Fig 1. Devices used during online classes
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It is revealed from the Fig 2 that the majority (58.4%) of the students attending PCP classes
suggested using MS Teams, an online platform as their first choice, similarly 48.5% of them
using Google Meet, 31.3% of them through YouTube, 31.3% of them to use Zoom for attending
PCP classes. A small percentage of them also indicated about WebEx, videos and Chrome.
Fig 2. Comfortability of Online Platform

With regard to their two-way communication with their teachers, the majority (78.2%) were able
to but over a fifth (22.8%) of them were not able to communicate properly to their teachers. Of the
total 262 students, 46.6% of the students have attended 5-10 PCP classes, 24% of them attended
less than 5 classes, 15.3% of the students attended 11-20 PCP classes and 14.1% of the students
attended more than 20 PCP classes.
Fig 3. Ability to attend online classes similar to conventional classes
As per Fig 3, 68.7% students were able to attend PCP classes comfortably like any other classes.
Over half (54.2%) of the students preferred to attend PCP classes through online mode, but
18.7% would like to join face to face mode, and 27.1% preferred blended mode of teaching. Of
the total, 64.1% students found online PCP classes are more interesting whereas, 35.9% of them
found them not much interesting as indicated in Fig 4. Over half (52.3%) of the students found the
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online interactive classes are very effective, 39.3% of the students encountered some difficulties
while interacting with teachers, and 8.4% students found interacting with teachers in the online
session was very difficult.
Fig 4. Online PCP classes are more interesting
Over two thirds (71.8%) of students did not find any communication barriers while learning
through online classes whereas 28.2% of them indicated some barriers while learning through
online. The majority (61.8%) of the students were able to follow online PCP classes, 30.5% of
them faced some problems and 7.6% of them felt very difficult to follow online learning.
Fig 5. Effectiveness of teaching in different modes
Out of three modes of learning such as online learning, traditional face to face learning and
blended learning, the traditional mode is most liked by the students followed by online and
blended mode of learning. Most (95.8%) of the students felt that the teachers who are taking
online classes are very much competent to teach in online mode and 63.7% of the students
indicted that it is their preferred mode of writing exam. Which means, after the exam, the student
has to scan the script and send through email to their respective teacher. Less than a fifth (17.2%)
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of the students preferred to write the examinations in traditional mode and 14.9% of them
preferred to write online examinations. About two thirds (63%) of the students used mobile
network while attending online PCP classes, 21.4% used WIFI network, whereas 14.9% used
broadband network for attending online PCP classes. Very often students faced internet speed
related issues.
Fig 6. Mode of network used during online classes

Sometimes students faced quality issue of network and sometime they felt device related issues.
Sometimes students faced psychological issues, home related and communication issues too.
Fig 7. Different issues faced by the students during online classes

The majority (86.6%) of the students opined that they have got sufficient support from DDE staff
while attending online PCP classes thus almost the same percentage (84.4%) of students did not
face any hardware-related issues and 87.4% students did not face any software related issues.
Two-thirds (66.8%) of students indicated that they did not face any network related issues. The
majority (62.2%) of the students contacted their teachers whenever they faced any issues during
online PCP classes, whereas 37.8% did not approach the teachers. The majority (67.9%) of the
students were able to download the PPTs from the DDE website whereas, 32.1% of them not tried
or not able to download. In case of PPT are not available, 54.8% of them indicated that they have
not informed to DDE staff for uploading, whereas, 45.2% of them responded that they have
informed DDE staff to upload the PPTs.
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Fig 8. Comfortability in downloading PPTs from University website

It is also found that DDE students did not face any software issues during their online classes.
Most of the students opined that presentation of content and communication of teachers are very
good whereas, they opined that interaction with the students were also good. Overall 65.3% of
students are satisfied with online PCP classes, 32.8% students rated it average and 19% students
which are negligible rated poor (Fig 9).
Fig 9. Students' satisfaction with online PCP classes
Table 2. Gender and overall satisfaction of online PCP classes

Gender N Mean Std. Deviation t value p value
Male 130 2.72 .486
2.549 .011
Female 132 2.55 .543
The descriptive statistics shows that overall satisfaction of online PCP classes is higher with
Male (Mean=2.72, SD=.486) than Female (Mean=2.55, SD=.543). In order to find out the
significance difference between male and female students, an independent sample t-test was
conducted for which the null hypothesis is formulated as follows:
H01 = There is no significant difference in the overall satisfaction of online PCP classes against
the Gender of the students.
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The null hypothesis is rejected because the p-value of the test statistics is less than the Level of
Significance (p=.011<.05). Which indicate that there is a significant difference between male and
female students with regard to the overall satisfaction of online PCP classes. Based on the results
of descriptive statistics, we can confirm that overall satisfaction of online PCP classes with the
male students is higher than female students.
Table 3. Marital status and overall satisfaction of online PCP classes

Std.
Marital status N Mean t value p value
Deviation
Single 176 2.63 .508 -.381 .703
Married 86 2.65 .548
The descriptive statistics shows that overall satisfaction of online PCP classes in case of married
students (Mean=2.65, SD=.548) is slightly higher than single students (Mean=2.63, SD=.508).
In order to find out the significance difference between single and married, an independent
sample t-test was conducted for which the null hypothesis is formulated as follows:
H02= There is no significant difference in the overall satisfaction of online PCP classes against
the marital status of the students.
p-value of the test statistic is higher than Level of significance (p=.703>.05) therefore, the null
hypothesis is accepted. This indicate that there is no significant difference among marital status
of the students with regard to the overall satisfaction of online PCP classes.
Table 4. Domicile and overall satisfaction of online PCP classes
Domicile N Mean Std. Deviation

Rural 74 2.76 .432
Urban 148 2.56 .562
Semi urban 40 2.68 .474
Total 262 2.63 .521
The descriptive statistics shows that Mean vale of overall satisfaction of Online PCP classes is
high among students from Rural area (mean=2.76, SD=.432) followed by Semi-urban
(mean=2.68, SD=.747) and Urban (mean=2.56, SD=.562). In order to find out the significant
difference in overall satisfaction among the domicile group of students, a one-way ANOVA test is
carried out. The null hypothesis formulated is as follows”
H03 = There is no significant difference in overall satisfaction of online PCP classes against the
domicile of the students.
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Table 5. Domicile and overall satisfaction of online PCP classes Vs Domicile

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
Between Groups 1.975 2 .988 3.715 .026
Within Groups 68.849 259 .266
Total 70.824 261
The p-value of the test statistic is lesser than level of significance (p=.026<.05), therefore the null
hypothesis is rejected. This indicates that there is a significant difference in overall satisfaction of
online PCP classes among their domicile of students.
9. Discussion
In this study, it is revealed male-female ratio is almost 50-50. It is interesting to note that most of
the students are youngsters who are in the age group of 21-30. It is also interesting to note that
most of the DDE students are unmarried. In this study it is revealed that most of the students are
from urban area and participation of urban area is very poor. It is revealed from this study that MS
Team is the most preferred platform for online classes. It is also revealed that students feel
comfortable to attend online PCP classes like any other traditional classes. Most of the students
like to attend PCP classes through online and they feel comfortable and this finding is in align
with the findings of (Kim et al. 2005), in their research, found the university students highly
satisfied with online learning. The students acknowledged the benefit of online learning and liked
its flexibility It is also found that they found interaction interesting and effective which supports
the findings of (Sharma and Bumb, 2021) in their study explains that online classes encouraged
students to attend the lecture as the content in video lectures incorporate interesting features such
as the integration of audio and visual media that make the lectures interactive. however, few
students felt it very difficult. It was found that teachers who are handling online PCP classes are
very competent in online teaching which is in contrast with the findings of (Bahar et al., 2020) in
their study found several challenges faced by the instructors, which includes ineffective real-time
communications, technology incompetence, low rate of interactivity and lack of understanding
of learner's characteristics and attitude. It is revealed from this study that most of the students
using mobile network for attending online classes. Sometimes students face internet speed issue,
network issues and device related issues too. It is also revealed from this study that sometimes
students face psychological issue, home related issues and communication issues too. (Rahimah
et al, 2020) their study indicated that there are obstacles experienced by students' during teaching
and learning activities due to several reasons such as students not able to understand teaching
materials, some of the students do not have sufficient internet quota etc. It is found that overall
satisfaction of online PCP classes is slightly high with male students. Similarly, Rural students
are more satisfied with online PCP classes than semi urban and urban students
10. Conclusion
This study has several implications for online classes several factors such as students, faculty,
management and technological issues which can be improved for the further advancement.
Several students related issues like psychological issues and home-related issues which can be
resolved by individual counselling of the students. Technological issues can be improved by
utilizing appropriate hardware and software. Faculty related issues can be resolved by providing
better training and hands on practice.
96
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Reflective journal writing: a boon for learners' in Distance mode
Kadambini Mishir1 & K.Chellamani2

1
Research Scholar &
2
Abstract
Today it is difficult to reach every learner with a different background by adopting
only one mode of learning i.e., face-to-face or formal system. To reach the unreached
and to make the country educated we have a system of both formal and distance
education. The sources of learning, such as from curriculum development,
preparation of study materials, self-learning materials and various multimedia are
provided to the learners of both types. As we know distance education is though
flexible as compared to formal education, but still it faces problems like learners
feeling isolated, managing study pace, lack of study techniques, and balancing work,
study and family. There are also individualised problems like insufficient study
materials, having a fixed learning style, lack of background knowledge, etc. These
problems are generally occurred due to a lack of direct guidance and supervision by
the institution. Now, for learners in distance learning to make the learning journey to
be continued, overcoming the above-said issues, self-directed learning is very
important.
At this juncture, reflective journal writing gears up the process of self-directed
learning in distance education. It is the reflection of our inner self, which opens the
door for our development. Reflective journal writing generally records ideas,
personal opinions, thoughts, experiences, etc about a concept and helps the learners.
This also helps them to have an idea and provides a suitable environment to implicate
skills they learn. Additionally, it is an efficient way of learning which leads to
metacognition and helps learners to make linking between new information and the
existing schema they have. It develops academic skills, and a better understanding of
a topic, reviews their progress, encourages self-confidence, boosts emotional
intelligence, and critical thinking, makes their goals clear, and develops observation
and critical analysis. These characteristics are basics to make the learning process
self-directed in distance mode. So reflective journal writing is considered a
significant practice to be recommended for the improvement of students' self-
directed learning in distance education.
Keywords: Self-directed learning, reflective journal writing
1. Introduction
We are living in a land of diversity. Our county is the perfect example of unity in diversity. We
have over 100 languages, 705 different tribes, varieties of landscape, culture, and tradition also.
Our nation is a developing nation and the growth and development of our country depend on the
education of our people. However, today it is difficult to reach every learner having different
background by adopting only one mode of learning i.e., Face-to-face or formal system of
education. To reach the unreached and to make the country educated we have a system of both
formal and distance education. Due to the different backgrounds of students or different
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situations, it is not always possible to learn in formal or face-to-face mode, so we can adopt
distance mode of learning. In distance mode of learning students and teachers are in different
places and at different times during learning instruction. The distance education institutions
provide various study materials i.e., Audio, video, printed, etc. to facilitate learning.
Challenges of distance learning
In this modern era, distance learning has significantly developed due to its increased demands.
Although distance learning is flexible as compared to formal education, it also comes with its
share of challenges due to the lack of direct guidance and supervision by the institution. Probably
students do feel demotivated, have chances of misunderstanding concepts and difficulty to get
clarified, are unable to manage their study habits, have communication problems, and feelings of
loneliness. Now, for learners in distance learning to make the learning journey to be continued,
identifying a right strategy related to self-directed learning is very important.
Self-directed learning and distance education
Self-directed learning makes the student confident. In this process of learning, students are
accountable for their learning so they have to create own path, resourceful, identify their learning
needs, formulate goals to accomplish their learning needs, pick suitable strategies to realize their
goals and be able to self-evaluate their learning outcomes. Here learners are expected to be goal-
oriented and activity-oriented. As a result, they can navigate their curriculum. Social,
technological, methodical, and personal are the four pillars of self-directed learning. The social
dimension includes the student's ability to connect and work with a peer in a group so that
students must have skills of communication, evaluating the situation, accountability, arranging
learning activities, and empathy towards others. The methodological dimension refers to the
methods, ways or strategies the students follow during the process of self-directed learning i.e.,
Cooperative learning, learning by discovering, learning by doing, and especially by
metacognition strategies i.e., through their reflections. In addition, self-directed learning has a
personal dimension i.e., students' analytical abilities, self-motivation, critical thinking and to
support the above process technological dimension is necessary.
Reflective journal writing and self-directed learning
As we know self-directed learning is learner-centered, so the learner must have to cultivate some
basic skills needed for it. They must be independent, self-motivated, self-aware, critical thinker,
good observer, self-regulator, self-evaluator, and dare to take risks.
In this condition, reflective journal writing gears up the process of self-directed learning in
distance mode education by cultivating basic skills. Reflective journal writing is an image of our
inner self, which opens the door for our development. Reflection is a process of thinking, which
can be done before, during, or after a lesson. The Purpose of reflection is to learn from own
experiences. Learners when consciously consider, review and evaluate their own learning
experiences in this situation reflection occur. Reflective journal writing generally records ideas,
personal opinions, thoughts, experience, etc. about a concept and helps learners to develop
themself. Reflective journal writing allows students to reflect on learned new knowledge and
record their own evolving thought process, which makes their learning experience stronger.
Generally, reflection has four criteria i.e. (a) It is a process that transfers the learner from one
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experience to another, which provides a deeper understanding about the relation and connection
to other experiences and ideas (b) reflection is an organized, and disciplined way of thinking
which provides scientific enquiry about its root, (c) reflection happens in community, and (d) it
needs attitudes which value one's own personal and intellectual growth.
Phases of reflection
Generally, there are five phases of reflection and these phases are based on the scientific method.
(a)Experience - In the first phase the learner has to perceive the fact, situation, and information.
As we know the things, the basis of our belief about a concept or situation is what we have
seen directly.
(b)Spontaneous interpretation - In this phase, the learner interprets and suggests what he
perceived in the first stage from his experience. Therefore, interpretation is depending on
the person's own interest, attitude, desire, and preference.
(c)Identifying the problem - This is the most difficult phase of reflecting writing. Here the
learner identifies or formulates some problems and these problems are based on the
complexities and completeness of data he has gathered and generated in phase -2. The
quality of data here depends on the leaner's ability to perceive and paying attention.
(d) Generating Explanation - Here individual focuses on the suggestion from phase 2. He has
to either develop the suggestion or reject them just like a hypothesis in research. So, the
learner compares, analyses, and synthesizes his previous and current experience to know
in-depth about the suggestion. He can also use various sources of information. Because of
this process, a number of possible connections are generated.
(e)Experimentation - This phase includes some actions and reactions which always result in
disequilibrium. One feels that an experience is suitable, meaningful, and can be utilised in
the future, yet it may also raise more questions, more problems, more ideas, and results in a
cyclical process. Therefore, here the testing becomes the next experiment.
Self-assessment
Self-assessment is the root of self-directed learning. Because of regular reflective journal
writing, students become able to self-assess their learning. They can systematically organise and
evaluate their own feedback. Because of their own evaluation, they know their learning need.
Then according to their learning need, they can choose or prepare their unique learning strategies.
Self-assessment makes their understanding in-depth which leads to storing the concepts in long-
term memory forever. Regular self-assessment promotes critical analysis, decision-making, and
logical thinking which leads to make learning self-directed.
Goal-directed
After reflective writing, students can also prepare their own goals of learning and the time needed
to fulfil their goals. According to their goals, they can decide the pace and strategies needed for
their learning. A goal-oriented student has self-awareness; he can plan his learning activities;
process his planning and monitor his progress throughout the course. In this process of
monitoring, he can do his own SWOT analysis. Then he takes advantage of his strength, prepares
various learning strategies to overcome his weakness, prepares various measures for his future
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threat, and properly utilises the opportunities he has. By following the above, the student
becomes automatically self-regulated which is an important component of metacognition.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is very much important during writing a reflective journal. Learners become self-
aware if they only stay focused on their learning process. The student has to manage their process
of learning by planning, monitoring and evaluating. They have to analyse their reflection in every
phase of learning as a result they become self-aware. It helps students to regulate their thinking
process and aware of how much time is left, and what will be the pace of their learning to reach
their goals in an estimated course. After they reach the goal, they can also evaluate their outcome,
identify their weakness, and prepare a strategy to overcome them. Therefore, students with
higher self-awareness lead to better learning outcomes.
Metacognition
Reflective journal writing leads to increase metacognitive skills. It is a process of self-awareness,
which helps learners how to learn and how to use the available resources and information to
achieve his goal. As metacognition is the monitoring of own thinking process, students can
cultivate it by writing their reflection regularly. In this process, students consider how they think,
what they think, what will be their learning goal, and the path towards their goal. Here learners
reflect on what they want, why they want that, what will be the way to achieve their goal, and
which strategy they can adopt to reach their goal, etc. As a result, students have control on their
own learning process. This is the key in self-directed distance learning.
Metacognitive strategies are the pattern, techniques, or ways by which a learner is able to manage
his own learning by planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Metacognitive strategies include
higher order thinking which focuses on both the process and product of learning. Writing
reflective journal is one of the metacognitive strategies, which is self-monitoring and self-
regulating.
In this model (1.1) of Metacognitive strategies, we use an advanced organiser to explain the
metacognitive strategies. The advanced organiser is the teaching model of David Ausubel (1960)
which is based on meaningful verbal learning and is in contrast to rote memorisation.
Presentation of advanced organisation is the first phase of metacognitive strategies. It has
generally based on 3 phases-
Phase -1, the teac her has to clarify aim and objective of lesson, identify way to achieve, explain
the content with examples, repeat it again for backbenchers, make students aware about the
concept and its application.
Phase - 2, the teacher presents a learning task and support materials for it. The supported
materials are organised in logical order.
Phase - 3, the teacher analyses the organisation of supported materials and helps to apply these in
suitable task. This can be done by a pre-recorded audio or video study material in distance mode.
In the 2nd stage of functional planning, students have to plan their own learning process i.e., they
have to set clear objectives of learning task, the time needed to attain objectives, the pace of their
learning process, etc. Then in the 3rd stage of direct attention, students have to direct their
attention to achieve the objectives or to complete their learning task, here they have to arrange the
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learning activities according to their priority. In the 4th stage of self-management, i.e., students
have to calculate the time and pace needed to attain remaining objectives, select an appropriate
learning style suitable for them, and also access their own study material according to the need. In
the 5th stage of the Selective attention phase, i.e., the learners are required to direct their attention
or they have to only focus on that specific aspect which is directly related to the goal only. In the
6th stage of monitoring phase, students have to monitor their learning process i.e., till now what is
their progress, how can they complete the remaining learning task, and also what will be helpful
to reach the goal, what will be their pace of learning, etc. In the 7th stage of Orchestration phase,
i.e., students are required to coordinate all their activities simultaneously i.e., learning activities,
adaption, and planning of activities for a specific objective, real-time and pace management, etc.
under multiple constraints. In the 8th stage of regulation phase, students manage and organise
their knowledge and convert them to skills and are able to identify the most efficient strategy
suddenly in a real-life situation. In evaluation i.e., Self-evaluation students can evaluate their
own learning process. They can systematically observe, analyse and improve their own work
without any anxiety, or stress. Here they can use their own feedback and identify their weakness
and to overcome this they can adopt appropriate strategies, which lead to better learning
outcomes in self-directed distance education.
Higher order thinking skill
Reflective writing also leads to develop critical thinking, which helps learners in evaluating the
situation before taking any decision and this is very important in self-directed distance education.
Reflective writing is an effective way to cultivate higher-order thinking skills among students. It
is considered as part of higher-order thinking skills because it involves cognitive, affective,
social, and metacognitive aspects. Here the cognitive aspect of reflective writing helps the
learner to in-depth understanding of his learning process and metacognitive perspective helps
students to critically observe and analyse the facts, ideas, thoughts and logically organise them
into a new schema. The affective aspect helps the learners to express and describe inner feeling,
emotion, and sentiment in written form which reflects their value, thought and ideas. Therefore,
reflective writing skills have a key role in self-directed distance learning.
Journal writing engages students in higher-order thinking processes such as abstract thinking,
brainstorming, reasoning; critical thinking, creativity, and self-questioning which motivate
learners' interest, curiosity about the environment around them, and discovering new ideas, and
facts. We know writing does not produce any desired result unless it is associated with any
metacognitive strategies like writing reflection on a specific concept. Therefore, journal writing
is the base of intrinsic motivation among learners and leads to self-directing their learning.
Self-regulation
Students become self-regulated after regular practice of writing reflective journals. It is the
ability to control our own activities, towards the achievement of our learning goals which are
difficult to achieve naturally. The process of developing self-regulation includes planning all
learning activities by themselves i.e. (1) Learners have to set their learning goal according to the
intended purposes of content. (2) Try to activate relevant prior knowledge, which is stored in
long-term memory. (3) Identify their metacognitive knowledge i.e. their strength and weakness
in cognitive processing of the current task, memorisation of dates in history, etc.
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1.1 Model on Metacognitive Strategies

METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES
Self-regulation of an individual involves one's own interpersonal and intrapersonal self-regulation.

The development of interpersonal and intrapersonal self-regulation processes takes place in some
main domains: (i) self-awareness, (ii) Emotional intelligence, (iii) self-motivation, (iv) maintaining
relationships in society (vi) self-assessment. The characteristics of this domain are reflected in the
student's reflective writing which can help them to self-direct their learning.
105
Conclusion
A reflection is not only a document of self-analysis; it is a diary of one's own life and a forum for
free self-expression. Reflective journal writing helps a learner to in-depth understanding and a
learner can recall, recognize and understand information meaningfully, and can also cultivate
various practices for their meaningful learning i.e. taking risk of his own learning and attainment
of goals, systematically evaluating his own learning goal, applied the learned experience in real
life situation, trying new technique and ideas to learn and understand the complex concept,
enhance the quality of learning through reflective reasoning which contributes to meaningful
learning. These above practices act as a catalyst for better learning outcomes in self-directed
distance learning. Therefore, reflective journal writing is a bridge to continue learning in self-
directed distance learning and the outcome of distance learning depends on the self-directed
learning of the students. Therefore, it should be a part of the curriculum to encourage reflective
journal writing among students at all levels.
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Metacognitive Strategies Implementation on Student Reading Comprehension
Achievement. International Journal of Instruction. 13(2), 847-862.
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on Students Self -Regulated Learning Strategies. International Journal of environmental
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How Open Educational Resources can be used as a

Learning Platform in Distance Education for self learning?
Nidhi Singh Rathour1 & Ramesh M2

Research Scholar
Department of Education
IGNTU Amarkantak M.P.
Email:nidhisinghigntu@gmail.com
&
Assistant professor
IGNTU Amarkantak M.P.
Abstract
Distance education means there is geographical separation to fulfill
educational needs and no face-to-face teaching and learning occur. For that,
distance education institutes provide learning materials to their learners for
conceptual understanding and fruitful learning that can be helpful for their
future or completion of a particular course to achieve a degree or certificate.
In this context, Open Educational Resources (OER) (according to the
UNESCO 2019 definition, OER as “Teaching, learning and research
materials that make use of appropriate tools, such as open licensing, to
permit their free reuse, continuous improvement and re-purposing by others
for educational purposes”) can be beneficial for increasing access to quality
resources at no cost and because of its principles: Retain, Reuse, Revise,
Remix and Redistribute. Different open and distance education institutes
provide the training programme to academic staff and other members who
want to learn, use, and create OER with collaboration or individually in the
national and international platforms, like- Commonwealth of Learning,
IGNOU, NCERT, etc. UGC approved short-term courses provided to the
academic staff of distance education institutes related to OER. The paper
focuses on several initiatives taken by the Government of India to promote
the use and creation of OER for online and distance education for self-
learning. It also focuses on how OER can be helpful in teaching and learning.
What are the challenges? And suggestions for the implementation.
Keywords: Open Educational Resources (OER), Distance Education, Self-
learning, National Initiatives
Introduction
Distance education means there is geographical separation to fulfill educational needs and no
face-to-face teaching and learning occur. But uses media to share self-learning materials, either
printed or non-printed (audio, video, documents, computers, internet, radio, and television
107
broadcast). Distance education promotes self-learning without discriminating learners with age,
year of graduation, study period, registration time, and frequency of examinations. The only
limitation is that student must complete their school education. Distance learning means
separation between students and teachers, which means students have to be able to learn
independently. Self-learning is a method of learning where students can learn at their own speed
means self-management for learning. Self-learning has some patterns of programmed learning
and computer-assisted learning. Further, the present paper focuses on using Open Educational
Resources for self-learning for students from distance institutes.
Open Educational Resources (OER) is widely used in education and has gained attention. The
rapid growth of OER provides new opportunities for teaching and learning. Several Indian
initiatives promoting the adaptation of OER in self-learning and regular teaching and learning
are also mentioned in the current paper. Additionally, this paper focuses on challenges using OER
that are economical, technical, social, etc., and suggestions have been given to create OER based
self-learning environment for distance learners learning in distance institutions.
Distance Education
The concept of distance education evolved in education when Sir Issac Pitman started
conducting his course in shorthand via the new Penny post. And it has grown from a postal
delivery system to a multimedia-based educational delivery. It has different names:
correspondence education, Distance Education and Open Education. It is also known as distance
learning, web-based, e-learning, online learning, home study courses, etc.
Correspondence education is a process based on distributing teaching materials and
interconnection between the teacher and the learner if needed. Correspondence education mostly
depends on printed materials distributed by post, and learners pursue their education at their own
place, pace, and time with the help of posted materials.
In the word of Dohmen, "Distance education is a systematically organized form of self-study in
which counseling, the presentation of learning materials and securing and supervising of
students success is carried out by a team of teachers each of whom has responsibilities. It is made
possible at a distance by means of media which can cover long distances" (Dohmen, 1990). With
the development of information and communication technology, it was felt that numerous non-
print media such as Radio, Television, Telephone, Computer, etc., could be used as instructive
mode. Many countries have started using these ICT tools to support distance education.
Currently, there are 13 State Open universities set up by individual state grants and are single-
mode institutions, which means they provide education only in the distance mode (Ministry of
Education, n.d.). In India, 54 distance learning institutes provide higher education and offer
courses to complete Post Graduation, Degree, Certificate, PG Diploma, and Diploma for career
people with jobs, children, disabilities, or other people who cannot attend campus or classes.
Distance education is a procedure through which the learners or students are instructed using
different sources such as night classes, web, video-conferencing, audio tapes or podcasts, and so
on to gain an additional qualification.
Distance education imparting knowledge aims to support personal growth, training for a better
profession, professional development, and changing attitude. For the delivery of education, it
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uses print in combination with ICT. Multimedia provides interaction between learners, teachers,
and institutions, especially print which builds the teacher in the self-learning materials. Distance
education promotes self-learning for the personal or professional growth of an individual.
Self-learning
Self-learning is defined as organizing the educational material to allow each learner to achieve
progress appropriate to his personal competencies and desires and provide academic guidance
and support for his individual needs. It is also defined as a pattern of planned and organized
education in which the learner exercises educational activities by himself and moves from one
activity to another to achieve the educational goals decided freely and at the speed that suits him,
with the help of self-evaluation (Hussein, Nima., 2020). Self-learning is one of the crucial
methods of learning. It consents learners to employ learning skills effectively determined via
learners' craving, empowers learning at all times, and helps them to develop their preparations,
proficiencies, & capabilities in line with their requirements, engrossment, and predispositions.
Self-learning has some patterns like Programmed Education and Computer-assisted learning,
which are the most important. According to the definition and concepts related to self-learning,
anyone can understand that self-learning is an essential part of learning for an individual, and the
concept of distance education also indicates that education with own place, pace, and time with
some instruction. Distance education institutions provide self-learning materials to their learners
for conceptual understanding. Still, if learners want to explore their knowledge with different
kinds of verified and authentic resources, they can access them easily and openly if they know the
terms and conditions. Many accurate and verified resources are available in the form of Open
Educational Resources produced by different reputed educational institutions, educational
organizations, and governmental websites.
Open Educational Resources
Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning, teaching, and research materials in any format
and medium that reside in the public domain or are under the copyright that has been released
under an open license that permits no-cost access, reuse, re-purpose adaptation, and
redistribution by others (UNESCO, n.d.). Similarly, according to the William and Flora Hewlett
Foundation, "OER are teaching, learning and research resources that reside in the public domain
or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-
purposing by others. OER includes full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming
videos, tests, software, and other tools, materials or techniques used to support access to
knowledge." It means open educational resources are freely available for anyone to use in
different forms. For the self-learning purpose, OER can be beneficial for learners. For the
development and use of OER, governments of various countries have taken initiatives to
disseminate knowledge globally at no cost, in an available form, accessible to all.
As mentioned by the Commonwealth of Learning in the course' Understanding of Open
Educational Resources' between 1999 to 2019, continuous work has been done in the field of
OER and still working on developing resources and disseminating knowledge worldwide.
Open Educational resources are available on different global platforms like Massachusetts
Institute of Technology as courseware, MERLOT (Multimedia Education Resource for Learning
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and Online Teaching), TED Talks, OpenStax, Open Learn, Coursera, Wikibooks, Saylor
Foundation, Wikimedia, Wikieducator, CK-12, Itunes, Creative commons, Commonwealth of
learning, China Open Resources for Education, Open Educational Resources at the Open
University of Sri Lanka, KYOTOU Open Courseware, etc. In this continuation, the government
of India has also taken the initiative to overcome the learner problem related to accessing
education with numerous difficulties, high-cost and verified materials for their learning, and
given solutions in the form of Open Educational Resources.
Several Indian Initiatives on Open Educational Resources
India adopted the OER movement in 2007 and gained support from the government and other
agencies. The Indian OER movement aims to digitize the current educational system and enrich
students with quality learning. The followings are some of the open-access initiatives that have
contributed significantly to the development of OERs in India:
1. NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) – This is a joint
initiative of the IITs and IISc, supported and sponsored by the Ministry of Education,
Government of India, started in 2003. It offers close to 600+ courses and is the most wide-
ranged online repository in the world. Provided engineering, introductory sciences courses,
and selected humanities and management subjects. It is a good platform for an individual
learner with subject experts. The content in the form of video is also available on YouTube
with subtitles and regional Indian languages, which can be accessible by any individual.
NPTEL MOOCs began offering open online courses in march 2014, and now possible for
any individual outside the IIT Structure to do an online certification course from NPTEL
and get a certificate from the Indian Institute of Technology. People can take education from
home through this initiative.
2. Digital Library of India - This is a collective project by 21 institutions in India and currently
functioning by IISc, Bangalore. It aims to provide digitalized, non-copyrighted books by
multiple authors from the library across India.
3. National Digital Library- This is developed by IIT Kharagpur to bring free access to content
in English and other regional languages on a public network.
4. Shodhganga – This is a digital repository of Indian theses and synopses submitted by
doctorates and research students. This platform allows anyone to search theses submitted
by different Indian universities and institutions. More than 3 lakh theses and more than 8
thousand synopses are available on this platform.
5. NROER (National Repository of Open Educational Resources) – It was launched in New
Delhi on August 13, 2013. NROER has a massive amount of educational resources for
Primary, Secondary, and Senior Secondary levels in various disciplines and Indian
languages. Available in multiple formats, including video, audio, images, documents, etc.
The educational content was contributed by SCERT, SIERT, SIE, Vigyan Prasar, CCERT,
Gujrat Institute of Educational Technology, SIET, and other stakeholders.
6. E-Gyankosh - is a national digital repository for sorting, indexing, preserving,
disseminating, and sharing digital learning resources created by different open and distance
education institutions in India. Course materials are free to download in the form of a PDF.
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7. NIOS (National Institute for Open Schooling) - It is another OER effort of India's Ministry
of Human Resource Development. It is the world's most extensive schooling system. Its
mission is to provide universal and flexible access to high-quality school education and skill
development and a vision to promote sustainable, inclusive learning.
8. Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) - The University Grants Commission
established the CEC as one of the University Centers for developing and disseminating
educational programmes for higher education. Programmes are available as Audio, Visual,
and Web-based.
9. E-PG Pathshala - This is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development
under its National Mission on Education through ICT (NME-ICT) being executed by the
UGC. This platform has more than 20 thousand e-texts, more than 19 thousand videos,
more than 32 hundred experts, more than 30 thousand quizzes, and e-content in 70 Subjects
across all disciplines of social sciences, arts, fine arts, and humanities, natural &
mathematical sciences. Every subject has a team of the principal investigator, paper
coordinators, content writers, content reviewers, Language editors, and a multimedia team.
10. Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – Another effort of the University of Delhi is the
Virtual learning environment institute for lifelong learning for both graduate and post-
graduate levels. It offers e-learning in Commerce and management studies, humanities and
social sciences, sciences, and mathematics. It provides a host of collaborative tools based
on web 2.0 to deal with the several needs of the teaching and learning community.
Apart from these, there are many other initiatives in developing and using OER by the
government of India to enhance quality-based self-learning.
Fig 1: Representing different Open Educational Resources initiatives in India.
Use of OER in distance education as self-learning materials

As Open Educational resources are unrestricted to use by an individual so this can be helpful for
learners from distance education institutions to complete their courses or gain additional
knowledge for their lifelong learning. Various platforms discussed above in the current paper
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give free access to resources and courses developed by professional and reputed institutions and
funded by the government of India with numerous resources. Web portals and platforms
providing OER in the form of video, audio, audio-visual, documents, and others can meet the
individual need of learning with their own pace of learning, and they can also manage time to find
appropriate resources if they are aware of it.
If an individual is enrolled in any one distance education institution and he or she has been
provided learning material by the particular institution, and that is in only PDF format which he
or she is not interested to read without listening, then he or she can use another accessible
resource as OER developed by the other institution. If they want to explore knowledge and
contribute so easily, they can.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, institutions have realized that regular education is at threat and
has become distance education. But to maintain the quality of education, educators and learners
have used different platforms for their educational needs and explored available material in the
form of OER. OER can be an effective way of endorsing lifelong learning, connecting informal
and formal learning. Now educators and learners know the importance of Open Educational
Resources and online learning, ensuring their education for skill development and rebuilding
their careers.
Additionally, they can be an asset for mounting education in developing countries. In short, they
offer an intensely new approach to sharing information, which can lead to the economic success
of individuals, communities, companies, and, ultimately, entire countries (MacDowell, 2010).
Chief Executive Officer Jeff Maggioncalda said, “Students globally are demanding high-quality
online learning options. Universities are ushering in a new digital transformation era”.
According to Coursera's inaugural 2020 impact report, India ranks second on an online learning
platform with 9.8 million online learners. The National Education Policy 2020 also focuses on
digitalizing education and the multidisciplinary education system. Global learners are now
accessing online courses to expand their knowledge and skill to meet global needs. In this regard,
OER can benefit the learner in every aspect: technical and economical because OER is affordable
due to no-cost or low cost and easy access.
OER in teaching and learning
From the educator's or teacher's perspective, OER can be helpful for their teaching, and it can
make the teaching process very easy as OER are freely available and in digitalized formats that
can be accessed immediately. OER can be distributed to the student at no cost. Open textbooks,
coursewares, repositories, websites, journals, and magazines can be tailored to meet the specific
needs of the course content and the context in which the teacher taught. OER can manipulate as
mentioned in its principle of using and re-purposing OER as 5R. OER enables educators'
academic freedom and professional autonomy to adapt learning material to suit students' needs
rather than commercially published material. OER can include assessment tools and software
such as quizzes to evaluate student learning progress. The educator can also involve their
students as co-creators and contributors.
From the learner's perspective, OER can be helpful for them as alternate learning sources from
which they can learn, manage and contribute resources and promote sharing culture. They can
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edit, modify, and maintain resources as per their need. As OER is available in digitalized form,
students can highlight, add notes, and comments to their course material to enhance learning. It
can be accessed remotely for self-learning. OER ensures fair access to all learners that are openly
& freely available and remove the financial burden of traditional resources.
Challenges while using OER for self-learning
The biggest challenge while using OER is that educators and learners do not know where to find
resources. They think it is time-consuming, so they are not using it to complete their course.
There is no institutional support for using OER for learning. Some people said that there is not
enough OER for a specific subject. It could probably be due to a lack of awareness about the
sources to find available OER or insufficient information retrieval skills (Ogunbodede, K. F. et
al., 2021, p. 149). Some learners are not using OER due to less knowledge of its copyright license
and intellectual property issues. Many educators and learners feel it is unfair to copy others' work
due to the predominant traditional mindset. But to remove this obstacle to using OER, the
Creative commons licensing pattern was introduced to get attribution and release from possible
loss of intellectual property rights. The paper presented by Prof. Cheryl Hodgkinson–Williams in
2010 identifies the technical, economic, social, and legal challenges of using OER. Every work
has benefits and challenges, but if educators and learners only focus on challenges and do not
seek solutions, their learning will suffer. We can follow some suggestions to overcome the
obstacles while accessing resources like OER for self-learning.
Suggestions for implementation of the use of OER in distance education for self-learning
There are some ways in which we can promote the adoption of Open Educational Resources in
self-learning. A researcher has suggested using an online platform for the awareness and
adoption of OER for self-learning because here, the focus on the learner from distance education
institutions -
1. Online workshops and seminars can be conducted on awareness and adoption of OER to
promote self-learning for lifelong understanding.
2. Online Conferences can help make learners aware of using OER in their learning
procedures for different types of knowledge and understanding of a concept.
3. Online Capacity Building Programmes with experts in the creation and use of OER.
4. Online Faculty Development Programme on Open Educational Resources
5. Online Intervention Programme on Open Educational Resources helps to find resources
and their appropriate use in respective subjects.
6. Online Research forums on Open Educational Resources can be conducted at specific
intervals.
7. Promoting research on Open Educational Resources to engage learners so they can also use
and create resources on a global platform.
8. Collaboration of open and distance institutions with other institutions to provide
knowledge on how to access their institutional libraries and repositories, courseware that
will benefit the learners.
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9. The government has taken initiatives but still needs policies to implement the use of OER in
an institution, and contribution is an essential aspect.
10. According to David Wiley, OER has its principle that engages users in the 5R activities:
Retain, Re-use, Revise, Remix, Redistribute and this practice can increase learner's access
and create OER if they are aware of all the terms and conditions, licenses, to use OER for
their learning.
Conclusion
The emerging trends of Educational technology and digitalized education systems promote the
widely used of e-contents or material available in different formate. The covid-19 pandemic and
closure of educational institutions increased access to education through distance mode and self-
learning is the most used method of learning from various platforms. In this context, using OER
can be beneficial, as the paper mentioned how OER gives access to learners and educators
without financial burden and loss of intellectual property rights. Adopting OER can increase the
quality of education so the distance education institution should take steps to inform learners
about the learning resources that are widely accessible for free. Using OER can enhance
knowledge sharing and remove the barriers for self-learners to access resources to develop skills
for lifelong learning.
References
Commonwealth of learning. (2015). Understanding Open Educational Resources. Under
creative commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence (International): :
http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-sa/4.0. https://www.oerknowledgecloud.org/
archive/2015_Butcher_Moore_Understanding-OER.pdf
Dohmen, G. (1990). New Challenges to Adult Education in West Germany. Adult Learning,
1(6), 28–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/104515959000100611
Hodgkinson-Williams, C. (2010). Benefits and Challenges of OER for higher education
institutions. Commonwealth of Learning. http://hdl.handle.net/11599/3042
Hussein, Nima. (2020). Self-Learning. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354478223
MacDowell, E. A. (2010). Using open educational resources to help students understand the
sub-prime lending crisis. Journal of Business Education, 3(11), 85-92.
Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Distance learning (State Open Universities). Department of
Education, Government of India. https://www.education.gov.in/en/technology-enabled-
learning-sou
Ogunbodede, K. F., Nwachokor, I. M. & Aminikpo, R. N. (2021). Awareness and use of Open
Educational Resources by Academic Staff of Federal College of Education Technical
Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. River State University Journal of Education (RSUJOE),
24(1), 144-153. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352796182
UNESCO. (n.d.). Open Educational Resources. https://www.unesco.org/en/ communication-
information/open-solutions/open-educational-resources#
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Discovery Learning in the Classroom
Dr. Nataraja R
Assistant Professor
Hasanamba College of Education
Vidyanagar, Hassan, Karnataka,
Email: natarajrm23@gmail.com
Abstract
New sorts of learning are continuously being executed by instructive organizations,
with an end goal to work on the quality and notoriety of their own establishments, and
obviously to better the nature of training that their understudies and students get.
New and creative techniques have become ordinary in schools, and colleges, and one
of these fascinating strategies for learning is discovery learning.
Discovery learning is a sort of instruction that depends on the understudy making
sense of things, investigating issues, and seeking clarification on pressing issues.
Basically, everything really revolves around understudies arriving at their own
decisions and getting some information about things in their course that probably
won't appear to be legit. Clearly, when inquiries are made, they can learn new things
and consequently will have become pieces of an imaginative, provocative and
fascinating instructive excursion. Top clinicians in most nations have advanced this
sort of learning. The paper examines the various aspects of Discovery Learning.
Specifically, the paper discusses: what is Discovery Learning, the background and
characteristics of Discovery Learning, the advantages and disadvantages of
Discovery Learning, how to successfully implement the Discovery Learning method
in the classroom and the conclusion. This paper was prepared purely based on
secondary data collected from various sources.
Keywords: Discovery learning, classroom learning, Disclose Learning techniques.
What is Discovery Learning?

Discovery Based Learning is a technique for Request Based Guidance that was presented by
Jerome Bruner. This famous hypothesis propels the understudies to expand on previous
encounters and information, utilize their instinct, creative mind, and imagination, as well as quest
for new data to figure out realities, connections, and new insights. Learning doesn't similarly
assimilate information exchanged or read however effectively looks for answers and
arrangements.
John Dewey broadly expounded on understudy-focused learning in the early piece of the
twentieth hundred years. In his book The Kid and the Educational plan, he focused on that
youngsters need an opportunity to investigate, insight and associate data to comprehend and
assimilate dynamic standards really. Dewey likewise felt that educational program ought not to
be made fascinating to understudies, however ought to rather as of now hold any importance with
understudies to stay away from aloofness. One of the most utilized renditions of understudy-
focused learning is the Discovery Learning Strategy.
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Background and Characteristics

The Disclosure Learning Technique is a functioning, active way of learning, began by Jerome
Bruner during the 1960s. Bruner underscored that we ought to be "advancing by doing." With this
technique, understudies effectively take an interest rather than latently getting information.
Understudies cooperate with their current circumstance by investigating and controlling articles,
grappling with questions and discussions or performing tests. They are urged to think, seek
clarification on some pressing issues, estimate, theorize, coordinate and team up with others.
They foster trust in critical thinking and feel happy with utilizing the information they as of now
have. Rather than an understudy being a vacant vessel for an educator to load up with
information, the Revelation Learning Strategy thinks that all understudies have some foundation
information that they might have the option to apply to the current ongoing subject.
The Disclosure Learning Technique is a constructivist hypothesis, meaning it depends on the
possibility that understudies develop their own comprehension and information on the world
through encountering things and pondering those encounters. Willy Wonka broadly said "We are
the music creators. We are the visionaries of dreams." Willy Wonka was a constructivist and his
production line continually utilized the Disclosure Learning Technique. That is the very thing
that made his Chocolate Production line so energizing to youngsters and grown-ups the same
there was active learning and attempting in his plant. Truly, a portion of the outcomes wasn't
ideal, yet each time something happened to a youngster, an Oompa Loompa would sing a melody
emphasizing the illustration, yet additionally reminding the kids and grown-ups that they ought
to have realized something would happen in light of their earlier information. This active
methodology made long-lasting illustrations no one (not even the people watching it from the
solace of their own homes) could at any point neglect.
The Disclosure Learning Technique is likewise exceptional in the way it presents issues.
Educators will give understudies an issue and a few assets to settle it. This idea alone is altogether
different from standard science tests you might recall when you were growing up. Most science
instructors would give the guidelines for a trial, play out the examination, show the after effect of
the investigation, and afterward grade the understudies on their reviews of the investigation.
There's very little revelation happening when understudies see each step and the ideal result
before they even endeavour it all alone. Understudies are just playing out an errand they watched
another person do.
The Disclosure Learning Technique might have a particular outcome, yet the emphasis is on the
means and the decisive reasoning engaged with arriving. Instructors need to notice the cycle, not
simply grade a composed paper toward the finish of the experience.
Instructive Therapist Jean Piaget saw youngsters as little savants and researchers fabricating
their own speculations of information. The book Involved Science Showing best sums up this:
"Piaget's exploration plainly orders that the learning climate ought to be wealthy in actual
encounters. Contribution, he states, is the way to scholarly turn of events, and for the primary
school youngster this incorporates direct actual control of items."
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Discovery Learning

Benefits
 Students produce information for them as opposed to determined what is good and
bad.
 By finding current realities, students will have a firmer perception of the thinking
behind why something is genuine.
Disadvantages
 An excess of student opportunity might occupy students from their objectives.
 This can be a tedious strategy as students reveal data and learn at their own speed. It
can, consequently, be trying to carry out in school regions that are loaded with
educational plan results that should be met.
How to Bring Discovery Learning to Your Classroom
We can integrate Revelation Learning into your homeroom to support every one of your
understudies. The following are some of the thoughts to start with:
1) Assign interviews to spark curiosity
Assist understudies with finding the astounding data they can accumulate by simply conversing
with individuals. Dole out a meeting, and have understudies compose a synopsis of what they
realized, what shocked them, and the benefits of gaining data straightforwardly from a source.
2) Have understudies go it alone
The absolute best disclosure learning projects are done performance. Give your understudies an
issue or likely to explore all alone. Urge them to involve innovation as a component of their
exploration, and afterward have they returned together to see what everybody realized and what
they found without help from anyone else.
3) Consolidate information-based projects
Dole out information that is connected with a theme, and urge understudies to examine, seek
clarification on some pressing issues, and structure their own decisions. They'll see not just that
knowing how to unbiased investigate information gives them knowledge into the point they are
learning, yet in addition how information examination abilities are strong external the study hall.
4) Do a virtual analyzation
Here and there, active materials are hard to find (or buy). All things considered, utilize a virtual
analysis to urge understudies to find out how things work. Understudies can examine and pose
inquiries without getting a surgical tool.
5) Encourage mistakes and productive struggle
At the point when understudies assume command over their own learning, botches are
unavoidable. In any case, botches are important for Revelation Learning. Giving ideal input,
rapidly adjusting botches, and persistently reassuring understudies to keep at it are basic to urge
understudies to push through troublesome issues. These tips can get you rapidly while heading to
bring Disclosure Learning into your homeroom.
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Conclusion
Generally speaking, instructive clinicians exceptionally uphold the Disclosure Strategy. They
concur with Kant, Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner as well as instructive scholar Dewey that
learning depends on knowing and doing. Assuming an educator thinks about that a youngster
as of now has some earlier information, then, at that point, that instructor will actually want to
show understudies how their lives are associated with the substance without attempting to
make that association.
It takes work to effectively utilize the Revelation Learning Technique in the study hall, and
educators must be mindful so as to not have class exercises only for having exercises. The
Disclosure Learning Strategy is involved, centers on the interaction, and urges understudies to
search for arrangements. Rather than simply training understudies to retain rules or ideas, this
strategy allows them to apply thoughts to their lives, making noteworthy illustrations that will
assist with transforming them into deep-rooted students.
References
Vera Mirzoyan (2021, Jun 17), Discovery-Based Learning: Definition, Principles, and
Techniques. https://uteach.io/articles/discovery-based-learning-definition-principles-
and-techniques
The Online teacher resource; teAchnology. https://www.teachnology.com/teachers/
methods/theories/discovery.html
Eric ng (2017, Feb 27): Bring discovery learning to your classroom with these 5 ideas |
instructional content. https://www.showbie.com/bring-discovery-learning-to your-
classroom-with-these-5-ideas/
(2018, April 23): Discovery Learning Method; Inventionland Education; Bringing innovation
to Education. https://inventionlandeducation.com/discovery-learning-method
Matthew Lynch (2021, Jan 20): How To Implement Discovery Learning In Your Classroom:
https://www.theedadvocate.org/how-to-implement-discovery-learning-in-your-
classroom/
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Preferred Learning Styles of Postgraduate students:

An Analysis of Distance Education Learners
J. Sasipriyaa1 & R. Rajkumar2

1
Principal, Krishnasree College of Education for Women,
Tiruchengode, Namakkal.
Email:sasi.j.priya@gmail.com
2
Assistant Professor, Krishna College of Education for Women,
Tiruchengode, Namakkal.
Email:rlrajmoocs@gmail.com
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the learning styles of postgraduate students based on
three dimensions such as visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning styles. According
Keefe (1979), learning style refers to characteristics of the cognitive, affective, and
physiological behaviours that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners
perceive, interact with, and respond to learning environment. The study includes the
categorical variables subject, gender, locality of the residence, nature of stay, nature
of the institution, nature of administration, and locality of the institution. In this study
406 postgraduate students from government, government-aided, and private
colleges in Salem district were selected through stratified sampling technique and
survey method was adopted for the study. Learning Styles scale is constructed with
contained 20 items. Its reliability value was 0.78. The data collected were subjected
to applied math techniques like t-test and F-test. The finding of this study reveals that
postgraduate students have preferred visual learning style then followed by auditory
and kinaesthetic learning styles, and also inferred that among postgraduate students
40% have a high level of visual styles, 44% of students have high-level of auditory
styles and 48% of students have a low level of kinaesthetic learning styles have been
preferred.
Keywords: Learning Styles, Postgraduate students, Integrated Cognition, Visual
Style, Auditory style, Kinaesthetic style, Distance Learner
Introduction
Learning to study has been the theme of much deliberation in the last historical in secondary and
post-secondary education. A lot of new work on learning skills has stressed the component of
personal choice about learning styles and approaches (Main, 1985). The concept of personal
attitudes in learning give principal importance to the personal positions of learners: How learners
place themselves within any learning context, whether formal or informal, is fundamental
(Yousef, 2018). It defines students' own engagement with the material; it represents the very stuff
of learning itself. The characteristics of learning styles have been stated as: It is an integration of
the cognitive, affective and physiological behaviour of human being, it is relatively stable
behaviour and it is based on learner perception, interaction and responds to the learning
environment (Rajkumar and Hema, 2018b). Postgraduate students have followed different
learning styles in educational practices. The present research shows that individual differences
prevailed in learning. Individual attention should be given priority in the teaching-learning
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process of postgraduate students. Every learner is unique in their learning styles. So, it is the
responsibility of the teacher to teach the subject matter according to the different learning styles
possessed by the postgraduate students. Each learner may possess one or more learning styles.
So, the researcher feels that this type of study is needed for the present competitive world.
Literature Review
Haishan and Qingshun (2016) studied ambiguity tolerance and perceptual learning styles are the
two influential elements showing individual differences in EFL learning. The findings revealed
that learners are more reliable on the tactile and kinaesthetic learning styles than on visual and
auditory styles, but not in perceptual learning style preferences. Mehmet (2014) conducted in
critical thinking dispositions and learning styles of the students of the school of physical
education and sports. Findings of the study revealed that there was no significant difference
between learning styles and gender variable, there was a significant difference between learning
styles and academic performance. Gilakjani (2012) examined the visual, auditory, kinaesthetic
learning styles and their impacts on English language teaching. The finding showed that Iranian
EFL university students preferred learning styles were visual. Preston (2011) explored the
learning styles in nursing students of Walden University and results revealed that there was a
statistical association between learning styles and gender, and however, there was no statistical
association between learning styles and age groups. Jeral and Kim (2010) examine the influence
of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning opportunities on students. The results of the study
suggested that students benefit from being able to choose activities to demonstrate their learning
styles. Peters Kathleen (2013) examined that learning styles have been an area of interest in
educational psychology for many decades. Results indicated that men and women had
significantly different learning styles preferences. Cekiso (2011) studied profiling learning styles
preferences of first-year university students: implications for course design and instruction and
results indicated that the majority of students preferred the auditory learning styles. When data
were associated with gender, the results specified that there was no significant difference between
male and female students in their excellent learning styles preferences.
Learning Styles
Learning style means the way or method by which students acquire learning. There are
characteristics of learning styles that every individual imitates. An individual's learning style is a
distinctive and habitual manner of acquiring knowledge, skill or attitude through study or
experience (Rajkumar & Hema, 2018a). It is an approach used by individuals to absorb, retain
and process new information. Types of Learning Styles are:
Visual learning style: The visual learner refers to seeing visual depictions such as pictures and
graphs. They favour using images, pictures and spatial empathetic. The visual learner has an
intense imagination and therefore favours visual arts and media. The visual learner's mind is so
great that they can conjure up an image up a form by seeing it in their mind. The visual learner
continuously needs something to watch or else they will get bored. The visual learner is very
often quiet and doesn't feel the need to talk at any countless length of time. The visual learner
importantly benefits from seeing and watching protests and likes visual stimuli; such as pictures,
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slides and graphs (Sandra E. Davis, 2007).

Auditory learning style: The aural learner refers to listening. They learn through listening to what
others have said. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meaning of speech through listening
to the tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. They prefer using sound and music. The aural
learner really likes listening to music and can learn through the association of a song and
memorized phrases. The aural learner is actually well through lectures and can often repeat what
the speaker has said almost perfectly.
Kinaesthetic learning style: The physical learner refers to whole-body movement. They prefer
using the body, hands and sense of touch. They learn through a hands-on approach, actively
exploring the physical world around them. Because they are actively looking for something to
do, they use movement to aid in attention. The physical learner engages directly and actively
while learning. They are a very poor listener. The physical learner loves to think out issues, ideas
and problems while they are exercising and would run or walk if something is bothering them.
Need and Significance of the Study
Learning style is an important factor in the academic achievement of students. Some students
have good learning styles, some may have poor learning styles which may be due to several
factors. Individual differences also play a vital role in the learning styles of children. Learning
styles may be different from student to student and they also differ in the case of high, average and
low achievers. And the learning styles also vary among the students from gender, type of
management, locality, etc. All school entrants, from beginning to end, require some styles and
practice them to successfully pursue knowledge. The achieved test score determines their future
career. The learning techniques that the students use to learn are essentially what determine their
goals and desires. By this consideration, the investigator takes up the present study as the
preferred learning style of postgraduate students.
Objectives of the Study
 To find the level of learning styles of postgraduate students.
 To study the learning styles of postgraduate students.
 To find out if there is no significant difference in the learning styles of postgraduate
students based on the select sub-samples gender, locality of the residence, nature of stay,
nature of the institution, and locality of the institution.
Hypotheses of the Study
 The level of learning styles of postgraduate students is high
 There is no significant difference in the learning styles of postgraduate students based
on the select sub-samples gender, locality of the residence, nature of stay, nature of the
institution, and locality of the institution.
Methodology
Survey method was adopted for the study.
Sample
A stratified random sampling technique was employed. The sample consists of 406 postgraduate
students studying in distance mode of learners. The sample was randomly selected from five
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distance learning centres in Salem, Namakkal, and Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu. The sample
consists of male and female postgraduate students of distance learners.
Tool used
The tool used to find the Learning Styles of postgraduate students. Learning Styles Scale
developed and standardized by the researcher which contains 20 items and it is a five-point scale
and the reliability value was 0.78. The scale has three components: a visual learning style scale,
an auditory learning style scale, and a kinaesthetic learning style scale.
Data Analysis
The collected data were analysed by using statistical techniques of t-test and F test. From the
following table VLS, ALS, and KLS mean Visual Learning Style, Auditory Learning Style, and
Kinaesthetic Learning Style.
Table 1. Level of learning styles of postgraduate students
Low Moderate High

Learning Styles
N % N % N %
VLS 102 25.12 139 34.23 165 40.64
ALS 107 26.35 117 28.81 182 44.82
KLS 198 48.76 124 30.54 84 20.69
From the table-1 it is inferred that among postgraduate students 40% have a high level of visual
styles, 44% of students have a high level of auditory styles and 48% of students have a low level
of kinaesthetic learning styles have been preferred.
Table 2. Ranking order of learning styles of postgraduate students
Learning Style Average Score Rank

VLS 26.06 1
ALS 21.77 2
KLS 17.36 3
From the above table-2 shows that postgraduate students' most preferred learning style is visual
learning style then followed by auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles.
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Table 3. Mean differences of postgraduate students in their learning styles
Learning
Styles ‘t’-
Variable Group p-value
Dimension value
Male Female
N M SD N M SD
VLS 25.39 6.121 26.28 5.970 1.280 0.202**
ALS 102 22.21 7.22 304 21.63 6.993 0.704 0.482**
Gender KLS 18.82 6.864 16.88 6.354 2.527 0.012*
Rural Urban
N M SD N M SD
VLS 25.64 6.109 26.86 5.763 1.982 0.048*
ALS 21.69 6.906 21.93 7.335 0.315 0.753**
Locality 266 140
of KLS 17.24 6.499 17.61 6.610 0.540 0.590**
Residence
Hosteler Day Scholar
N M SD N M SD
VLS 25.04 5.450 26.48 6.190 2.311 0.022*
Nature of
ALS 118 19.79 6.647 288 22.59 7.058 3.783 0.000*
Stay KLS 16.69 6.577 17.64 6.505 1.319 0.189**

Women Co-Education
N M SD N M SD
VLS 27.71 6.271 25.27 5.733 3.762 0.000*
ALS 23.24 7.069 21.07 6.943 2.910 0.004*
Nature of 131 275
the KLS 17.94 6.351 17.09 6.610 1.216 0.216**
Institution
Rural Urban
N M SD N M SD
VLS 26.09 6.016 26.03 6.026 0.108 0.914**
ALS 21.82 7.062 21.72 7.053 0.152 0.879**
Locality 211 195
of KS 17.49 6.535 17.23 6.543 0.952 0.692**
Institution
** Not Significant (Hypothesis accepted); * Significant (Hypothesis not accepted)
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From the above Table 3, it is inferred from the above table since p values are greater than 0.05, the
null hypothesis is accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimensions visual style, and
auditory style. Hence it is concluded that there is no significant difference in visual style, and
auditory style of postgraduate students with regard to gender. But p-value is less than 0.05; the
null hypothesis is not accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimension of kinaesthetic style
with regard to gender. It shows that male students have preferred more kinaesthetic learning style
than female students.
Further, it is concluded that there is no significant difference in auditory style and kinaesthetic
style of postgraduate students with regard to the locality of the residence and the null hypothesis
is accepted. But the p-value is less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is not accepted at 5% level of
significance in the dimensions of visual style with regard to the locality of the residence. It shows
that students residing in urban have preferred visual style over those used by rural students.
It is inferred from the above table since the p-value is greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis is
accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimension kinaesthetic style with regard to nature of
stay. But p values are less than 0.05; the null hypothesis is not accepted at 5% level of significance
in the dimensions of visual style and auditory style. Hence it is concluded that there is a
significant difference in visual style and auditory style of postgraduate students with regard to the
nature of stay. It shows that day scholar students have preferred the visual style and auditory style
to hosteler students.
It is inferred from the above table since p values are less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is not
accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimensions of visual style and auditory style. Hence it
is concluded that there is a significant difference in the visual style and auditory style of
postgraduate students with regard to the nature of the institution. But p values are greater than
0.05, the null hypothesis is accepted at 5% level of significance in the kinaesthetic style of
learning with regard to the nature of the institution. It shows that postgraduate students from co-
education colleges prefer visual style of learning to women colleges and students of women's
colleges have more auditory style than students of co-education colleges.
It is inferred from the above table since p values are greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis is
accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimensions of visual style, auditory style and
kinaesthetic style. Hence it is concluded that there is no significant difference in the learning
styles of postgraduate students with regard to the locality of the institution.
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Table:4. F-values of postgraduate students in their learning styles
Learning
Styles Sum of Mean p-
Variable Sub Group df F
Dimensio Square Square value
n
Between
115.499 2 57.749
VLS Groups 1.60 0.203*
Within 40 2 *
14529.082 36.052
Groups 3
Between 203.70
407.401 2
ALS Groups 1 4.16
0.016*
Subject Within 40 4
19715.751 48.922
Groups 3
Between
79.319 2 39.660
KLS Groups 0.92 0.396*
Within 40 9 *
17200.730 42.682
Groups 3
Between
124.316 2 62.158
VLS Groups 1.72 0.179*
Within 40 5 *
14520.265 36.030
Groups 3
Between 340.34
680.689 2
Nature of ALS Groups 5 7.05
0.001*
Administratio Within 40 5
19442.464 48.244
n Groups 3
Between
87.055 2 43.528
KLS Groups 1.02 0.361*
Within 40 0 *
17192.994 42.663
Groups 3
** Not Significant (Hypothesis is accepted); * Significant (Hypothesis is not accepted)

It is inferred from the above table-4 since p values are greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis is
accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimensions visual style, and kinaesthetic style. Hence
it is concluded that there is no significant difference in visual style, and kinaesthetic style of
postgraduate students with regard to the subject and nature of administration. But the p-value is
less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is not accepted at 5% level of significance in the dimension
auditory style. Hence it is concluded that there is a significant difference in auditory style of
postgraduate students with regard to the subject and nature of administration.
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Interpretations and Discussion

The 't' test result reveals that there was a significant difference in the kinesthetic style of
postgraduate students with regard to gender. Moreover, male students have more preferred
kinaesthetic learning style than female students; there is a significant difference in the visual style
of postgraduate students with regard to the locality of the residence. Moreover, urban students
have better visual style than rural students. This may also be due to the mere exposure to visuals
later on developed as it is; there is a significant difference in visual style and auditory style of
postgraduate students with regard to the nature of stay. Moreover, students of day scholars prefer
both visual and auditory styles of learning to hostelers. Students of hostelers mostly prefer with
peer collaborative learning styles especially hand and motor coordination to other styles of
learning, and there is a significant difference in visual style and auditory style of postgraduate
students with regard to the nature of the institution. Further students studying in the college of co-
education have a more visual style of learning than colleges, especially postgraduate students
studying in the college of women, but they prefer the only auditory style of learning.
The ANOVA result reveals that there was a significant difference exists in the Auditory Style of
postgraduate students with regard to the subject. Moreover, arts students have preferred more
auditory style learning to the students of learning science and humanities. Auditory style of
learning dominates over the other learning styles. Postgraduate students of science and
humanities, discipline must do experiments as a part of the course. But students of arts, discipline
need not do experiments. Mere listening to a concept is more needed than the other practical
components. So, the attitude and style of learning focused on the auditory, and postgraduate
students differed significantly in the auditory style of learning with regard to the nature of
administration. Students studying in self-finance college have a more preferred auditory style of
learning to the postgraduate students studying in government aided colleges.
Recommendations
On the basis of finding, a few recommendations are given below:
 Teachers should be aware of the learning styles of the learners.
 Teachers should use a variety of teaching techniques to accommodate the different
learning styles of the students.
 Classroom teachers need to be aware of their students' learning styles and should tailor
their instruction according to the needs of their specific learners whenever possible.
 The positive social change for college stakeholders to better understand students'
unique learning needs which will augment learning success and also promote degree
completion.
Conclusion
The present study was made on the learning styles of postgraduate students. The finding of this
study reveals that 40% of postgraduate students have a high level of visual styles, 44% of
postgraduate students have a high level of auditory styles, and 48% of postgraduate students have
a low level of kinaesthetic learning styles. The postgraduate student's most preferred learning
style was visual learning style then followed by auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles.
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Therefore, it can be concluded that students had different types of learning styles. This finding of
the study implies that irrespective of their initial abilities and identification of the learning styles
preference will be useful for a teacher to design everyday classroom activities. If the materials to
be learned are reached to the learner through the preferred styles for which the learner is disposed
of, learning will be highly effective and information on learning styles provides a useful
framework for understanding learners and identifying gaps in the teaching methods.
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English language teaching. Journal of Studies in Education, 2(1), 104-113.
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Chinese EFL Learners. English Language Teaching, 9(6), 213-222.
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D. Walker, (Ed.), Reflection: turning experience into learning. London: Kogan page.
Mehmet, C.C. (2014). Evaluation of the Correlation between Learning Styles and Critical
Thinking Dispositions of the Students of School of Physical Education and Sports.
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the Link to Academic Achievement. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Walden
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Thesis, Walden University, United States)
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127
Empowerment of Tribal Women through Distance Education:

A Case Study of School of Distance Learning and Continuing
Education, Kakatiya University, Telangana State
Bhukya Devender
Assistant Professor
Email: d_bhukya@yahoo.com
Abstract
To empower women, education plays a vital role as sharing knowledge and skills
besides building character can be done through education. It not only builds self-
confidence among the students but also helps them to be more productive, more
efficient, and achieve good socio-economic development. Especially, chances to be
the part of democratic system and economic independence of the tribal women are
key to their empowerment. Empowering the tribal women through education will
contribute to the nation's building. However, economic empowerment still remains a
distant dream for the majority of the tribal women due to prevailing socio-economic
and cultural conditions. When compared to their male counterparts, the status of
educated women is very low in Schedule tribes. The education of women is
considered as an effective mechanism for the development of a country.
But empowering the downtrodden, tribal women is not an easy task. It is indeed a
tough and challenging job to achieve in the present context. Devoid of empowerment
of tribal women, the all-round development of the nation is unlikely to happen.
Empowerment of women in the tribes can be done by the means of the potentiality
over economic resources and income per head. Empowerment of the tribal women
can be calculated through their access to education, availability of job opportunities,
and their role in decision-making on financial issues. It can also be measured through
their participation in the political and democratic system. Most of the tribal
communities residing in Telangana State are from various socio-economic and
cultural backgrounds. At last, this paper concludes by proposing a suitable
educational policy for the benefit of the tribal women in Telangana State.
Keywords: Tribal women, Women empowerment, Education, SDLCE
1. Introduction
Empowerment is the process of enhancing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices
and transform them into desired actions and outcomes. Central to this process are actions that
build both individual and collective assets and improve efficiency and fairness of the
organizational and institutional context, which govern the use of these assets. Empowerment is
the process of increasing the assets and capabilities of individuals or groups to make purposive
choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. Empowered people have
freedom of choice and action, which in turn enable them to better influence the course of their
lives and the decisions, which affect them. Considering various issues, tribal women's
empowerment is a challenging task. Real inclusive growth of the nation is unlikely to happen
without the empowerment of tribal women.
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Women Empowerment
To increase their sway over the decisions which affect the lives of tribal women in the household
and outside of the household, economic empowerment is a must. Females are crucial in the
emergence of groups, and movements. They are considered as the major force in the society, and
they are actively involved in various activities in their respective communities, local
governments, and even at the international level. Empowerment helps women to get good control
over many resources like knowledge, ideas, information including financial resources which
involved access to financial resources, and control over decision-making at the home, in the
community, and society. In the context of women's development, empowerment is a path of
challenge and needs to overcome the hurdles along the way. It helps enhance her ability to shape
her life and socio, economic and cultural environment. A multidimensional and active process
enables the woman to realize her complete identity and power in the spectrum of life. Our father
of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi rightly said, “When a man is educated, an individual is educated;
when a woman is educated, an entire family is educated”
Education and Empowerment
Economic reforms following the liberalization have resulted in a new world order where the
fittest will survive. It has become an accepted standard of the day even for the downtrodden. After
the economic reforms in the country, survival has gained more significance than mere existence.
Whether the education provided to women in Telangana State empowered women in society so
as to withstand the market-driven economic system and new world order and the impact of the
liberalization had different patterns in multiple sectors and regions in the Indian economic
system, it can be examined.
Education plays a key role in the process of empowerment. Education is a tool and suitable
weapon to access new ideas and new thought processes. Access to jobs in formal sector,
achieving career advancements, and participation in decision-making at all levels are not done by
women. They are unable to remain as representatives in government and gain political control
due to a lack of education.
According to worldwide data, the empowerment of women is associated with increased
educational attainment. Educated women became more effective at improving their own well-
being and their family's welfare. Educated women are better equipped with to reap more benefits
from available resources and opportunities. Results of women's education are displayed in
different ways which include enhanced income, ability to bargain for resources within the
household, decision-making power, sway over their sexuality, and participation in social life as
well as public life.
A Case Study of Kakatiya University
Kakatiya University was established on August 19, 1976 to fulfill the aspirations and needs of the
people of the Telangana State in higher education. The varsity is located in Warangal city which
was the capital of the mighty Kakatiya rulers. The establishment of the varsity was in fact a
historic event that heralded a new era in the realms of higher education of this region. The old Post
Graduate Centre of Osmania University (OU) was upgraded and named Kakatiya University
(KU) under the aegis of Osmania University with only four Departments, viz. Telugu, English,
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Chemistry, and Mathematics. The Departments of Physics, Botany, Zoology, Commerce, Public
Administration, and Economics were set up later. The B. Pharmacy course was shifted to KU in
1975 from OU.
The Objectives of the School of Distance Learning and Continuing Education (SDLCE)
To provide much-needed access to higher education for a large chunk of population, particularly
among the deprived sections of society, living in the remotest parts of the State and help the
employees, homemakers, and other adults who wish to improve their skills and knowledge or
acquire new skills;
 To help get the knowledge and to continually provide opportunities to improve their
knowledge and enhance skills in the context of new ideas, innovative methods in
research, and discovery in all fields of human endeavour;
 To provide a new system of education at the varsity level, offer flexibility and openness in
its methods, and to promote learning,
 To provide more degrees, diploma certificates, and courses relevant to the economy and
to provide employment opportunities, based on available resources;
 To add to the growth of educational system in the region and develop courses that will
help developing higher education in this part of the state.
 To offer education and training and do research in various fields through the distance
education mode.
Need for the study
Empowerment of women is about the recognition of women's individuality in different areas like
work participation, capability, knowledge, self-respect, self-objectivity, and access and control
over different resources. Economic empowerment of women implies various possibilities for
women. All these factors are so vital in defining the concept of empowerment of women. Socio-
economic, and cultural conditions influence and determine women's empowerment in tribals
besides their access to education.
Review of literature
The following reviews have been taken to strengthen the present study. Hira and Mugenda (2000)
have found difference in the ways men and women view money matters, and that women were
more likely than men to be dissatisfied with their current circumstances and their spending habits.
Barber and Odean (2001) stated that men were more confident when compared to their
counterparts in taking decisions on financial matters like investments which resulted on
overconfidence among the men. “Measuring Women's Empowerment as a Variable in
International Development” by Malhotra Et al from The World Bank (2002) Empowerment is a
word that has been used so often and so widely that its definition has become blurred. Activist
groups use the term to rally behind different issues, while academic circles frequently cite the
word in scholarly articles. But what do they mean when they say “empowerment” and whom do
they want to “empower?” I will discuss these questions by first starting with a brief history of the
term. In academic literature, the word empowerment first came onto the scene with regard to civil
rights. One of the first articles was written in 1975 and called “Toward Black Political
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Empowerment – Can the System Be Transformed.” Derichs – Kunstmann (2006), Philbin,

Meier, Huffman and Boverie (1995), say that there was an appreciable difference in the way that
women and men learn and apply their learning skills.
Objectives of the present Study
The main objectives of the present study are as below: -
 To know the process of empowerment of tribal women
 To know the involvement of tribal women in their community development
 To find out the changes in their economic condition through education
 To discuss the educated tribal women on how they communicate with others.
Statement of the problem
Women in India remained oppressed culturally, socially, economically, and politically for
centuries. They are exploited at home, in the families, in the society and in the country. In the
multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society that exist in India, such exploitation takes various forms.
The core of the problem is that they shoulder a number of responsibilities, but they are not given
adequate participatory or decision-making power in the family or elsewhere. Women can gain
such power, only when their economic, cultural and social status are improved. Such type of
overall improvement of power is known as women empowerment. The empowerment of women
is one of the central issues in the process of development of countries all over the world.
Methodology of the Study
The present study is confined to the School of Distance Learning and Continuing Education
(SDLCE), Kakatiya University, Hanamkonda District of Telangana State. The primary data was
collected by personal interviews with the beneficiaries through SDLCE. The study was
undertaken in Hanamkonda district. The total sample has been taken 50 out of 150 randomly
selected.
A research study conducted in Hanamakonda district of Telangana State
Case study of the respondents
Case Study – I
Lakavath Nirmala w/o Ramoji was born in a small tribal village. Her father is an agricultural
labourer. She was able to complete 10th class at her own village in a government school. She has
two brothers and a sister. She was married off without completion of college education. She gave
birth to two children. After the completion of her two children's school education, she directly
joined in an Undergraduate (UG) course B.A. through the distance mode. After completing the
UG, she joined Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) course in a regular mode. After completing the
B.Ed, she again joined MA English in the SDLCE. Later, she got employment in Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) as a Junior Lecturer in the year 2016. She is earning Rs 21,000
per month. Now, she is doing MLISC in the same institution through Distance mode.
Case Study – II
Banothu Sujatha w/o Prasad was born in a tribal hamlet. Her father is a TSRTC driver. She
studied up to 10th class at the village in a Tribal Government School. She has one brother and two
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sisters. Without completion of school education, she was married off. She has two children. After
the completion of her children's school education, she directly joined in a UG course BA through
the distance mode and joined MA Telugu in a regular mode. After completion of PG, she
completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Telugu with the assistance of Rajeev Gandhi National
Fellowship (RGNF). Now, she is working as a part-time faculty in the department of Telugu,
Kakatiya University.
Case Study – III
Banoth Kavitha w/o Rajender was born in a small tribal village. Her father is an agricultural
labourer. She studied up to 10th class at her own village in a government school. She has two
brothers and two sisters. She got one child. After completion of her ward's school education, she
directly joined in a UG course BA through the Distance mode (SDLCE). After completing the
Degree course, she joined B.Ed. course in a Regular mode. After completion of her B.Ed., she
joined again in MA Telugu same SDLCE. After that, she got employment in Kasturba Gandhi
Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) as a teacher in the year 2014. She is paid Rs 18000 per month. Now
she is doing BLISC in the same institution through the distance mode.
Case Study – IV
Gugulothu Kavitha w/o Somulu was born in a small village. Her father was a private employee in
a paper mill. She studied up to 10th class at their own village in the Government school. She has
two brothers and has given birth to two children. After completion of their school education, she
directly joined in a UG course B.A. through the distance mode (SDLCE). After completing the
Degree course, joined HPT course in a regular mode. After completing the HPT, she joined again
in MA Hindi same SDLCE. Later, she got employment in Social Welfare Residential School in
Hanamkonda District, as a teacher in the year 2020. She is earning up to 16000 per month.
Case Study – V
Korra Uma Devi w/o Ravinder was born in a small village. Her father is an agriculturist. She
studied up to intermediate in the government tribal welfare residential college. She has one
brother and one sister. She has given birth to one child. After completion of her children's
intermediate education, she directly joined in a UG course B.Sc. through the distance mode. After
completing the Degree course, she joined B.Ed. course in a regular mode. After completion of
B.Ed., she joined again in M.Sc. same SDLCE. After that, she got employment in Government
School in Hanamkonda District, as a School Assistant in Physical Science in the year 2015. She is
drawing a salary of Rs 96,000 per month.
Suggestions and recommendations for empowering the tribal women
The socio-economic status of the tribal women is so pathetic in Telangana. The tribal women are
far away from even Primary Education. She could not get a chance to continue her education,
because of early marriages. The followings are the suggestions and recommendations for tribal
women's empowerment.
 There is a need to establish residential schools for girl students of tribal community.
 The governments should also establish schools, colleges, and other educational
institutions including skill development centres in tribal areas, and particularly in the
tribal pockets.
132
 The Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations should support the tribal

students by offering them special scholarships, fellowships, hostel facilities, remedial
coaching, and other measures, particularly for the girl students.
 Besides the State government, the central government and voluntary organizations
should also chalk out genuine and useful schemes, programmes, and policies for the
improvement of the educational facilities for the use of tribal women.
 There is a need for supporting the institutions which are located on the border, in hilly
areas, in remote and educationally backward areas.
 Highly qualified persons with good knowledge of the socio, economic and cultural
conditions of the tribals should be roped in for organising the special awareness
campaigns in the tribal areas to educate the parents about the importance of women's
education.
Conclusion
The empowerment of tribal women is a herculean task at present. People belonging to the tribals
(scheduled tribes –STs) in Telangana State are reeling under the pressure of economic, social, and
educational backwardness when compared to mainstream society. This backwardness keeps the
tribals apart from other people. It keeps them isolated, marginalized and discriminated in the
society.
Their role in mainstream society is far less. Moreover, the literacy rate among the Scheduled
Tribes is very low when compared to the people of the other communities. A wide gap is seen
between the tribal men and women with regard to the literacy rate. There is a need to improve the
social position of tribal women through education. Education is the major force behind the
generation of social mobility. Only education can assure inclusive growth, and in order to bring
the tribal women within the purview of all-round growth and development, the governments,
NGOs, and voluntary organizations should work in tandem and make sincere efforts in framing
genuine policies that help to improve their social status, particularly through education. Access to
education will enhance the tribal women's participation in societal activities besides getting
access to many more things. They can become a part of the inclusive growth, once they are
economically empowered.
References
Mohan Rao, K, (1993). Socio-Cultural Profile of Tribes of Andhra Pradesh, Tribal Cultural
Research and Training Institute, Hyderabad.
Census of India (1961). Vol.I, Monograph Series Part V B (IV) Registrar General, Ministry of
Home Affairs, New Delhi.
Census of India (1991) Series 2, Part-IX (IV), (1996). A.P. Special Tables for Scheduled
Castes & Scheduled Tribes, Hyderabad
Kumar, A. (2002). Tribal Development in India, New Delhi. Sarup & Sons.
Kumari, Sumitra. (2006). Dynamics of Women Empowerment, New Delhi, Alfa Publication.
133
Sinha, Ajit Kumar. (2008). New Dimensions of Women Empowerment, New Delhi, Deep &
Deep Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Dash, L.N. (2010). Education and Inclusive Development in India, New Delhi, Regal
Publication.
Narayan, Deepa (2002). Empowerment & Poverty reduction. A source book. World Bank,
Washington.
Mukhopadhyay, Lipi (2002). “Tribal women in Development”, Publication Division, Ministry
of Information and Broad casting, New Delhi.
World Bank (2001), Engendering Development: Through Gender Equality in Rights,
Resources and Voice – Summary, Washington
134
Blended Learning
Open Educational Resources in Legal Studies:

An Analytical Account
Gurminder Kaur1 & Arvind Gupta2

1
Assistant Professor, School of Law, Pondicherry University
2
Assistant Director, Directorate of Distance Education
Abstract
Information and Communication technology (ICT) forms the backbone of the
present-day information driven era. Internet, by means of latest IT technologies has
modified the traditional means of information dissemination and it's due to this
blessing of science that information is available at the finger tips and is accessible to
anyone at any time free from any barriers. Open Access had added to the ease of
accessibility of information and made it available while taking into consideration the
copyright protection of the authors. Many initiatives of open access like Directory of
Open Access Depository (DOAR), Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB),
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Open Educational Resources (OER)
have made open Access successful and propagated best retrieval and dissemination
of information. The OER has gained momentum and is helpful in e-learning, distant
mode of learning and even immersive learning if utilized to full extent. Various OER
initiatives in India have greatly supported distance learning making it possible for
students to access information sources at home rather than to visit in person the
respective institution. These OER provide a diversified mode of dissemination of
information by multimedia, thus, making teaching- learning an interactive process.
The present study reveals the concept of OER and highlights various initiatives in
promoting open access for legal studies. Whether Indian or foreign, sources are a
great asset. Books and other reference materials, case digests, digest of treaties and
conventions, policy papers in the field of law are extremely expensive and utilization
of OERs is a boon for the legal fraternity and the academia.
Keywords: Open Access, Open Educational Resources, Immersive Learning, Law.
Introduction
A country like India having a population of more than 1,373,366,371 (India Population, 2020;
Worldometers, n.d.) is the country facing the scarcity of the resources due to its large population,
but has the blessing of the internet in every nook of the country. Thus, the government which is
struggling to provide quality education to all can take the benefit of net-connectivity by providing
quality open educational resources to all. When almost every Indian has a mobile device in
his/her hand, the only thing the government needs to do is to mould the mobile using strategy
towards the use of OER.
Open Educational Resources (OER) have received increased attention for their potential and
promise to obviate demographic, economic, and geographic educational boundaries and to
promote life-long learning and personalised learning (India Population, 2020; Worldometers,
n.d.)
"OER is a relatively new concept and is being used pragmatically. Its use could be visualized as a
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part of a wider perspective towards openness in higher education including more well-known
and established movements such as Open Source Software (OSS) and Open Access (OA) (Hylen,
n.d.). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) website
reveals that the Open Educational Resources (OER) are used in teaching, learning and research
materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been
released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by
others with no or limited restrictions" (Open Educational Resources, 2017). The website also
reveals that the term OER first emerged in 2002. In order for educational resources to be OER,
they must have an open license. "The Creative Commons license is the most widely used
licensing framework internationally used for OER" (Atroszko, 2015).
OER is the practical realization of the idea of open education built on the belief that knowledge
around the world is a public good, which is why everyone should have the freedom to use,
customize, improve and redistribute educational resources without constraint to make education
both more accessible and more effective (Atroszko, 2015).
OER is not the substitute of the traditional institution-based education but it can be added
advantages for the supplementing the institution based learning, to some extent it can benefit to
them also who due to lack of time or money are not able to join the educational institutes on a
regular basis.
The activities involved in OER can be understood with 5R activities (Wiley, n.d.) proposed by
David Wiley as following:
"(i) Retain – the authority to create, design and manage the content copies such as downloading,
duplicity, storage, and managing;
(ii) Reuse – The authority to make diversify the use of content in class, on a web page, in a video
lecture or study group, etc.;
(iii) Revise – The authority to assimilate, change or alter the dimension of the content according
to the convenience, for example, translating the content into own language;
(iv) Remix – The authority to shape a new diagram by combining the different materials both the
original and incorporating new elements; and
(v) Redistribute – the authority to disseminate the original copies of the individual creation,
revision, or intermixing the other elements. (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend."
OER is said to include:
 "Learning Content: Full courses, courseware, content modules, learning objects,
collections and journals.
 Tools: Software to support the development, use, re-use and delivery of learning
content including searching and organization of content, content and learning
management systems, content development tools, and on-line learning communities.
 Implementation Resources: Intellectual property licenses to promote open publishing
of materials, design principles of best practice, and localization of content." (Hylén, J. et
al., 2012)
136
BACKGROUND
Advantages of Open Educational Resources:
Open Educational resources have become one of the thrust areas of research for the academicians
and prime concern of the nations because of its potentials. There are several reasons behind to go
for OER and some of them are (Hylén, J. et al., 2012) as follows:
1. Offer open and flexible learning opportunities: OER facilitate informal & lifelong learning by
offering a wider range of learning opportunities available in open and flexible nature, without any
restrictions and provide high-quality learning materials with ease of access for individuals
ensuring wider participation in teaching and learning. The OER use is not restricted for the
learners and it also having a strong social purpose as OER can offer learning opportunities to the
disadvantages or excluded or underprivileged group of learners while they also help to mitigate
the isolation of the diasporas of scholars.
2. Ensure increased efficiency and quality of learning resources: Practicing, that includes
developing, sharing and use of OER increase the efficiency and quality in existing and in
developing the new contents, learning materials, or learning courses/programs, etc. The
collaboration and sharing of learning resources through the Internet with non-stop revision and
updating the content not only keep the learners up-to-date but also provide exposure to a variety
of learners' communities across the globe that enhances the quality and efficiency of learners and
the content. Teachers can also have easier access as well to high quality learning resources and
they can also modify the content and localize them to make a better understanding among
learners. In addition to this putting the educational resources over the World Wide Web (WWW)
encourage the wider accessibility which results in comments and suggestions for improvement
that can ensure the efficiency and quality of learning resources.
3. Cost-efficiency: OER can also help increase efficiency by minimizing the content duplication
and can also promote sharing and collaboration at the inter-institutional level. As a result,
qualitative learning contents are produced and shared at minimum cost so that the learners, who
can't afford high cost with quality resources, can also have access to such resources and make use
of them. In short, OER drastically reduces the cost of accessing the quality resources for scholars,
learners, teachers, educators, and organizations/institutions.
4. Innovative potential: Since the concept of OER can be adapted, remixed, redesigned,
transformed or changed according to the requirements, it allows the participants to involve in
education and learning actively. It makes the learners involve in constructing what is learned
instead of only absorbing what has been prepared and made Open Educational Resources (OER).
But also, the boundaries between learners and teachers have become blurred as learners also
engaged in continuous improvement process of learning resources that ensure the quality
learning and learning resources.
The other forces that have driven the world towards open educational resources (OER) are as
follows (Global Trends, 2010):
a) For individual users: for individual users, open educational resources (OERs) offer the
facilities as:
137
(i) to make them learn new things or enrich other studies with ease of access and their convenient;
(ii) platform where the users can share and discuss topics with other learners and bring the quality
in learning process;
(iii) users' have got the advantage to assess and decide whether they wish to participate in formal
education or not;
(iv) learners can select the institution they want to enroll for learning/studying at;
(v) help to improve learners' work performance by ensuring the qualitative learning material: and
(vi) users can create or revise OER themselves which gives confidence to them.
b) For Teachers: For teachers, open educational resources (OERs) offer the facilities such as to:
(i) create dynamic courses with quality content available through OER;
(ii) find out the techniques in which others have taught their subject and they can apply the ideas
with some modifications according to the requirements in their teaching;
(iii) create course/ resources/programmes in collaboration rather than doing themselves that can
help in ensuring the quality of learning, teaching and research;
(iv) join the variety of learning communities into practice that will help in improving teaching
and learning as it reflects on the use of technologies and skills in practicing OER;
(v) Customize and adapt the learning resources available by translating or localizing them means
learners/ teachers can modify the resources for their teaching and learning purpose.
c) For Educational Institutions: for Educational Institutions, open educational resources (OERs)
offer to;
(i) Showcase or to make visible the institutional teaching and research programmes to wider
audiences without much efforts;
(ii) Widen the pool of applicants in terms of enrollments, infrastructure etc. for their courses and
programmes;
(iii) reduce the lifetime costs of developing educational resources as time to time updating
process can be done by the institution;
(iv) Collaborate with organization (public/commercial) in new ways, such as including
educational publishers or the vendors involve in education sector;
(v) Extend their outreach activities to make their content/course/ programme available to wider
audience.
d) For governments and national agencies: for governments and national agencies, open
educational resources (OERs) offer to:
(i) Showcase their country's educational systems across the globe;
(ii) attract learners from other countries, to higher education at least, to study and make use of
their course and content;
(iii) help in teaching and learning practices for Bridging Educational Divides MOOCs and OERs
improvement and to achieve targets;
138
(iv) help to develop/translate the quality educational resources in 'minority' languages, that are
not the prime focus of commercial publishers, to maximize the use of learning resources;
(v) develop educational resources reflecting the culture and priorities of the concerned state; and
(vi) cooperate and coordinate at international level on common learning resources to meet the
common interests or needs.
Barriers to Open Educational Resources:
Although, the OER moment is getting continuous momentum across the world, more and more
institutions and academicians have started taking interest, despite of the continuous success still
there are many serious issues remain to be taken seriously and resolve out. Some of the barriers,
which come across the ways and need to be resolved if educational institutions are to encourage
use and practice of OERs (Barrett & Barrett, 2007; Brew, 2010) are as follows:
a) Lack of institutional support: The first requisite of OER is institutional support. Many
institutions do not support or do not show enthusiasm to their researchers and academicians to go
for the OER practices, concern may be like threat to their reputation, threat to their intellectual
property. Since many issues are involved in OER practices, institutional support and
encouragement always play a vital role in the growth of OER movement. Institutions should
come forward and support OER with positive attitude.
b) Lack of technological tools: Several technological issues are also involved in OERs
development process. Lack of technological tools also affects OER movement and to overcome
the problem basic infrastructure must be available for producing and using OER.
c) Inadequate user preparation and commitment: Lack of skills and time is a big problem in
OER practices, without skills like technological skills, interest to develop and use new learning
technologies; it is very difficult to apply OER into practice. So, to overcome these problems the
users should develop interest first and should be involved in training and learning the skills and
spend time on OER.
d) Lack of quality: The quality concern is also emerging as a barrier in OER as more and more
OERs become freely available to the society that can be reused, remixed, changed and
distributed. The free and open nature of OERs has given the air to suspicion about the quality of
OER learning resources in education. In fact, there is a great demand of high quality OERs with
accuracy and authenticity across the world. In short it can be said that it is very difficult to ensure
the quality of OER because anyone can produce and make the resources available over the
Internet.
As the resources are available open, if permitted, anyone can review it and rate the item for public
use, which can more or less give the authentication regarding the quality of the content of the
resources, as we often do at Amazon and other similar electronic market space.
Anyone can learn from it either because of his/her interest in the field or by supplementing his/her
regular course.
Incentives for faculty members, as the Indian university and college teachers, are getting the
benefit of making online course wares as an added advantage for their promotion.
They can be used as supplementary to the main classroom learning, for the in-depth
understanding of the concept.
139
e) Personal Issues: It has been extensively explored in the body of knowledge regarding
academic staff development in higher education that academics today are more overwhelmed
and overworked than ever before. Few or no chances exist for academics to participate in the
OER movement as a result of their increased workload and professional constraints. All learning
materials, whether OER or not, must undergo a meticulous design and development process
before being made widely accessible. The creation and development of OER involve informed
and professional personnel. In addition, it takes extra time to study with passion, and academics'
ignorance of OER is a result of their failure to use these abilities in the real world.
f) Language: Language can act as a barrier in implementing the OER programs. In many
institutions, the teaching and learning process is being taught in their respective mother tongue
where the student fails to understand the materials if they were given to read the material written
in a different language.
ANALYTICAL DISUSSION ABOUT OERs IN INDIA
OERs in India:
The PMMNMTTS is the culmination of the Government of India's efforts to enhance the quality
of education at all levels by instilling quality and excellence in our teachers and teaching. We
cannot have a robust educational system unless we have excellent professors.
In view of this, on December 25, 2014, the Honorable Prime Minister of India introduced the
PMMNMTTS, which would cost Rs. 900 crores over the XII Plan. The Expenditure Finance
Committee (EFC) extended the Scheme's existence beyond its planned expiration date of March
2020.
The Mission includes, but is not limited to, pedagogical research and development, curriculum
preparation, assessment and evaluation, and teacher training and professional development. On
the one hand, the Mission seeks to address serious issues such as a shortage of educated
educators, a lack of enthusiasm in teaching, and a general degradation in the quality of education
delivered by public institutions of higher learning. The Mission, on the other hand, has as one of
its long-term goals the construction of performance standards and first-rate institutional facilities
for creative education and teacher professional development. The Mission's strategy to
accomplishing these goals is sector-wide rather than level- or subject-specific; it includes
secondary, postsecondary, and vocational education. There are a few others as well.
 NPTEL
 SWAYAM
 IGNOU'S E-GYANKOSH
 SAKSHAT
 SWAYAM PRABHA
 CONSORTIUM FOR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION
 E PG PATHSALA
 NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY OF INDIA
 NCERT
140
Open Access Resources for Legal studies:

Indian Open Access Resources
• India Code
• Supreme Court of India
• Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice – Government of India
• E-Court System
• India Kanoon
• PRS Legislative Research
• Global Legal Information Network
• LII of India –
• Data Portal India (Beta
• National Digital Library of India-
 Project Gutenberg
Foreign Open Access Resources
Australia
• High Court of Australia
• Federal Court of Australia
• Federal Registry of Legislation
• Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII)
Canada
• Supreme Court of Canada – Judgements
• Canada – Consolidated Acts and Legislation
• Canadian Legal Information Institute
Commonwealth of Nations
• Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
• Commonwealth Legal Information Institute
Europe
• European Legal Information Institute
• European Union Law
• Court of Justice of the European Union
Hong Kong SAR
• Hong Kong Judiciary
• Hong Kong Legislation
• Hong Kong Legal Information Institute
141
New Zealand
• Courts of New Zealand
• New Zealand Legislation
• New Zealand Legal Information Institute
European Countries
• Alpingi – Iceland
• Data.senat.fr – France (Data/ Legislation)
• Folketinget – Denmark
• Government Offices of Sweden
• Legifrance – French Legislation
• Overheid.nl – Netherlands
• The Federal Council The Portal of Swiss Government
South Africa
• Constitutional Court
• Supreme Court of Appeal
• South Africa Legal Information Institute
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Supreme Court
• Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
• Legislation of the UK
• British and Irish Legal Information Institute
Singapore
• Supreme Court of Singapore
• Singapore Legislation
OPEN ACCESS JOURNALS OF LAW:
142
143
International Open Access Materials

International Legal Materials
• International Criminal Court
• UN Commission on International Trade Law
• Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT)
• WorldLII Avalon Project at Yale Law School
• Canada Treaty Resources
• Eur-Lex – Treaty Collection
• Global-Regulation
• LawCite
• CommonLII
• Juricaf
Data Sources
• Data.go.jp – Japan
• Data.gouv.fr– France
• Data.parliament.uk – United Kingdom
• DevInfo Online – Global
• EdStats – World Bank – Data on Education
• National High Courts Database – data on courts in the following countries: Australia,
Canada, India, Namibia, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, United Kingdom, Zambia,
Zimbabwe
• UN Data
• World Bank
• Eurostat – Europe
• ICPSR – US
• IQSS Dataverse Network – Harvard
• OECD Statistics
• UNdata
International Relations and Human Rights Data
• AidData
• Correlates of War Project
• Database of Political Institutions
• Freedom House
• Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
• Polity IV Project
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
144
Conclusion
The NMECIT mission of Government of India, the Internet connectivity to the every Indian and
the Creative Common Licensing had created a ray of hope to every Indian to be well educated, on
the one hand, Indians are struggling due to high population and on the other hand, these three
blessings the NMEICT, Internet and CCL which will definitely bring a change in respect of
quality educational resources accessibility to the Indians. The Government of India had realized
the potential of OER and hence had developed several massive projects, though the projects are
at the nascent stage, the time will come when it brings the change and the whole population will
be educated and get benefited by it.
Whether sources are Indian or foreign, irrespective of that, they are proving to be a boon for
students enrolled in the course of law but lack of training to the law teachers to equip their
students with these available resources is the biggest challenge of the present time. Bar Council
of India should carry out pan-India training for the Law teachers in this direction.
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146
Exploring a Unique Blended Learning Model for Effective Teaching

Learning in the Post Covid Era
Christina Abitha1 & S. Singaravelu2

2
Principal,
CK College of Education,
Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu
Abstract
Covid-19 a global health pandemic has forced a massive shift from offline learning to
digital learning. In India, Distance Learning degree was considered to be less worthy
compared to degree obtained through regular mode. In the case of employment also,
while applying for a position in a company/ school/ institution, first preference will
be given to the person who has completed the degree in regular mode. But Covid-19
pandemic made the teachers and students of higher education to quickly adopt online
teleconferencing mode of teaching. Many universities shifted to online, then
returned to traditional mode and then shifted back online based on Covid-19 surge.
Some universities have adopted a hybrid model i.e. where students can attend classes
online/offline. Exams are conducted through online mode. Like other countries,
India also is trying to come out of the lockdown. But “business as usual” will not be
possible fully with respect to the education sector. It is our duty to accept the “new
normal” and actively use a hybrid blended learning method for effective outcome in
the post-Covid era. In the present study, the author proposes a unique blended hybrid
learning model which has the following salient features: Tri-semester pattern or
Block based learning pattern, Curriculum Transaction: Recorded Videos followed by
face-to-face problem solving sessions, Internal Assessments: Unit Tests (MCQ's),
Assignments: Case study, Book or Research paper review, Open-ended descriptive
questions, Summative Assessments: Final Exam (MCQ's) and Contextual Project
and On Demand Exam.
Keywords: Blended Learning, Flipped Learning, Teaching, Learning, Post Covid,
OER, ODL.
Introduction
Prior to the pandemic teaching and learning in formal as well as distance education was just a
matter of meeting the expectations of the people's need and to satisfy their academic quest. The
paramount mission of education is to fabricate education as a beneficial and meaningful factor.
Advanced methodologies and Learning Management Systems were completely ensconced.
Amidst pandemic, universal changes occurred in every sector that includes the education sector
as well. At that point of time teaching and learning practices took a break from the conventional
practices and developed a resilient learning system using evidence-based and needs–based
information. Therefore, Constructivism was infused through various new techniques for coping
with the effects of Covid. Considering the limitations on connectivity the concept of flexible
learning emerged as an option for formal and distance learning. Research shows that flexible
learning promoted the learners in accordance with the requirements and successfully showed
evidence for the progressive learning outcomes.
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The present system of education focuses on multiple platforms where blended learning takes a
vital role to play with. This hybrid system of education focuses on inquiry project–based
learning, Game-based learning, Peer to Peer coaching and enthralled mastery. Furthermore,
constructivism is practically applied in the process of teaching and learning which is ultimately
indispensable for productive outcomes. We accepted this new normal and actively shifted to the
hybrid blended learning methods within a short span of time and this change seems to be
challenging. At the time when the education sector was on a crucial downfall, constructivism
experienced a different turnover and strived hard to achieve success in the new normal.
CONCEPT OF BLENDED AND FLIPPED LEARNING
Blended Learning is an innovative instructional methodology that combines the traditional face-
to-face classroom teaching methods with online activities to deliver instruction. This learning
approach optimizes effective learning as it integrates face-to-face and synchronous as well as
asynchronous online learning tools. Whereas Flipped Learning is a type of Blended learning that
rearrange the learning experience in order to maximize valuable teacher-student interaction time
(face-to-face learning time). Digital resources including video lectures, teacher podcasts,
classroom recordings, lecture notes, articles, etc are provided to students in advance well before
the class and utilize class time for activities for problem-solving, lead discussions and
application-oriented issues. (UGC, Blended Mode of Teaching and Learning: Concept Note).
1.3 Proposed Model of Flipped Learning (Blended Learning):

Admission / Curriculum Teaching – Learning Assessments
Block-based Learning / Tri- Online Mode: Video Lectures, MCQs - Online and Proctored
semester Pattern Audio Lecture/ Podcast, Based
Discussion posts, Classroom
notes, etc. Assignments – Plagiarism
Face-to-Face: Problem Checked
Solving sessions, classroom
discussions, doubt-clearing Final Assessment – On-
sessions, article discussion. Demand
Year 1: Block 1/ Semester 1: Courses are divided into Formative Assessment: (40%)
Admission – June weekly sessions. Unit Test – MCQs
Course – 2 or 3 Every week test will be open
Curriculum Transaction: Every week Saturday – Next from Friday Evening to
July – Sept (12 Weeks) week, videos and other digital Monday Morning
materials will be uploaded in
Year 1: Block 2 / Semester 2 the LMS. Assignments
Admission – October Classroom discussions /
Course – 2 or 3 Every week from Monday to participation in LMS online
Curriculum Transaction: Friday, depending upon the discussions
November –January (12 course credits, 3 to 4 classes Article Review
Weeks) per week are scheduled with
the professors. These face-to-
face sessions are used for
Year 1: Block 3 / Semester 3 Problem
Admission – February Solving sessions, S u m m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t :
classroom discussions, doubt (60%)
Course – 2 or 3 Curriculum clearing sessions, and article MCQs (40 %)
Transaction: March- discussion. Contextual Project (20%)
May (12 Weeks)
Fig 1. SV Model of Blended and Flipped Learning
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Before Class During Class After Class
Introduction Video Exploring the Face-to-Face Continued

to new Lecture, concept instruction (1- higher level
Assessment –
concepts, Podcasting, learned 1 or small Learning
Online
topics, terms. classroom through group through
submission in
notes. activities instruction) assignment
LMS
including lead and
discussions, contextual
problem project
solving, doubt
clarifications.
Objectives Covered: Objectives Covered: (Blooms) Objectives Covered: (Blooms)

(Blooms)
Applying Evaluating
Remembering Analyzing Creating
Understanding
Preparation for face-to-face Detailed Face to face Preparation for face-to-face
instruction. instruction instruction.
Fig 2. Before, during and after class models
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE MODEL

Tri-semester Pattern / Block-Based Learning
Paradigm shift in the education sector seems to have grown only after the entry of the pandemic
which has become a global issue. In order to explore new constructivism in teaching and learning
in the context of formal and distance learning, one can explore a unique blended learning model
for effective teaching and learning in the post-Covid era. That includes the Tri -Semester pattern.
This pattern of learning process seems to be flexible and is considered to be as personalised
learning, where a year of study is divided into three each of which consists of a duration of
tentatively 12 – 13 weeks long. This pattern of learning has its own pros that include a reduced
number of papers that facilitates effortless learning. Since examinations come frequently, the
fear of examinations will be in its plummet. In addition to that, the content that they read will stay
evergreen till they deliver it in their assessment. On a significant remark, it facilitates one to
explore abundant learning in various perspectives related to their study. Thus, by enhancing a
wide area of knowledge in the prescribed course of study.
Consecutively, Block-Based Learning which focused on Student–Centred Learning is flexible
for those who do not maintain appropriate continuity in education, and also for students who
desire for overdue admission. Subsequently, in the Block-Based Learning process the number of
students who enroll for one particular course can be split and the maximum number of pupils can
be invited for admission irrespective of the academic year. If this system is implemented, an
incredible number of students will be benefitted. For instance, in a four-year degree programme,
each and every semester must be framed in such a way that it can be substituted and interchanged
as per the convince of the learners. The first two years of the stipulated degree programme must
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be outlined such that it can be altered neither in the beginning of the course nor at the end of the
course. A major focus of attention must be given to the last two years which fulfil the course's
desired outcomes. Therefore, if a break in the planned course of study happens, it can be made up
for quickly or compensated as soon as possible. Therefore, Block-Based Learning will
undoubtedly meet the needs of the learners through innovative blended learning.
Flexible Curriculum Transaction
Following that in a well-planned curriculum transaction, the teaching-learning process can be
purely e-Learning where teachers can explain concepts one after the other parallel with the help
of technology enhancing active learning teaching aids, that involve computation systems that
enable the learners for effective reading. It promotes Self-Paced Learning according to their own
convenience. Right here the recorded videos of the lectures are posted regularly at the incessant
interval of time where self-assessment will be additionally provided. Hence the learners acquire
what they want to learn easily at their place of abode. Post discussion will be face-to-face
discussion where it can be considered to be a problem-solving session. Their doubts and other
career-focused discussions can be made effectively. The teachers will extend their fullest support
to the students and clear all their clarifications.
Formative Assessment
The following formative assessment modes are used for assessing student internal assessment:
 Unit Test: MCQs (Weightage – 10%)
 Assignment: Open-ended descriptive questions, Article review, case study, etc – 20%
 Participation in the classroom as well as online discussion Forum – 10%
When calculating their internal assessment, assignments can be given in the form of multiple-
choice questions. When giving primary focus to MCQs rather than descriptive, it enables broad
mindedness and reliability among the students by ensuring quick assessment in their own
performance. MCQs will also lead to deep observation, sequential learning, fathomless
comprehension and sustainable development. In addition to that students must be rewarded for
Book review with which the expansion of knowledge takes place. Publication of research papers
while still pursuing their studies is like an added credit score for them. Open-ended descriptive
questions if needed can be given importance while calculating a student's internal assessment.
Therefore, creativity will be at its peak rather than the traditional monotonous way of calculating
the score. Here constructivism takes a unique position in the effective learning process.
Summative Assessment
1. Final Exam – Proctor-based MCQs
2. Contextual Project
Next in the order comes the summative assessment which acts as a benchmark of a student's
overall evaluation on the course of study. Here, rather than following the conventional method of
practice which follows the routine of writing descriptive answers, MCQ questions pave the way
for critical analysis of the subject they had studied. This enables higher-order thinking and
widens one's knowledge to know all the nooks and corners of the prescribed study. This envisages
progressive growth towards curriculum and emphasises standardization in the attainment of
curriculum advancement. Thus, the output of the course progress will be precisely calculated and
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estimated. In addition to that, immediate outcomes can be assessed and the results can be
published at the earliest. Hence eligible or interested candidates can pursue their higher
education at their desired college immediately without any delay. Our next area of focus can be
kept on contextual projects. This project particularly helps to understand the context related to
their lives, communities, workplace, or the wider world that they have learned deeply and apply
them in their practical life with on-field program experience. It allows students and participants
to construct meaning, based on their own experiences. The contextual projects are well-known to
be as work-based learning programs or sequential analyses of regular classroom events. If this
project is considered to be a summative assessment's marking scheme, it will motivate the
students to give their best in their workplace too. Therefore, they could practically apply the
grasped items and comprehend whatever they have learned. It stays evergreen in their mind and
constructivism in learning takes place appropriately which can be applied to both formal as well
as distance education.
On-demand Examination
On-demand exams are not given the privilege all these days. In the time of Covid, it gradually
gained its prominence and was familiarised to all. On-Demand examinations are one of the
unique blended hybrid learning systems where it gives flexibility in studies as per convenience of
the readers. Both pen and paper-based exams or computer-based exams can be accessed. This
exam is student-friendly and saves a lot of time as it is self-paced and plugged in with new trends.
For this matter students need not be dependent on the time which was scheduled by the
examination cell; rather they are the one who decides the date and time of the examination which
they are going to take. Hence it has its own sense of privileges. This system of examination
pattern can surely reduce the stress of students who lack subject knowledge within the allotted
time of the course duration.
Conclusion
Our teaching and learning system in the post-Covid era ultimately demanded a progressive
change. The above prescribed changes may give access to learner's hybrid and blended method
where one can attain sustainable development with regard to a focused curriculum. Effective
Blended Learning model goes a long way in helping learners develop 21st-century skills along
with effective concept learning and skills development related to the respective subject domains.
In a highly populated country like India, intake in reputed institutions like IITs, IIMs, and IISc
can be increased three to four times by adopting Flipped learning model. Adopting Blended /
Flipped learning model will help us to achieve NEP 2020 goals of increasing critical thinking
skills and promoting problem-solving ability of future citizens of India.
References
Cleveland-Innes, M., & Wilton, D. (2018). Guide to blended learning. COL. Retrieved from
http://oasis.col.org/bitstream/handle/11599/3095/2018_Cleveland-InnesWilton_Guide-
to-Blended-Learning.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed Govt. of India, MHRD (2020).
National Education Policy (2020). Retrieved from
https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
UGC (2020), Blended Mode of Teaching and Learning: Concept Note. Retrieved from
https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/6100340_Concept-Note-Blended-Mode-of-Teaching-
and-Learning.pdf
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Blended Learning: Can it be made compulsory?
Shacheendran.V
Head & Associate Professor,
PG Department of Commerce, GPM Government College
Manjeswaram, Kasaragod District
Abstract
With more than 51,000 institutions, India's higher education system is already one of
the largest in the world, and in terms of enrollment; it is second only to China. In
order to make the best use of its demographic advantages, we need to develop
appropriate measures in the higher education system in India. However, the proposed
concept note of Blended Learning (BL) seems to be far away from the realities and
has logical inconsistencies. The present article critically analyses the 'Blended Mode
of Teaching and Learning: Concept Note' issued by UGC.
Keywords: Blended learning, UGC, Higher Education, online learning
1. Introduction
“Justice is not only the absence of oppression; it is the presence of opportunity.” - Barack Obama
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a concept note on Blended Learning (BL).
It contains several 'innovative' ideas and proposals for implementation in the institutions of
Higher Education (HEIs) in India. The concept note states BL as an 'effective blend of online and
face-to-face mode in teaching and learning'. As the note says, BL is in line with the proposed New
Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It is claimed as an attempt to develop so called 21-century skills
and achieves 'education 4.0'
The Proposed Key Changes
The following are the key changes proposed in the concept note;
1. The compulsory use of online learning resources and digital infrastructure in HEIs for
teaching and learning.
2. The use of online platforms, software, and digital devices as an integral part of the
learning by the students of higher education
3. Introducing pedagogical changes in teaching and evaluation such as flipped class room,
open book examination, and so on for the programmes in higher education.
4. Introducing 30 percent to 70 percent online mode of learning for a programme per
semester
5. Proposing of the so called 'educational transformations' in the form of flexibility and
quality, needs and interest-oriented, student-centricity, learning through the real world,
and learning or exams on demand.
6. Suggesting six building blocks for 'Academic Bank Credit', which are emphasizing on-
a. Any subject combination for study
b. Merging regular, distance, online and virtual modes of learning
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c. Flexibility to study in any national/ international institution

d. Converting credits into degrees/ diplomas
e. Enabling lifelong learning by removing a fixed time factor in education
f. New terminology for programmes like Bachelor of Liberal Education (BLE)
Issues and Concerns
Any attempt to modernize and improve the existing system of higher education system should be
accepted if it is within the realities and permits an inclusive, equitable and accessible education.
While reading through the concept note, apparently, one may be getting a feeling that he/she is
talking about the higher education system of a developed country in the world, which is fully
equipped with digital infrastructure, has enough funding for HEIs, and has a uniform distribution
of population in terms of their capacity and potentials. It proposes even upto 70 percent
mandatory component of online teaching-learning (using digital devices and software).
The concept note seems to have forgotten, the following hard realities about the system;
Digital infrastructure in India
As per the recent NSO survey on digital education divide, across India, only one in 10 lakhs
household has a computer, whether a desktop, laptop, or tablet. Only 25 percent of all homes have
internet facilities accessed via a fixed or mobile network using any device including
smartphones. As per the 2011 Census, 68.8 percent of the country's population and 72.4 percent
of the workforce resided in rural areas. According to an NSO survey, the rural households with
computers are only 4.4 percent. The urban households with computers are only 23.4 percent. The
rural households with internet are only 14.9 percent. The urban households with internet are 42
percent. The existing Urban-Rural divide is visible. In Rural India, only 15 percent are connected
to the internet. As far as access and utilisation, 20 percent of Indians above the age of 5 years only
have basic digital literacy. It is just 40 percent in the critical age group 15 to 29 years (the group in
which high school and students of higher education fall). There is only less than 20 percent
internet penetration even in states with software hubs. According to a recent report published by
world data speed monitoring platform Ookla, India ranks at 129th position in a list of 138
countries in terms of data speed. The average 4G internet speed in India is even lower than in
countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. The download speed still remains very poor in
almost all parts of India.
 Spending capacity of citizens
Pew Research Center, using World Bank data, has estimated that the number of poor in India
(with income of $2 per day or less in purchasing power parity) has more than doubled from 60
million to 134 million in just a year due to the pandemic-induced recession. The United Nations
estimated the number of poor in the country to be 364 million in 2019 or 28 percent of the
population.
Government level spending on higher education
In 1964, the Kothari Commission had recommended an allocation of 6 percent of GDP towards
education sector. It was endorsed by the National Policy of Education, two decades later in 1986.
Though NEP 2020 also advocates spending 6 percent of GDP on education, it was only 3.1
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percent in 2019-20. It is true that with 51,649 institutions and 37.6 million students, one of the
largest higher education systems in the world, India has a shortage of funds to serve the ever-
growing need of funds for higher education. To be direct, the concept note on Blended learning
(BL) is to be withdrawn on the following grounds
1. As evidenced above, India has to travel many more miles to make online learning as a
mandatory component in HEIs. In fact, even at present, when it is optional, we are taking the
advantage of online sources and platforms to the extent possible. Those who are
disadvantageous, remain satisfied with offline resources and methods for learning. Considering
the present ICT infrastructure and the status of the country as elaborated above, it is not fair to ask
to do more than that. Making online learning mandatory would mean the denial of learning
opportunities for the masses in the country. Unfortunately, the concept note does not show a stock
of the digital devices available per capita and ICT infrastructure available in rural India.
Education when becomes a right, should be provided for everyone. It should not be restricted to
economically creamy layer stratum. It should be ensured to the poorer of the poor, one who
cannot buy a computer, also. India's huge population size does matter when it comes to the
decisions on higher education also. Geographical disparity, backwardness, and non-
connectivity, etc. also should be kept in mind, before proposing a BL type of approach.
2. The agenda behind proposing BL is doubtful. If it has only positive intentions like using online
resources for teaching-learning, then mandatory BL framework is unwarranted. Because even
now many teachers are using online resources and digital devices for teaching and learning.
Many teachers have completed SWAYAM-based MOOCs, attended online workshops and
webinars, and accessed online materials available in various databases and centers. Many of the
teachers invariably refer to online sources for clarifying doubts and getting notes on new or
tougher topics. Financially blessed, also interested, students also make use of digital devices and
online resources for knowledge acquisition and development. Some of the colleges and
institutions have LMS and other online-based initiatives in their campuses.
Once mandatory online teaching-learning at a rate of 30% to 70% is implemented and that will
definitely lead to a fall in the number of teaching posts needed in the higher education system, as
common resources can be shared across a university/ state/ a country. This will only add to the
already existing unemployment problems in the country.
3. In models like flipped classroom, the students are encouraged to access digital learning
materials via a cloud-based learning platform during their own time. Without having own
computers, how students can be expected to access online resources at their own level? Even if
having a smartphone, how long they can use a mobile phone for reading and learning? If
continuously utilized even for a few hours, they are bound to face severe health problems. It is
also to be noted that mobile phones are not allowed in campuses due to their improper uses or
abuses. In the absence of laptops/ tablets, they will be compelled to purchase a smartphone and
bring it to campus. At the undergraduate level, as the students may not be matured enough, the
abuse of mobile phones is likely to arise.
4. Asking to show too much attachment to online platforms cannot be justified, on many grounds.
Often online resources provided are not vouched for quality checks. Even teachers do not find too
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much enthusiasm with online source of learning. A 2018 'Columbia Universitys Teachers
College study on edX and Coursera courses shows that MOOC Certificate programs have a
completion rate of 15 percent or less. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of
Technologyrevealed that over the past five years, online courses recorded an astronomical
average dropout rate of about 96 percent. If the status of the teachers is like that, we can guess
how the students are likely to engage in such courses. The presence of a teacher in physical mode
only can take the students to a new area of knowledge. Also, learning is never a mechanical
process, to gain it from any device. It needs an emotional teach of a touch, particularly at the
undergraduate level.
5. The concept note criticizes closed book exam as “remembering and reproducing' exercise. It
further comments that “life is all about open book examination”. A closer observation will help to
realize that the sense of a closed book exam goes beyond “remembering and reproducing'. A
student who is preparing for a closed book exam has to learn a set of topics and notes in a
systematic and structured manner. Only a well-organized knowledge acquisition process will
enable a student to secure goods marks in a closed book examination. Even if some of the
students secure good marks by mere remembering, it is due to setting of the question papers in a
non-challenging manner. The questions should be set for exploring the analytical and intellectual
skills of the students. The comment that “life is all about open book examination” seems funny.
Because, in life situations also, well remembered and understood lessons, methods and
approaches are found to be useful. Merely because everything is available as open, one may not
become a successful person in life. Otherwise, everyone would have been successful in life, in
this world. It is not the case. In order to successfully win a 'closed book exam', a good student
must learn the topic, understand it and apply in the right context, among the many topics studied.
Open book exam per se will not give any advantage. If open book exam is conducted, using the
present type of questions, that will be making exams as an easy walk over for all the students.
6. It is to be noted that a teacher cannot be substituted by any device, particularly at
undergraduate level. Throughout the learning process, teaching and emotional support also need
to be provided by the teacher.
7. The concept note on BL expects a bandwidth of minimum 1 GBPS to 5-10 GBPS as desirable.
But the ground realities are far away from this requirement. “The average 4G data speed in India
is somewhere between 6.9 to 9.5 Mb per second (Mbps). The global average 4G data speed is
ranging between 34 to 35 Mbps of download speed and 10 to 11 Mbps of upload speed, according
to Ookla data. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) report, 4G
internet speed in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata also remained very poor
compared to the global average speed. For example, the national capital Delhi has been getting an
average download speed on 4G connections at just 10 Mbps, while the upload speed here is less
than 2 Mbps: The growing number of telecom users and smart phone users are also cited as one of
the reasons for slow speed in the country.
8. The concept note on BL expects that every classroom be connected with the Smart class, as its
desirable standard. But in the arts and science colleges, even in Kerala state, which has several
achievements in the field of education, does not have even a single college with smart classroom
for all the classes.
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9. As part of Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), the concept note proposes that
'Paper-pencil tests, unit-end exams to be completely discouraged for CCE”. Any teacher, who is
presently working in an Arts and science college, will very well appreciate the reality that paper-
pencil tests, unit-end exams are helping the students to ensure that each unit being taught is well
understood and comprehended. It is very difficult to understand as to what prompted the 'expert'
who developed the note, to make such a proposal.
10. Another harmful proposal is that teacher's role should shift from knowledge provider to
coach and mentor. It is really a disastrous suggestion. A teacher at best can be a good teacher only.
The role of a mentor or a coach is different from that of a teacher. Even now, along with teaching,
many of the teachers are engaged in role of a mentor. But mentoring or coaching should not be the
prime role of a teacher. Students are primarily expecting teachers, not mentors. Mentoring can
only be an additional role. The selection process, including eligibility, of candidates for teaching
posts and that of mentors are totally different. If this proposal is accepted in both letter and spirit,
hereafter, we need not select any teacher. Rather we need a few mentors only. That is not an
acceptable one.
11. Like in NEP 2020, the concept note on BL also proposes for inter disciplinary learning. It is
true that in order to solve most of the problems in real life, an interdisciplinary approach is
needed. Because expertise in only one discipline may not be sufficient. But due to that, if each
student secures an interdisciplinary UG and PG programmes, how we can get experts in a
particular field? Inter-disciplinarily should be achieved by combining experts from different
fields, not by a team of non-experts. Specialization and subject expertise will continue as
essential elements in the future years also. Once extended to professional education, what will be
the fate of a patient who undergoes a surgery under a doctor who studied a bunch of courses with
no specialization in anything? In order to solve the existing socio-economic or environmental
problems, an interdisciplinary team approach should be adopted. It should not mean giving
piece-pieces of knowledge of different disciplines to a single person.
12. The six building blocks of ABC are really 'interesting' to read. But we should also keep in
mind that if that much of flexibility is provided in the system, it may lead to a lot of uncertainties.
That itself may lead to a massive collapse of the system. For instance, the suggestion for
permitting multiple entry and exit ignores the fact that seating capacities in the classrooms are
limited. If accepted on a liberal sense, students may even choose any time entry and exit. Though
exit does not make a big concern for a class, entry at an altogether different point of time will lead
to lots of difficulties in respect of maintaining records, maintaining a systematic flow in learning,
etc.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that suitable reforms should be brought into the higher education system in
India. Because change in inevitable in any system. But such reforms must be based on realities
and possibilities. It should not be denying equal opportunities to anyone in the system. In order to
make use of digital tools and resources, what is required is the free distribution of digital devices
to all teachers and students. Training also needs to be provided. Online learning only should be an
additional input to the academic community, along with the existing teaching and training
156
methods and processes. Learning, after securing a job, may be possible with the help of BL
approach. But in UG & PG colleges and other institutions, BL can be only a terrible dream.
References
Bhaskar, R N. MAY 19, 2020. India's poor spending on higher education is making other
countries rich. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/indias-poor-spending-on-
higher-education-is-making-other-countries-rich-5284501.html
Dibyendu Mondal.2020. Digital India's internet speed among the slowest'. Sunday Guardian.
Richard Mahapatra, Published Wednesday 07 April 2021. Mass poverty is back in India.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/mass-poverty-is-back-in-india-76348
Vrishti. As digital divide widens, India risks losing a generation to pandemic disruption. 17
December, 2020. beniwal.www.theprint.in/
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Improving the Self-Awareness towards E-Waste Management

through Blended Learning Approaches in Secondary School Students
Paramesh Roy1 & Maria Josephine Arokia Marie. S2

Research Scholar1, Assistant Professor of Education2
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University
Amarkantak (M.P.) - 484887, India
Abstract
Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the neo-type wastes that occur in the universe. It
ranges from minute chips to orbital satellites. The enhancement of information
communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI) have molded the
present generation to keep electronic gadgets' as a necessary part of life. Quick
obsolescence and update of electronic gadgets induce the consumer to discard their
old products. The study shows that globally, an estimated million tons of e-waste
have been produced in recent years, which leads to the enormous accumulation of e-
waste in the universe, which is scattered from the earth's crust to space orbital. E-
waste is boosting in India at the rate of 10% annually. It harms human health and the
climate because it contains various harmful chemicals and metals. In the incarnation
digital world, technology integration is flourishing the awareness of e-waste
management in secondary school students. The author designed this paper to
improve the self-awareness of e-waste management through blended learning
approaches among secondary school students. Blended learning plays a vital role in
the teaching-learning process. It includes all the qualities of collaborative
educational experience. So, it will be possible to improve the self-awareness of E-
waste management through blended learning approaches in secondary school
students. The increase of e-waste is associated with the dearth of awareness and
appropriate skills to fight against the problem—the self-awareness of the people rates
meager. The study's main purpose is to inform people about e-waste management and
show how e-waste affects human health. Unfortunately, we did not have a proper
scientific method for the remediation and recycling of e-waste. After the literature
review, researchers found that awareness of e-waste management is lacking; there is
an urgent need to rectify the gap in practice and to provide the treatment or disposal of
e-waste.
Keywords: Self-Awareness, E-Waste Management, Blended Learning Approaches,
Secondary School Students
Introduction
In the digital world of technology, educational pedagogies shifted towards Blended Learning or
hybrid formats (i.e., a blend of face-to-face and online activities and the integration between
synchronous and asynchronous learning tools via virtual learning platforms; UGC, 2021). Even
now today, the global online education demand has been growing and will reach over $350
billion by 2025 (Argyriou et al., 2022). The following reviews of scholarly articles are compiled,
which help the present study on how the blended learning approach improves the self-awareness
of e-waste management among secondary school students. The students have better knowledge
158
about e-waste than watching any video related to e-waste. The researchers (Nanath & Kumar,
2021) emphasized in this paper the effectiveness of communication platforms in conveying the
importance of sustainability messages focusing on electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. The
finding of this paper is that the text from communication medium is more helpful in
understanding e-waste management among students. Shittu et al. (2021) found the best strategies
and techniques to deal with e-waste in Asia and Latin American countries and that e-waste are
increasing at a high level in these countries. The researcher (Deivam, 2018) explored the
effectiveness of Blended Learning in Teaching on Educational Psychology among B. Ed
Trainees and also explored a new evaluation mode, "Hybrid Mode of Examination." Blended
Learning is very effective in developing the students learning performance for the course
(Wichadee, 2018 & Kintu et al.,2017). Norazli et al. (2017) found that local authorities formulate
the most efficient and effective options for sustainably managing electronic waste. Pollution
controlling for air emission and effluent discharge has been strengthened for the e-waste
recycling process owing to recent improvements in regulation and technology (Zeng et al.,
2017). Kwatra et al. (2014) found that 12-26% of people replace electronic goods like
refrigerators, food processors, personal computers, and other electronic gadgets within the first
three years of purchase. Especially the middle-class Residents are still unaware of the problem;
however, after acquiring the knowledge, they were capable of linking the Impacts of improper e-
waste management with detrimental health outcomes. The finding of this paper is to develop
customized awareness programs to address this concern more effectively. Blended Learning is
intended to allow student-teachers to develop their basic cognitive concept as well as their
practical skill in the teaching and training process (Marie, 2016), and it is also very much
effective for enhancing Techno pedagogical skills and achievement among student-teachers at
the secondary level (Scaria, 2016). Owston et al. (2012) focused on the relationship between
students' perception in blended learning courses and their achievement in this course. To examine
this study, the researcher used some questionnaires about courses among the students. The result
of that study was that most students were happy and satisfied with their blended courses. At the
end of the study, investigators found that blended Learning should be students' choice, especially
in their subject area. The blended learning strategy can be considered as one of the new initiatives
of pedagogical approaches for integrating ICT in science education (Krishnan, 2011), and the
traditional strategy was also a little effective in making the positive attitude of secondary school
students toward achievement on their respective subject (Kumar, 2010). A blended learning
environment is convenient based on features for face-to-face and online environments for
students (Yoon & Lee, 2010).
Blended Learning is also known as hybrid learning or mixed-mode instruction. This is an
approach to education that combines online education with traditional place-based classroom
methods. In this program, the teacher delivers the content through online learning platforms
(like- Edmodo, Flipgrid, etc.) that are helpful to increase the awareness and knowledge about E-
waste management among the students and also the learning activities like brainstorming,
audiovisual presentation, demonstration, and group discussion will improve the pedagogical
practices for students toward E-waste management. Figure 1 shows that the Blended learning
design can be very effective for enhancing E-waste management.
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1. Conventional Learning is a traditional learning method. It is a teacher-oriented method,

there teacher's role as instructor and student's role as learner. In this study, teacher will
interact face to face with the students and the teacher gives his instruction through digital
mediums. He will use learning activities on E-waste management through pedagogical
practices such as discussion, brain-storming, demonstration methods, etc in the classroom.
2. Through Online Instruction, teachers can communicate with the students. The
improvement on achievement in teaching e-waste management of secondary school
students through e-learning and online platforms are made using the educational web tools,
such as Webex meet, Google Meet, Zoom, etc. It will be very helpful to improve the self-
awareness of E-waste management.
3. Collaborative Learning Activity will be more effective to develop the perception on E-
waste management. It is based on blend between the teacher and the cooperative learning
groups.
Fig 1. Design of Blended learning
Therefore, it can be said that the Blended Learning approach will be efficient for enhancing the
self-awareness of e-waste management for secondary school students towards sustainable
development and how to provide the treatment of e-waste management through Blended
Learning Models.
What is Blended Learning?
The theme of constructivism of blended learning in teaching and learning has gained a most prior
position in the era of the present scenario. Blended learning is a flexible learning strategy for the
teaching-learning program because it combines e-learning and traditional teaching methods
(Marie, 2016).a
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Fig 2. Process of Blended Learning
The researchers designed this paper to improve the self-awareness of E-waste management
through blended learning approaches among secondary school students. Online learning alone
will not satisfy the students' needs, so in that case, need a two way of learning that is face-to-face
and e-learning. In this study, the researcher can combine Flipgrid & Edmodo learning platforms to
provide content on E-waste management through technology-enhanced learning, and
conventional classroom methods can be included in the learning platform to improve self-
awareness. E-Waste concepts are to be taught through face-to-face and online teaching methods,
which will be helpful for the students.
E-Waste- Background
The discarded electronics and electrical products ranging from computers, equipment used in
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), household appliances, consumer electronics,
audio, and video products, and all of their peripherals are known as Electronic waste (E-waste). It
is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the globe. The growth of the Information and
Communication Technology sector has exponentially enhanced electronic equipment usage
(Chatterjee, 2011). The discarded electronic products exhale many poisonous chemicals that
degrade the climate as well as E-waste damages human health because it contains a wide variety of
chemicals and metals. Its impact on human health is very dangerous. Nonetheless, people
unknowingly store the e-waste in their houses.
Impact on Health
Disposal of e-wastes is a serious issue faced in many regions worldwide. E-waste comprises many
components, some containing toxic substances that can adversely impact human health if not
handled appropriately. In India, e-waste management assumes greater significance due to the
generation of its own e-waste and the dumping of e-waste from developed countries. The toxics
threaten health if these electronic gadgets are discarded with other household garbage.
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Table 1. E-waste components & their impact on human health
Source of E-waste Component Impact on Human Health

TV, Computers, Lead phosphate a) Damages the metabolic processes.
Keyboard, Mouse b) Promotes carcinogenesis (formation of
and Mobile Phones cancer).
Mother-board Beryllium (Be) a) Causes chronic beryllium disease.
b) Carcinogenesis (cancer).
Battery Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, a) Damage to the developing brain and
and Sulfuric acid nervous system.
Lead acid battery Sulfuric acid a) Damages internal organs.
Central Processing Lead, Cadmium, And a) Cancer
Units (CPU) Beryllium b) Infectious diseases
c) Cardiovascular
Cathode-ray tube (in Mercury, Lead, and a) Headache
computer display) Cadmium b) Damage to our eyes and skin.
Awareness Concerning E-Waste Management

As Gene Green says, “as the pace of technology increases, the amount of toxic electronic waste is
accumulating up at home and abroad”- but the practice of essential disposal is neglected and
unscientifically formulated. Around the globe, people are unaware of the impact of e-waste
hazardous on health. The pupils don't know the management process of discarded electronic
items. In E-waste products, many essential metals should be recycled and reused as raw material
and in a new production. The following are mentioned below-
1. Dismantling- It is a process where discarded e-waste products are separated from the
chemicals contained in the product to prevent toxic chemicals' effects on health. This
process is done at the time of the first stage of the recycling process.
2. Segregation- In the Segregation process, the main focus is to separate parts of discarded e-
waste products so they cannot reach the direct soil. The product is put in a particular place to
be treated as well.
3. Refurbishment is one of the following stages where it looks after which product
components are working for reuse.
4. Recycling is a process where reusable products have used the process of recycling and
saving the environment from its harmful effects.
5. Treatment of e-waste products are done throughout the process of dismantling.
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Fig 3. E-waste management process
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) initiated the
“Awareness Programme on Environmental Hazards of Electronic waste” project on March 31,
2015. The primary focus of MeitY's project is to create awareness among different stakeholders
to reduce the negative impact on health due to improper disposal of e-waste. The sixty-five cities
generate more than 60% of the total generated E-waste, whereas, 10 cities generate 70% of the
total e-waste (E-waste Guidelines, 2007).
Fig 4. City-wise E-waste generation in India (tonnes/ year) (Sources:

http://www.ewasteproject.org/docs/del_amitjain.pdf and http://www.cpcb.nic.in/docs/E-Waste
Guidelines-2007/Front page1.pdf)
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The knowledge of e-waste management, handling, and disposal methods are lacking in most
schools/ institutions/ organizations. This view has been substantiated by findings in India
(Ohajinwa et al., 2017). Researcher can improve the self-awareness of e-waste management
among the students through Blended learning approach.
Conclusion
Blended learning combines instructional modalities and integrates both online and face-to-face
instructional strategies (Graham et al., 2003). The result is definite that intervention through e-
waste recycling articles effectively changed students' behaviors compared to video interventions
(Nanath, K. 2021). A holistic approach is required to handle the challenges faced by India in e-
waste management (Chatterjee, 2011). On behalf of the results of the study, it is stated that the
researchers can improve the awareness of e-waste management among secondary school
students by combining the E-waste management-related content with science-related subjects
and also can enhance the knowledge, practical skill, and attitude about e-waste management
through Blended Learning approaches because it is more effective than traditional and online
education. It includes all the qualities of collaborative educational experience. So, it will be
possible to improve the self-awareness of E-waste management through blended learning
approaches in secondary school students.
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Dynamics of Teaching Using Model of Flipped

Classroom as Blended Learning Approach
Sarita Singh1 & Ujjala Singh2

1
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Education, Sitananda College, Nandigram (West Bengal)
Email:ssarita448@gmail.com
2
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Education, Kidderpore College, Kolkata (West Bengal)
Email:ujjala.singh14@gmail.com
Abstract
The emergence of digital dynamics in the world of teaching-learning has brought
tremendous changes in all levels of school and higher education. The evolution of the
digital platform of learning has considerably affected the traditional mode of
education and somehow put off it in the back seat system of learning. However, the
traditional setup and new dynamics of teaching-learning gave new birth to the
modern concept of the blended learning approach. A blended instructional model
comprises both face-to-face and online instruction called synchronous and
asynchronous modes of learning. In which the idea of Flipped classroom was
identified as a new pedagogical & comprehensive model of teaching. It serves as a
great support system that offers open educational resources and quality learning
material via various platforms of MOOCs. The study aimed to elaborate the
innovative teaching practices and thus design learning by using the model of Flipped
Classroom and its different dynamics of teaching learning. Based on the flipped
model of teaching this study will also try to find out the instructional design model,
teachinglearning activities, and evaluation system as well as personalized system of
learning by using this blended approach to teaching. The result identified that such
kind of innovative idea of flipped classroom and integrated forms of technology
promotes an individualized atmosphere of learning and activate the entire process of
education in a standard manner.
Keywords: Flipped Classroom, Teaching-learning, Models of teaching
1. Introduction
The unprecedented changes in the Covid-19 pandemic have brought tremendous changes in the
teaching-learning framework. The educational institution generally follows a face-to-face
classroom setup while during the pandemic it was forced to shift virtually (Soon Tan et al., 2022).
Digital transformation and technological involvement rigorously nourished the pedagogical
quality. Pedagogical innovation has largely been influenced by educational policy, course
structure, teaching-learning strategy, and loop of communication (Pal et al., 2020). Therefore
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traditional setup of teaching moved to online classes so that the core information is delivered
online before the class at home and homework moves into the classroom. Hence, a new approach
developed named Flipped Classroom. A flipped classroom is an approach that has been used in
various disciplines for the last few years. Through the model of flipped classroom students gain
prior experience of learning before entering the class and integrate parts of learning like-
application, analysis, synthesis, and problem-solving skills. While Walvoor and Anderson
identified it as an assignment model in which students can able to perform productive work
before class. In essence, students can also receive necessary feedback throughout the process of
learning (Nedeva et al., 2019).
Pillar of Flipped Classroom
Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, and Arfstrom (2013), identified that flipped classrooms must
include the four pillars of flipped learning which are: Flexible Learning Atmosphere, Learning
Practices, Intentional Content, and Professional Educator.
Four Pillars of Flipped Learning
1. Flexible Learning Atmosphere
A flexible learning atmosphere allows rearranging your class activities as per the specific needs
of learners so that they can learn freely. It also offers a variety of learning modes where an
educator can design their task that accommodates all the activities of learning and lesson & unit
as per their space of learning and independent nature of work. Hence, instructors are also flexible
for students’ space of learning as well as the procedure of assessment.
2. Learning Practices
By implying the idea flipped classroom there is a great shift in the learning practice where
students move from the product of teaching to the main centre of learning. In this transitive
ulture of learning where an instructor no longer transmits the information as a knowledge
instructor rather they facilitate the environment for learners to explore the in-depth knowledge of
the expected topic. They serve as a knowledge facilitator rather than the instructor. Here teacher
performs as a support system and makes feels reluctant as a learner which must be beneficial in
the process of learning both inside & outside the classroom.
3. Intentional Content
In this context of flipped learning instructors evaluate what they need to teach and what kind of
conceptual understanding needs to develop for illustrating the content in front of students. They
just try to adopt methods of teaching that are well suited to their expected topic. Educators use
intentional content to manage the classroom time and active participation of students during
classroom teaching depending upon the grade level and subject matter.
4. Professional Educator
The prime role of the professional educator is to set up the successful stage of learning where
educators learn effectively with their space, time, and face-to-face interaction between teacher &
students. During class time, they continually observe their students, providing them with
feedback relevant to the moment, and assessing their work. Professional educators reflected in
their practice that connecting with others to improve their teaching tasks, and applying the
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constructive approach to bring desirable learning outcomes in their teachinglearning. Flipped

Classroom as Teaching Learning Mechanism- The model of the flipped classroom provides
students first-hand exposure to accessing learning material outside the class via reading material,
video lectures, hand out and discuss it in a detail for assimilating the knowledge through practical
experience of problem-solving, discussion & debate (Nedeva et al., 2019). In this aspect,
Karanicolas & Snelling have noted seven basic steps of implementing the model of a flipped
classroom.
Figure 1. Model of Flipped Classroom
Through this mechanism of Flipped learning the instructional technique mechanized the whole
learning environment systematically and deliver the instructional content outside and inside the
classroom equally. The idea of this blended learning intentionally shifts the focus & direction of
learning into students’ centred zone. In which students are free up with exploration and in-depth
knowledge of the topic and confronted with various learning opportunities. Flipped learning
promotes a teachers' interaction with their students become more constructive, personalized, and
less didactic. However, learners are actively involved in the acquisition and construction of
knowledge throughout the process of learning and perform the role of a self-evaluator.
Literature Review:
Soon Tan et al. (2022) identified that model of a flipped classroom is developed as a popular tool,
especially during this pandemic. It has practical application in multidisciplinary curriculum and
pedagogical development. It works as an instructional design that makes learners engage and
active throughout the process of learning. Jebasingha (2021) identified that flipped classroom
model involving lecture and practice at home via computer-guided instruction and interactive
learning activities in class can expand the curriculum. In addition to this student learning
outcomes in the flipped classroom are mixed but positive, and can enhance the cooperative
learning activities in class over lectures. Yousufi (2020) mentioned that flipped classroom is an
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excellent method and performed a terrific role in learning English grammar as well as improving
students’ performance. The idea of the flipped classroom can solve the problem of teaching
English grammar since it allows its students to learn and practice the language effectively and
independently. Atmojo & Ismaniati, (2020). identified a study on the implementation of FL that
increases the motivation of high school students. The result highlighted that students are still
bounded by a classical method such as the lecture method of learning and they are not familiar
with the digital process of accessing the content. However, 80% of students favour online
learning and want to continue the online process. 20% of students are in favour of offline or direct
learning. So it is quite necessary to develop a blended learning model that integrates technology-
based learning to increase the learning motivation among students. Popova et al., (2020) have
observed that the application of flipped classrooms provides an opportunity for students to
acquire professional competencies that integrate technology in the classroom. The interactive
form of the flipped classroom allows all students for creating conducive atmosphere of
technology inside and outside the classroom. Andrini (2019) Observed a study on teaching
design to assess the student’s learning achievement by utilizing the flipped classroom model. The
result showed that the FL model could be designed by planning the steps of teaching by which
students can independently learn at their home or in a class by video lectures systematically in
various heterogeneous groups. This also helps to facilitate a cooperative style of learning and
improve the cognitive domain of learning.Wang et al., (2016) Identified that flipped classroom
method will be very effective for universities and colleges and reform the learnercentred teaching
method in the current phase of education. In addition to this, personalized learning strategies not
only meet the individual needs of learners but also support the diversified participation of
teachers. Guicai et al., (2016) have identified that the model of the flipped classroom and
instructional design removes the dilemma from students’ mind and found it as a useful model
with a specific, practical, flexible wide-reaching tool that learners can relate to the process of
collaborative learning. In addition to this, the theoretical and practical approach of this model is
intended to promote understanding among learners and guide students’ performance
continuously. From the above review of literatures may be concluded that flipped classroom is a
very innovative model of teaching -learning process and it is beneficial for the students to become
independent learner and can enhance their learning. Not only for the students but also the
teachers may develop innovative teaching-learning strategies for making their teaching more
interesting.
Need of the Study:
In this current scenario Flipped Classroom is considered a contemporary approach and an
effective tool for blended learning (Wang et al., 2016). The blended model of FL integrates a face
to face observation with online instruction(Pal et al., 2020). It combines Synchronous and
Asynchronous activities of learning that students can learn outside the class and can interact with
their peer groups and instructors (Lee et al., 2017). FL saves the time and energy of the instructor
and provides the best opportunity to do the best use of technology and explore the smart techno-
pedagogical environment inside the classroom. The substructure of FL and the instructional
design model of FL is being crucial for effective implementation in the classroom without
acknowledging the teachers' technological competency and dynamics of teaching. The amicable
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and collaborative development of FL over the years evolved into a new practice where instructors
and students can share, enlarge their ideas, and challenges more transparently, and can solve it
frequently through the embedded form of technology (Journal & Education, 2022). Hamdan,
McKnight, McKnight, and Arfstrom (2013) identified that FL serves as a pillar of education that
represent that free and flexible environment, learning culture, intentional content and
professional education. Hence, the learning Model of FL meets the 21st century learners
needs and explore a huge learning experiences and skills for higher educational institution.
Therefore, the Higher educational institutions address the demand of FL and different
dynamics of teaching and instructional design model of FL that promotes and individualized
system of instruction (Atmojo & Ismaniati, 2020). In essence the purpose of this study is to
identify the Flipped model that occupies the instructional design, teaching learning activities
and personalized system of learning with the constructive form of technologies as per the
demand of current era of education and learners.
Methodology:
This conceptual study is based on the designing Model of a Flipped classroom and its integration
into the process of teaching-learning. The idea of this model is taken from the various journals
and literature studies related to this particular topic. Research Objectives:
1. To explore the various teaching dynamics of Flipped Classroom Model.
2. To know the Instructional design model of Flipped Classroom.
3. To identify the personalized model of learning that integrates flipped classroom model.
Analysis of Objective:1:
Teaching Dynamics of Flipped Classroom Model: Teaching dynamics of flipped classroom
models are developed by a. concept formation, b. experimental learning and c. practical
application. As shown in figure 2
Figure 2. Flipped Classroom
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Table-1. Kolb’s experimental learning cycle and a blended mixed model of teaching gave a
momentum shape in different disciplines of higher education.
Analysis of Objective 2: Instructional Design Model of Flipped Classrooms

The Instructional Design Model of a flipped classroom is explained below in figure 3.
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Figure: 3. Institutional Design Model of a Flipped Classroom

The first phase of this model is planning which is used to deal with the selection of topics,
organized activities, and learning outcomes. In this first part of planning where teachers should
have a learner's prior knowledge and learning experience before finalizing the topic. The course
structure should be designed in a way that helps to gain mastery of knowledge over the content.
During this phase, instructors need to analyse the learner’s learning experience and their
contemporary knowledge and understanding capabilities. After collecting this kind of
information teachers should create a unified work topic. The unit work plan in this context can
assess the learning outcomes and develop the fundamental concepts.
The second organizing phase of learning deals with designing the classroom teaching, reading
material, assessment, and teaching-learning activities. It helps learners to do the process, retain
as well as improve the teachers’ credibility. The process should be clear, active, and professional.
The reading material should integrate video lectures, images, programming activities, and
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assessment links. Hence well-organized content should be concise, illustrative, and easy to learn
that enhance comprehension sustainability. In the third phase of controlling and leading where
Gagne described it as a support system and internal design process of learning. In this stage,
instructors facilitate worthy information and an effective classroom environment. In this stage,
learners acquire new information and motivation for further part of learning the topic. It helps to
cater to the learning needs and flipped learning assists the teachers to provide multiple options as
per students’ responses and student-centric approach. It implies the following learning activities
like-case studies, flow charts, quizzes, posters, and related videos. In the last phase, instructors
measure the teaching outcomes, lesson plan, and teaching strategy to achieve the target. In this
evolutionary phase learners tries to find out students’ opinion, learning experiences, mode of
content delivery, the overall performance of students and teachers, and related feedback. Hence
in this last phase pre-test and post-test can be performed and achieve the learning targets.
Analysis of Objectives3:
Personalized instruction of learning that integrates Flipped Classroom Model in higher
education.
A personalized system of learning is a kind of path that provides specific strengths, interests, and
ideas that enable a learner to find their path of learning. Here instructors and learners work
collaboratively together to customize a new learning platform for the students. Flipped
classroom empower the students for self-learning and the role of teachers shift from knowledge
provider to facilitators of deep learning. The variant of the flipped classroom rovides great
exposure and use of educational technology in various platforms of learning. The blended mixed
method of teaching is one of the excellent approaches to teachinglearning that engage the
learners from starting to the end parts of learning (Guicai et al., 2016). Related literature Study
also corroborated with our conceptual aspect that flipped classroom method will be very effective
for the faculty members of higher educational institutions and reform the learner-centred
teaching method in the current phase of education. Personalized learning strategies not only meet
the individual needs of learners but also support the diversified participation of teachers. Wang et
al., (2016).
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Discussion/Suggestions
1. Blended and mixed models of Flipped learning have been gaining momentum in every field of
higher education. Hence, its effective implementation in the field of higher education is
inevitable.
2. Effective and strategic implementation of FL will give the desired shape to course design,
content delivery, and process of evaluation and must enhance the personalized system of learning
in a smart techno method.
3. The two important criteria of the Flipped classroom such as face-to-face and indirect
instruction can improve the student's academic achievement and student satisfaction which is
also reported in the literature review and is highly effective for every discipline (Pal et al., 2020).
4. Flipped classrooms allow its users for the extensive use of technology and various open
educational resources such as video lectures, MOOCs platform, Khan Academy, Coursera that
assist and students and teachers to design their course content according to students’ pace and
style of learning.
5. Blended learning modes provide higher academic achievement and high retention among
students as compared to face-to-face & classical methods of learning. However, blended learning
has a tremendous effect on self-efficacy, peer group learning, and intrinsic motivation as
compared to fully online learning (Cabi, 2018).
6. The technological advancement in the field of education such as content-related videos with
illustrative examples, video conferencing tools, Social networking tools, and e-learning
platforms students’ interaction with their teachers and peer groups facilitates the widespread
application of Flipped classrooms. In the present context, flipped classrooms highly grab the
attention of teachers, administrators, researchers & educators but still the level of awareness &
readiness towards the use of technological equipment among academic group members is not up
to the mark in many aspects (Johnston, 2017). Hence it is suggested that the effective
implementation of flipped classroom require techno-friendly knowledge of teachers, and
academic heads, and an adequate ICT environment inside & outside the classroom. Without it,
we cannot fully integrate it at a global level.
Conclusion
Based on the above fact it is constructed that idea of a flipped classroom and its technological
models were deliberately incorporated into the teaching-learning curriculum of the school and
higher education. The collegial developmental aspects of FL demonstrate how effective classes
can be designed and implemented in systems that are aligned with expected learning outcomes
and assessments. The effective implementation of FL depends on the proper design of the
pedagogical framework and well-structured engaging pre-classroom activities. The use of
innovative technology facilitates pedagogical integrity and the collaborative idea of learning.
However, technology has the power that can enrich and improve the knowledge of students and
teachers. In this lane, teachers need to carry out the entire process of teaching with a detailed
structure of discussed models such as the teaching model, instructional design model, and
personalized form of learning. These models of FL are not driving the current process of learning.
In this sense, many research documents claimed that FL is proven a practical multidisciplinary
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approach and needs to align with the current curriculum and pedagogical practices that make
mandated for every educational institution. Nonetheless, stakeholders, Policy makers, Govt.
authorities need to take the initiative and implement it as a compulsory form.
Acknowledgment
Dr. Sarita Singh and Dr. Ujjala Singh acknowledge all the authors and researchers whose
research works were taken in the literature review part for shaping this article and drawing a
suitable conclusion on the worthy topic of Flipped Classroom and its different dynamics of
teaching-learning.
References
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Integrated Flipped Classroom to Increase the Motivation of High School Students.
440(Icobl 2019), 129–133. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200521.028
Andrini, V. S. (2019). Teaching Design Utilizing a Flipped Classroom Model for Increasing
Student’s Learning Achievement. 21, 181–186. https://doi.org/10.5220/0008409501810186
Cabi, E. (2018). The impact of the Flipped Classroom model on students’ academic
achievement. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 19(3),
202–221. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i3.3482
Eltahir, M. E. A. B. (2017). Instructional Design Model for Applying Flipped Learning in
Higher Education Institutions. European Journal of Social Sciences Education and
Research, 11(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.26417/ejser.v11i1.p58-69
Guicai, W., Zhengbing, H., & Yanfeng, W. (2016). Exploration and Practice of Teaching
Mode of Experimental Course Based on Blended Learning. Proceedings - 2015
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J., Lim, C., & Kim, H. (2017). Development of an instructional design model for flipped
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Soon Tan, C., Zakuan, N., & Ismail Abd Aziz, M. (2022). Recent Trends of Blended Learning
and Flipped Classroom in Malaysia. Arab World English Journal, 2, 290–301.
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of Blended Teaching Model Based Flipped Classroom and SPOC in Higher University.
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d=6579 https://leolearning.com/blog/ rning-content/flipped-classroom-model-blended-
learning/
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Blended Learning Approach: Significance of

Flex and Self-Blend Models
J. Johnsi Priya1 & M. Gowrishankar2

1
Assistant Professor, 2Ph.D. Scholar
Meston College of Education (Autonomous),
Royapettah, Chennai - 14.
Email:drjohnsipriya@gmail.com
Abstract
One of the most popular strategies in education to encourage active learning and
improve student learning outcomes is blended learning. Even though blended
learning has been around for more than ten years, there are still a number of
difficulties with it. For instance, the adoption of blended learning may be impacted by
the individual differences between teachers and students, such as their behaviours
and attitudes. Many factors need to be taken into account when building blended
learning experiences, including the caliber of educational experiences, guidance,
resources, and technology, as well as the use of pedagogies, according to researchers
and practitioners. As a result, since 2000, they have concentrated on researching
various blended approaches. This article focuses on the advantages of the two most
effective blended learning models—the flex model and the self-blend model—their
implementation in actual classroom settings, and a few potential obstacles that may
arise in light of some research findings.
Keywords: Blended Learning, Flex Model, Self-Blend Model, Benefits,
Implementation, and Challenges
Introduction
A method of education called blended learning combines online educational resources and
opportunities for online interaction with conventional place-based classroom methods. It is also
referred to as hybrid learning, technology-mediated instruction, web-enhanced instruction, or
mixed-mode instruction. Both the teacher and the student must be physically present during
blended learning, and some aspects of time, place, path, or pace may be under the student's
control. Blended learning is available in a variety of models. A modernised and digital version of
what non-traditional learning venues have always provided is the flex model of blended learning.
In such approaches, students may have traditionally had access to teaching personnel,
educational tools, and libraries, but they were not required to attend formal lectures, hands-on
tutorials, or lessons. This strategy is replicated in a digital manner by the flex model. A teacher
will still be present in the computer lab or the classroom that has been converted in order to help
students individually and even to recommend which online resources could be useful. The
teachers in this blended learning model do not stand in front of the class to provide a presentation,
nor do they assign work that must be finished within a specified amount of time for attendance.
The self-blend approach uses online instructional information, which may be distributed through
a variety of digital devices, similar to other types of blended learning. However, there isn't much
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teacher assistance for the online curriculum, in contrast to other types of blended learning. By
working remotely with their tutor or by planning their own education from pertinent resources
they locate online, the students themselves advance in their courses. One of the most popular
methods for utilising information and communications technology (ICT) in education is blended
learning.
I. Flex Model of Blended Learning
With the blended learning flex model, every student receives education online. Usually, as
students enter a classroom, there are computers available for each student. Students are free to
come and go as they wish to do their work because there is no specific time when a lesson or
lecture will start. In other words, the computer hardware and any instructional software offered to
pupils enable them to design their own learning. Importantly, this will imply that learning
proceeds at each student's own pace even when they are frequently in the same physical place as
their classmates.
The flex model of blended learning will make up a significant percentage of the curriculum
online. This group of resources might include video lectures, documentaries, tests, and even live-
streamed academic events from across the world. The flex model does not, however, have to be
entirely offered online. Educational materials can still be sent by computers through the school's
local area network if there is no internet access at the location of instruction. These resources
could come from a central server or the teacher's personal computer terminal. The current
emphasis on online resources is a result of the fact that there are so many options available that, in
most contexts, the student-led method works considerably better.
Implementation of Flex Model
For educational institutions to build up a flexible blended learning approach, computer
laboratories are a must. The most common solution for this is to rearrange the seating in the
classroom such that every student has access to a computer station. The use of such technology,
which belongs to the institution of higher learning rather than the student, needs a significant
initial installation cost but can survive for many years, limiting ongoing expenditures to
maintenance and upkeep. Although it isn't always essential, schools frequently use all-in-one
hardware and operating system solution, such as the ATEN control system, to ensure that each
student has access to the same tools. In fact, it's sometimes felt that the best approach to meet the
requirements of certain children is to use a combination of PCs and tablets.
Benefits of the Flex Model
The type of learner who struggles the most with conventional teaching techniques is the one who
will gain the most from the flex model of blended learning. The flex model will definitely be very
helpful for the kind of learner that would thrive in a non-traditional learning environment. This
might be the case because of behavioural concerns that make them problematic in conventional
classroom settings or because they are bright and require stretching without the pace of the class
stifling them. Instead, the flex model accommodates individuals individually because they could
have a harder time focusing on the length of a conventional lecture than their classmates.
However, the flex model is a teaching strategy from which all pupils can gain something. It can be
used at any age, from early childhood schooling all the way up to college. Due to the teacher's
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availability as a resource, students do not need to be highly skilled in IT to benefit from it.
The flex model also has the significant advantage of being far more affordable to implement than
a traditional educational institution. The strategy is particularly adaptable because of the
utilisation of internet resources, making it simple to integrate with various curricula. With the
help of this model, students who have difficulty progressing can become more at ease in the
classroom. Some of the most talented pupils may be able to reach their potential more quickly
with this aid.
II. Self-Blend Model of Blended Learning
Online learning is heavily emphasized in the self-blend paradigm of blended learning. While
students may use computer labs at their school or institution and get guidance from teachers on
how to access internet resources, what they access and when they do so are totally up to the
student in question. In fact, the self-blend approach doesn't rely at all on activities that take place
in a classroom. Students can complete their coursework using the self-blend delivery method
just as easily from home or in a cybercafé as they do in a classroom using a networked computer.
The self-blend model of blended learning was developed with the notion that it would enable
students to select subjects that might not otherwise be available to them. In a high school context,
for instance, pupils might not be able to study a certain subject because no one on the staff is
qualified to instruct it. However, the school in question can employ a teacher who can give it
remotely if it still wishes to provide such instruction to its student body. Although audio-video
streaming through Zoom sessions or other channels is popular, the company may decide to offer
courses that are exclusively taught through previously posted instructional films.
The self-blend model is also seen as a fantastic option for people to educate themselves utilising
online resources in adult education in a fashion that may accommodate a variety of lifestyles.
Adults who can only complete their education during the nights and weekends, for example, can
be accommodated because pre-recorded instructional content and learning modules can be
accessible at any time and from any location. The self-blend model is frequently used in adult
education to allow students to finish a foundation course, which is subsequently evaluated by a
tutor, who may then grant them entrance to a formal course as a result.
The self-blend model can sometimes be used to finish entire course modules. This could add up to
a degree-level qualification when combined with other modules that have either been completed
in person or through blended learning techniques. Because it is so focused on the student, the self-
blend model is highly adaptable to various educational contexts, varying curricula, and a wide
range of educational requirements.
Benefits of the Self-Blend Model
The self-blend model's flexibility is one of its primary advantages. It is useful for students
seeking a deeper specialisation, even though it can be used to assist so-called core education and
help students who have fallen behind in the fundamentals to catch up. In areas where it could be
expensive to recruit the requisite experts, it is a reasonably cheap option to promote learning.
It can also be modified to support prior classroom learning as well as used to convey the whole
course content. The self-blend approach can involve teachers directly. Simply put, they don't
appear in any face-to-face situations the majority of the time. Another important factor for this
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mostly teacher-free blended learning paradigm is that there is room for economies of scale.
Digital courses can be duplicated for future students at little or no expense. In other words, this
kind of online education is less expensive to create than traditional classroom instruction, unless
the course material needs to be updated frequently.
Self-blended learning is perfect for formal education, regardless of whether you're talking about
adults or youngsters who are of school age. It can also be used for informal education, such as
assisting individuals in better comprehending public health messaging. It is frequently utilised
within businesses and large organisations to deliver everything from self-managed continuing
professional development programmes to the integration of new employees.
Implement of Self-Blend Model
The concept will largely or entirely rely on digital devices to deliver course material and
administer student assessments. Consequently, internet-capable computer hardware will be
required. As a result, course materials should be made available in a format that is compatible
with any widely used operating system, like Windows, for example. No matter what size of
screen pupils will have access to, all material that is given through browsers must be optimised
for the most popular ones. Both traditional desktop PCs and portable gadgets like tablets fall
under this category.
Research on Blended Learning
The majority of review articles talked about blended learning in general terms without
mentioning any particular paradigm. Furthermore, the flipped model was the one that was used
the most. Pre-class, in-class, and post-class are the three stages on which this approach is
founded. The students become familiar with the course material in advance using online tools,
preparing them for in-person activities and conversations. Teachers can then evaluate the
perceptions and performance of the students in the flipped course during the post-class phase.
The station rotation model and the flex model were the next most often utilised models. In the
station rotation model, the student can switch between various stations, at least one of which is an
online learning station, at set intervals of time (on a set schedule or at the teacher's discretion).
While face-to-face teachers are still available when needed, the flex model only uses online
resources and student self-study.
The self-blend (sometimes referred to as the "à la carte" model") and the enriched virtual model
were mentioned in two review studies. In the first model, in addition to other face-to-face
courses, students can enroll in totally online courses taught by online instructors. In the second
model, students are not expected to attend face-to-face classes but are asked to be able to conduct
face-to-face sessions with teachers and then complete their assignments online.
The mixed model, supplemental model, and online practicing model were only used in a small
number of research. In the hybrid approach, practical activities and material distribution take
place both in person and online. Both the delivery of the information and the practical exercises
happen in person in the supplementary model. The online practicing paradigm, in contrast,
allows students to practice activities in a particular online learning environment. Particularly, the
presented blended models were applied in numerous sectors in various ways. It is important to
note that several studies looked at multiple blended models. In his research, Alammary, for
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instance, examined the flipped, mixed, flex, supplemental, and online-practicing models and
discovered a notable improvement in the students' performance.
Outcomes and Challenges
The multiple review studies that looked at various learning outcomes divided them into two
categories: psychological and behavioural outcomes. In the evaluated studies, the bulk of the
investigations was concerned with examining the psychological results. The psychological
outcome that was specifically explored the most was students' self-regulation towards learning,
followed by satisfaction and engagement. Authenticity, personalization, learner control,
scaffolding, and interaction are traits of a blended learning design that promote self-regulation,
according to Van Laer and Elen.
Academic achievement is the behavioural outcome that has been studied the most, followed by
skill development and cooperation. Numerous research specifically demonstrated that blended
learning supports learning performance across a range of academic areas, including health,
language, and STEM. Additionally, it may be designed with a number of online or in-person
collaborative learning activities that promote student cooperation.
Even though BL has numerous benefits, it also has a number of drawbacks. The most common
difficulty is the absence of ICT skills, which is followed by infrastructure concerns including
slow internet and a shortage of computers, course preparation time, technology design and cost
considerations, high-quality course content, student involvement, and isolation among students.
A lack of ICT skills may prevent teachers and students from adopting blended learning, which
can be detrimental to both groups. For instance, when developing a blended learning course,
teachers may run into issues with the technology's usability, particularly when it comes to
recording videos, uploading videos, and using online learning platforms. Additionally, accessing
online learning resources or uploading their materials to the online learning environment may
present some technological complexity issues for pupils.
ICT infrastructure is still a major problem for many institutions, especially in developing
countries and remote areas, even though it is a necessary component for implementing and
maintaining blended courses. For instance, the deployment of blended courses may be hampered
by a lack of fundamental technologies like the internet, computers, and projectors. Therefore, it is
crucial to upgrade the ICT infrastructure of educational institutions in order to enhance education
generally and give teachers the ability to instruct using blended learning, which has been shown
to be effective across a variety of subject areas.
Conclusion
Schools, universities, and other educational institutions can do away with conventional
timetabling and, in fact, standardized class delivery courtesy to the flex model of blended
learning. However, it does imply that they must make investments in a number of devices to
allow for simultaneous learning by all pupils. Despite this, the system offers a lot of advantages,
especially for those who would already gain from utilising other learning strategies, therefore
any forward-thinking educational institution should give it significant consideration. With the
self-blend model of blended learning, the learner is in charge of his own education. Although the
self-blend model is equally applicable to higher education settings, it is most frequently linked
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with high school students in the United States. Of particular note is the distance learning that is
provided by the Open universities in the majority of countries. Therefore, in order to improve
student performance, it is necessary to apply these two powerful blended learning strategies in
the teaching and learning process.
References
Alammary A. & Edward K. L. (2019). Blended learning models for introductory
programming courses: a systematic review. The Public Library of Science, 14 (9),
51–59. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0221765
Chan R. H. & Quek C. L. (2014), Benefits, challenges and strategies of implementing
blended learning in tertiary institutes. International Journal of social media Interactive
Learning Environments. 2 (3), 285–300. doi:10.1504/IJSMILE.2014.06421
Castro-Gil, R & Correa, D (2021). Transparency in previous literature reviews about blended
learning in higher education. Education and Information Technologies. 26, 1–28.
Hsu Y. C, Ho H. N. J & Tsai C. C, et al. (2012). Research trends in technology-based learning
from 2000 to 2009: a content analysis of publications in selected journals. Journal of
Educational Technology & Society. 15 (2), 354–370.
Keengwe J. & Kang K. K. (2012). Blended learning in teacher preparation programs: a
literature review. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology
in Education. 8(2), 81–93. doi:10.4018/jicte.2012040107
Lai C. L & Hwang G. J. (2016). A self-regulated flipped classroom approach to improving
students' learning performance in a mathematics course. Computer Education. 100,
126–140. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2016.05.006
Malczyk B. R. (2019). Introducing social work to HyFlex blended learning: a student-
centered approach. Journal of Teaching Social Work. 39 (4), 414–428.
doi:10.1080/08841233.2019.1652226
Owston, R. (2013). Blended learning policy and implementation: Introduction to the special
issue. International Journal of Higher Education. 18:1–3.
doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2013.03.002
Owston R. D, Sinclair M. & Wideman H (2008). Blended learning for professional
development: an evaluation of a program for middle school mathematics and science
teachers. Teacher College Record. 110 (5):1033–1064.
Rasheed R. A, Kamsin A & Abdullah N. A (2020). Challenges in the online component of
blended learning: a systematic review. Computer Education. 144.
doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103701.
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Effect of digitalised experience through constructivism on students'

learning outcomes
K. Anand
Assistant Professor, Krishnasamy College of Education for Women,
Puducherry 6050014. Email: anandkmax@gmail.com
Abstract
Incorporating constructivism philosophy with digital experience through a flipped
classroom strategy for developing 21st century core skills is a new idea. Digitalised
experience (DE) is a pedagogical approach in which learners have introduced the
learning content before the actual class through multiple ways, such as concept
mapping, linked to online sway presentation. During the classroom hours, they
deepen the same content knowledge through digital equipment and supporting
activities such as Plickers assessment, presentation, discussion, making inferences,
and completing concept sheets etc. Moreover, DE potential to promote interactive
experiences inside and outside the classroom. This study examined the effect of DE
among the B.Ed. student-teachers on their learning outcomes in their course paper.
To determine the effectiveness of digitalized experience, researchers conducted a
quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design. There were 68 student-
teachers involved in this experiment, where experimental and control groups each
had 34 student-teachers. The control group received conventional method of
instruction, whereas the experimental group received treatment through
neurocognitive strategy application for six months. The impact of treatment was
observed, and the result showed that there was a significant difference between the
pre-test and post-test scores of experimental groups (t-value 13.322) in the learning
outcome of their course paper. Moreover, the experimental group had better
performance (t-value 10.034) than the control group in their learning. The gain ratio
percentage is 55.45%, which indicates the intervention programme has positively
impacted the experimental group's learning outcome.
Keywords: Digitalised experience, flipped classroom approach, constructivism,
neurocognition.
1. Introduction
21st-century learning systems have relied on technology and gadgets. New digital media and
devices invaded and changed every nook and corner's traditional approach or habits. Learning
applications are grown vast and sold in the commercial market at a high price. The digital
software applications are unique and focus on a specified objective/philosophy/psychology
while it is developed for teaching-learning. Moreover, the software application has its own merits
and demerits. However, beyond its merits and demerits, people started using it last half of the
decades in all fields. Curiosity and user-friendly are the two major reasons for using these digital
gadgets. The first factor, ‘curiosity’, is a basic psychological principle that attracts learners
toward learning. Behind each digital application, there are hidden psychological principles. In
the conventional way of teaching-learning, theories support learning psychology and
recommend effective learning.
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Incorporating constructivism philosophy with digital experience through flipped classroom

strategy for developing 21st-century learning skills is a new idea. Digitalised experience is a
pedagogical approach in which learners were introduced to the learning content before the actual
class through multiple ways, such as concept mapping, linked to online sway presentation.
During classroom hours, they deepen the same content knowledge through digital equipment and
supporting activities such as problem-solving, discussion and making inferences, and finding
answers together. Therefore, the blended method of digital exposure with fundamental
pedagogical principal reduces the demerits of digital application. Moreover, it reduces the
demerits of pedagogical principles. Hence, this research article explores the learning outcome of
the B.Ed students in their course paper ‘pedagogy of school subject’ through the Neurocognitive
strategy application (NCSA) based digital learning method.
Need and significance of the study
Digital innovation and its usage are frequently increased in all fields. In teaching, modified and
various platforms are newly introduced every day. Learning through the digital media method
has its own merits in the field of teaching and learning. Manuela Aparicio, et al (2016) stated that
learning through a digital system in education integrates three basic principles: learners,
teachers, and technology. Digital learning may be defined as technology-based learning, which
emerged as a promising solution for increasing learning and easier to teach (Dongsong Zhang et
al, 2004). The merits of digital learning are multimedia integration, faster knowledge acquisition,
interactivity, self-directivity, flexibility, and more intellectual (Dongsong Zhang et al, 2004). The
National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE, 2010) insists on neuroscience-
based teaching, constructivism philosophy, reflective practices, and flipped classroom approach.
Moreover, Blended digital learning methods do not alter the fundamentals of theories of teaching
and learning; however, they may change their structure, enhancing learning when used
appropriately (Rice et al, 2013). Hence, the benefits of digital learning maximise the learning
outcome. Therefore, the study explores digital exposures through Neuro-Cognitive strategy and
causes learning outcomes among B.Ed., students.
Digitalised Learning Experience
InternationalConference On Constructivism in Teaching and Learning in the contextofFormaland Distance Learning
Digital Learning is any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a
learner's learning experience. Digitisation is the integration of digital technologies into everyday
learning. Digitisation is the term describing the 21st century in the most precise manner possible.
In the present study, the researcher developed and applied digital exposure in teaching-learning.
This strategic model may give the teacher and learner ideas on “how to construct subject
knowledge with students’ total participation in learning”. The digitalised learning methodology
intends to develop the learner’s self-directed participation and reflective practice and nurture
fundamental learning skills. Moreover, a blend of technology integration and constructivist
philosophy in the teaching-learning B.Ed., curriculum depicts a model to be emulated by
teachers of various levels.
Moreover, the learner has benefited from Digitalized experience (DE) and its potential to
promote interactive experiences inside and outside the classroom. The constructed digital
learning model worked under the principle of constructivism, Neuro-Cognitive strategy, and
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flipped classroom approach. This model was built by utilising mechanisms such as QR code
imprinted concept maps, flipped classroom strategy, Plickers assessment, class presentation and
discussion, completing concept sheets, and Journal writing.
Reviews of Literature
The strategies used by the researcher are concept mapping, flipped classroom approach, journal
writing, metacognitive practice such as argument, questioning, brainstorming, portfolio
mechanism, and think-aloud protocol as in the Neuro-Cognitive Strategy Application (NCSA)
model. The following reviews support this strategy positively. Marzetta et al (2018), Nair &
Narayanasamy (2017), and Sharma & Singh (2016) showed that “the concept mapping method
had made an effect in the mean achievement scores of students”. Sailesh et al (2019), Elian &
Hamaidi (2018), Parida & Atasi Mohanty (2018), and Sengel (2014) proved that flipped teaching
significantly improved learners' performance better than traditional method learners. Kim
(2018), Davut Goker (2016), Shaarawy (2014), Estrada & Mariam Rahman (2014), and Hashemi
& Mirzaei (2015) revealed that journaling writing had positive potential and also showed that
“journal writing had contributed strongly to the development of the cognitive critical thinking
skills of the experimental group”. Songsil et al (2019), Liu (2019,) and Vong & Kaewurai (2017)
applied metacognitive strategies such as Argument-Driven Inquiry, questioning, discussion, and
reflective practices and found that metacognitive practice improves achievement (Songsil et al,
2019; Cavilla 2017), critical thinking (Vong & Kaewurai, 2017) engaging the learner in learning
(Liu, 2019) and self-plan, self-monitor(Shen & Liu 2011). Khales (2016), Straková (2016),
Domac et al (2016), Tooma et al (2015,) and East (2014) used a reflective portfolio to gain
reflection on learners learning. Students who used their portfolios were generally able to reflect
on their learning in relation to new information, practised skills, and attitudes. Revesz &
Gurzynski-Weiss (2016), Sahebkheir & Asl (2014), Sahandar et al (2012), Epler et al (2013), and
Eftekhary & Aminizadeh (2012) adopted think-aloud practices in their research and showed
improvement in reading and writing comprehension. Hence, the researcher intends to develop
the model of digital exposure by blending the digital application and applying the Neuro-
Cognitive strategy application.
Research Questions
1. How can digitalised experience be used to enhance education?
2. Is there any difference between the learner's learning outcome and digital applications
in teaching-learning?
The objective of the study
1. “To find out a significant difference between the mean scores of the control and the
experimental group in their course paper learning at pre-test.
2. To find out a significant difference between the mean scores of the control and the
experimental group in their course paper learning at the post-test.
3. To find out a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of the
control group in their learning.
4. To determine a significant difference between the experimental group's pre-test and
post-test mean scores in their course paper learning.
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5. To find out the effect of the digitalised experience implemented among B.Ed., Student-
teachers in the experimental group at the post-test level.”
The Hypothesis of the study
1. “There is no significant difference between the pre-test mean scores of the control and
the experimental group in their learning outcome of the course paper.
2. There is no significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the control and
the experimental group in their learning outcome of the course paper.
3. There is no significant difference between the control group's pre-test and post-test
mean scores in their learning outcome of the course paper.
4. There is no significant difference between the experimental group's pre-test and post-
test mean scores in their learning outcome of the course paper.”
Research Method and Design
It is experimental research to determine the effectiveness of digitalised learning experience
among B.Ed., Student-teachers in the Teaching-learning process compared with students
learning in the conventional method. Here the treatment of digitalised learning experience is
given in the term ‘Neuro-Cognitive strategy application’, which is an independent variable,
whereas the learners learning outcome is the dependent variable.
In this study, the researcher has adopted the pretest-treatment-posttest control group design
(Fraenkel, Jack R.,2012) to assess the effectiveness of the digitalised experience. The sample was
B.Ed., student-teachers. The group which was exposed to treatment through digitalised
experience (Neuro-Cognitive strategy application) was the experimental group, and the other
which was exposed to the conventional method of teaching was the control group. The duration
of the intervention was six months.
Study Sample and sampling technique
The research sample was first & second-year B.Ed., student-teachers who studied in a two-year
Bachelor of Education program under Pondicherry University from Krishnasamy College of
Education for Women, Puducherry. Both control and experimental group of students were taken
from the same institutions. The sample size was 68 students, and the experimental and control
groups had 34 student-teachers. Therefore, both groups have an equal number of student-
teachers. Thus, the technique adapted was a Purposive sampling technique.
Tools used in the study
The present research is on implementing digitalised learning experience through a neuro-
cognitive application strategy among B.Ed. Student-teachers. To know about the subjects’
background variable, demographic particulars were collected under ‘Demographic Profile’. The
subjects’ learning outcome was assessed by the achievement tool, which was constructed based
on the course paper. The collected data were analysed with appropriate statistical techniques such
as descriptive and differential statistics to find out the effectiveness of the digitalised learning
outcome.
187
Hypothesis Testing
1) “There is no significant difference between the pre-test mean scores of the control and the
experimental group in their learning outcome of the course paper”.
Table 1. Mean difference between Control and Experimental group in learning outcome at pre-test
Pre-test N Mean SD ‘t’- value Table value Significant level
Control group 34 33.68 10.96

0.253** 1.96 NS
Experimental group 34 32.79 17.11
*Significant at 0.05 level, ** Not significant at 0.05 level
The calculated t-value, which is 0.253, is lower than the table value, which is 1.96. As a result,
there is no noticeable difference in the experimental group's and the control group's mean scores
for the learning outcome at the pre-test level. This suggests that the pre-test learning scores of the
control and experimental groups are equal.
Figure 1. Mean and SD of Control and Experimental groups' pre-test scores of learning outcome
The figure shows mean, and standard deviation values of the control and experimental group pre-
test scores in learning outcomes in terms of the achievement in the course paper.
2) “There is no significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the control and
the experimental group in their learning outcome of the course paper”.
Table 2 . Mean difference between Control and Experimental group in learning outcome
Post-test N Mean SD ‘t’- value Table value Significant level
Control group 34 41.47 11.97

10.034* 1.96 S
Experimental group 34 71.91 13.03
188
The calculated t-value is 10.034, which is higher than the table value of 1.96. As a result, the
experimental and control groups' post-test mean scores for learning outcomes differ significantly
from one another. This finding suggests that the experimental group's learning outcome has been
positively impacted by digitalized learning.
Figure 2. Mean and SD of Control and Experimental groups' post-test scores of learning outcome
The figure shows mean, and standard deviation values of the control and experimental group
post-test scores in learning outcomes in terms of the achievement in the course paper.
3) “There is no significant difference between the control group's pre-test and post-test
mean scores in their learning outcome of the course paper”.
Table 3. Mean difference between the Control group's pre-test and post-test in learning outcomes
Control group N Mean S.D ‘t’- value Table value Significant level
Pre-test 34 33.68 10.96

2.899* 1.96 S
Post-test 34 41.47 11.97

The calculated t-value is 2.899, which is higher than the table value of 1.96. As a result, there is a
significant difference in the control group's learning outcome between the pre-test and post-test
means. This distinction emerges as a result of the conventional method of teaching.
189
Figure 3. Mean and SD of Control group Pre and post-test scores of learning outcome
The figure shows the mean and standard deviation values of the control group's pre-test and post-
test scores in learning outcomes.
4) “There is no significant difference between the experimental group's pre-test and post-
test mean scores in their learning outcome of the course paper”.
Table 4. Mean difference between experimental group's pre-test and post-test scores in learning outcome
Experimental group N Mean S.D ‘t’- value Table value Significant level
Pre-test 34 32.79 17.11

13.322* 1.96 S
Post-test 34 71.91 13.02
The calculated t-value, which is 13.322, is higher than the table's value, which is 1.96. As a result,
there is a significant difference in the experimental group's learning outcome between the pre-test
and post-test means. This finding suggests that the experimental group's learning outcomes have
been positively impacted by digital exposure.
Figure 4. Mean and SD of Experimental group Pre and post-test scores of learning outcome
190
The figure shows mean, and standard deviation values of the experimental group's pre-test and
post-test scores in learning outcomes.
5) “To find out the effect of the digitalised experience implemented among B.Ed., Student-
teachers in the experimental group at post-test level”
The gain ratio is the ratio of the difference between the Post-test and Pre-test scores to the
difference between maximum scores and pre-test scores. It is used to determine a group
performance's progress using its mean values. The gain ratio helps to determine the effect of the
digitalised experience among the experimental group of student-teachers learning. Gain is
calculated from the difference of Post-test scores and Pre-test scores. The gain ratio value varies
from -1 to +1. The negative value indicates there is no gain and the positive value indicate there is
gain.
Table 5. Gain Ratio of digitalised experience in terms of learning among the experimental
group student-teachers learning
Gain Ratio
Experimental group N Mean S.D Gain Ratio in Percentage Significant level
Pre-test 34 32.79 17.11 55.45%

0.5545 S
Post-test 34 71.91 13.02
There is a 55.45% gain ratio percent between the pre-test and post-test scores of learning in the
experimental group. From the result, it is inferred that the digitalised experience had positively
impacted experimental group students in their learning.
Effect Size
An effect size is a quantitative measure of the difference between two variables or groups. The
most common measure of standardised effect size is Cohen's d. “It is calculated using the formula
Cohen's d = (M2 - M1) ∕ SDpooled where SDpooled = ((SD12 + SD22) ∕ 2)”
Table 6. Effect Size of the digitalised learning in the experimental group
Effect Size
Experimental group N Mean S.D Cohen’s d Significant level
Pre-test 34 32.79 17.11

2.572 0.789 S
Post-test 34 71.91 13.02
This result inferred that the Effect size values are greater than the table value 0.6. Hence it is
understood that learning through digital techniques has positively impacted experimental group
students’ learning outcomes.
191
Major findings of the study

 There exists no significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and
the control group in their learning outcome at the pre-test level. From this, it is inferred
that the learning scores of both the control and experimental group are the same at pre-
test.
 There exists a significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and the
control group in their learning outcome at the post-test level. From this result, it is
inferred that the digitalised learning has positively impacted the experimental group's
learning outcome.
 There exists a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of the
control group in their learning outcome. This difference exists due to the conventional
method of teaching.
 There is a significant difference between the experimental group's pre-test and post-test
mean scores in their learning outcome. From this result, it is inferred that the digitalised
exposure has positively impacted the learning outcomes of the experimental group.
 There is a 55.45% gain ratio percent between the pre-test and post-test scores of learning
in the experimental group.
 The Effect size values are greater, and from the result, it is understood that the digitalised
experience had positively impacted experimental group students in their learning.
Discussion and Conclusion
In light of research findings, the conventional teaching method has its own uniqueness and shows
progress in learning outcomes. However, compared with the treatment of digital learning, the
gain ratio and effect sizes were greater in digitalised learning. Hence, the intervention - learning
by digital and its exposure through ‘Neuro-Cognitive Strategy Application’ enhanced the
learning outcomes of B.Ed., student-teachers in their course paper ‘Pedagogy of school
subjects’. Thus, the digital learning exposure was structured strategies consisting of concept
mapping, flipped classroom approach, journal writing, metacognitive practice such as argument,
questioning, brainstorming, portfolio mechanism and think-aloud protocol as in the Neuro-
Cognitive Strategy Application (NCSA) model. Marzetta et al (2018), Nair & Narayanasamy
(2017), Sharma & Singh (2016), Elian & Hamaidi (2018), Parida & Atasi Mohanty (2018),
Sengel (2014), Kim (2018), Davut Goker (2016), Shaarawy (2014), Hashemi & Mirzaei (2015),
Liu (2019), Kaewurai (2017), Revesz & Gurzynski-Weiss (2016) are the few researchers support
the digital learning, and their result concurred with the present study. Hence, the model of digital
exposure by blending the digital application based on the Neuro-Cognitive strategy application
to learning becomes effective.
192
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Discipline-Based Teaching
and Learning
Psycholinguistics in Teaching and Learning: A Systematic

Review and Bibliometric Analysis
Thamizhiniyan K
Independent Researcher, Puducherry,
E-mail: iniyaneducation@gmail.com
Abstract
The goal of this systematic literature review, in conjunction with bibliometric
analysis, is to provide quantitative and qualitative knowledge on the expanding field
of psycholinguistics in teaching and learning aspects. Content analysis and
bibliometric analysis have been used to highlight relevant literature and characterize
the intellectual structure of the subject. Bibliometric analysis was used to identify the
most prominent journals, authors, countries, articles, and themes, which was
followed by a complete examination of the content of journal articles relevant to the
application of psycholinguistics in teaching and learning. Scopus, a
multidisciplinary database with data dating back to 1965, was searched for articles
relating to the application of Psycholinguistics in teaching and learning till July 2022.
The data was retrieved on July 15, 2022. The primary aim of this study is to provide
the research trends on psycholinguistics in teaching and learning, with the following
questions. RQ1: What are the current publishing trends in the application of
psycholinguistics in teaching and learning in terms of time, disciplines, affiliated
countries, journals, authors, and institutions, kind of study, and so on? RQ2: What are
the most significant studies and research themes in this domain? Bibliometric
(quantitative) data were analysed using bibliometric methods and the Biblioshiny
(R-tool) to investigate annual scientific productivity, top contributing countries and
institutions, authorship pattern, most relevant sources of publication, top
contributing authors and their impact. For the systematic review, a PRISMA
Abstract checklist was used.
According to the data analysis, 1973 was the most prolific year, with five
publications, followed by 2014 (n = 3) and 2021 (n = 3). The journal, Language
Learning (n = 5) was placed first in terms of publishing production, followed by the
Iral International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (n = 2) and
Linguistics (n = 2). The discipline-wise analysis revealed that the social sciences (n =
30) produced the most publications, followed by the arts and humanities (n = 22) and
psychology (n = 7). Carroll, J.B., Klimova, B., and Pikhart, M. were among the most
productive authors, each publishing two papers. According to the analysis, the
United States (n = 13) was the most prolific country, followed by Japan (n = 4) and
Canada (n = 3). The most productive institution was the University of Hradec
Králové, a public university in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. The qualitative data
of content analysis highlights the summary of extant reviews from 1965 to July 15,
2022. This is the first comprehensive systematic literature review-cum-bibliometric
study of psycholinguistics in teaching and learning. This study will assist language
educators, regulators, and academic researchers in understanding the importance of
psycholinguistics in teaching and learning, as well as identifying significant areas
that require further inquiry.
Keywords: Psycholinguistics, Systematic Literature Review, PRISMA,
Bibliometric Analysis, SCOPUS Database.
196
1. Introduction
The psychology of language is defined as psycholinguistics. Psycholinguistics is a synthesis of
psychology and linguistics (Menn, 2016). Psycholinguistics is divided into three sections:
language production, language comprehension, and language learning (Purba, 2018).
Psycholinguistics is the study of cognitive functions and mental representations that aid in
language comprehension. Conversation in social contact is the main place for language usage.
Chomsky's stress on competence over performance defined the dominant plan for primary
research in psycholinguistics, which concentrated on more contained, mechanical methods to
language. Much of the research under the accommodation paradigm is deafeningly silent on
inner cognitive contrivances that promote convergence and divergence during speech
production, which have only lately gained attention in the field of psycholinguistics. Despite the
point that many psycholinguistic tasks need both, production and understanding have generally
been researched in different subfields of psycholinguistics(Nelson et al., 2017). The "cognitive
revolution" happened in the mid-to-late 1950s, coinciding with the creation of artificial
intelligence, cognitive science, psycholinguistics, and other fields of study of the mind (Becker et
al., 2015). Psycholinguistics is a young and rapidly evolving science. Jacob Kantor coined the
word "psycholinguistic" in 1936, but it was not widely used until 1946, when his pupil Nicholas
Pronko published an article “Language and Psycholinguistics: A Review” (Levelt, 2013).
Nalimov and Mulchenko defined scientometrics as "the use of quantitative approaches dealing
with the analysis of science as an information process” (Andres, 2009). Scientometrics has
grown in popularity as both an area of study and a set of methodologies. Research evaluation is an
essential requirement. Measuring scientific research and its impact is a serious endeavor that
stakeholders in higher education, science, technology, and innovation engage in on a regular
basis (Sooryamoorthy, 2020). This study involves mixed methods approach including the
quantitative and qualitative analyses of the bibliographical data of the published articles in
Scopus database with relevance to Psycholinguistics in teaching and learning. To date no study
attempted in exploring the bibliographic data of this concerned area, this study is the first of its
kind in filling the gap.
Literature Review
Niu & Liu (2022) looked at the possibility of using corpus-based integration of quantitative
linguistic and psycholinguistic approaches to better understand language processing and the
cognitive processes that underpin it. Girnyk et al., (2021) used a variety of methodologies,
including speech activity analysis, to conduct a relative examination of the semantic field of the
idea of struggle in Indian and Ukrainian cultures. The study found the shared semantic core of the
idea of conflict. Pikhart & Klimova (2020) examined elderly people's subjective sentiments
about their foreign language learning (FLL) as one of the most important strategies to enhance
their quality of life (QoL). AlHammadi (2016) investigated psycholinguistic aspects influencing
second language learning, with a focus on psychological, linguistic, and social influences.
Mapping scientific knowledge is the process of combining information from research and
publication in any domain/subject (Thamizhiniyan et al., 2020).Scientometrics is a quantitative
study of bibliographic data visualisation in displaying research patterns such as production year/
institution/journal/ timeline, author/ citation/ country/ nation collaboration/ keyword
197
occurrence, and so on (Vijaykumar et al., 2021). Bibliometric analysis with bibliometrix, an R

package, has been used in a number of research investigations (Dervis, 2019), (Secinaro et al.,
2020), (Ha et al., 2020), (Campra et al., 2021) etc. PRISMA 2020 items are applicable to mixed-
methods systematic reviews that combine quantitative and qualitative research. (Page et al.,
2021). PRISMA has emerged as the vital approach in systematic reviews. It has been employed in
recent research by many researchers like (Mahbub et al., 2021), (Fadhil et al., 2021), (Mishra et
al., 2021), (Kularski & Martin, 2021) etc.
Objectives
The study's objectives are to find out the global scientific productivity of Psycholinguistics in
teaching and learning in terms of annual publication productivity, subject-wise contribution,
most relevant sources, most cited sources (from Reference Lists), most relevant authors, and
most relevant affiliations.
Methods and Materials
On July 9th, 2021, the Scopus Database was searched for Psycholinguistics research articles in
teaching and learning. The search keyword in the Title field was ("Psycholinguistics" AND
"Teaching" OR "learning"), and the metadata was gathered between 1965 and 2022. The data was
restricted to research publications published in English. The information was gathered on July
30, 2022. TITLE ("Psycholinguistics" AND "Teaching" OR "learning") AND (LIMIT-TO
(DOCTYPE, "ar")) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, "English")) was the precise output of the
search, and it was analyzed. A mixed methods approach has been employed. The bibliographic
data was analyzed using Bibliometrix, an R tool (R version 4.0.2) that enables for a substantial
quantitative study. For Exclusion and Inclusion Criteria, a PRISMA 2020 flow diagram was
employed, and for Systematic Review, a PRISMA Abstract Checklist was used.
Exclusion and Inclusion Criteria
Fig 1. Bibliographic Data Information
198
Quantitative Results
Fig 2. PRISMA 2020 flow diagram

The total number of Psycholinguistics research articles in Teaching and learning spans the years
1965 to 2022. In all, 34 journals published 40 research publications with 1325 references. There
were 72 authors who contributed, with 20 single-authored documents and 52 multi-authored
documents.
199
Fig 3. Discipline-wise Publication Productivity
The social sciences (n = 30) produced the most publications, followed by the arts and humanities
(n = 22) and psychology (n = 7), according to the subject-wise analysis. Other STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects also contributed knowledge at a minimal
level.
Fig 4. Annual Scientific Production
The most productive year, according to the data analysis, was 1973, with five publications,
followed by 2014 (n = 3), 2021 (n = 3), and (n = 3). The analysis revealed that in recent years, the
number of publications has increased. The annual growth rate of the article publications found as
4.15%.
200
Fig 5. Most Relevant Sources
Among the most productive journals, Taylor & Francis published journal language learning with
the CiteScore 3.5 (2021) produced more publications (n=5) followed by the German based Iral
International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching with the CiteScore 2.2 (2021)
and (n = 2) and other German based journal Linguistics (n = 2).
Fig 6. Most Cited Sources (from Reference Lists)
201
Among the most cited journal sources, the citations from Language Learning contributed highest
with (n=23), followed by Cambridge University Press published journal Studies in Second
Language Acquisition with (n=22), Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning with and
Journal of Memory and Language both with (n=19). The other journals listed in figure
contributed (n=10 or more).
Fig 7. Most Productive Authors
Figure 6 highlights the top five contributing authors in the field. American psychologist John
Bissell Carroll, well-known for his contributions to psychology, linguistics, and psychometrics,
was the top contributing author along with Prof. Ayub Khan, from Indonesia, Prof. Blanka
Klimova, from Czechia, Prof. Gulzhauhar Ahmetovna Kurebaeva, Kazakh Humanities and Law
University, Astana, Kazakhstan and Mr. Marcel Pikhart, from Czechia.
Fig 8. Most Relevant Affiliations
202
Figure 7 depicts the top ten institutions that contributed in the chosen field. Hasanuddin
University (n=4), one of Indonesia's largest autonomous universities, and University of Hradec
Králové (n=4), a public university in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, were the most generous
contributors, followed by Schuhfried (n=3), followed by other institutions.
Qualitative Results
Table 1. Article Coverage for Qualitites Analysis
203
For the systematic review, forty publications were screened. According to the findings of the
qualitative study, the dominant theme identified as the use of Psycholinguistics in the Teaching
and Learning process in the education sector worldwide, ranging from primary school to higher
education. Language Teaching provided extensive treatment of all articles, followed by language
learning. The results of the study revealed that second and foreign languages were the most
researchable areas in Psycholinguistics. According to methodological analysis, empirical
research was used in the majority of the papers, followed by an experimental approach.
Conclusion
The quantitative and qualitative examination of worldwide scientific publications of
Psycholinguistics in teaching and learning over five decades revealed that the expansion of
research publications in the domain should be prioritized owing to the nature of its rising
relevance. National and international funding bodies may provide funding for large-scale
research with country participation. The findings revealed that India is still trailing in this domain
and that it has to ramp up its teaching and research efforts to boost scientific advancement in
Psycholinguistics. More Language teaching and training programmes require psychological
interventions. Collaborative research amongst departments such as languages, education, and
psychology at the higher education level may be promoted. The most productive higher
education faculty members from the afore-mentioned departments may be supported to do
unique research and publish in the field. Future researchers may take up a similar study with the
inclusion of more research databases that too with different bibliographic data retrieval options.
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Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning at Secondary Level
Chandrang Pathak1 & Pallavi Tamra2

1
Research Scholar, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Email:chandrangpathak@gmail.com
2
Research Scholar, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya
Email:tamrapallavi@gmail.com
Abstract
Collaborative learning is a philosophy of interaction. This philosophy advocates
learning in a group. In collaborative learning, people come together and discuss the
ideas and find the solutions with a sense of responsibility, sharing the authority, and
respecting the others' ideas. This paper explores the effectiveness of collaborative
learning in science at the secondary level; for this purpose, the researcher selected the
sample of 82 students by convenient sampling from class 9th. In this study quasi-
experimental post-test design has been used. The sample was divided into two groups
that are experimental group and the controlled group. The experimental group was
taught through the collaborative learning method, and the controlled group was
taught through a simple lecture method. Results of the study revealed that there is a
significant difference between the means of the experimental group and the control
group, which means collaborative learning enhanced academic achievement.
Keywords - Collaborative learning, Biology Subject, Secondary School, Lecture
method.
Introduction
Everybody's life is significantly impacted by education, which is a crucial instrument. It acts as a
key to opening many doors that will lead to achievement. It has a good effect on how we perceive
things, assists us in making the proper decisions, and encourages us to consider numerous angles
rather than just one. Our perception is broadened, and the experience is created. We are
incorporating technology into the teaching and learning process in the classroom in the twenty-
first century. Science serves as the cornerstone of technological development and opens doors to
all knowledge (Patel, 2021). Science is interdisciplinary in nature; via scientific methods like
observation and testing, it fosters not only a scientific mindset but also the physical, social, and
natural world (Macwan, 2017; Sultana, 2020). Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru claimed that.
Science does not simply sit around and hope for the best; it also seeks to understand why things
occur. Without experimentation, an application of the scientific approach, scientific thinking
processes, and new teaching strategies, information cannot be turned into empirical knowledge.
Science education promotes experimental knowledge to understand the environment we live in
(Veena p., 2020). Numerous studies have discovered that science instruction in classrooms either
lacks variety or fails to help pupils build their 21st-century abilities (Miyake & Kirschner, 2014;
Veena P., 2020). According to NEP 2020, education should produce decent people who are
capable of logical thought and action, compassion and empathy, courage and resiliency, a
scientific mindset, and imaginative creativity. Focusing on students' learning processes rather
210
than what they are learning is crucial in the rapidly evolving global education landscape. (NEP,
2020). In this paper, the Researchers' aim is to introduce Collaborative learning in the Science
classroom. A problem-solving, task completion or product-creation activity, is completed by a
group of learners as part of the collaborative learning method of teaching and learning. Sharing,
negotiations, and the development of conceptual knowledge beyond individual thought are all
supported by collaborative knowledge (Chen et al., 2015; Mayberry, 1998). Researchers
discovered that creating a collaborative environment in science classrooms increases
informational knowledge and proper management, builds team member trust, and facilitates
crucial communication during the teaching and learning process. This leads to discussion and
problem-solving in the classroom, which in turn improves the students' scientific attitudes and
increases the effectiveness of the lesson content (Bosch et al., 2003).
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is the idea of interaction to engage (Panitz, 1999). Group learning is
encouraged by this attitude. With a shared feeling of responsibility, authority, and respect for the
opinions of others, participants in collaborative learning join together to explore concepts and
come up with solutions (Järvenoja et al., 2020; Laal & Laal, 2012; Miyake & Kirschner, 2014).
By working together to solve challenges in the classroom, collaborative learning transforms the
focus from being teacher-centered to learner-centered in the twenty-first century (Laal & Laal,
2012). The educational strategy employed in scientific classrooms must be dynamic and based on
dialogues. Collaborative learning encourages these interactions (Järvenoja et al., 2020)
byencouraging information sharing, facilitating creative inquiry, and encouraging higher-order
thinking abilities. This strategy aids in the development of 21st-century competencies (Griffin P.
et al., 2012), which led to better communication between peer groups and Teacher-student
interaction. The collaborative learning type of intervention offers advantages that have been
found by researchers (Lundberg, 2003; Patel, 2021; Wolfe, 2012). In many ways, the process of
developing a shared social reality is similar to learning how to participate in collaborative
learning. This has frequently meant creating a new style of pedagogical discourse in the
classroom for the students and instructors with whom it develops conversations (Järvenoja et al.,
2020; Palincsar & Herrenkohl, 2002). Through the above discussion, one can conclude that
collaborative learning includes some major elements like healthy dependency, personal and
collective responsibility, interpersonal and cooperative group dynamics, promote peer
engagement and group thinking (Laal, 2013; Laal & Laal, 2012). This paper explores the
effectiveness of collaborative learning in a science subject at the secondary level.
Review of Related literature
Chandra (2015) conducted a study on the title collaborative learning for educational achievement
with the main objective to study the influence of Collaborative learning & Individual learning on
the achievement of English scores of undergraduate students. This study was descriptive in
nature, and 40 undergraduate students of 17-22 years age groups were selected by purposive
sampling. For analyzing the data, 't-test' has been used. Results revealed that collaborative
learning significantly enhanced the score of students in the English subject. Gaudet (2010), in his
study, small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic
performance and student attitudes toward group work. He used the quizzes and daily assignment
211
analysis and inferred that collaborative learning has a positive impact on academic achievement.
In another study done by Bouw et al. (2015) with title assessment of students' satisfaction with
student-led team-based learning course takes 30 students, and findings also revealed that
collaborative learning enhanced academic achievement. Thompson (2009), in his study, college
student ratings of student academic support: frequency, importance, and modes of
communication, depicted that peer students learn better because they don't hesitate to share ideas
and problems between them; this promotes greater academic achievement. Laal et al. (2011), in
their meta-analytical study on the benefits of collaborative learning, prove that collaborative
learning has a great significance in the enhancement of academic achievement. According to the
different bits of intelligence of the students, Rizqona et al. (2020) investigated the impact of
collaborative learning with a scientific approach (SA) on learning achievement in mathematics.
This study contrasted the Three Steps Interview (TSI) and Think Pair Share collaborative
learning approaches (TPS). Students in grade 8 from secondary schools in Sukoharjo, Central
Java, Indonesia (N = 262) participated in this study. With a 3 x 3 factorial design, this study was a
quasi-experimental one. The study's findings showed that TSI with a scientific approach
outperformed TPS with a scientific approach and classical with a scientific approach in terms of
math learning achievement. The learning outcomes for TPS with a scientific approach were also
higher than for classical with a scientific approach. Bhowmik (2015) conducted a study under the
title Impact of Collaborative Learning on Academic Achievement in Mathematics of Secondary
Students in the School Hostel in Rural Area in India. The main objective of this paper is to
determine the effect of collaborative learning towards achievement in mathematics and also the
attitude towards collaborative learning of mathematics among the hostel students of class nine in
secondary school. The eighteen (18) hostel students took part in the 8-week studies. For the first
4-weeks, they studied in their usual traditional way and for the next 4-weeks, through
collaborative learning. As a result, there is a significant difference in their academic achievement,
and students show a positive attitude towards collaborative learning.
Rationale- The researcher came across seven studies but found only one study on the
effectiveness of collaborative learning at the secondary stage in special reference to biology
subject; therefore, the researcher wants to investigate the following questions.
Research Question
What is the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategy in biology subject at the secondary
level?
Research Objectives
1. To study the achievement of students in biology subject who learn through
collaborative learning.
2. To study the achievement of students in biology subject who learn through the
conventional method of teaching.
3. To evaluate the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategy in biology subject at the
secondary level.
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Hypothesis
H01- There is no significant difference between the achievement scores of the control group and
experimental group in the Science subject at the secondary level.
Methodology
Operational definitions to the key terms
Achievement- Achievement is the total gain score of the students on a particular objective. In
this study, the achievement is the total score found on the achievement test prepared by the
researcher.
Effectiveness of collaborative learning strategy- in this study, effectiveness is the mean
difference between the gain score by the control group and the experimental group
Method
This study is experimental in nature. For this study Quasi-experimental post-test control group
design (Creswell, 2015) has been used. All 9th class students of the Bhadohi district were
selected as the population, and a sample of 82 students were selected from two schools by
convenient sampling technique. The sample was divided into two groups that are experimental
and control groups. In each group, 41 students were placed.
Tool
Achievement test- Self-prepared Achievement test in biology has been used by the researcher for
the data collection. This questionnaire contains 20 questions in the chapter Natural Resources
and Content validity established by subject expert and pedagogy expert.
Procedure of data collection
Step-1
First of all, the control group and experimental group made equivalent on the basis of the
previous year's scores on the science subject.
Step-2
One chapter of biology subject selected for the intervention is Natural Resources. After that
researcher developed an intervention program based on collaborative learning, and the
researcher taught students for one week and at the same time control group was taught through
the normal lecture method.
Step-3
In this phase, after the teaching of the chapter through collaborative learning, an achievement test
was administered to both groups.
Delimitations
1. This study was delimited only in class 9th of private school.
2. This study delimited only the Biology subject of science.
213
Results
Objective 1- To study the achievements of students who learn through the collaborative learning
strategy.
Character N Minimum Score Maximum Score Mean
Achievement 41 5 15 9.00
Result- The students' obtained minimum score is 5, and the maximum score is 15. The mean of
the experimental group is 9.
Objective 2- To study the achievements of students who learn through the conventional method
of teaching.
Character N Minimum Score Maximum Score Mean
Achievement 41 2 13 8.80
Result- The students' obtained minimum score is 2, and the maximum score is 13. The mean of
the control group is 8.80.
Objective 3- To evaluate the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategy in science subject at

the secondary level.
H01- There is no significant difference between the achievement scores of the control group and
experimental group in the Science subject at the secondary level.
Character N Z-Value U-Value Level of Significance Result
Achievement 82 -.486 789 0.05 Significant
Result: The Mann-Whitney U value for the experimental and control group was 789, and Z-
value was -.486; therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected.
Interpretation: Mann-Whitney U value is 789, and Z value is -.486. In this study, N is more than
20, and Z-value lies between ±1.58 to ±2.76; then, U is significant at the level of 0.05, which
means collaborative learning is helpful in enhancing the achievement of the students in science
subject.
214
Discussion
Results of this study showed that a group of students who taught through collaborative learning
found a greater score on an achievement test, which means collaborative learning is effective for
the teaching of science at the secondary level.
This study supports the finding of Bhowmik (2015), Rizqona et al. (2020), Gaudet (2010), who
also indicated that collaborative learning is an effective means for teaching and learning, and
there is no contradiction found with these results.
Conclusion
Collaborative learning is an effective means for teaching and learning science subject at the
secondary level because it develops group learning, respect for other students regardless of their
social community and economic status in students and develops healthy competition among
students. Collaborative learning also inculcates accountability and makes students responsible
for their work.
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Factors of Positive Socio-Cultural Environment in schools:

An analysis of role of Cooperative and Collaborative Approach
Arvind Kumar1, Seema2, Gyanendra Rawat3, Sreekala. E4

1
Research Scholar, School of Education, Email: aurvind2u@pondiuni.ac.in
2
Research Scholar, School of Education, Email: seema234seema@pondiuni.ac.in
3
Senior Research Fellow, School of Education, Email: gyanendrainfo@gmail.com
4
Email: sreekalaedannursoe@gmail.com
Abstract
A positive socio-cultural environment is crucial for the schools. The socio-cultural
environment is a combination of both social and cultural factors. These factors
involve values, norms, attitudes of students and teachers, and other staff towards
teaching-learning process. It stands for safe and positive environment in the school,
where students can feel comfortable mentally and physically. The present paper
endeavors to elaborate on the factors that are important for creating a positive socio-
cultural environment in schools. There are many factors that are responsible for
establishing a positive school environment, but through this paper, the authors try to
analyze how collaborative and cooperative learning works as an important factor for
developing a positive socio-cultural environment in schools. The collaborative and
cooperative approach is the learning strategy in which students work in groups. This
provides a platform for students to work together and space to share their ideas,
values, norms, opinion, and experiences with each other. It helps in developing
effective communication skills among students. It also transforms the role of a
teacher from a knowledge provider to a facilitator and a guide, which contribute to
building a positive relationship between teachers and students. In this paper, the
authors discuss the theoretical background of positive socio-cultural environment in
school and collaborative and cooperative learning as a factor.
Keywords : Socio-cultural environment, collaborative and cooperative learning,
teamwork.
Introduction
School plays a vital role in the holistic development of a child. It is the second home of the child
where he spends his maximum time after home. According to John Dewey, “School is a miniature
of society”. School represents a sole form or mini structure of society, where children come from
different backgrounds of society. To develop a peaceful and happy learning environment in the
school, socio-cultural environment of school plays a very crucial role. Every school has its own
norms, values, and culture that they developed for maintaining the standard of all curricular and
co-curricular activities in the school. A socio-cultural environment involves both social and
cultural surroundings of the school environment. A school with positive socio-cultural
environment positively contributes to the cognitive, affective and physical development of a
child and provides a safe and positive environment to the students, where they feel themselves
safe psychologically and physically. The socio-cultural environment of the school depends on
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the norms, values, and attitude of students, teachers, parents and other staff of school towards
teaching-learning process. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to contribute positively and
effectively towards the development of a positive socio-cultural environment in the school. In
this paper authors have focused on reviewing the factors of establishing a positive socio-cultural
environment in the schools.
There are so many factors that are responsible for establishing a positive socio-cultural
environment in the schools but through this paper, author has tried to analyze how collaborative
and cooperative learning is effective for developing a positive socio-cultural environment in the
schools. Collaborative and Cooperative learning is the learning approach in which students work
in small groups to achieve their common goals. These learning approaches are basically based on
theory of social-constructivism according to which social- interactions are important for human
knowledge and skills development. Knowledge develops from how people interact with each
other, their culture, and society. Collaborative and cooperative learning provides a platform for
students to work together and develop their knowledge and skills by sharing their ideas, values,
norms, culture, opinions and experiences with each other and with their teachers. It also
transforms the role of a teacher from a knowledge provider to a facilitator or a guide that
contributes to building a positive relationship between teachers and students. In this paper, author
has discussed the theoretical background of positive socio-cultural environment in school and
collaborative and cooperative learning as a factor.
Theoretical Background of the Study
School's Socio-Cultural Environment
Socio-Cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky, is an emerging theory in psychology that explains the
contributions of society in individual development. Lev Vygotsky maintained that the
development of higher order functions was influenced by parents, caretakers, peers, and the
culture at large. Every function in a child's cultural development, "appears twice; first on the
social level and then on the individual level; first between individuals (inter psychological), and
then inside the child" (intra- psychological). It focuses on the ways in which adults and peers
affect individual learning as well, as how cultural beliefs and attitudes influence curriculum and
learning. Home and school act as the bedrock of the socialization process, which implies
learning.
Positive Socio-Cultural Environment
Refers to the process of learning with ideal environment, that formally or informally instills
normative tradition, expected behaviors, values, and social skills of individuals who can occupy
particular roles in society. Children gain their unique identities and distinctions at school, where
they pick up languages and advance their cognitive abilities. Children gain social skills when
they enroll in social institutions like schools. Characteristics of the school, teachers, peer group
and positive socio-cultural environments all influenced students within school settings. In
schools, learners are civilized to excel, ways of behavior to inculcate all normative values of
society, that rely upon the class, caste, creed and cultural backgrounds and environment of
schools.
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Collaborative and Cooperative Learning

A learning scenario known as cooperative and collaborative learning involves two or more
people who are attempting to have a shared educational experience. In these settings, students are
able to exchange experiences that can be helpful to the whole class, learn from one another, and
make use of one another's resources and skill sets. According to the hypothesis, students who
receive their education in a group environment and work together to accomplish a common
objective are more likely to be successful in doing so, whereas students who work independently
are more prone to display competitive characteristics. In the following part, author has discussed
about some theories related to collaborative and cooperative learning approaches.
Collaborative and Cooperative Learning for Establishing a Positive Socio-Cultural
Environment in School
Since cooperative and collaborative learning places a strong emphasis on cooperation and team
spirit, it has positive effects on both academic performance and a learner's social persona. Higher
levels of accomplishment, the opportunity for inter-ethnic friendships, lifetime interaction,
improved communication and cognitive skills, and critical thinking are all benefits of this in the
classroom. In this section, the author has paved his interest in explaining the Collaborative and
Cooperative learning approach and how this approach works as an important factor to establish a
positive socio-cultural environment in schools. Collaborative learning can be explained as the
process of education transaction where students participate actively and try to explore problem-
solving techniques as a team. Peer learning is a type of collaborative learning that involves
students working in pairs or in small groups to discuss concepts or find solutions to the problem.
Instead of mindless memorization of facts and statistics, this approach actively engages pupils to
analyse and synthesise information and concepts. Students engage with one another on projects
where they are required to understand concepts as a group. Learners will develop a more
thorough understanding as a group than they could as individuals through arguing their points,
rephrasing concepts, listening to opposing views, and clearly stating their arguments.
In Cooperative learning process, students participate in groups with planned strategies. Each
student is responsible for his/her activities; learners discuss their strengths and work on their
weaker skills in a team. They hone their social abilities and focus on resolution skills. Learners
participate in many activities that deepen their knowledge of the topics being investigated when
cooperative groups are directed by defined objectives.
Role of Teachers
1. Express Interest in the Ethnic Background of Students
In order to build trusting relationships with their classmates, pupils should be encouraged to learn
about and share facts about their ethnic origin. Examine and appreciate the many customs,
ideologies, and social customs. “It is of note that this task helps European-American students
realize that their beliefs and traditions constitute a culture as well, which is a necessary
breakthrough in the development of a truly culturally responsive classroom” (Jenifer 2021).
Additionally, spend time learning how to pronounce students' names correctly and show interest
in the etymology of unique and intriguing names.
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2. An Instructor to Facilitator (Change in role)

“Another important requirement for creating a nurturing environment for students is reducing the
power differential between the instructor and students. Students in an authoritarian classroom
may sometimes display negative behaviors as a result of a perceived sense of social injustice; in
the culturally diverse classroom, the teacher should act more like a facilitator than an instructor”
(Singh and Singh 2016). The author places a strong focus on allowing students to bring in their
own reading materials and present them to the class, as doing so gives them the chance to interact
with one another and share unique experiences that are significant from a cultural and social
standpoint.
3. Emphasis upon Diverse Language
Learner whose mother tongue is not English frequently feels inferior, lost, and under pressure to
leave their mother tongue in for English in typical classroom settings. Diversity in language
should be celebrated in a culturally sensitive classroom, and non-native speakers should get
educational resources that are appropriate for their level of English fluency. The learner should be
encouraged to master English in addition to their original tongue by providing accompanying
materials in that language.
4. Integrate Sources for Self-Evluation
Reframing the idea of testing is a significant method for assisting students in becoming active
participants in their education. While testing is typically linked to grades (and hence causes
stress) in traditional classes, periodic non-graded examinations can be used to monitor students'
development and make sure they are not falling behind on necessary subjects. In addition to
being better able to retain and apply what they have learned in class, students who are taught to
self-test as they acquire new information will also be better able to decide on their own whether
they need to study a subject in deeper detail.
5. Promote Holistic Curriculum with Respect to Differences
In addition to being inclusive which guarantees all children to be included in all activities of the
school, a culturally responsive curriculum also recognizes the distinctive differences that
individual students may have. Additionally, a culturally responsive curriculum gives teachers the
ability to recognise and comprehend each student's cultural life and background outside of the
classroom and promotes inclusivity by giving them the knowledge they need to include it in the
curriculum.
Role of Students
The best and most important time in a person's life is when they are a student. A person learns
important life lessons during their time as a student, including how to work hard for better grades,
maintain discipline, be on time, work in a team, and be a decent person overall. It is a moment that
molds a person and gives them the confidence and fortitude they need to meet life's forthcoming
obstacles.
1. Normative Behaviors
In order to guarantee that students have access to a top-notch education, an educational
environment is necessary. However, in order for that environment to exist, people must behave in
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a manner that upholds decency, kindness, compassion, and respect. Cooperative and
collaborative learning technique can be used in the classroom to mold students' social skills,
values, and behaviour. Cooperative and collaborative learning provides a platform for students
where they can work together in a group and get opportunities to interact with their fellow
students that provide the space to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and socio-cultural values,
and also listen to others 'ideas keenly and respect their ideas and give biased free feedback. It
develops cooperation skills among students and helps to develop emotions, sensitivity, and
essential skills to understand others 'problems and behave in a polite, kind, and respectful
manner, which promote positive teacher-student and peer group relationship. When teacher-
student and classmates relationships are on favourable mode, it is obvious to find school
environment healthy and progressive.
2. Tackling Expected Performance
Collaborative and Cooperative learning provides a stimulating and active learning environment
that galvanizes the thinking process of students and promotes their learning. It significantly hikes
the academic progress of students which contributes to maintaining the status, improving the
image of the school, and developing a positive culture in the school.
Discussion
Spiritual Development
The growth of one's non-material qualities, with an emphasis on one's own perception, values,
meanings, and purpose, is known as spiritual development. Students ought to have the chance to
discover the "awe and wonder" of life. Students have the bravery and determination to persevere,
overcoming any internal reluctance and hesitancy when facing challenges. They grow an interest
in applying and expanding what they learn in school.
Social Development
Students who are socially developed are better able to collaborate and develop the interpersonal
skills necessary to get along with individuals of all ages and their classmates. Additionally,
students are taught about societal structures and processes as well as how to participate
constructively in a pluralistic society.
Moral Development
Supporting kids to make thoughtful decisions about their behaviour and the principles that serve
as a guide for their choice of lifestyles is a key component of moral development. Learning about
society's values, comprehending why they exist, how they are derived, how they change, and
how disagreements are resolved are all part of moral development. Students take into account
how actions they make on a personal and societal level will affect the local and global
community.
Conclusion
The three major dimensions of Positive socio-cultural environment as they relate to education are
shown in Figure: 1. the common denominator among all three categories is a form of conformity
that designates an ideal that pupils are required to aspire to. In all locations where formal
schooling takes place, these standards are typically normatively accepted representations of what
221
a student should be like to fit into educational situations. Among these characteristics, social
grace is the first. Social etiquette refers to the several body self-regulations that a student needs to
manage in order to blend in with the school community.
The second dimension of a positive socio-cultural environment is normative morality, which
refers to the internalisation of the preferred interpretation of what is proper and bad by a student.
It is done by teachers highlighting the advantages of hard effort, equity, being "kind,"
Social
etiquette
Normative
morality
Positive socio
cultural
Environment
Inter-
cultural
respect
Fig 1. The Three Dimensions of Positive Socio-Cultural Environment
The third dimension is inter cultural respect. During the process of inter-cultural respect, students
get to know normative perspectives and “styles” of behaviour. These favoured ways of learning
traditional knowledge reflect sustainable cultural norms. This type of acculturation is addressed
by Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, which contends that “teachers favour particular
viewpoints and learning styles over others and that in order for pupils to thrive they must adhere to
the cultural norms of the dominant social and cultural class”(Bourdieu,1975). The cooperative
and collaborative process helps learners not only to participate as teams in any educational
activities under which specific norms are applied, in that all learners be held equally responsible
for entire educational activities, but it also nurtures students' social and cultural skills and makes
students responsible and accountable. It improves student-teacher and peer relationships and
develops an enjoyable learning environment that satisfies the needs of students and creates a
positive socio-cultural environment in the school.
222
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Essential constructs for implement Constructivistic

learning in schools
T. Idayaraja1 & Dr. A. Tholappan2

1
PhD Scholar & 2Professor & Head, Department of Education,
Bharathidasan University,
Tiruchirappalli– 620 024, Tamil Nadu.
Abstract
This thematic paper discussed the basic concept of constructivism and essential
constructs for implementing constructivistic learning in schools. Jeann Piaget's
individual cognition and Lev Vygotsky's social constructivism contributed much to
constructivism. Constructivistic learning takes place in social settings which can
provide ample opportunity to examine, question, compare and analyze the
experiences. Constructivistic, curriculam, supportive physical and social
environment, dialogue making, interpretation skill, Self-discipline, ZPD and
scaffolding, Meta cognitive skill, sustained motivation and interest are the constructs
discussed in this paper.
Keywords: Constructivism, Cognition, Curriculum, Self-discipline, Cognitive skill
Introduction
More intellect and less labor, material and capital are the characteristic of present economic
system. The power of knowledge and knowledge creation which are core of intellectual process
play an important role in wealth creation. Accessing, manipulating and applying information,
facts and skills in day-to-day life ensure the successful life of humans. Not only to contribute to
creating wealth but also to access a share from nation's wealth, humans should have appropriate
knowledge and skills. The famous Tamil Literature Thirukkural States, “Those who possess
knowledge; possess everything”. Learning constructs knowledge. Anton Chekhov (1889) states,
“Wisdom… comes not from age, but from education and learning”. Wool folk states (1993),
“Learning is an active mental work, not passive reception of teaching”. Here, mental work refers
to the cognitive activities one performs like listening, memorizing, recalling, retaining,
manipulating, and applying information, facts, pheromones are such cognitive activities. So,
learning is a knowledge acquisition process. At the period of Horacman (1796) who is known as
the father of modern school, knowledge is imparted through schooling. But at present knowledge
is constructed by learning.
Constructivism
Constructivism implies that learner constructs their knowledge by their own understanding from
their own experience. According to Good and Brophy (1994). “Students construct their own
meaning: students are not passive receptacles. They do not easily process or transfer what they
passively receive; In order to make knowledge useful in a new situation, the students must make a
deliberate effort to make sense of the information that comes to them. They must own it. They
must manipulate, discover, and create knowledge to fit their belief system.” Constructivist
224
learning stands on the bedrocks of constructivist learning theory which is mainly conceived from
the works of Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Jean Piaget's individual
cognition and Lev Vygotsky's social constructivism contributed much to constructivism.
When a learner starts to encounter experiences, such as seeing, hearing the visual and audio
inputs, he/she registers these experiences in his memories. In such a way his schema is
constructed. As she/he grows and matures, he/she undergoes new experiences and assimilates the
new experiences into his existing schemas. When the learner matures enough to examine,
question and analyse his experiences gained from his environment, he/she interprets the
experiences and adds these into his/her existing schemas. When such experiences create internal
cognitive conflicts, such cognitive conflicts lead to disequilibrium in the learner's mind.
Disequilibrium is a state of being uncomfortable. To resolve such cognitive conflicts and become
more comfortable, the Learner changes his schemas to accommodate the new experience or
rejects the new information gained from the experience.
The experience the learner undergoes can be his individual investigations such as perception and
understanding of events, facts and phenomena happening in the external world or his social
interactions which involve sharing, comparing and debating with his peers and teachers.
While learners are interacting with each other to solve problems, to discover ideas, they refine
their own meanings and help others to find meaning. In such occasions, knowledge is mutually
built.
Constructivist learning takes place in social settings which can provide ample opportunity to
examine, question, compare and analyze the experiences.
Essential constructs for implementing constructivistic learning
Constructivist curriculum
Constructivist learning is learner-centered. It demands autonomy, active engagement and inter
and intra-personal skills of learners. So, the curriculum should pose authentic problems, big
concepts and beginning with the whole and expanding to include parts. Primary source of
materials and manipulative materials should be incorporated in constructive curriculum. |It
should provide scope for collaborative knowledge construction. Contents that opt for co-
operative learning, projects, group discussions, role-playing, and case studies should be
contained in the constructivist curriculum.
Supportive physical and social environment
What is actual set up of an objectivistic classroom where teacher transmits merely the
information and makes the learner to answer the classroom? The learners are seated in neat rows
in front of the blackboard for hours and the teacher is seated front center of the class room which
is a symbol of authority. Moving from one's seat and make a converse with others is treated as
disruptive behavior.
But, in the constructivistic view, this rigid physical and social environment is less conductive. As
active participation and active interaction are the chief characteristics of constructivistic
learning, the arrangement of physical and social environment should be altered as per the needs
of constructivistic learning. The physical arrangement of the classroom should allow students to
225
sit in small groups. Seating in small semi and circle shapes can allow learners face-to-face
interactions. It should make possible for learners to move freely and to move from table to table to
interact with their peers and teachers.
The entire physical and social environment enable learners to engage in learner-to-content
interactions, learner-to-learners and learners-to-teacher interactions and active engagements.
Sometimes learners need to read texts, books and interact with multimedia contents to investigate
or search information by their own effort. So, the physical arrangement of the classroom should
have bookshelves, reading corners, and digital learning devices such as computer with internet
specialties.
The social environment should be democratic, warm and non-authoritative. Learners should feel
free and comfortable to interact with their peers and teachers. Teacher should avoid sitting and
standing in a fixed place in the classroom. He should sit with learners and move groups to groups.
Prior-Knowledge
New learning takes place on the bedrocks of prior knowledge. The learner enters into the new
learning experience or tasks with the help of his prior knowledge. Prior knowledge is all the
knowledge one has by before learning about a particular topic. According to Dochy etal(1999),
Prior knowledge facilities learning new information. They estimate 30 and 60% of the variance
in learning outcomes are explained by prior – knowledge. The learner makes connections
between prior knowledge and new information. To construct new knowledge, learners should
compare, question, challenge, investigate, accept or discard old information. So, recalling and
retaining the relevant prior knowledge helps learners to go with new learning.
Dialogue making
Interaction with peers is essential for constructivistic learning. Constructivistic methods such as
co-operative learning, projects, discovery learning, active learning methodologies demand
interpersonal skills such as dialogue making and discussion. Dialogue is a productive form of
sharing ideas, views and feelings. Some basic skills should be inculcated among learners to make
fruitful dialogues. These are, 1. Deep listening: Open – minds, attention to others, providing time
and space to others, empathetic relationship constitutes deep listening. 2.Respecting other's
Views: Though these are contrary to one's own views, respecting these views and allowing space
and time to express is essential to make a warm dialogue. 3. Inquiry: asking questions to enhance
complete understanding should be encouraged in dialogues. 4. Explaining: explaining one's own
views leads to a better understanding of the concepts. 5. Authenticity: Authentic information and
reliable facts strengthen the dialogue. 6. Reflecting: reflecting on the views discussed in a
dialogue benefit the purpose of dialogue.
Interpretation skills
In the constructivistic learning, learners constructed knowledge. Interpretation of information,
facts, phenomena, and dialogues create understandings. Understanding is accumulated as
knowledge. Interpretations skills are the ability of an individual which enable him discover,
determine and discern the meanings of information opportunity. Sensory perceptions, decoding
the verbal, non-verbal language, listening, and best emotional state constitute interpretation
skills.
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Self -discipline
As the learners are allowed independently to involve in learning activities and dialogue in
constructivistic learning, distractions, disruptive behavior, day dreaming and meaningless
talking might take place in classrooms. To avoid such unproductive behavior, learners should
adopt self-discipline. Learners should have control and responsibility for their own actions.
Learners should frame classroom rules which can forbid unproductive behaviors.
ZPD and Scaffolding
Zone of Proximal development (ZPD) is in which learners learn much with the help of others. At
first, learners should be allowed to learn by their own. In an appropriate time, the teacher should
assist to improve his learning. Scaffolding is a proper intervention of teachers or other learners to
assist the learner. It can be defined as “a technique to provide right kind of support in right amount
at right time to increase learners' competencies”.
Meta cognitive skill
The skills learning to learn enhances the constructive learning. Independent, active and
interactive activities determine constructive learning. As learner has autonomic in such learning,
learning to learn help learners to engage in learning activities effectively. Meta cognitive skills
enable learner to look inward into his learning activities. This will help him whether he
understands the experience or not, whether he feels easy or not whether he is interested or not.
Such understanding enables the learner to change his activities and to seek help from others.
Sustained motivation and interest
To involve in active learning. learners should sustain their motivations and interest. Co-operative
learning, projects, and interactive multimedia contents can elicit natural curiosity of learners.
Natural curiosity creates motivation and interest. Ample opportunity to get success feeling and
satisfaction by completing the tasks, happiness by new understanding, and comfort feeling while
interacting with others can sustain motivation and interest of learners.
Conclusion
Purposeful learning can develop learners' inner potentials by developing their cognitive
structure. As cognitive skills develop on the bedrocks of knowledge acquisition process.
Providing an ample and comfort environment to acquire knowledge is fundamental function of
schools. Adopting constructivistic learning methods in schools necessitates schools to provide a
supportive physical and social environment for knowledge construction on the pathway of
constructivism and implement essential constructs for implementing constructivistic learning.
Constuvistic learning enables learner not only to contribute to wealth creation of nation but also
to access his share. As it provides a big space for learners to learn himself and with their peers
through social interaction, it develops social skills. Constructivistic learning is the need of the
hour to bring up present learners to fit with the present and future world.
227
References
Joydip Golder (2018). Constructivism: A paradigm for teaching and learning IJRAR, July
2018, volume 5(3).
Powell.C. Katherine and Kalina.J Cody (2009). Cognitive and social constructivism:
Developing tools for an effective classroom. www.researchgate.net/
publication/234717752.
Princy Hycy Bell (2013) Cognitive constructivist theory of Multimedia. Creative Education
2013. vol 9,614-619.
Nuket Gunduz & Cigaem Hursen (2014). Construtivism in teaching and learning; content
analysis Evaluation www.sciencedirect.com.
Braj kumar Mishra(2019). Psychology; the study of human behavior. Delhi; PHI Learning
Private Limited.
Jayeeta Bhattacharjee (2015). Constructivist approach to learning -an effective approach of
teaching learning. IRJIMS, July 2015,1(iv)2015,65-74.
Aggarwal,J,C.(2014). Essential of Educational psychology. Noida; Vikas Publishing House
PVT limited.
Saul McLeod (2019). Constructivism as a theory for teaching and learning.
https://wConclusionn schools.
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Why Culturally Relevant Teaching is Need of the Hour in Science

Classroom?
Santoshi Singh Rathour1 & Dr. Ramesh M.2

1
PhD Research Scholar, Email: santoshisinghrathour@gmail.com
2
Assistant Professor
Department of Education, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Amarkantak,
Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, 484887, Email: ramesh.m@igntu.ac.in
Abstract
Knowledge and skills help an individual to solve the problems that come in life. It
should be learned lifelong, but how can knowledge be retained and made lifelong?
This conceptual paper is discussing about how Culturally Relevant Teaching creates
a science-learning environment in the classroom that can help students to construct
scientific knowledge. Really, learning occurs through effective teaching
environment and making classroom discussion interesting and relevant to previous
knowledge. When teaching is student-centric then learning occurs long-lasting,
students learn by doing the activity and experience it through making cognition about
the things. Constructivist Pedagogy creates a maximum learning environment but
when classroom acts as diverse and multicultural classroom some issues come in the
path of students learning. It may be multicultural background of the students and the
teaching method is not able to address the whole class with a few examples, related to
knowledge of only one cultural knowledge, which another student never
experienced. How a student can construct new knowledge without accommodating
with previous cultural knowledge? While, Culturally Relevant Teaching considers
students' cultural background, knowledge, skills, beliefs, and experiences of social
setting. It not only reflects students' cultural knowledge in the classroom but also
helps to sustain students' learning and the culture of culturally diverse students in the
classroom. In this aspect, Social and Psychological Constructivism enhances
students learning environment in the classroom. Students make cognition of the
things through interacting with the things in the environment and doing activities;
however, Social Constructivism gives an opportunity to act as a social member and
construct knowledge through interacting with the society. This pedagogy acts as a
base for the development of other teaching methods in the classroom. Here, Science
Education is an important aspect to develop scientific knowledge, skills, attitude,
creativity and scientific temper among students to make them scientific social beings;
who can solve societal problems and remove the myth prevailing in society. CRT has
the potential to work as a strong method of teaching science to construct scientific
knowledge, address diverse classroom, and sustain the culture of the students, while
Constructive pedagogy support conducting the activity related to CRT. In this paper,
the researcher discusses student-centered learning approaches such as Culturally
Relevant Teaching and its implication in Science Education and constructivist
pedagogy to construct the knowledge.
Keywords: Constructivist Pedagogy, Student Centered Learning, Culturally
Relevant Teaching, Science Education
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1. Introduction
Education means an all-round development of the students, while the aim of education is to self-
actualization. A child interacts with the environment, surrounding and construct the knowledge
by observing the things. Here social setting plays an important role because a child is a part of it.
Social environment develops cognition in the children. A child learns social belief, knowledge,
culture, skills and practices them every day. This way a community transmits its culture
knowledge from one generation to another generation. Knowledge and skills help an individual
to solve the problems that come in life. When a child is enrolled in the school, it interacts with the
school environment and learns the new knowledge in different subjects and these concepts earlier
were in student's native culture, language and real experiences of the activity related to the family
and social environment. In the school environment, students going to learn bookish knowledge
that is based on empirical knowledge and factual based sometimes activity based also. But the
question is that whether they can implement this bookish knowledge to solve the problems in the
real-life? Whatever students learn in the school environment it should be learned lifelong, but
how can knowledge be retained and made lifelong? Is this indicating that teaching pedagogy has
some gap? Is the existing pedagogy of science be able to fulfil all students' needs and able to
instruct all heterogeneous groups of the students? Whether they come from different cultures and
communities in the classroom? This conceptual paper is discussing about how Culturally
Relevant Teaching creates a science-learning environment in the classroom that can help
students to construct scientific knowledge. Really, learning occurs through effective teaching
environment and making classroom discussion interesting and relevant to previous knowledge.
When teaching is student-centric then learning occurs long-lasting, students learn by doing the
activities and experience it through making cognition about the things.
Science
What does it mean? What is the nature of it? Why science is a must for students? How a student
can be a scientist? These questions can help to understand the science. When a person is curious
to know about the surrounding, seeks the answers to the questions by observing the things around
them, and establishes some knowledge based upon facts and try to understand the natural law and
uses them in daily life. This kind of effort is put for careful experimentation, think logically and
apply reasoning about the collected mass of information to justify the answers to the questions
(Sharma, 2014). According to Frederic (1960) “Science is a cumulative and endless series of
empirical observations which result in the formation of concepts and theories, with both concepts
and theories being subject to modification in the light of further empirical observations. Science
is both a body of knowledge and the process of acquiring it”. According to Henri Poincare
“Science is built of fact as a house is built of stones, but an accumulation of facts is no more a
science than a heap of stones. In other words, it is more a verb than a noun.” Science can be
understood through the way scientist adopt for the scientific study and a few basic things that
scientist does such as make descriptions about the phenomenon through following the scientific
method, make explanations of the phenomenon occurs and find the reason behind it, making
predictions about the phenomenon that is applying in one condition can be applied in another
similar condition. This way scientist finds the valid answer to the questions. The nature of science
can be identified as systematized body of knowledge that is known as product of science,
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scientific method of inquiry and scientific attitudes comes under the process of science. (Sharma,
2014). The science is objective, tentative, rational, theory-based, reality-based, and limited in
nature even though there are some exceptions always there, but this nature should be reflected in
the teaching of science through explicitly where teacher will plan the teaching content and
implicitly means the teachers reaction during the practical work along with scientific knowledge,
develop of scientific skills, attitude (Wellington & Ireson, 2014) and creativity. Science is must
for the students to generate new knowledge in the world that is undiscovered either discovered
things can be innovative with the student scientific creativity. These inventions can solve the
societal problems. A teacher must be careful during teaching of science and provide the activity
that can foster a scientific attitude among students and develop a process of science that develops
product of science. A student can be a scientist by adopting the attitude of the scientist and
knowing the nature of science with their own way of observations and collection of other valid
facts and the purpose of science is to remove the myth of the phenomenon and establish a valid
reason behind it that can accept by all.
Science Education
Science education can be understood as a teaching and learning process of science to students and
laymen of the society. This science education area consists of science content, scientific method,
social science, and science teaching pedagogy. Science Education in the school is a must because
this way a science teacher will use effective method of science teaching that will help students to
understand science subject through the school curriculum. This curriculum has an objective of
teaching science. The objective of teaching science leads general objective and specific objective
where general objective includes purpose of the science that can be gained through developing
scientific attitude, temper and adopt scientific method. Hence, teacher should plan every activity
that fulfills the criteria of the general objective. The specific objective consists the knowledge of
content for example concept of force, friction, the law of motion, etc. by knowing these concepts
very well and finding out their application in daily life and it can be said that specific objective
could be gained.
Constructivist Pedagogy
A method of teaching that gives plenty of opportunities to the students in the classroom and
outside of the classroom, so that they can construct the knowledge by interacting with the
environment. According to Glasersfeld, Piaget and other constructivists “people do not acquire
knowledge about an independent reality; rather they construct knowledge to fit what they
experience: the world we come to know assembled out of elements of our very own experiences”.
This is recognized as radical constructivism that follows some premises such as “constructivism
is about knowing and knowing is a state of adoption of an individual to the individual's
environment that includes social, cultural, and physical aspect and also the self. The state of
adoption and knowledge dynamic in nature where new knowledge gained through the
construction of new state of adoption of a person to the environment.” The Most important one
that the “new knowledge is constructed by the knower from the interaction of experiences and
current knowledge, beliefs, and emotional states.” The knowledge is generated from the
environment where no certain knowledge of an absolute and objective reality includes scientific
knowledge (Glaserfeld, 1989 & Wellington & Ireson, 2014).
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What kind of teaching methods are going on in the science classroom?

In the science classroom, there are two kinds of science teaching method are following first is
teacher-centred where students have very less roles to perform like remembering of facts, respect
for the traditional institutions and dependence on authority of the teacher. The second is student-
centred that facilitates higher inquiry process, maximises autonomy, results in critical mind and
increases efficiency among the students in the science classroom (Sharma, 2014).
What kind of lacuna is there in the teaching method?
Constructivist Pedagogy creates a maximum learning environment but when classroom acts as
diverse and multicultural classroom some issues come in the path of the students learning. It may
be multicultural background of the students and the teaching method is not able to address the
whole class with a few examples, related to knowledge of only one culture knowledge, which
another student never experienced. How a student can construct new knowledge without
accommodating with previous cultural knowledge? In this aspect, Social and Psychological
Constructivism enhances students learning environment in the classroom. Students make
cognition of the things through interacting with the things in the environment and doing the
activity; however, Social Constructivism gives an opportunity to act as a social member and
construct knowledge through interacting with the society. This pedagogy acts as a base for the
development of other teaching methods in the classroom.
The major defects in the current science curriculum are subject-centered not experienced-
centered. These deal with bookish knowledge and discussing the subject matter in the classroom
and do not focus on student interest and experiences. This lead only acquisition of knowledge not
application of knowledge in daily life and it also ignores the need of the students and the society.
(Sharma, 2014). The need of the curriculum and method of teaching that can fulfil the need of the
students and the society and community, that can teach the students how to think and directly
connected with child's experiences, social understanding. The curriculum that gives lots of
opportunities to develop student's creativity that develops confidence among the students so that
they choose the science as a hobby (Sharma, 2014). The language of science is very different
from the language of daily life so the teacher should be very careful about it and make the science
language clear while delivering it during the teaching learning process of science. “There are ten-
key areas of science teaching that are using language, questioning, explaining, practical work,
using resources, presenting the nature of the science, assessing learning, developing progression
and continuity, planning and managing and generating motivation and enthusiasm” (Wellington
& Ireson, 2014). These all-key areas should be well covered in the science classroom by the
teacher but in the present situation, to cover the syllabus teacher prefer to use subject-centered
and teacher-centered teaching methods.
These all-prevalent teaching methods and curriculum ignore the multicultural aspect of the
classroom. Constructivist Pedagogy creates a maximum learning environment but when
classroom acts as diverse and multicultural classroom some issues come in the path of students
learning. It may be multicultural background of the students and the teaching method is not able
to address the whole class with a few examples, related to knowledge of only one culture
knowledge, which another student never experienced. How students can construct new
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knowledge without accommodating with previous cultural knowledge? This question indicates a
pedagogy or method of teaching that should be culturally responsive because India is a culturally
diverse country and its every region has the cultural effect in the classroom. This fact cannot be
ignored. When we talk about tribal students, whose identity is their culture itself? The languages,
and the culture they practice in the community are different. Hence, again here a classroom will
be multicultural.
What are the challenges and problems in the tribal area?
The status of science education at the school level in rural areas is vulnerable because of lack of
science laboratories, lab instruments, and teachers' teaching methods, scientific knowledge,
skills and creativity and well-trained science teacher are other factors responsible for the
situation. In the remote area and tribal belt area in Madhya Pradesh and other state like Odisha,
Jharkhand, etc, the school dropout rate increases from 8th class to further classes, the one of the
reasons behind it that students are not feeling connected to the school, classroom environment,
and with teachers (Pagan, Steen.,2017). This also shows the teachers' lack of cultural knowledge
about these primitive students. So, here the question is again arising that what should be the
method of science teaching for the tribal students? There should be a pedagogy of science that
should be culturally responsive. Whether this kind of pedagogy exactly suits or fulfils the Indian
classroom is debatable because Indian classrooms are diversified. So, what kind of pedagogical
process is needed? Even though there are different pedagogies, each pedagogy has some
limitations because of the heterogeneous nature of the classroom according to the cultural
background of the students. So, there should be a kind of pedagogy that should fulfil the cultural
needs of the students, address the culture of the students, and correlate the cultural knowledge,
and experience with the science.
Culturally Relevant Teaching in Science Classroom
Gloria Ladson-Billings “introduced the term culturally relevant pedagogy, this describes a form
of teaching that calls for engaging learners whose experiences and cultures are traditionally
excluded from mainstream settings”. “Based on her research of effective teachers of African
American students, Ladson-Billings has proposed three goals; first, teaching must yield
academic success. Second, teaching must help students develop positive ethnic and cultural
identities while simultaneously helping them achieve academically. Third, teaching must
support student's ability “to recognize, understand, and critique current and social inequalities.”
Culturally relevant practitioners keep these goals in center of teaching which can empower
students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically.” Geneva Gay developed a
framework with a stronger focus on teachers' strategies and practices—that is, the doing of
teaching. Gay coined the term 'Culturally Responsive Teaching' to define an approach that
emphasizes, “Using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and
performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to
and effective for them.” Django Paris expanded “on the work of culturally relevant pedagogy to
develop a vision for culturally sustaining pedagogy, an approach that takes into account the many
ways learners' identity and culture evolve.” Here, culturally sustaining educators draw on and
sustain students' culture-static culture (e.g., heritage ways and home language) and evolving
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these cultures. He argues that relevance in the curriculum cannot ensure students are prepared to
live in an increasingly diverse, global world alone. Paris and Alim maintain that culturally
sustaining practice “has as its explicit goal supporting multilingualism and multiculturalism in
practice and perspective for students and teachers.” (Muniz, 2019). Culturally Relevant Teaching
can be understood that it reflects cultural knowledge of the students during teaching-learning
process and develops a critical understanding among the learner of their current environment of
the classroom and prevalent environment, and problems of the society. It refers to the knowledge
of the student's background among the teachers so that a teacher can plan the activity in the
classroom according to the need of the students.
How this pedagogy suits for the science classroom having multicultural students?
Culturally Relevant Teaching considers students' cultural background, knowledge, skills,
beliefs, and experiences of social setting. It not only reflects students' cultural knowledge in the
classroom but also helps to sustain students' learning and the culture of culturally diverse
students in the classroom. A teacher in the tribal area school can use tribal painting, songs and
stories that can be correlated to the science with the tribal culture.
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Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) will create an environment where all cultural background
students will equally participate in the science classroom activity, teacher can prepare a chart of
the student's diversity and find the similarity and identify a positive difference as the uniqueness
and quality of the students. When the teacher begins to address the experiences of different
communities and correlate them to the science subject in the classroom, students learn from each
other experiences, able to understand the same concept through multiple examples from the
different cultural knowledge of the community and lead the whole students' knowledge to the
new knowledge of the science, the fact of the science, by assimilating with previous knowledge
of life and day-to-day activity in the different community and society. A CRT Curriculum can be
developed, according to that, the teacher can teach the nature of the science. A medium of
instruction also selects as per the need of the students in which language a student understands the
science concept. This helps to create comfortable schooling that reduces dropouts of the students
from the school. Here, Science Education is an important aspect to develop scientific knowledge,
skills, attitude, creativity and scientific temper among students to make them scientific social
beings; who can solve societal problems and remove the myth prevailing in society. CRT has the
potential to work as a strong method of teaching science to construct scientific knowledge and
address diverse classroom and sustain the culture of the students, while Constructive pedagogy
supports conducting the activity related to CRT. In this paper, the researcher discusses student-
centered learning approaches such as Culturally Relevant Teaching and its implication in Science
Education and constructivist pedagogy to construct the knowledge.
Suggestions
To deal with multicultural classroom and establish effective communication some important
things should be kept in mind.
Effective learning: When a teacher starts addressing in the native language of the students, they
start noticing how effectively the teacher is speaking their language, and then they start telling
you their real experiences. The medium of instruction, or way of delivering examples in the
classroom engages students that prevent the tendencies of the students mentally absent from the
classroom.
Local knowledge can be integrated: To address the Baiga tribe students, a teacher should
establish communication by addressing tattoo design (Godna) and play a tribal song in the
classroom to make the classroom like a home environment. Teachers can start using tribal
painting to teach 'crop production and management in the multicultural classroom instruction.
The Baiga method of ploughing the field, The Gond tribe song Dadariya, Reena- Shua, Rai etc.
Effective communication helps in academic success in the multicultural classroom: A Culturally
Relevant Teaching (CRT) practitioner can plan a lesson where they will correlate a concept with
the multicultural student's previous knowledge, skills and real-life experiences and problems
related to that concept of the lesson and narrating a story that prevalent in culture, real picture,
using local words, tribal painting, chart, and graph can be used for teaching. It will support the
tribal and non-tribal students to develop the ability to recognize, understand, and critique current
and social inequalities. If this kind of verbal and non-verbal communication is implemented in
multicultural classrooms, students' creativity, critical thinking, and language will be developed.
Multicultural communication creates an environment that helps teachers and students learn
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maximum during teaching-learning. Communication helps each student to listen to the teacher
and makes them attached to the teacher. Intercultural communication and multicultural
communication create a healthy environment and will make the learning environment more
joyful. It generates a situation where students have a chance to critically analyze the current
situation in the community and school environment.
Teachers should give a chance to students to speak in their language about what they are learning
in the classroom and then by listing out those matters, the teachers should arrange a quiz
competition on what they learn today. Multicultural classroom communication makes an
environment where every student will equally participate in the classroom and will make
learning more productive, it will help to know student's full potentiality of learning.
Effective communication helps to develop positive ethnic and cultural identities in multicultural
classrooms: While teaching through Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) teachers will find the
similarity and unique identities of each culture that will be implemented in the teaching-learning
process of the multicultural classroom. The mode of instruction creates a positive identity of each
student, having a unique contribution to the classroom. It will encourage the students to engage
with the whole potentiality in the classroom activity. This will directly help them to achieve
academically many more successes. Like their home language, students' culture and identity
evolve through multilingualism. The practice of multilingualism among students enhances
cultural languages and students learn each other cultural language as well. It enriches not only
cultural environment among tribal and non-tribal students but also develops intercultural and
multicultural communication among the students.
Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) helps to reduce the dropout rate of tribal students: A
comfortable schooling may reduce dropouts because one of the significant challenges of dropout
among tribal students is the teacher's behaviour in the classroom. A CRT practitioner takes a class
in a multicultural classroom which makes the students feel a homelike environment, and build a
strong trust and relation with the teacher. Teachers support students emotionally, socially and
mentally that develop a positive attitude towards learning students. That leads to a strong
connection in the school environment. When students feel comfortable in learning there is less
chance of dropping out among the tribal students.
Teacher Cultural Knowledge evolve and help to solve student's difficulty in learning: Tribal art
and craft can be used in the multicultural classroom as non-verbal communication, tribal sign,
symbols, and their meaning introduction to the students. It helps in understanding the concept of
the syllabus with local knowledge. It gives a chance to the teacher to know the cultural diversity
and knowledge that are practiceds among the tribal and non-tribal communities. It gives a chance
to interact with the community and create harmony among the students. This way a teacher can
understand their students in a better way and can able to solve the difficulty of the students in
academic success and in real-life situations also. If the classroom is heterogeneous and has
multicultural students such as tribal and non-tribal students then a teacher can plan the lesson
according to the cultural background of the students, and can work on the similarity of the
student's needs by keeping a close eye on the culture of the students. Students will also accept the
cultural diversity and similarities of the classroom and school environment.
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Conclusion
A science classroom needs a pedagogy and curriculum that should give more importance to the
students-centered learning, and experienced-based curriculum rather than teacher-centered and
subject-centered approach of the curriculum. It can fulfill the need of the multicultural classroom
and should be culturally relevant. Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) helps to create an
environment of comfortable schooling that helps to reduce dropouts because one of the
significant challenges of dropouts among tribal students is the teacher's behaviour in the
classroom. A CRT practitioner takes a class in a multicultural classroom which makes the
students feel a homelike environment, and builds a strong trust and relationship with the teacher.
Teachers support students emotionally, socially and mentally that develop a positive attitude
towards learning students. That leads to a strong connection in the school environment and
classroom, science-related concepts where students encourage and develop the cultural identity
and develop scientific knowledge and skills that include creativity, scientific temper, practising
the value of the culture, cultural unique knowledge. Hence, the CRT is a method that can sustain
the culture of the culturally heterogeneous group of the classroom. Foster a scientific method
among students by application of science concepts in the daily life to solve the societal problem.
It encourages a student to construct the knowledge through his /her experience.
References
Wellington, Jerry., & Ireson, Gren. (2014). Science Learning, Science Teaching (3rd ed.).
Routledge.
Sharma, R. C. (2014). Modern Science Teaching (6th ed.). Dhanpat Rai Publishing Company.
Byrd, C. M. (2016). Does Culturally Relevant Teaching Work? An Examination From Student
Perspectives. SAGE Open, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016660744
Muñiz, J. (2019). Culturally responsive teaching: A 50-state survey of teaching standards.
New America, 1, 1–53. newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/culturally-responsive-
teaching/
Pagan, Steen. (2017). Tribal children in multicultural classroom. The Communications,
25(1),1-7. http://ddeku.edu.in/Files/2cfa4584-5afe-43ce-aa4b-
ad936cc9d3be/Journal/6ac5ef66-fd9d-4b4f-94f5-6c32b3800e70.pdf
237
Neurolinguistic Programming: A Pseudoscientific

Approach to Enhance English Language Learning
Md Tarik
Research Scholar
Department of Education, Central University of Kerala
Abstract
In India, English is used as a second language. English is a subject that is taught. The
purpose of English classes in India is to help students gain a practical command of the
language, which means they should be able to comprehend spoken English, speak
English, understand written English, and write English. English language learning
can be learned fascinatingly and confidently. But the various traditional methods and
approaches are not suitable for all to learn the English language in the same way. But
after technological trends and the need to have robust communique with different
human beings worldwide, the need to enhance communicative competence, rather
than simply growing the linguistic competence, turned into an uncovered discussion.
Teachers found that scholars cannot use expressions, gestures, and social language in
their communications, and the capacity to speak pragmatic language turned
significantly missing. To make English learning meaningful, personal and skilful, a
learner can use Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), a pseudoscientific approach as
a new language teaching method. One of the purposes of NLP in English education is
to give learners the freedom to express their feelings, thoughts and experiences.
Many studies have shown a clear-cut picture of how the various techniques of NLP
are helpful for English language learners. The present paper is an attempt made in this
regard to explore the theoretical aspects of NLP and critically reflect on how NLP can
play a crucial role in enhancing English language learning. The discussions in the
paper have been strongly abetted by the findings of various research studies on NLP.
Keywords: Neurolinguistic Programming, A Pseudoscientific Approach, English
Language Learning
Introduction
In today's globalised world, where many people speak more than one language and technological
advancements have turned our world into a global village, communication effectiveness has
become necessary. Learning English as a language of international communication and lingua
franca has become essential for anyone wishing to interact and share with people worldwide.
National Education Policy, 2020 stated that the three-language formula would continue to be
applied while considering constitutional requirements, people's, regions', and Union's goals, and
the need to promote multilingualism and national unity. All efforts shall allow students to think
and speak about the two topics in their native language and English.
"There are two ways of learning a language. They are a conscious and subconscious learning
process. First Language is acquired subconsciously, and the second language can be acquired
through the conscious process" (Delbio, A., & Ilankumaran, M., 2018). Learning the English
Language requires a unique technique or method, as it is not the same as learning mathematics or
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chemistry. Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is a relatively new language learning technique.

Referred to as a pseudoscientific approach to communication that requires analysing and
implementing strategies deployed by successful individuals to reach a goal.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, has recently been viewed as a resource for improving
language training effectiveness (Hardingham, 1998). NLP was introduced as a supplementary
technique in teaching a second language by Richards and Rodgers (1986), and Millroad (2004)
defined it as "an approach to language teaching that is claimed to help achieve excellence in
learner performance" (p.28), with a lot of potential for teaching and learning the second
language. NLP proponents such as O'Connor and Lages (2004) and O'Connor and Seymour
(2003) consider it a powerful motivational tool. According to Tosey and Mathisen (2010), NLP
has grown in popularity in communication, learning, and personal development.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the study of how the interaction of our brain 'NEURO', our
language 'LINGUISTIC' and our body produces patterns of behaviour' PROGRAMMING'
(Lashkarian & Sayadian, 2015). As a new horizon for language teachers and learners, NLP offers
solutions to classroom challenges and tools to enhance language instruction (Tosey & Mathison,
2003) and (Helm, 2009; Millroad, 2004). NLP began at the University of California, Santa Cruz,
in the mid-1970s and has developed quickly from that point forward. Harman and O'Neill (1981)
see NLP as a model that contributes to advancing the study of human communication and
behaviour. As described by John Grinder, 'NLP is an accelerated learning strategy for the
education and utilisation of patterns in the world.'
Neurolinguistic Programming as Pseudoscience
The term pseudoscience is often derided because it implies that something is being portrayed as
science incorrectly or even deceptively. There is currently a debate on whether neuro-linguistic
programming is a pseudoscience or not due to the lack of empirical evidence. There is no
scientific evidence supporting the claims made by NLP advocates, and it has been discredited as a
pseudoscience. The Wikipedia entry references NLP as a discredited pseudoscience: "The
balance of scientific evidence reveals NLP to be a largely discredited pseudoscience. Scientific
reviews show it contains numerous factual errors and fails to produce the results asserted by
proponents" (Wikipedia, 2013). Neurolinguistic Programming is not a scientific theory or is not
based on formulas or rules. It's Pseudoscience and based on patterns. These patterns help make
behavioural changes. Definition of Robert Dilts, "NLP is the study of the structure of subjective
experience", rightly pointed out that NLP is not a purely developed scientific approach but rather
a pseudoscientific approach. However, practitioners' and trainers' anecdotal evidence indicates
that it benefits many people. NLP claims to be based on Pseudoscience, which is based on science
but not entirely.
Techniques of Neurolinguistic Programming to Enhance English Language
Neurolinguistic Programming has a series of techniques that help address the problems or
difficulties an individual presents when learning and enhance their cognition skills; therefore,
these techniques provide a framework to facilitate the learning of languages (Narcisa et al.,
2021). NLP investigates the relationship between language and the human brain. It takes a detour
239
into Psycholinguistics. The progress of linguistics has resulted in the emergence of this new
form. The brain is primarily involved in the language area. Several techniques and approaches
are used to improve the effectiveness of NLP (Saja Beevi et al., 2019). The primary techniques of
NLP are discussed below:
Rapport
It's a crucial technique in NLP to establish a comfortable environment for cooperation and
collaboration free of judgments, disputes, issues, or misunderstandings, allowing both sides to
participate fully. The key to developing rapport or empathy is active listening. The use of body
language is critical in this strategy. When like-minded people communicate, rapport is most
likely. Mingling and "getting to know you" exercises in the classroom and constant bargaining
between the teacher and students develop rapport, while communication gap activities and group
work enhance it. A positive relationship with the teacher helps alleviate one of the most
challenging aspects of second language learning: anxiety. NLP analyses rapport as a skill that can
be improved and developed by adapting good communication and changing language usage.
Focusing on building rapport can assist teachers and students in informing more cohesive
learning communities. Improved learner self-esteem, better involvement in classroom processes,
stronger desire, lower learners' defences, and increased sensitivity to knowledge are all
'therapeutic effects' of teacher-learner contact (O'Connor and Seymour, 1993).
Representational systems
Our thoughts are the foundation of communication, and we express them to others through
words, intonation, and body language. Internally, we use our senses, which is a helpful way of
understanding our thinking. Representational systems take in, store, and code information in our
minds—seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling. Out of five, the vital representational
systems used are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK). Visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK)
approaches go beyond acquiring information because each learner has various preferences,
styles, and strategies for learning languages. Using visuals to learn new vocabulary or listening to
the material for understanding is beneficial. In the classroom, the kinesthetic channel is also a
popular method. Make abstract concepts tangible and relatable for pupils using gestures and hand
movements. Teachers must adapt their teaching methods to the learning preferences of their
students. Teachers can proceed with the VAK technique to make the learning accessible for those
learning more by using the senses. A teacher can use the three senses to understand what a learner
is thinking by noticing how a learner speaks and listens.
Swish Technique
It is one of the most popular techniques that can be used to make English learning interesting and
valuable for the learner. A teacher can use this technique to enhance English learning. One of the
couples of strategies is swishing, wherein we take away a dangerous stimulus (Moharamkhani et
al., 2016). The teacher can use this technique very smartly to deal with a situation that does not
favour a learner. The swish technique is a Neurolinguistic Programming approach placed with
visualisation and allows the practitioners to relate unique feelings with a bad situation. With the
help of this technique, a learner can easily switch from bad experiences like failure, difficulties in
learning and Learning problems to developing an internal learning process (Carson et al., 2013).
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The graceful pattern is a way most usually used to interrupt or change habits. For example,
repetitive problems or hassles may cause a learner to no longer do or analyse; however, this
approach will assist in managing the undesirable situation (Metcalf & Njoroge, 2008).
Meta Model
The meta-model relies on transformational grammar and general semantics. This model is based
on the idea that languages use grammar and semantics to translate mental states into words. In
this translation, humans are said to go through an unconscious process: The idea is that language
translates mental states into words, in which there is a process of unknowingly deleting (not
everything is said) and distorting (hypothetical and structural inaccuracies or It's easy to simplify
or fantasise about what's conceivable or what has occurred).
With the meta-model technique, a set of outcome-specific questions that help make
communication more specific, recover lost and anonymous information and loosen rigorous
thinking patterns. It also helps you understand the details of the problem and why you need them.
In Meta-model, asking questions in an English class led to all the students creating excellent
creative writing using personalisation (Carey et al., 2010).
Anchoring
NLP techniques that help create positive mental images with the systematic help of "anchors" or
"triggers" are called anchors (Helm, 2009). This is a beneficial technique of NLP because it
evokes pleasant feelings and feelings for the students. Therefore, anchor techniques support
emotional recall in a positive or relaxed way. These "anchors" help learners change their minds
about anxiety and stress levels. Anchors are usually gestures, body movements, or words.
Hesitant, nervous, or frustrated language learners can use these anchors to transition to a relaxed
or confident mental framework quickly. The English Language Teaching and Learning is a kind
of anchor that allows students to automatically recognise and prepare for what will happen next
in a lesson. If you can fix something in the classroom environment, you can bring the anchor into
the work environment to remind you of what you have learned (Mukherjee, S., 2008).
Reframing
'Reframing is changing the frame in which someone perceives events to vary the meaning. When
the meaning changes, the person's responses and behaviours also change' (Bandler et al., 1982).
The reframing technique talks approximately about the fluctuating conversation detail as a
person's perception. It was essential to improve the way students think about their abilities. In
English Classes, there are many learners with negative words. Most of them often say, "I can't try
this", "I can't understand it", or "It's very confusing". But in this juncture, teachers are to increase
self-esteem and redefine their thinking by changing their perspective on learning progress. The
change in the concept of meaning depends on the user's point of view. Meaning replacement
paves the way for changing people's behavioural responses. It helps learners by paraphrasing
their learning disabilities.
Modelling/Role Modelling
Modelling/Role Modelling differs from other types of NLP Techniques. The NLP modelling
strategy helps students learn English and improve by watching and emulating others. Role
modelling /Modelling helps a learner identify skills, attitudes, behaviours, and subjective inner
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experiences of talented people in different disciplines, which are transferable and learnable in the
context of their production characteristics (Dilt et al., 1980). Role modelling is a highly effective
NLP technique that learns English and improves by observing and copying others. Students are
influenced to model some great personalities in the English classroom and try to follow them.
Learners must be asked to follow the personalities and try to imitate and learn. Modelling has
nothing to do with the theoretical part; it's a practical approach where the learners follow the
model he wants to become. Usage Modeling in class improves children's learning and behaviour
Social, emotional, and behavioural Trouble (Squirrel, 2009).
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it would not be wrong to say that NLP is beneficial for enhancing
English Language skills among English learners. The studies have shown how NLP can be used
to make a difference in the classroom, interpersonal change and behavioural change in the
learners. Highlighting the critical role of NLP for English language teaching and learning,
Siddiqui (2018) alleges that instructors can apply different NLP techniques to assess the kind of
language that learners use and consider their thinking process, which can enable them to change
students' thoughts and behaviours in a way that leads to desired outcomes. NLP has also been
considered a program adapted to all types of EFL learners (i.e., visual, auditory, and kinesthetic).
Since NLP is practical for a wide range of diverse learning abilities, it may be a helpful technique
in most English classes (Moharamkhani et al., 2016). NLP techniques could be incorporated into
the classroom by a teacher who believes that learning can take many different shapes, depending
on how we view the process and how it should be manifested. In different words, NLP techniques
assist in deconstructing behaviour to discover how a person is doing something so it may be
modelled or changed.
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Enhancing Heuristic Value: An outcome of Mathemagenic Behaviour
Purnima Mondal1 & Vijaykumar. R2

1
Ph.D. Scholar & 2Assistant Professor,
Abstract
Teaching-Learning is an art as well as science and a dynamic process. The strategies
of teaching-learning process always intended to focus on developing creativity,
curiosity and other related psychological variables including attitude, interest etc.
Technically developing the crucial quality of curiosity in teaching Mathemagenic
would be difficult as it essentially focuses on abstract concepts including formulas,
algebraic expression and arithmetic properties etc. Hence, the present paper
emphasises on how Mathemagenic strategies can enhance discovery-based value in
the minds of the school students. Mathemagenic behaviour is an instructional
situation for learning and also a shaping process to fulfil the objectives of the
mathematics education. This shaping increases systematic thinking, logical thinking,
creative thinking and abstract thinking also. Ernst Zacharias Rothkopf 1966 coined
the term 'Mathemagenic behaviour' and strongly argued that one can lead a horse to
water but the only water that gets into his stomach is what he drinks. It refers to a
teacher who shall create a favourable environment and a systematic sequential
direction towards instructional objectives, the quality and quantity of learning
depends on the learner itself.
Experience-based or activity-based learning strategies is the effective learning,
considering on the quality and quantity learning. Experience from every problem,
every situation, and every activity gives a new information, reason and logic. Learner
using these information, reason and logic with the help of Mathemagenic behaviour
has to find a solution for different problems which is known as Heuristic behaviour. It
refers to find a best possible solution to a problem quickly, effectively and efficiently.
George Polya in 1945 provided four important principles of heuristic value/attitude
to understand the problem, to make a plan, to carry out the plan, evaluation and
adaptation. Here this conceptual paper proposes the ways and means of enhancing
heuristic values through Mathemagenic behaviour.
Keywords: Mathemagenic Behaviour, Heuristic value, Cognitive Learning
Introduction
Mathemagenic behaviour is an approach to solving problems, learning, discovering, or creating,
that employs a practical method, logical, or rational, hence it is important for reaching
mathematical education target. Since there is a lot of information available to the learner from
previous experience, mathemagenic behaviour is a function that ranks alternative paths in search
algorithms at each branching step based on available information to decide which branch to
follow and find a solution among all possible ones.
The heuristic can be described as a mental shortcut for solving new problems. The premise here is
that using these shortcuts which take less time to solve problems and arrive at an effective
decision. In learner, it leads to the reduction of efforts and often turns to heuristics when a quick
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solution is needed. A learner can apply heuristic value to any particular process of acquiring
knowledge or desired result by using some sort of guesswork instead of using some predefined
formula where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical. Heuristic methods speed
up the process of finding a satisfactory solution and it is practical or mental shortcuts that ease the
cognitive load of making a decision.
1. Systematic Instruction
Adaptive content presentation/systematic instruction is becoming an important part of
educational philosophy dealing with the increased number of learners in the educational field.
Systematic instruction is a systematic approach or a system where rules are to be followed in a
specific order, and specific direction in one or more individual designs from start to finish
according to the problem. Systematic instruction improves understanding of knowledge
integration as well as information integration for solving problems through input, process, and
output steps.
Input Process Output

Collection of data Organization of data Use of information
Figure 1: Systematic instructional steps.
Input: In the input, the step learner collects data by activity from outer-world to inner-world with
their diversity.
Process: Here learners organize collecting data in their memory with their diverse cognitive
thinking.
Output: In this step, learners use processing data and response with respect to stimuli and
metacognitive power.
So, the quality of learner's outcome depends on the quality of learner's input and learner's input
depends on the quality of teaching as well as the quality of teaching depends on the teaching
environment, teaching strategies, and teaching materials. Therefore, for quality and quantity of
learning outcome depends on teaching materials, strategies/ technique, and environment.
2. Mathemagenic behaviour
A suitable instructional environment helps to select the right events and right action for effective
study activity. Mathemagenic behaviour or activities is an action process in both practical or
imagination. The coined term mathemagenic behaviour by Ernst Z. Rothkopf, is explained by the
sentence, “You can lead a horse to water but the only water that gets into his stomach is what he
drinks.” Here learners learning activities are presented by 'drinking habit.' Mathemagenic
behaviour is a process to link up situational information according to given with provided
instructional information towards a specific goal.
Mathemagenic behaviour is a framework for successful learning. Ernst Z. Rothkopf (1981)
provides a macroscopic model of instruction. In this model, effective teaching has been
explained depending on six factors for successful learning.
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These six factors are denoted by

I: The number of redundant instructive events
A-C: Attendance to instruction and compliance with assignments D: The straightforward
relevance of instructive information
E: The learner's instruction-relevant experience
m: Disposition for appropriate mathemagenic process R: Properties of the material and the
situation.
The first two factors I, (A-C) determine the likelihood of events, which are relevant for
instructional information. The next three factors D, E, and m interacts with each other to
determine relevant likelihood, which is also relevant to the instructional information. The factor
R evaluates the learner's information storing capability.
Figure 2: Rothkopf's macroscopic model to determine the success of instruction
Rothkopf, in this model, brings up the relationship between learner's physical likelihood,
psychological likelihood step by step and how they related to the learning outcome. In order to
keep learners active and to enhance the learning environment, this model also offers a
conceptual, ideological landscape for selecting materials and activities.
3. Heuristic Value
Heuristic value is an approach to using known knowledge or information in an unknown way or
new way and creating new knowledge or information. This new knowledge may be discovered
or, maybe invent. American Psychological Association (APA) dictionary defines heuristic value
as, “The potential to stimulate or encourage further thinking.” Heuristic is an art of discovery or
invention. It is a constructivist approach or, also a paradigm for solving the problem. A heuristic
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is any device, it may be a program, rule, or piece of knowledge for discovering testing, and
modifying in conjunction with a particular task or subtask.
For solving mathematical problem, George Polya (1945) in his book, “How to Solve It” mentions
four principles, which should be followed step by step.
I. Understanding the problem
The learner's first activity will be to know the problem. For this learner will collect information
about the problem considering all possible angles and all possible viewpoints.
II. Make a plan
This stage is a skill of choosing appropriate strategies, logic, a formula for organizing or
categorizing, and using all collected and previous information to solve the problem.
III. Carryout the plan
After planning, learners will play activities according to the planning strategies and try to solve
the problem according to the given instruction.
IV. Evaluation and Adaptation
After carrying out, the plan, in this stage learners will check the result and also they will check
what they have done and its usefulness for the future.
According to Polya, Teacher role is very significant in heuristic value. In all four steps, the
teacher will support learners with their plan, with questioning skills, with related materials etc.
4. Heuristic value as a merger of Learning domain and Mathemagenic behaviour
The ability of learner is different which occurs from learner's needs, interests, and attitudes
according to individual differences. This individual difference influences learners' learning
domain (Cognitive domain, Affective domain, Psychomotor domain). So, the acquisition of
information also varies from learner to learner. Mathemagenic behaviour helps to modify the
learner's Cognitive processing, Affective processing and also Psychomotor processing in such a
way that the learner can achieve the present problem also for upcoming search and as a result,
learners get their heuristic value.
4.1 Heuristic value as a merger of Cognitive domain and Mathemagenic behaviour
Learner's heuristic value is the merger impact of the learner's cognitive learning, effective
learning, psychomotor learning, as well as mathemagenic behaviour. Cognitive learning is the
set of all functions of memory and memory learning is how much a learner retains. This led to a
simple methodology of studying, and manipulating learner's activities during the acquisition by
means of instructions, suggestions, or observation. According Rothkopf's notion of
mathemagenic behaviours (behabiour which produces learning) defined that what the student
does in the learning situation is an important key to how much he will retain.
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Table 1: Heuristic value is an incidental product of Taxonomies of the Cognitive Domain

(Anderson & Krathwohl's Taxonomy 2001 & Mathemagenic behaviour.
Cognitive learning Mathemagenic behaviours Heuristic Value

Remembering The use of materials, models, strategies, Understanding the
Learners are recognizing or environment situations and facts are helping problem
recalling information from the learner to keep information in long-term
memory. memory or short-term memory.
For constructing knowledge about the
problem, different graphic messages or
activities like classifying, comparing,
Understanding the
inferring, exemplifying, explaining,
problem
Understanding summarizing, or interpreting is the most
Constructing meaning from important function of mathemagenic
different types of functions. behaviour.
Here learners using mathemagenic,
different mathematical function behaviour,
Make a plan
previous information, and collected
information to prepare a plan for solving
the problem. Also, mathemagenic
behaviour helps to create a favorable
environment for solving the problem.
Applying
The ability to use learned According to the preparation plan, learners Carryout the plan
material, or to implement apply or present different information,
material in new and formula, function, and model according to
concrete situations the plan to solve the problem.
Mathematical concepts like logic,
Analyzing reasoning, and formula provide the ability
Breaking materials or for the learner to break down the problem
concepts into parts in order into sub-part. Also provide the ability or Carryout the plan
to figure out the idea. mental action like differentiating,
organizing, attributing, and distinguishing
into the sub-part to figure out the nature and
relationship of all parts.
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Mathemagenic behaviour creates the ability of the

Evalua ng learner to make decisions about the problem
Making decisions depending on the previous concept, given Evaluation and
criteria, and standards through checking and Adaptation
critiquing.
Crea ng Creativity is an act of turning new and
New knowledge imaginative ideas into reality. It is a thinking
generation process for new producing or innovation, the
production or implementation of an idea.
This ability for learners to explore thoughts or Evaluation and
ideas that are new or different in some way from Adaptation
previous thoughts and ideas. Using this learner
makes new knowledge or something new
objective, whether a new solution for the
problem, new method, or device.
In the learning domain, the position of the cognitive domain is the highest. At the time of
preparation of mathematics learning situation, the knowledge of cognitive learning of learner is
the basic information to a mathematics teacher and also the mathematics learning environment
depending on this knowledge and mathemagenic behaviour is more effective for mathematics
learning.
4.2 Heuristic value as a merger of Affective domain and Mathemagenic behaviour
In the learning platform, the Cognitive domain gets the first position and the Affective domain
gets the second position. The affective domain is the set of all collections of learner's feelings,
willingness, emotion, interest, and also motivation. For learning mathematics, learner's
mathemagenic behaviour needs to create a good relation with this set. For keeping the good
relationship of mathematics with the affective domain mathemagenic behaviour needs to play an
effective role through receiving the information, good responding with respect to stimulus,
organization of information logically, characterization of information with respect to the reason,
also valuing the activity.
Table 2: Heuristic value as a product of Psychomotor Domain (according to Krathwohl)

& Mathmagenic behaviour
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Affective Domain Mathemagenic Behaviour Heuristic

Value
Receiving Using mathemagenic behaviour, the learning
Learner’s sensitivity to situation will be created in such a way that learner Understandin
the existence of stimuli. will describe the problem, identifies the reason, g the problem
locates the source of information, and sits the
usable formula for solving the problem itself.
Responding Learning through experience just like a practical,
Learner’s active project, real-life experience creates attention, and
attention to stimuli. interest in the learner, and also motivates the Make a plan
learner. Learners' satisfaction levels increase after
getting the achievement of the problem with
active participation or with their own plan.
Valuing Here, mathemagenic behaviour helps to create
Learners' respect materials, a logical way for learners to create the
towards stimuli, or idea and clear concept about phenomena with the
learners' belief and help of ability of measured proficiency, logical
attitude toward stimuli. skill, explaining the ability of phenomena about Carryout the
the problem. After getting a solution to the plan
problem, learners' needs are fulfilled and learners
are motivated toward mathematical education.
Organization In this stage learner compare, and classify the
Systematize clarification value system, create a value system and explain
the importance of the planning system for solving
the problem. Learners, themselves arrange the Evaluation
formula, model, and sequential step b y the and
previous mathematical concept and present Adaptation
instruction. Also, they examine the effect of the
result according to the objective and they create a
new way of solving the problem or create new
information about the problem.
Characterization of the This refers to the learner’s highest internalization Evaluation
Internalization of values and is related to behaviour that reflects a and
generalized set of values and a characterization, Adaptation
or a philosophy about life. At this level, the
learner is capable of practising and acting on their
values and beliefs. When the activity gets value,
learners' interest increases, and motivates
towards mathematical education and internalizes
it.
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Learner's active action in the learning field, motivates and increases their interest towards
mathematical education. In the affective domain, mathemagenic behaviour creates such an
environment that learners participate, performs, present their idea, and creates learning aids
themselves.
4.3 Heuristic value as a merger of Psychomotor domain and Mathemagenic behavioue
For learner's growth and development, learner's own activity, and own action is very important.
Therefore, learner's experience, own activities, and own actions are significant in learning. In
addition, the psychomotor domain is the set of all learner's own physical actions, physical
reactions, and physical activity. With the help of mathemagenic behaviour, learners acted in two
ways one abstract way and another practical way. For a problem, the learner first collects
information about the problem with physical activity (psychomotor domain) and then cognitive
domain and affective domain play their role and transfer the processing information into the
psychomotor domain. Then learners again physically react toward the problem and create new
knowledge. The activity of the psychomotor domain is the carryout principle of heuristic value
with the help of mathemagenic behaviour.
5. Conclusion
Expansion of knowledge offers possibilities for learning instruction. Heuristic learning is
incidental learning which takes place without specific formal instruction, motive, or specific
given material. In a mathematical learning situation, heuristic learning occurs as a product of
mathemagenic behaviour. During the learning time when a learner learns mathematics through a
project, experiment, or practical then heuristic value occurs as a piece of new knowledge. And for
this, all learning domains (Cognitive domain, Affective domain, Psychomotor domain) play an
equal role with the help of mathemagenic behaviour.
References
Shaughnessy, F. M. (2005). An Interview with Ernst Rothkopf: Reflections on Educational
Psychology. North American Journal of Psychology, 7(1):51-58.
Rothkopf, Z. E. (1962). The Concept of Mathemagenic Activities 1. New York: Bell
Telephone Laboratories Activities, 40(3).
Rothkopf, P.M. (1981). A Macroscopic model of instruction and purposive learning: An
overview. Instr Sci 10, 105-122, Springer.
Driscoll, P.M. (2001). Macrotheory of Instruction. The Association for Educational
Communications and Technology, Florida State University
Romanycia, J. H. M, Pelleti, J. F. (1985). What is a heuristic? Computational Intelligence
1(1):47 – 58
Pólya, G.(1945). How to Solve It. Princeton University Press.
Walle, G.T., & Faw,W. H. (1976). Mathemagenic Behaviours and Efficiency in Learning from
Prose Materials: Review, Critique and Recommendations. : American Educational
Research Association, 46, (4), pp. 691-720
Anderson, W.L., Krathwohl, R.D., Airasian, W.P., Cruikshank, A.K., Maver,E.R., Pintrich,
R.P., Raths, J., & Wittrock, C.M.(2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and
Assessing. A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.
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Rediscovering Self and Discipline-Based Learning through Meditation
Praveen Kumar1 & Prof. K. Chellamani2

1
2
Email: senu121@gmail.com
Abstract
One of the time-tested sources for overall growth of human being is meditation.
Recent studies and researches conducted in the area of education, psychology, and
neuroscience show that practice of meditation in schools, has the positive effects on
students' wellbeing, social skills and academic skills. Activities such as learning,
paying attention, memory, thinking and problem solving etc are directly related to
their cognitive abilities. All these activities are of utmost importance for better
academic performance, better result and for the overall improvement in scholastic
and non- scholastic domains of the students. In order to increase these cognitive
abilities of children, it is necessary to provide proper mind training to children so that
they can perform all related tasks without having much of the stress and thereby
achieve better educational goals. Practice of meditation, has positive effects upon
mind and body therefore these practices can be blended for proper physical and
mental development of students and to achieve better academic results. The students
with meditation practice are found to be more outgoing, bright, emotionally stable,
mature, calm, enthusiastic, conscientious, persistent, moralistic, adventurous,
socially bold, tough-minded, zestful, self- assured, secure, self-sufficient,
resourceful, controlled, relaxed, tranquil, and composed and have better ego
strength, stronger superego strength, and exacting will power.
Keywords: Meditation, Neuroscience, Cognition.
1. Introduction
We are in the Global movement facing new models in every aspect of our living UNESCO in its
report on "The Futures of Learning'' justifies the reason for redefining the content of learning
including the methods. It focuses on: motivations for a new model of learning, competencies and
the skills required for learners for effective functioning including the pedagogy required to
stimulate the capabilities.
This drastically transforms the purpose of learning institutions and expectations of how and what
the learning in the class room should take place. Hence the ways and outlook to measure the
success in schools also got re-evaluated. Overall, the focus and approach have shifted away from
access towards quality education to the actual and lifelong learning, strengthened training and
skills for work and life, and better learning outcomes at all levels of education (Anderson, 2014;
UNESCO and UNICEF, 2013).
From the beginning of Delors Commission report (1996), UNESCO stressed the importance to
keep adequate attention on both, the aims and means of education. With respect to motivations
for transforming learning, the considerable aspects include the student characteristics, less
motivation, higher dropout rates owing to diverse learning styles, lack of preparation for life and
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work, the changing environment and conditions at workplace, economic crisis and social
changes, and the challenges posed by the growing complex socio-political and demographic
shift. Amidst the list of reasons, the learning institutions must have their curricula making new
forms of learning possible. They should look for answers to questions such as: What is the actual
level of school learning among students? What type of knowledge, skill is more relevant in
today's changing world and its success rate in the times to come? How can these practice be
converted and implemented to maximize the gains? One of the better answers can be inclusion
of meditation in school curriculum. Thus, rediscovering of self, better learning, honing the skills
for future and overall growth with the help of meditation would add not only different colours to
this noblest profession of teaching and learning process but also have a larger impact on overall
well-being of the people more positively and thus prepare rather equip today's youth with
updated skills and learning in order to stand out in harmony against the changing and challenging
environment of today's world.
OECD
The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development has created a Learning
Framework in its Education 2030 project. It highlights the requirement for new solutions in fast
changing world and states its vision as " Children entering school will need to abandon the notion
that resources are limitless and are there to be exploited; they will need to value common
prosperity, sustainability above short-term gain. In the face of an interestingly volatile, uncertain,
complex and ambiguous world, education can make the difference as to whether people embrace
the challenges they are confronted with or whether they are defeated by them. And in an era
characterised by a new explosion of scientific knowledge and growing array of complex societal
problems, it is appropriate that curricula should continue to evolve, perhaps in radical ways".
Meditation
Meditation has been used since ancient times to cultivate spirituality, to gain knowledge and
insight, to improve health, to advance mental powers, to calm mind, to control emotions, to
achieve body-mind balance, to attain peace and to promote integrated growth of personality,
among others. It has been used since the ancient Rishis of India started seeking knowledge of and
insight into that which cannot be known through direct sensory and empirical experience. Right
from the ancient times till the modem era many experts of this field tried to devise many
techniques of meditation and use those for the benefit of the human race. In Ancient times,
Maharishi Patanjali is considered to be the pioneer in codifying the techniques of Yoga and
meditation through his great work “Yoga Sutra”. However, in modern era there are many
spiritual Gurus, who have been the great ambassador of Yoga and meditation teaching and
promoting spirituality, peace and harmony and ultimately inculcating the seeds of happiness
and learning in the society. Practicians and modern Gurus who preach meditation claim that
meditation is an effective tool to embrace more positive qualities in the personality and prepares
the individual to reduce the negative one. The word 'Meditation' has been derived from the Latin
word 'meditari'. It means to contemplate or to reflect. Meditation is neither a search nor a seeking
or probing. Rather it is an explosion and discovery. It is a gradual process of interaction within the
body and among the mind, body, brain and the behaviour regulating the process of internal
functioning of the body. A process which comes naturally, when all good and bad things,
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activities and assertions have been understood and one is ready for leaving them away easily. In
other words, it is the hollowness which is essential and not what is in the hollowness. Perceiving
and seeing the things happen only with hollowness. The base of love, righteousness, positivity
and acquiring more and more good qualities are this hollowness or emptiness. There are various
fors of meditation techniques but the ultimate aim of all is the well-being of mankind.
Effects of Meditation
Many research studies reveal that practicing of meditation enhances higher degree of positivity
in mood, improving the level of immunity, lowering down the negativity and reducing the
symptoms of anxiety and stress. Many researches related to meditation have reported the positive
or beneficial effects of meditation. Regular meditation helps in maintaining the internal balance
of body and mind, bringing discipline, focused approach and thus enables the individual to
improve the overall level of learning. Neurobiological evidence is in its nascent phase to bring
out the importance and the role of meditation in improving self-regulation, restoring the optimal
level of honeostasis within the body. Research on the subject using MRI scan shows that those
who meditate on regular basis have change of density in the grey matter. However, a very few
have also expressed doubts regarding its effectiveness.
Meditation and Students
Studies conducted on meditation have reported the better effects on school environment and
achievement. Practice of meditation are reported to promote basic cognitive faculties leading to
better learning and achieving the improved academic standards. In order to see the effect of
mediation on the college students a study was conducted by Hall (1999). Randomly assigned 56
under graduates were divided into two study groups, out of which, one group was selected for
concentration-based meditation. In the beginning, the students were given practice for 10
minutes of meditation followed by the one-hour study session towards the end. They were made
aware about the general meditation practice including the exposure to attention and focus related
training The practitioners were told to meditate at home and before examinations too. On the
contrary, the candidates of other group were also asked for one hour of study a week but were not
exposed to the meditation training. In the beginning of the study, both the groups had almost
similar scoring, grade point average (GPA) but later the intervention group had comparatively
better GPA scores vis a vis to the control group towards the end of semester.
Meditation and Attention
Attention is an important factor for processing the inputs received from environment. For
example, learning is associated with the processing of information while being attentive. As per
the cognitive learning theory, information received being inattentive is neither perceived nor
delivered even to short term memory. Various studies suggest that meditation helps in increasing
the level of learner's attention. Meditation also helps in developing specific cognitive skills or
processes such as sustained attention, meta-cognitive awareness, flexibility in thinking.
Meditation can be useful in controlling Attention Deficit Hyper-Active Disorder (ADHD) in
children and is also considered effective in the treatment of hyperactive disorder and
distractibility.
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Meditation and Memory

Recent studies reveal that memory consolidation takes place to some extent perhaps due to
focused attention to inner world and reduced attention to environmental stimuli. Studies on the
effect of meditation on memory are very less and rare. There are only handful of such studies all
indicating beneficial effects of meditation. Kozhevnikov, et. al., (2009) examined the effects of
Buddhist meditation on mental imagery. Deity meditation trains one's capacity to boost the
increased visuo-spatial processing resources. Results of the Research conducted on the subject
shows that regular practice of mediation increases the blood flow of brain, which helps in
reinforcing the memory capacity.
Meditation and Neurological Aspects
Increasing curiosity and awareness in the realm of health benefits, meditation and its effect on the
mind and body, has always attracted scientists/ researchers to carry out the research on this very
interesting subject of meditation. Till date thousands of scientific publications have come out,
mainly in psychology and neuroscience but knowledge and the mechanism that underlie the
effects of meditation is in nascent stage.
Number of studies show as to how practice of meditation influences brain physiology. Newberg
et al (2001) presented the evidence on the changes in cerebral blood flow during the practice of
meditation. A number of studies have found several beneficial effects of meditation on the
personality characteristics. Meditation has been found to make its practitioners more confident,
relaxed, satisfied, conscientious and benevolent. It also significantly enhances self-esteem,
feeling of worth, self-acceptance, internal locus of control, and positive mood. On the contrary, it
has been found that meditation helps in reducing negative personal characteristics.
Joe Dispenza (2014) in the book titled, "You are the PLACEBO Making Your Mind Matter"
emphasizes that when we learn anything new, neurons make new connections, exchanging
electrochemical information with each other. Mediation helps in improving the thinking process
towards the higher side and in order to bring developments, one need to think new or out of the
box thinking which makes the brain to fire in new ways. When new learning or new input is
received, the brain generates the ability to change. This change is transforming the mind and
thinking out of the box, lead to new choices, experiences, behaviour and new emotions. This
process of changing the identity is called neuroplasticity. This works as pruning and sprouting by
getting rid of some neural connections, patterns, circuits and creating the new ones. This
procedure of breaking free from chains of hardwired programming and the conditioning that
keeps the individual the same, take considerable efforts. It also requires knowledge, because
while learning vital information about individual and his life, one switch over to a whole new
pattern and begins to think, perceive reality differently. People who have meditated over the
long-term, exhibit changes in areas of the brain concerned with stress and anxiety. The prefrontal
cortex, the cingulate cortex and the hippocampus show increased activity, and the amygdala
shows decreased activity consistent with improved emotional regulation. Meditation practice
helps in adjusting the functioning of the brain, reconstructing of the brain networks and
maintaining the homeostasis the autonomic nervous system in the human body. Other studies
reveal that evidence-based therapies such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) also
show similar brain changes to those with traditional meditation practice.
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Therefore, meditation guides the individual towards changing the perception and thus thinking
changes. As an individual, the change of identity through neuroplasticity helps the individual to
rediscover the personality.
Meditation and Covid Pandemic
Covid pandemic disturbed everyone's well-being. Many cases of depression, anxiety, suicide or
panic state have been reported throughout the world. Numerous articles written specially during
Covid time highlighting the mental state of people including the younger generation. To
comeback to normalcy, meditation helped immensely to overcome the level of anxiety and
depression generated owing to the insecurity and uncertainty prevailing in the environment.
From trauma to expectations and responsibilities, adolescents have to tackle distress coming at
them from all directions. For adolescents dealing with overwhelming emotions or mental health
conditions, the consequences are even more awful. That's why meditation for adolescents is
considered to be a best companion, moulding the individual towards becoming a healthy and
happy person, equipped with better social skills, emotional stability, enhanced level of wisdom
and awareness. It nutrients the young student to adopt the better qualities, skills to face the
academic and environmental challenges together, adding valuable colours to the spectrum of
personality.
Conclusion
In majority of the cases meditation related studies focus only on the adults leaving out a
significant segment of our population. Children and adolescents, the population at the growing
up stage, face increasing levels of stress and anxiety due to pressure to perform and peer group
expectations. While the performance expectations from these young students have increased
dramatically, a commensurate improvement in schooling facilities has not yet taken place.
Education system in country such as ours, still needs to be overhauled which is not adequately
holistic growth orientated. Quality education in India is available only to the handful students of
upper strata, leaving behind the large number of students and adolescents of our society devoid of
attaining the actual growth and meaningful learning. India's huge disadvantaged child and
adolescent population, who experience greatest stress and demands of growing up, is desperately
in need of positive intervention to make them more competent to tackle the challenges of life.
Large number of research works and related studies conducted on the effect of meditation report
its positive effect on people. Therefore, suitable meditation practices can bring out positive
changes in school students too. In fact, introduction of meditation in schools may turn out to be
an effective tool in reducing the number of school failures and drop outs, addressing the issues
such as adolescence delinquency, mental and emotional problems, anxiety and academic stress
etc. Meditation helps in changing the thinking pattern and in turn neuro plasticity works towards
unlocking the hidden powers of the brain, especially towards the attention, self-awareness and
emotional well-being for achieving better results in the domain of all-round growth and learning.
258
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Millennium Learners in OECD Countries. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 41.
Paris, OECD Publishing. www.oecd.org/ official documents/public display document
pdf/?cote=EDU/ WKP(2009)20&doc.
Astin, J. A. (1997). Stress-reduction through mindfulness meditation: Effects on
psychological symptomatology, sense of control, and spiritual experiences.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 67, 97-106.
Beauchemin, J., Hutchins, T., Patterson, F. (2008). Mindfulness meditation may lessen
anxiety, promote social skills, and improve academic performance among
adolescents with learning disabilities. Complimentary Health Practice Review. 73(1),
34-45.
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (1981). Attention and self-regulation. New York: Springer,
submitted for publication.
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training on attentional control, cognitive style and affect, cognitive therapy and
research, 32, Craik, F., & Lockhart, R. (1972). Levels of processing; A frame work for
memory research. Journal of verbal thinking and verbal behaviour, 11, 671-684.
Dispenza, Joe. (2014). You Are the PLACEBO making your mind matter. Hay House
Publishers, India.
Dolan, M., (2007). A new transformation in higher education: Benefits of yoga and
meditation. International Forum of Teaching and Studies, 3(1), 31-38.
Edwards, D. L. (1991). A systematic review. Brain and Cognition 108, 32–41.
Hall, P. D. (1999). The effects of meditation on the academic performance of African
American College students. Journal of Black Studies, 29(3), 408-415.
Janowiak, J. J. & Hackman, R. (1994). Meditation and college students' self-actualization
and rated stress. Psychological Reports, 75,1007-1010.
Jensen, P. (2004). The effects of yoga on the attention and behaviour of hoys with Attention-
Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Journal of Attention Disorders, 7(4), 205-216.
Jevning, R., Anand, R., Beidebach, M., & Fernando, G. (1996). Effects of regional cerebral
blood flow on transcendental meditation. Physiological Behaviour, 59, 399-402.
Jha, A., Klein, R., Krompinger, J., & Baime, M. (2007). Mindfulness training modifies
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Promoting Life Skills through Value Integrated Constructivist

Approach
B. Sai Soujanya Kumari1 & P. Lavanya2

1
Assistant Professor & Associate Professor & Head,
Department of Education, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,
Anantapur Campus, Andhra Pradesh
Abstract
In the technological era, students having scientific knowledge can sustain in the long
run and act as contributors to the growth of the country in all fields. There is a need to
upgrade learners' capabilities, especially about content, in facilitating hands-on
activities for science lessons and making them humane as well. In addition to
constructing knowledge meaningfully, the child also needs to construct an innate
values base as well as life skills to live fruitfully in the society. Constructivism and
value education, two contemporary approaches to education, can be combined to
foster the development of life skills. Thus, value-integrated constructivism puts an
emphasis on encouraging child's intrinsic capacities to create values that are both
socially important and knowledge and skill-building. NEP 2020 also highlighted
constructivist strategy to meet the demands of the twenty-first century and develop
each student's unique abilities. This paper shows concepts that are grounded in values
and their meaningful manifestation as talents (life skills).
Keywords: Constructivism, Life-Skills, Value Integration, Biological Sciences
1. Introduction
Constructivism is a philosophy that emphasizes meaningful learning and places a high value on a
child's intrinsic skills. Constructivism with conscious integration of values would improve
students' academic vigour as well as their receptivity to scientific ideas and their practical
application to skills. The main goal of this research is to connect the uniqueness of the mind with
the process of learning and to create a strong value system that will cause it to manifest as talents
(life skills).
National institutions like NCERT as well as international organisations like WHO and UNICEF
have recognised the importance of integrating values and life skills. The core tenets of NEP 2020,
which places a strong emphasis on life skills and value-based education that leads to holistic
education, demonstrate the importance of this study.
Need of the Study
Learning happens not only in a formal mode but also in non-formal and informal modes too. Now
a day's students' learning is limited to the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, they are
not aware of adopting, refining, restructuring and applying them to real life situations. This study
would enable them to apply those skills and in doing so would develop the cognitive and non-
cognitive as well as social skills necessary for life or these skills can thus help develop in the
child's life skills.
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Review of Literature
The Religious Education Committee, established by CABE in 1946, made the recommendation
that every educational programme must acknowledge the essential significance of spiritual and
moral principles. According to the Radhakrishnan Commission of 1949, education has a crucial
role to play in addressing values in addition to the pursuit of truth through academic and scientific
endeavours. Additionally, the committee emphasised the need for children, particularly those in
middle school, to be taught morally and religiously-based stories and biographies of notable
individuals.
The Sri Prakasa Committee (1959), also known as the committee on religious and moral
instructions report, mentions the disruptive elements at work in our society outside of schools,
such as deteriorating social ties and a materialistic outlook. The value education curriculum
needs to be revised immediately in order to make education a potent tool for the development of
social and moral values.
1992's Program of Action, also addressed a wide range of fundamental value-education criteria.
It examined the country's value education landscape, highlighted the consequences of the N.P.E's
recommendations, and suggested implementation strategies. "Eroding the fundamental social,
moral, and spiritual principles and a growth in cynicism at all levels," complained NCFSE
(2000).
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) expresses worry about the educational vision
in which values are ingrained in every facet of education. In order to advance values that foster
peace, equality in the face of diversity, humanity, and tolerance in a multicultural society, the
framework also urged us to strengthen our adherence to the idea of human interdependence. The
NCF 2005 also stressed the significance of constructivism in teaching-learning. Observation,
encouraging hypotheses and their testing, and comparing are just a few of the science-processing
abilities that the constructivist method has been shown to effectively nurture (Hyang-Lim, 1995).
Constructivist practises through guided discovery approaches, according to Akinbobolaa &
Afolabib (2010), were shown to be the most helpful in enabling students' achievement in physics
after being taught utilising a pictorial organiser. Similar to this, it was discovered that students in
the experimental group performed well on the achievement test for retention when the impact of
constructive learning methods on students' retention towards science courses was investigated.
According to Kwan and Wong (2015), both cognitive strategies and goal orientations fully
mediated the relationships between the constructivist learning environment and critical thinking
abilities. “The curriculum must include basic arts, crafts, humanities, games, sports and fitness,
languages, literature, culture, and values, in addition to science and mathematics, to develop all
aspects and capabilities of learners; and make education more well-rounded, useful, and
fulfilling to the learner. Education must build character, and enable learners to be ethical, rational,
compassionate, and caring, while at the same time preparing them for gainful, fulfilling
employment (NEP, 2020).”
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Methodology
For the current project, content analysis was done on a few topics from the CBSE board's science
textbooks for classes VI to IX. After analysing these subjects, the researcher determined which
values might be incorporated and which life skills could be taught alongside them using a
constructivist approach that integrates values. Also covered was the spiritual literature, which
might be emphasised while introducing those ideas in the classroom.
The study aimed to provide scope to head, hand, and heart as it is envisioned in Delor's Report
(1996) catering to the four pillars of education in order to make the value development
comprehensive.
Content Analysis
In the present study, the value integration was done for the biology topics from classes VI to IX of
CBSE science textbooks in the light of constructivism and seen what kind of life skills be learnt
thereby.
Suggestive Lesson Planning of a Lesson Based on Constructivist Approach
Name: XYZ Unit: Pollution of Air and Water
Class: VIII Topic: Water Pollution
Duration: 50 min.
Learning Objectives
Students will
 Define the term pollution
 List the different sources of water pollution
 Analyse the harmful effects of water pollution
 Create a project on ways of avoiding/ preventing water pollution
Materials Needed
 Documentary on water pollution
 PPT on water pollution and associated diseases
 Worksheet
Stage I: Engage
The teacher asks the students to get 3 water bottles containing water from different sources. Then
with the help of a water testing device test check for the contamination of water.
Stage II: Explore
The students understand and note down the values from the different sources of water.
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Teacher Activity Student Activity

What are these numbers associated with? Contamination of water
What all values can you observe? 2, 30, 300
How do you classify the pure and impure The purest among the three sources of water
water after measuring the numbers in the is the one having the value 2.
instrument?
Which water according to the measured The most polluted among the three is 300
values is the most polluted?
What is the range of pure water? 1 is the reading that we get for pure water
Announcement of Topic
After having the above discussion with the learners, the teacher announces that “Today we are
going to discuss a topic called water pollution.
Stage 3: Explain
Based on these pictures, the teacher asks the following questions.

Teachers Activity Learner’s Activity
What do you observe in the above Pollution through different sources
pictures?
Why this type of water is not good As they are contaminated with micro-organisms, pesticides, fertilisers, and
for health? sewage they are not potable
Value Integration Always boil the water before drinking
Don’t throw waste from homes into nearby water bodies
Always drink filter water
How do you think pesticides causes As we can see in picture 3, when it rains the rain water carries the
water pollution? pesticides to the nearby lakes or rivers enabling the toxins/ chemicals from
pesticides entering the water bodies.
How toxic can be untreated Industrial waste can be toxic, carcinogenic and ignitable, discharging such
industrial waste wastes without proper treatment can lead to dreadful environmental and
health effects.
Can you name any other ways by Other than the ways mentioned above other activities like washing
which water gets polluted, other clothes, defecating near the water bodies etc. also pollute the water.
than the one’s mentioned.
Value Integration Become aware that cleanliness is next to godliness by keeping the water
clean you can avert many diseases.
The students summarize and then the teacher explains the concepts thoroughly before
proceeding to the next stage.
Stage 4: Extend
The teacher provides different situations for the different types of pollution by giving the case
study of Minamata Disease.
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Through this case study of Japan, the children understand that not only the above mentioned
reasons, water pollution is also caused by oil spills and also when the ships upturn the chemicals
carried through them prove fatal not only to the aquatic animals but also to humans too.
Stage 5: Evaluate
At this juncture, the teacher gives them paper pencil test and expects the students to answer.
1. Why even clear, transparent and odourless water may not be always used for drinking.
2. Why increased level of nutrients (fertilizers) in the lake water affects the survival of
aquatic organisms (like fish)?
3. Why is hot water released by power plants and industries considered a pollutant?
Life Skills from the above lesson are given in the table hereunder.
Life Skills that can be incorporated for Different Topics: Correlating the concepts with Skills
in a Value Integrated Constructivist Classroom.
Life skills are behaviours that enable individuals to adapt and deal effectively with the
demands and challenges of life. There are many such skills, but core life skills laid down by
WHO are:
1. Self-awareness 2. Empathy
3. Critical thinking 4. Creative thinking
5. Decision making 6. Problem Solving
7. Effective communication 8. Interpersonal relationship
9. Coping with stress 10. Coping with emotion
In this paper, we have tried to identify the skills that can be more appropriate for the topics
mentioned for secondary school students.
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A ctivity 1: Spoiling of O nly a sm all proportion of E m pathy

food item s b y m icro- m icro-organism s are disease- Suffering of others sho uld also
organism s causing but w e connote the affect you, yo u m ust help
D em onstration o f w ord to be dreadful, lethal or everybod y.
form atio n of curd, bread, harm ful w hereas a large
M icro- idly m ajority o f m icro -organism s are D ecision M aking
O rganism s P ictorial representation o f useful. W ashing fruits, and vegetables
F riend and F oe good habits “D o n’t Jud ge a book by its before their consum ptio n.
Stories of A lexander C over.” D rink lots of w ater.
Flem ing and E d w ard E d ward Jenner, the father of E ating a balanced diet to develop
Jenner virology, trying the vaccine o n a im m unity.
13-year-old bo y teaches us E ating C urd to im prove the
A ctivity on listing so m e about curiosity, truthfulness, probiotics.
learning fro m C O V ID -19 service to others, duty, sincerity, P erform ing E xercise, Y o ga and
courage, consideration for M editation on regular basis.
others, etc. N ot wasting food
T aking V accines on tim e
B enefits of m anure than Self-A w areness
fertilizers as it m aintains soil’s M aintaining balance m entally and
balance. socially
T echnology if used judiciously B eing O rganized
can actually be a boon. D ecision M aking
C rop A ctivity 1: R espect for farm ers. Food is U sage o f natural products rather
P roduction and Sho w ing the pictures of G od, do not waste food than artificial one for sustainability.
M anagem ent plough, hoe, cultivator D ignity o f labour
W eeds can spoil the crops so be “W - W atch yo ur words
w atchful A -W atch your actions
P ractice the abstinence fro m 6 T - W atch yo ur tho ughts
sins: K am a, K rodha, Lobha, C - W atch your C haracter
M oha, M ada, M atsarya H - W atch yo ur H eart”
P roblem Solving
P ractice yoga, m editation, keeping
D iscussio n on different track of m ental health and hygiene
farm ing practices they P roperly storing the food grains to
kno w . avoid food spoilage.
D ecision M aking
R eaching the A ctivity: A sking the T his is the tim e w hen the brain N ot eating junk food.
A ge of students to get their reaches its full capability. So, try E ating a balanced diet
A dolescence pictures fro m child hood to focus on things that help yo u Self-A w areness
till no w , asking them to find direction. A ccept the physical, m ental and
identify the differences in E at a balanced diet to increase intellectual changes taking place in
their body fro m childhood height. yo ur body because of the shooting
through the stage they are C ultivation of virtues up of horm o nes.
no w. H ygienic living Stress m ust be avoided as it triggers
E quality the adrenal gland w hich can lead to
com plications physiologically.
P roblem Solving
E ating good and healthy food;
C leanliness avoiding junk to prevent ourselves
D iscrim ination fro m P C O S and P C O D .
For proper functio ning of
reproductive health in future the
student can focus on diet, exercise,
non-usage of drugs, bathing tw ice a
day, and not sharing of syringes
that can lead to H IV .
C ell Story about ho w cell w as Ingenuity C ritical and C reative T hin king
discovered by R obert Q uest for K no w ledge Self-A w areness
H ooke C reativity T o be selectively perm eable to
R esourcefulness good things and putting a barrier
Sho w ing the structure of D iscrim ination for the bad
cell under the m icroscope. T eam W ork H elpfulness
C o m m on good for all
C onservation of A ctivity 1: Stud y of B alance in E cosystem ; balance Self-A w areness

A nim als an d tem perature chart for 10 in life C onservation of nature; C ultivation of six virtues
P lants years. conservatio n/ cultivation of six D ecision m aking
Stud ying the forest covers virtues P roblem solving
in India. E ach one, plant one
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Conclusion
The present study is an attempt to identify the values and the life skills to be imparted effectively
through constructivist approach to prepare the child competent to meet the challenges of life.
References
An ebook on “Life Skills”. Teachers Manual VII (2013), CBSE, Preet Vihar, India.
https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/doc/2014/9_Life Skills_Class_VIII.pdf.
Antlová, A., Chudý, Š., Buchtová, T., & Kučerová, L. (2015). The Importance of Values in the
Constructivist Theory of Knowledge. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 203,
210–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.284.
Adriana Tafrova-Grigorova, Elena Boiadjieva, IliyaEmilov, Milena Kirova (2012). Science
teachers' attitudes towards constructivist environment: A Bulgarian case. Journal of
Baltic Science Education, Vol. 11, (P. 184-193).
Cristea, Sorin (2014). Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences (Volume 180), 759-764, DOI:
10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.02.197.
Dewey, J. (1938) Experience and Education. New York: Collier Books.
Dev, Arjun (2005) National Curriculum Framework 2005: Reversing the Main Thrust of the
National Policy on Education in Debating Education: A Critical Appraisal of NCF 2005.
New Delhi: Sahmat.
Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive
Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.
Ministry of Education. (1953). The Report of Secondary Education Commission (1952-53).
New Delhi: Government of India.
Ministry of Education. (1968). National Policy on Education. (1968). New Delhi:
Government of India.
Ministry of Human Resource and Development (1986). National Policy on Education. New
Delhi: Government of India.
National Council of Educational Research and Training. (2010). Science Textbook for Class
VIII. New Delhi: NCERT.
NCERT. (1971). Educational and National Development: A Report of the Education
Commission, 1964-66. NCERT: New Delhi.
NCERT. (2005). National Curriculum Framework – 2005. New Delhi: NCERT.
Yuen, M., & Westwood, P. (2001). Integrating students with special needs in Hong Kong
secondary schools: Teachers' attitudes and their possible relationship to guidance
training. International Journal of Special Education, 16, 69-84.
Kwak, H. (1995). Science in a constructivist classroom: Progress in a five-year-old child's
reasoning about water dynamics.
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Akinbobola, A. O., & Afolabi, F. (2010). Analysis of Science process skills in West African
senior secondary school certificate Physics practical examinations in Nigeria.
American-Eurasian Journal of Scientific Research, 5, 234-240.
Kwan, Y.W., & Wong, A.F. (2015). Effects of the constructivist learning environment on
students' critical thinking ability: Cognitive and motivational variables as mediators.
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Delors, J. (1996). Learning: The treasure within. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
NEP (2020) (1): Policy document released by Government of India Retrieved from
https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English.pdf.
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Cooperative learning as an effective means of teaching children

with special needs in inclusive classrooms
Sarita Pal
Research Scholar,
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Email: saritapal300@gmail.com
Abstract
Cooperative learning is an approach to teaching based on social constructivism. It is a
form of group learning and comprises many methods such as Jigsaw method,
Student- Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD), etc. This approach encourages
interaction between children with special needs and their classmates in an inclusive
classroom and also fosters social growth. It is beneficial for teachers in classroom
management to reduce social gap among their students. The current paper explains
cooperative learning and the methods included within the same. The paper also
discusses the importance and impact of cooperative learning on children with special
needs in an inclusive classroom.
Keywords: Cooperative learning, Children with special needs, Inclusive classroom.
Introduction
There are an estimated 240 million children with disabilities worldwide. Like other children, all
children with disabilities have ambitions and dream for their futures and also need quality
education to develop their skills and realize their full potential. Disability is one of the most
serious barriers to education across the globe. So, it is important to remove or recognize all these
barriers and find a way to bring all children together for general inclusiveness, social and learning
purposes in an inclusive environment. The world conference on special needs education: access
and quality adopted the inclusive education tenet, which was reiterated at the world education
forum. The declaration calls on the government to implement the notion of inclusive education as
a matter of policy and give ensuring that educational systems are inclusive the highest priority. As
per inclusive education, every child has the right to quality education and learning. Inclusive
education means all children in the same classroom, in the same school. It means real learning
opportunities for the groups who have traditionally been excluded- not only children with
disabilities but also speakers of minority languages and to close the education gap for children
with disabilities.
UNICEF supports government efforts to foster and monitor inclusive education system in four
key areas- advocacy, awareness-raising, capacity building, and implementation support. The
process of inclusive education aims to make the educational system more capable of interacting
with all students. By removing obstacles to and within the learning environment, inclusive
education addresses the various requirements of all students. It entails the children attending age-
appropriate classes at their neighborhood school while receiving individually tailored help
(UNICEF, 2007). The world conference on special needs education: access and quality adopted
the inclusive education tenet, which was reiterated at the world education forum. The declaration
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calls on the government to implement the notion of inclusive education as a matter of policy and
give ensuring that educational systems are inclusive the highest priority. There are more
prospects for academic and social success for all kids because of the educational concept and
practice known as inclusion. This covers the complete range of social, recreational, artistic,
athletic, musical, daycare, afterschool care, extracurricular, religious, and other activities.
(Singh, 2016).
When explanations and examples are given by their peers, students and students with disabilities
are more likely to be at an instrumental level and have successful learning outcomes. Students
express their ideas more freely, receive affirming and helpful feedback, participate in questioning
tactics, get more experience with skills, and have more opportunities to react in these inclusive
courses that employ cooperative learning. Students can think aloud in an atmosphere that
cooperative learning creates. Changing from a standard lecture-style classroom to one that is
more conducive to learning for all students is helpful (Emerson, 2013).
Cooperative Learning
Students collaborate in small groups during cooperative learning to enhance both their own, each
other's learning. The purpose of cooperative learning is to enable you, and your peers learn as
much as possible. Students collaborate in small groups as part of this method. The team approach
has been shown effective not only for learning in schools but also in the workplace, in community
activities, and even in the family. The cooperative learning team employs particular strategies to
ensure that each member of the group achieves the set objectives (Winami, n.d.)
Cooperative Learning Methods
There are many cooperative learning methods have been developed and researched. Some of
them are as follows as per (Salvin, 2006):
1) Student Teams- Achievement Division (STAD)
Students are divided into four-person learning teams called Student Teams—Achievement
Divisions (STAD) that are diverse in terms of performance level, gender, and ethnicity. After the
teacher teaches a lesson, the students work in teams to make sure that everyone on their team has
understood it. Finally, each student takes a standalone quiz on the content, at which time they are
not permitted to collaborate.
The degree to which quiz takers match or outperform their own prior performance determines
how many points are granted. Students' quiz results are compared to their own historical
averages. Teams who satisfy specific requirements may receive certificates or other awards.
These points are then added together to create team scores.
The STAD approach is most suited for teaching subjects with clearly defined objectives and only
one correct response, such as science facts and concepts, language mechanics, geography, and
mathematical computations and applications. It can be easily modified for use with less clearly
stated objectives, though, by adding more open-ended tests like essays or performances.
2) Jigsaw
Students are divided into teams of six in Jigsaw to work on academic content that has been
divided into portions. A biography might be broken down into the following sections: early life,
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first successes, significant setbacks, later life, and historical significance. Everyone on the team
reads their own portion. Then, individuals from other teams who studied the same portions get
together in knowledgeable groups to discuss their sections. After that, the pupils return to their
teams and alternately instruct their peers about each section. Students are driven to assist and
show interest in one another's work because the only way they can study sections by paying close
attention to their teammates other than their own. In a variation of this strategy known as Jigsaw
II. As in STAD, students work in groups of four or five. Instead of giving each kid their own part,
teachers should have them all read a shared material like a book chapter, a short tale, or a
biography. But each pupil is given a subject to become an authority on.
Students interested in the same subjects get together in expert groups to discuss them, then they
go back to their teams to pass on what they learned to the other members. As in STAD, the
students' complete individual quizzes produce team results.
3) Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC)
A comprehensive curriculum for teaching reading and writing in the higher elementary grades is
called Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC). Work is done by students in
four-person cooperative learning teams. They interact with one another by reading aloud, making
predictions about the outcomes of narrative stories, summarizing stories to one another, writing
replies to stories, and working on their vocabulary, spelling, and decoding. Together, they
practise understanding core ideas and other comprehension abilities. Students write rough
manuscripts, edit and revise one another's writing, and prepare team books for publishing during
language arts classes. According to three examinations of the CIRC programme, pupils' reading
abilities have improved, as evidenced by higher test results on standardized reading and language
exams.
4) Learning Together
David Johnson and Roger Johnson (1999) created the cooperative learning paradigm known as
"Learning Together," which makes students work in four- or five-person diverse groups to
complete assignments. The groups submit a single finished task and are commended and given
incentives for their work. This approach prioritizes team-building exercises before students
collaborate as well as ongoing group conversations about how well they are getting along.
5) Group Investigation
Cooperative inquiry, group discussions, cooperative planning, and projects are all part of the
group investigation general classroom organizing strategy. Students create their own groups of
two to six people using this technique. The groups then select subtopics from a unit that the entire
class is studying, divide their subtopics into individual assignments and finish the tasks required
to complete group reports. After that, each group presents or displays its findings to the class as a
whole.
6) Cooperative Scripting
Getting together with peers to discuss stuff they've read or heard in class is beneficial to many
students. Dansereau (1985) and his associates conducted a study on the formalization of this
long-standing practice. Students summarize various parts of the lesson for one another while
working in pairs. The other student listens and corrects any mistakes or omissions while the first
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student sums up. When they have covered all of the content to be studied, the two students trade
roles and repeat the process. It's interesting to note that while both participants in cooperative
pairs benefit from the activity, the sections that students teach to their partners have greater
improvements than those for which they act as listeners. This type of cooperative scripting has
repeatedly revealed that students who learn and remember information in this fashion, acquire
and retain it much more than students who summarize alone or who only read the material.
Maybe some method is most effective and some are less because of the inclusive classroom. Here
the teacher has played a very important role to select the methods as per their students' need and
comfort which makes each and every student equal, helps to increase active participation and
create barrier free environment in the classroom.
Importance of Cooperative learning
Cooperative learning and inclusion go hand in hand, so thinking about and planning for students
with more severe disabilities requires expanding the idea of heterogeneous grouping beyond
more conventional ideas of kids who read at different levels or have varied math skill levels. All
students benefit from cooperative learning within inclusive classrooms by identifying their
educational requirements in descriptive rather than evaluative ways because it formalizes and
encourages peer assistance and interaction, cooperative learning makes sense in inclusive
classrooms. Cooperative learning, however, has benefits for kids of all abilities. All pupils, even
those who have been classified as "at risk," "bilingual," "gifted," and "normal," benefit from
cooperative learning. All children should be able to learn and work in settings where their unique
abilities and needs are respected. For all students to feel comfortable enough to take chances
while learning, they must be part of a community that supports them (Duncan, 1994)
Impact of Cooperative Learning
Cooperative group activities in inclusive classrooms make it simple to develop crucial abilities
like critical thinking, inventive problem solving, and knowledge synthesis. Cooperative learning
and inclusiveness are also completely compatible with authentic assessment (anecdotal
reporting, portfolio evaluation, and observational recording). Instead of seeing cooperative
learning as "one more thing" that needs to be done, teachers should see it as an organizing value
and concept for all of the classroom instruction. Building a cooperative, welcoming classroom
community can serve as the foundation upon which other instructional methods and procedures
are constructed.
Teachers who have previously worked alone will need to find new ways of collaborating and
sharing their skills if cooperative learning is to succeed in inclusive classrooms. Because it
requires delegating tasks and interacting with others, this form of collaboration can be difficult,
but it can also be fun and fruitful (Duncan, 1994).
Conclusion
Cooperative learning helps students to work towards a common goal. They are motivated to help
one another learn, helping to translate teacher's language into student's language. It assists
students with mastery of material, exam preparation, better performance, and active participation
in the classroom activity. All these activities help students and those with special needs to be more
socialized and grow together. The Researcher found a research gap in this area. As per
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researcher's view, we need to focus on this area which helps to provide full inclusion in all
aspects.
References
Emerson, M., L., (2013) Cooperative learning in inclusive classrooms: students who work
together learn together. William and Mary School of Education.
Duncan, J., (1994). Cooperative Learning and Inclusion. Creativity and Collaborative.
Salvin, E., R., (2006) Cooperative learning methods. Retrieved from
https://lms.pdesas.org/content/courses/General_PD/ESLAOL/media/1D_reading_02.pdf
Singh, J., D., (2016). Inclusive education in India-concept, need and challenges. Scholarly
research journal for humanity science and English language 3.18.
UNICEF (2007). Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities. Innocenti Research
Centre. Retrieved from http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/digest13-
disability.pdf.
Winami, S., (n.d.). Cooperative learning in Inclusive education. Retrieved from:
http://staffnew.uny.ac.id/upload/132096081/penelitian/Cooperatif+Learning+in+Inclusi
ve+Education.pdf
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Systematic Review of Biographic Method as a Pedagogical Content

Knowledge across Disciplines in Teacher Training
Debani Deb
Senior Research Fellow
Central University of Kerala
Abstract
Biographical Method is a qualitative approach to the systematic study of subjective
or personal histories through modes like in-depth interviews, observations,
reflections, focus group, and various narrative techniques. The method is unique
because it focuses upon locating an individual at the intersection of life experiences,
social connections, and historical events within a context. Though once used
predominantly in the arena of psychological research, this analytic paradigm has now
infiltrated into a multidisciplinary space in research. This paper will intend to focus
on the nature, definition and the multifunctional uses of the biographical method in
teaching and learning across various disciplines. The study will also try to harp on the
question of how this method can be utilized as a tool to promote inclusivity, diversity
and creativity within the teaching-learning community with the aid of supporting
literature. Finally, through a comprehensive review of selective analytic literature
available on the area, the study will try to address the role and significance of the
biographic method, and analyze its contributions in making teachers' training across
disciplines more humanizing and contextual, beyond the professional purpose and
appeal of the courses.
Keywords: Biographic Method, Qualitative study, Contextual, Inclusivity, Teacher
Training
Introduction
If one was dedicated to social justice and politics around the 1970s, it was necessary to reclaim
and establish subjectivity as well as identity in research (Megías et. al. 2017). This in turn
questioned and subverted the erstwhile conceptual foundations and methods associated with
scientific knowledge production and dissemination. This was fuelled by Feminism and Cultural
Studies as path-breakers in shattering the glass wall between science and politics (Harding, 1996;
Chase, 2015). This “narrative turn” as per Jean Clandinine (2007) is conceptualized with three
aspects namely: i) Humans are considered as biographic individuals who are capable of
knowledge construction, acting differently with a different outlook towards life or events. The
erstwhile subject-object categorization has dissolved. The narrated story becomes a
simultaneous production situated between the narrator (biographic individual) and the listener
(researcher). ii) Until the 1970s the Logical Positivism of scientific researches across disciplines
relied heavily on numbers, in turn, unfavouring social issues. The constructivism that followed
challenged the ability of science to explain and solve social problems. Considering voices of
individuals by rejecting quantification of data came with its own challenges – that of how these
data are obtained, organized, interpreted, analyzed and disseminated. iii) The third aspect is to
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reassess the role of the researcher in such researches. Instead of seeking general patterns of
recognition within the data, biographic researchers should focus on meaning-making, to find
specific reasons that may help to unravel complex societal problems.
Bruner (1987) stated that biographical narratives not only describe what occurred but also
contain emotions, thoughts and interpretations that focus on individual human action rather than
seeking to establish commonality.
This shift of knowledge culture (Somers 1996) amounting to what can be hailed as a paradigm
change (Kuhn 1960) in turn affects the “orientations of a range of disciplines” along with their
interrelations (Bornat and Wengraf, 2000). This shift, characterized by subjectivity and culture,
gives predominance to the 'personal' and 'social' meaning-making as the basis of human action.
The use of narrative in research, in terms of “Life stories”, began during the first half of the
twentieth century, when anthropologists and sociologists promoted the use of life stories in their
work, as cited by Becker (1996), Bertaux (1981), Denzin (1970) and Plummer (2005). In the late
1990s, to gain a better understanding of the interlacing of human and socio-political development
and in a search for new research tools which could open up the different dimensions of lived
reality to reconnect with vital and essential human realities in daily lives, the 'burgeoning interest
and development in biographical methods' took place (Bornat and Wengraf, 2000).
According to Chase (2015), narrative research/biographic research is a specific type of
qualitative research “characterized by an amalgam of interdisciplinary analytical approaches,
diverse disciplinary perspectives and methods, which are both traditional and innovative and
revolving around biographic details exactly as they are told by those who experience them”
(p.59). The biographical research is being used more and more in understanding contemporary
historical and cultural changes and for the purposes of education, training and policy
development (Wengraf, Chamberlayne and Bornat, 2002). The present research seeks to further
this characterization of biographic researches through available and selected evidences from
researches across disciplines in its multifunctional methodological forms and usages, especially
in the context of teacher training programmes.
Multifunctional Uses of the Biographic Method
There are several and multidimensional uses that have been documented of the Biographic
method in researches. Starting from Politics - to predict election results as in the case of U.S.
Presidential Elections using a bio-index studying biographical information about candidates
(Armstrong and Graefe, 2011), to educational psychology, family and social studies, to
anthropological researches, the reach of this method as a technique as well as a discourse has
been wide. Biographical method has been thus defined functionally as “an educative exercise, its
axiomatic purpose being not only the accumulation of information and the interpretation of data
but also a development in the moral reasoning of the researcher” (Erben, 1996). In order to gain a
background of how this research infiltrates different territories at the same time, a few instances
of its forms of pedagogic content knowledge have been put forward:
 Nursing Practice
The Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM) is widely used in the field of nursing
research and practice because a central feature of nursing or care-giving relies upon listening to
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patient narratives. The BNIM is definitely one source of pedagogic content knowledge as it not
only fulfils the requirement of an apt methodology but also enables nursing researchers with a
framework to generate and analyze data that helps in interpreting individual life stories of
patients. The application of the biographical method in the form of BNIM fills the lacunae of
finding suitable research methods that implore an understanding of the human elements of
participants (patients in medical/nursing research) in order to fully account for their “historical,
psycho-social and biographical dynamic” of lives (Corbally and O'Neill, 2014).
 Tourism Industry
With travel being not only leisure but an educational and experiential activity, the tourism sector
invests a lot in researching what categories of tourists prefer and tracing patterns of travelling
behavior and its shifts globally. Huber, Milne and Hyde (2017) suggested that “biographical
research techniques are useful to reconstruct social realities from a temporal distance and offer
opportunities to contextualize tourism behavior”. The additional interesting feature of the
biographic method in this sector lies in the representation of the qualitative data — graphical
summaries, life history guides, ecomaps, travel records and vacation photographs are used
(Huber, Milne and Hyde, 2017).
 Psychological Practice
Primarily used in the field of psychological research, there have been modulations and modified
adaptations of the biographical method. For instance, the Feminist biographical method is widely
used as an in-depth interpretation of the lived experiences of the marginalized women in
academia (Popadiuk, 2004). A study by Andreyko and Subashkevych (2020) showed that under
the umbrella of the biographic method, projective techniques lifeline, my autobiography is used,
in addition to text analysis and family sociogram techniques to study the psychological
conditions of parents and families of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Biographical Method and its Significance in Teachers Training
Apart from the wide ranging utility of the biographical method as stated above, it can also be used
in teacher professional development as a potent tool. These are mainly descriptive or reflective
researches that help in lending a more humane vision of teacher educators or practitioners and
their real problems through their lived experiences and contextual understanding of their
teaching as phenomena. The narrative-biographical perspectives have taken on a very crucial
embodiment in both the research on and practices of teacher education (both pre-service and in-
service) over the past decades (Kelchtermans, 2014). It is used to explore the professional
identities of teachers as in Vloet and Van Swet (2010) whereby variables like teachers' content
level and emotional levels can be interrogated and as a whole, the suitability of the method for
reflection purposes in teacher education can be delved upon. Kelchtermans (1994), by collecting
and analyzing teachers' career stories, tried to understand how teachers developed a personal
interpretive framework by which they observed their employment situation and acted within that
context. Combining biographical narratives with micro-political approach, primary teachers'
'praxis shock' could be studied in terms of teacher socialization at organizational level as well as
classroom issues faced by teachers (Kelchtermans and Ballet, 2002). In the following part,
selected studies from different disciplines associated with teacher training have been critically
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read to understand how biographical method has permeated as a piece of pedagogical content
knowledge.
Science
In a study conducted at the Kazan Federal University in 2016-17 and 2017-18 batches of a
teachers' training course, it was found through a survey that the success of a blended Physics
course taught through Moodle platform by using Biographical and Historical approaches was
high. It increased the interest of trainees towards the course and towards the history of its
development (Sabirova et. al. 2018). With an increased level of motivation for independent
activity, the efficacy of the biographical method in Physics teacher training, can thus be asserted.
Sabirova (2013) too discussed ways in which biographic method can be used as an opportunity to
improve Physics teachers' training programmes.
Social Science
The biographical method surfaced around 1920's, with sociology in the Chicago School and the
anthropological studies of Radin and others. In Radin's “Crashing Thunder” (1926), North
America's Indian aboriginal culture was studied using biographical accounts of the members of
the tribe which is a seminal work in Anthropology. Sapir also used biographical approach to the
fullest and had a strong influence on the 'culture and personality approach' being concerned about
the roles that individual factors have on the explanation of culture (González Monteagudo,
2000). Sabirov (2015) discussed the cognitive potentials of biographic method in historical and
philosophical studies, and especially on how its application can define the influence of life
situations on the philosopher's views.
Humanities
The life experiences, lifestyle, family background, socio-cultural context are inseparable parts of
the training processes of teachers. For instance, Gonzalez Valencia et. al. (2018), through
biographical narrative technique, tried to understand the training procedure of the English
university professor, taking into consideration factors that affect the social, economic, and
cultural environments in which the experiences and the story of life, shape the professor.
Linguistic biographies are also widely used in Language Teacher Education to understand the
teachers' perception of their own multilingual selves. Interesting findings have emerged from
such linguistic biographies. One such research found that student-teachers perceive living and
studying abroad as important experiences leading to linguistic proficiency (Melo-Pfeifer and
Chik, 2020).
Technology and Special Needs
For studying Teacher Professional Development (TPD) on ICT, socio-cultural factors are
explored by means of biographical interview method. It was found that biographical interview
methods serve as a tool to find how TPD can be fostered (Van den Beemt & Diepstraten, 2016).
The biographic-narrative method was used by Camacho, Lopez-Gavira and Diez (2017) to find
the recommendations of differently-abled students in university spaces that contribute towards
creation of an ideal university classroom spaces. These included participatory teaching
methodologies and the utilization of new technology resources, positive attitudes of teachers
regarding disability and specific teacher training in disability and technologies. In a similar study,
277
the biographic method was used wherein it is stated that the method is used primarily because it
facilitates participants 'talking about themselves without silencing their subjectivity'. Tools such
as timelines and photography are used alongside biographic interviews to present
recommendations of students with disabilities to develop an inclusive university environment
(Moriña, Lopez-Gavira & Molina, 2017). Hence, biographic research can be seen as a
pedagogical practice that helps in fostering inclusivity by registering the voices of the teachers
and students whose experiences and suggestions help in reshaping and understanding teacher
education.
Conclusion
Teacher education is primarily a professional course in the domain of higher education. From the
above systematic review of related literature which has been categorized under the broad
educational heads of Science, Social Science, Humanities and Technology and Special Needs, it
can safely be concluded that the biographic method stands as a viable solution to resolve a
problem that other quantitative methods have previously failed to address. Teacher education is
fundamentally a humane practice involving teachers as humans first. Although often used in the
past, quantitative assessments of factors to enhance teacher preparation techniques lacked a
complete grasp of diversity, creativity, and inclusivity to a significant level. The reviews
suggested that the biographic method helped in analyzing such issues in-depth. To ensure that
future teachers do not miss out on the human appeal that is so integral to the nobility of the
profession, the biographic method can help in addressing issues and concerns raised by
subjective human voices in educational contexts. The method has also been seen as a tool to bring
about inclusivity, creativity and diversification of experiential knowledge pool not only in
teacher education but also in multidisciplinary approaches to studies in different fields, some of
which have been reflected upon in this study.
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teacher training. World Applied Sciences Journal, 27(13A), 294-298.
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280
Conceptualizing metalinguistic awareness in developing

listening comprehension skill: an experimental study
Kuheli Mondal1 & K Chellamani2

1
Assistant Professor
Nanadalal Ghosh B.T College, Email: mondal.kuheli5@gmail.com
2
Professor, Pondicherry University
Email: drkchellamani@gmail.com
Abstract
Conversation is a part and parcel of any human being's social living. Communication
skill is named as 21st Century skill by UNESCO (2015) and OECD (2007). English
is an essential survival skill. To communicate one has to listen properly and become a
competent decoder which can be termed as “back channelling”. Listening plays a
significant role in our everyday lives but is mostly found to be neglected in today's
classroom. To learn English more emphasis should be given to listening skill.
Research shows a learner, who has knowledge of phonemes, syllables, rhyme, and
morphology, possesses metalinguistic skills. Metalinguistic awareness can shape
students listening comprehension skills. This study examined the contribution of
metalinguistic awareness which included morphology, phonology, semantic, lexical,
and pragmatic to develop Listening Comprehension Skill among Upper Primary
School students. As the present researcher found no adequate studies on
Metalinguistic awareness and Listening Comprehension Skill together, the
researcher made an effort to investigate the Impact of Metalinguistic Awareness by
developing a Lesson Plan and a Model on Metalinguistic Elements to use in the
classroom for enhancing the Listening Comprehension Skill. To conduct the study 90
students of 7th standard were taken from a school in Pondicherry Union Territory
where students were divided into two groups (45 students for the Experimental
Group and 45 students for the Control Group). A pre-test was taken at the initial stage
for both groups. The classes were taken for three months and after raising the
awareness on Metalinguistic, a significant difference was found between the
Experimental Group and Control Group after the post-test in the mean score. The
outcomes of the study are further discussed and with proper recommendations and
suggestions given.
Introduction
An important part of language learning is listening. NCF (2005) consider English as a global
language in India. In this 21st century era, to communicate with the global community one should
possess linguistic skills for which the four language skills should be taken into focus. English is
regarded as one of the chief languages all over the world and has become a compulsory subject.
Listening has been overlooked in the second language classroom though it is regarded as an
International Language for communication. World Bank (2015) included communication skills
as one of the important skills for the global development. Communication requires effective
listening skill. For better listening, one should have knowledge about metalinguistic too. Koda
(2007) mentioned linguistic components are essential which help an individual in better
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understanding of the language that results in metacognitive practices. Cheung, Y.K (2010)
emphasized to learn English one must put more emphasis on listening comprehension skill to
develop other language skills in English. Guo & Wills (2006) stated, “it is the medium through
which people gain a large proportion of their education, their information, their understanding of
the world and human affairs, their ideals, sense of values”. Listening plays an imperative role in
the present-day classroom situation and also in our everyday lives. Nunan (1998) considered
listening as one of the basic skills in language learning and over 50% of the time that students
spend functioning in a foreign language will be devoted to listening”.
Listening, often regarded as one of the pre-requisite skills of language. Listening is considered as
a linguistic skill because of the linguistic elements present in the language in which we listen.
Language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing can only be enhanced after we
listen to the linguistic items with full attention such as phonemes, morphemes, lexical,
grammatical, pragmatics, syntax, and semantics. A communication process is always affected in
the listening process when there is a lack of linguistic proficiency. The Metalinguistic constituent
such as phonology, morphology, semantics, lexical and pragmatic awareness play a prominent
role in different skills and competencies of learning a language. The components of
Metalinguistic awareness are a definite part of listening as well as comprehension. Van Kleeck
(1982) mentioned metalinguistic skills as “the ability to reflect consciously upon the nature and
properties of language”. Thus, Metalinguistic Awareness is considered as the individual's skill
where one can reflect and monitor their use of language. It helps an individual in the conscious
use of language. Robert (2011) denoted Metalinguistic awareness as “the ability to reflect on
language as a symbolic system in its own right”. Metalinguistic Awareness of using language is
parallel to a person having metacognition. Jessner (2008) defined metacognitive knowledge as
“the ability to focus between form and meaning” and he moreover clarifies that the knowledge of
metalinguistic is “made up of a set of skills or abilities that the multilingual user develops owing
to his/her former linguistic and metacognitive knowledge.” When students are aware of what
they are listening they can be said having knowledge of metalinguistic elements. One who is
conscious of Metalinguistic awareness has metacognition. Metacognitive knowledge helps the
learners to plan, evaluate and monitor their listening process. The metalinguistic elements such
as phonology, morphology, lexical, and grammar progress the performance of the listeners.
Mendelsohn (1998) said that “The metacognitive approach aims to train learners to apply
effective strategies to cope with the demands of listening”.
Metalinguistic Awareness and Listening Comprehension
Metalinguistic awareness can be classified into components like phonology, morphology,
syntactic, semantic, lexical, and pragmatic. It carries many synonyms as it is used with different
names such as metalinguistic awareness, metalinguistic knowledge, metalinguistic
understanding, metalinguistic activity, and metalinguistic behaviour. Metalinguistic awareness
is the awareness about the language we use. Fontich & Camps (2013) stated that the notion of
metalinguistic awareness is multi-faceted. Prior researches have shown that phonological
awareness, morphological awareness, syntactic awareness, lexical awareness and semantic
awareness play a key role in the improvement and development of listening comprehension skill.
Very limited studies have focussed on the association between metalinguistic awareness and
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listening comprehension skills. The researcher reviewed related studies from all over the world.
In the light of previous literature review, it is clear that Metalinguistic elements are essential to
develop listening comprehension skill among the learners. A review of research suggests that
there are various intervention studies that show positive effect of instruction in the one or the
other component of metalinguistic awareness on the listening comprehension ability of the
individuals. Syntactic awareness, morphological awareness and semantic awareness resulted in
better listening comprehension as it helps an individual in proper decoding. The sub-components
of listening comprehension which included vocabulary, morphological and syntax aid the learner
to further develop their reading comprehension (Alexandra, Poh Wee Koh, Aline Ferreira, Amna
Mirza, & Christine Javier; 2017). Another study conducted by Miao Li, Liying Cheng & John. R
Kirby (2012) found that awareness on phonology has a significant outcome among the pupils in
English Listening Comprehension among Chinese students. Xu Bian (2017) in his study found
that morphological awareness was a significant analyst in the method of listening
comprehension. The researcher found adequate study has been conducted on metalinguistic
awareness and listening comprehension. So, the researcher wanted to use metalinguistic
strategies in developing Listening Comprehension skills. Hence, the researcher wanted to notice
the consequence of Metalinguistic Awareness on developing Listening Comprehension of Upper
Primary students to fill the research gap.
Rationale of the Study
The study was conducted by the investigator as the researcher found fewer studies on the
variable. The study was carried out by a researcher to determine the impact of metalinguistic
awareness on the improvement of listening comprehension abilities. The researcher believed that
this study will be the first which could be addressed in the Pondicherry region. The researcher
sensitized that the metalinguistic components are important for the development of language
skills. Metalinguistic awareness is always proposed as an important cognitive skill in the
acquisition of language (Bialystok, 1999 & Nagy, 2007). According to Piaget, middle age is the
best age for the development of language among students. Thus the researcher chose the middle
school students for conducting the study. At this stage, the metalinguistic skills can be developed
and the capability to consciously reflect upon the nature and properties of language during
listening can be enhanced. Hence, for developing Listening Comprehension skills the researcher
used metalinguistic strategies. The knowledge of Metalinguistic is regarded as the most basic and
influential tool for developing listening comprehension skills among school students. It can
shape students listening comprehension skills. It is viewed as one of the crucial components in
every learner. Studies have shown that when the processes and strategies of Metalinguistic
awareness are discussed among the learners, they become conscious of what they are listening.
While listening, the phonemes, morphemes, words and phrases, syntax, lexical ambiguities
synonyms, antonyms and homonyms are given ears during listening which further develops the
other skills such as speaking, reading and writing. Thus, Metalinguistic awareness creates
sensitivity among the learners to learn a foreign language which can result in language
development in the form of a Framework Model. This model will help the teachers to design their
classroom teaching-learning process. Taking this model as a reference, Metalinguistic elements
can be practised in the classroom for better comprehension.
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Research Questions
1. Do the learner community have awareness on Metalinguistic in learning?
2. Does proper listening really help in encoding and decoding of conversations?
Purpose of the study
1. To find out the Metalinguistic awareness in Listening Comprehension among upper
primary school students at the entry-level in both the Control group and the
Experimental group.
2. To find out the Listening Comprehension awareness in listening among upper primary
school students at the entry-level in both the Control group and the Experimental group.
3. To find out the Metalinguistic awareness in Listening Comprehension among upper
primary school students at the exit level in both the Control group and the Experimental
group.
4. To find out the Listening Comprehension awareness in listening among upper primary
school students at the exit level in both the Control group and the Experimental group.
5. To implement the designed programme on developing Listening Comprehension
among upper primary school students.
Hypotheses of the study
1. There exists no other significant difference between the entry and exit level of the
Experimental group in Metalinguistic Awareness.
Control group in Metalinguistic Awareness.
Experimental group in Listening Comprehension.
Control group in Listening Comprehension.
5. There exists no other significance difference between the entry and exit level of the
Experimental Group in their Metalinguistic Awareness.
Control Group in their Metalinguistic Awareness.
Methodology
The current study is an experimental inquiry that includes the collection of data to test the
hypotheses concerning the associated variables. In this investigation, the researcher has adopted
a Pre-test Post-test Control group which is designed by Fraenkel, Jack R (1993) to assess the
effect of Metalinguistic Awareness framework to develop Listening Comprehension Skills of
class VII Standard students.
In this present study, the group which was exposed to treatment through Metalinguistic
Intervention Programme was the Experimental Group and the other group which was exposed to
conventional/ traditional method of Instruction was Control Group.
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Sample of the study

The population of the research is students of class VII. This is an experimental research that
focuses on the teaching-learning process of Class VII standard students in English Classroom.
The researcher approached Schools in Pondicherry Union Territory for field usage. The
researcher adapted a convenient sampling technique.
The researcher chooses the sample from Vivekananda School of Pondicherry. The size of the
sample in the present study was 90 students out of which 45 were in the experimental and 45 were
in the control group from the similar school.
Tools and Techniques Used
For the present study, the investigator used three different tools to conduct the study.
Instructional Tool: The tools used were two Lesson Plans based on Metalinguistic Awareness for
class activity to focus on linguistic components for developing listening comprehension skill
among students. The lesson plans were developed on 5 dimensions namely Phonology,
Morphology, Semantic Lexical, and Pragmatic Awareness.
Measurement Tool: The Pre-test and Post-test questionnaires were prepared to use for assessing
the students. The question papers consisted of 18 types of tasks on Listening for both Pre-test and
Post-test. They are Phonetic Discrimination, Paraphrase Recognition, Dictation, Response
Evaluation, Listening Cloze, Statement Evaluation, Audio Followed by One Word Answer, Gap
Filling on Summaries, Audio Followed by True and False, Write the correct antonyms for the
words, Write the syllabification of the words, Write the correct synonyms for the words, Story
Correction, Audio Followed by Multiple Choice Questions, Write the Suffix for the words you
listen, Write the Prefix for the words you listen, Listen to the Dialogues followed by Short
Questions and Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words. Therefore, the researcher also
developed 24 items under five dimensions namely viz., Phonological Awareness, Morphological
Awareness, Semantic Awareness, Lexical Awareness and Pragmatic Awareness. It is in the form
of a Likert Scale with five responses. The respondents were instructed to choose one of the
following options. Another inventory tool was also developed on listening comprehension which
consists of 24 statements. It was a four-point scale. The intervention programme included both
Teachers and Students task. There were practising sessions on listening which is reflected from
the model attached herewith. Metalinguistic Intervention Model for development of Listening
Comprehension has shown positive outcomes.
Fig 1. Kuheli Framework on Metalinguistic Interventional Model on Listening comprehension skills
285
Statistical Techniques Used

The investigator has employed certain statistical techniques to test the hypotheses with the
collected data to arrive at a few meaningful conclusions.
 Descriptive Statistics
 Inferential Statistics
Hypothesis Testing and Findings
Descriptive Statistics
Hypothesis 1 - To find out the Meta-linguistic awareness in Listening Comprehension among
upper primary school students at the entry level in the control group and the experimental group
Table 1. The Mean and SD of the Pre-test scores on Meta-Linguistic Awareness among the
Control Group and the Experimental Group in Listening
Groups Type of Test N Mean S.D

Control Pre-test 45 80.02 15.172
Experimental Pre-test 45 86.02 16.912
The Arithmetic Mean obtained for both the control group and the experimental group in Pre-test
scores are 80.02 and 86.02 respectively. The standard deviation values of the control group and
the experimental group are 15.172 and 16.912 respectively. This shows that the variation scores
found in both the control group and the experimental group in the pre-test are not similar.
Hypothesis 2 - To find out the Listening Comprehension awareness in Listening among upper
primary school students at the entry level in both the control group and the experimental group.
Table 2. Mean and SD of the Pre-test scores in Listening Comprehension Awareness in Listening
among Control Group and Experimental Group
Groups Type of Test N Mean S.D

Control Pre-test 45 71.51 14.56
Experimental Pre-test 45 72.78 15.327
The Arithmetic Mean obtained for the control group and the experimental group in the Pre-test
scores are 71.51 and 72.78. The values of standard deviation of the control group and the
experimental group are 14.56 and 15.327 respectively. This shows that the variation found in the
pre-test scores of both the control group and the experimental group are more or less same.
Hypothesis 3 - To find out the Metalinguistic awareness in Listening Comprehension among
upper primary school students at the exit level in the control group and the experimental group
Table 3. Mean and SD of Post-test scores on Metalinguistic Awareness in Listening
Comprehension between Control Group and Experimental Group
Groups Test N Mean S.D

Control Post-test 45 89.33 19.703
Experimental Post-test 45 124.60 14.35
286
The Arithmetic Mean obtained for the control group and the experimental groups in the Post- test
scores are 89.33 and 124.60 respectively. The values of standard deviation of the control group
and the experimental group are 19.703 and 14.35 respectively. This shows that the variation
found in post-test scores of both control group and experimental group are not similar.
Hypothesis 4 : To find out the Listening Comprehension Awareness in Listening among upper
primary school students at the exit level in the control group and the experimental group
Table 4. Mean and SD of Post-test scores on Listening Comprehension Awareness in Listening
between Control Group and Experimental Group
Groups Test N Mean S.D
Control Post-test 45 73.80 19.078
Experimental Post-test 45 89.27 20.618
The Arithmetic Mean obtained for the control group and experimental group for Post-test scores
are 73.80 and 89.27 respectively. The values of standard deviation of the control group and the
experimental group are 19.703 and 20.618 respectively. This shows that the variation found in
the post-test scores of both the control group and the experimental group from the average are not
similar.
Inferential Statistics
Hypothesis 5- There exists no significance difference between the entry and exit levels of the
Experimental Group in their Metalinguistic Awareness
Table 5. Metalinguistic Awareness of Experimental Group between the entry and exit level
Groups N Mean S.D t-value

Experimental Group (Pre-test) 45 86.02 16.912
Experimental Group (Post-test) 45 124.60 14.356 24.836*
* 0.05 level of significance
The t-value obtained from the level of Metalinguistic awareness in Listening among upper
primary school students between entry and exit points among experimental group is 24.836.
Hence, “There exists no significant difference between the entry and exit levels of the
Experimental Group in Metalinguistic Awareness” is rejected. It is inferred that the intervention
programme has made a positive impact on the Metalinguistic Awareness in the Experimental
Group.
Hypothesis 6: There exists no significance difference between the entry and exit levels of the
Control Group in their Metalinguistic Awareness.
Table 6: Metalinguistic Awareness of Control Group between the entry and exit level
Groups N Mean S.D t-value

Control group (Pre-test) 45 80.02 15.172
Control group (Post-test) 45 89.33 19.703 5.099*
* 0.05 level of significance
287
The t-value obtained from the level of Metalinguistic awareness in Listening among upper
primary school students between entry and exit points among control group is 5.099. Hence, the
hypothesis “There exists no significant difference between Metalinguistic awareness on
Listening among upper primary school students shows the difference between entry and exit
points among Control group” is rejected. From this, it is inferred that the Metalinguistic
Awareness of the control group is same at both the levels.
It can be concluded from the above figures that the experimental group has made significant
changes due to the treatment given to them for three months.
Conclusion
The present study is an exertion in learner-centered listening comprehension programme.
Listening is very vital in language because it delivers some input for the learners and without the
comprehending input; they are not able to learn anything. The improved Achievement scores of
the experimental group on listening comprehension skills ascertained the development of
metalinguistic awareness of the experimental group. It is obvious from the reflective statements
of the students that they have gained poise, self-confidence, interest to listen, motivation for
achievement and communicative ability. As listening comprehension makes improved
personality traits, every teacher in a classroom needs to be conscious of its major role in
education and must necessitate in their process of teaching and learning.
References
Alexandra et al, (2017). Unpacking Listening Comprehension: the role of vocabulary,
Morphological awareness, and syntactic knowledge in reading comprehension. Reading
and Writing, 31(8), 1741-1764.
Bialystok, E. (1999). Levels of bilingualism and levels of linguistic awareness.
Developmental psychology, 24, 560-567.
Bian, X. (2017). Morphological awareness and advanced EFL learners' listening
comprehension [Unpublished doctoral dissertation], Seattle Pacific University,
Washington, UAS. Education Dissertations, 25. https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/soe
etd/25
Cheung, Y. K. (2010). The Importance of Teaching Listening in the EFL Classroom. Online
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Guo, N. & Wills, R. (2006). An investigation of factors influencing English listening
Comprehension and possible measures for improvement. AER Journal. Retrieved from
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Incorporating Psycholinguistics in the stages of

Second Language Acquisition.
Dr.Raghi P.Nair
Principal
Vivekanandha College of Education,
ECR, Lawspet, Pondicherry
Email: rakhi.padmanabhan@gmail.com
Abstract
Psycholinguistics is an integration of two disciplines; psychology and linguistics.
Psychology is the study of behavior; linguistics is the study of language. Moreover,
psycholinguistics can be defined as the study of mind and language. It deals with the
relationship between the human mind and the language as it examines the processes
that occur in brain while producing and perceiving language. Psycholinguistics as a
study of the psychology of language is realized in language teaching. It helps to
investigate the psychological factors that are possibly involved in languages
learning. Psycholinguistics focuses on the application of the actual language and
communication. It is necessary to make a decision in applying various methods that
allow students to easily understand a language.
psycholinguistic principles give clue on how a person acquires his/her mother
tongue or first language (First Language Acquisition), learns his/her second or third
language (Second Language Learning), perceives a language (Language
Perception), and produces language (Language Production). Psycholinguistics is
fundamental not only to mother tongue learning but also to foreign language
learning. It helps to develop language-learning pedagogy both in the field of first and
second language learning. The Five active stages of second language acquisition are
Preproduction, Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency, and
Advanced Fluency. This paper is a sincere attempt to probe in to the various ways of
inducting psycho linguistic principles in to the second language acquisition.
Keywords : Language, second language, Acquisition, stages of Acquisition,
Psycholinguistics.
Introduction
Language is a distinct cognition that makes humans extremely unique. It provides people with
the ability to express ideas by creating sentences with a limited set of symbols. Psycholinguistics
combines methods and theories from psychology and linguistics. It attempts to evaluate the
psychological reality and underlying linguistic rules and processes. It also seeks to link word and
sentence processing to the deeper expressive processes of message construction and
interpretation. These symbols have distinct sounds and shapes that are put together to form
words. Psycholinguistics is the study of the process in which a person gains this ability to
communicate meaningful sentences using words and sounds. It also explores how a person can
understand different forms of communication. Psycholinguists are part of an extraordinary field
that studies how language acquisition occurs, which is an important process to fully understand.
This did not emerge as an independent field of study until the nineteen-sixties. It was inspired by
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Noam Chomsky's work in linguistics and the belief that people have a language acquisition
device that plays an important part in helping them to acquire language. Psycholinguists are
concerned with how language is acquired, comprehended and produced. This means that the field
of psycholinguistics studies the cognitive processes that makes it possible to create a meaningful
sentence with vocabulary and grammatical structures. Furthermore, it explores the processes that
makes it possible to understand utterances, words, text, etc. Every individual has unique
character traits that allow him or her to function in different ways, which makes this process
different for everyone. Even though there are general assumptions of when certain process will
occur and the order in which they will arise each case is different. These discrepancies leave room
for an abundant amount of possibilities, which is why further research in the field of
Psycholinguists is very much necessary.
Language Acquisition.
Language acquisition views at how people produce and use words and sentences to
communicate. It is a very complex process that psycholinguists are deeply interested at.
Researchers break language acquisition into an important part of linguistics that focuses on
understanding communication. In order for language to be well understood, it is first acquired
and then should be interpreted. Comprehending language might seem easy, but it is actually an
extremely tiring process. Alone, most words only have one meaning, but when they are used to
form sentences and phrases they can become misconstrued. Things like lexical ambiguity can
make comprehending language hard (Parker & Riley, 1994). However, most times
understanding one's native language comes much easier than trying to comprehend a second-
language
First-language acquisition is a universal process regardless of the language an individual begins
to speak. First-language acquisition starts with babies cooing, crying and babbling which is
known as the pre-linguistic stages of first-language acquisition (Parker & Riley, 1994). Almost
all humans will be fluent in a language before the age of five, which is remarkable. Some claim
that if a person does not acquire any language before they become a teenager, they will never do
so successfully.
Second Language Acquisition (incorporating Psycholinguistics)
Second-language acquisition inherits knowledge from a first language and applies that
knowledge and process when an individual goes through the steps to learning a second language.
After getting used to language, it can then be comprehended. There are multiple factors that
influence second language acquisition. For example, educational background and native
language proficiency are two important factors to consider. A strong academic foundation
enables the learner to easily cope and acquire another language. This is because they have the
prior experience of handling it on an academic environment. These students are able to transfer
what they learnt during the second language acquisition process. Mother tongue/Native language
proficiency will also play an important role in language learning. Subsequently, a well-developed
first language facilitates learning a second language. This is because a child adopts his first
language learning experience to strategically learn another language. The experience of learning
a second language may also vary over time. The following stages describe how a person acquires
a language. Learners acquire through five stages that are explained below
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Stage I: Pre-production
This is the dormant period. It is expected that any second language learners should have up to
500 words in their active vocabulary but they have not begun speaking. Some students tend to,
repeat everything you say. They are not really producing language but are mere repeating it
blindly rather parroting.
These new learners of English will listen keenly and they can even copy words from the board.
They will be able to respond to pictures and other visuals. They can understand and ape the
gestures and movements to show comprehension. Total Physical Response methods will work
well with them. Here the teachers should focus more attention on listening comprehension
activities and on building active vocabulary.
Although at this stage a learner cannot yet speak. One begins to understand more language
slowly. This includes basic words such as “hello, stand there”. He/she may also be able to say
simple words.
What can the child do? Duration Teacher / Parent Prompts

• Has minimal comprehension • Show me. . .
• Does not verbalize • Circle the. . .
0 – 6 meses
• Nods “Yes” and “No” • Where is. . . ?
• Draws and points • Who has. . . ?
Source: Classroom instruction that works with English language learners / Jane Hill and
Kathleen Flynn, Source: Adapted from Krashen and Terrell (1983)
Listening to English language all day long.
Stage II: Early production
This stage may last up to six months and students will develop a receptive and active vocabulary
of about 1000 words. During this stage, students can usually speak in one- or two-word phrases.
They can use short language chunks that have been memorized although these chunks may not
always be used correctly. Meanwhile, in the early production second language acquisition stage,
a child begins to speak using more words and sentences. The student focuses on listening and
absorbing the new language. When speaking many language errors may occur.
A learner begins to use short sentences such as “how do you do”. in addition; she/he may
understand short sentences and be able to answer using single words such as, “I am good”.

• Produces one- or two-word
• Yes/no questions
responses
• Either/or questions
• Has limited comprehension
6m – 1 year • One- or two-word answers
• Participates using keywords
• Lists
and familiar phrases
• Labels
• Uses present-tense verbs
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Classroom instruction that works with English language learners/ Jane Hill and
Stage III: Speech emergence
Students should have developed a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and can communicate with
simple phrases and sentences. They will ask simple questions that may or may not be
grammatically correct, such as “May I go to bathroom?”, they may also begin to initiate short
conversations with classmates. They may be able to comprehend easy stories read in class with
the support of pictures. They will also be able to do some content work with teacher support.
In the speech emergence stage, a student has good comprehension. Additionally, a learner can
produce simple sentences, use more phrases, and ask questions. Grammatical and pronunciation
errors are often made during this stage.
The learner engages in more conversations but is conscious of their language learning process.
Interpreting happens for a less period of time because language becomes more fluent. However,
jokes and idioms are not always understood.

• Has good comprehension
• Why. . . ?
• Can produce simple
• How. . . ?
sentences
1 – 3 years • Explain. . .
• Makes grammar and
• Phrase or short-sentence
pronunciation errors
answers
• Frequently misunderstands jokes
Stage IV: Intermediate fluency
Less grammatical and pronunciation errors are seen in this stage. Students are much more
comfortable using the language. Additionally, less interpreting happens in the brain to
communicate and understand.
Advanced Fluency State
Stage V: Advanced Fluency
It takes students from 4-10 years to achieve cognitive academic language proficiency in a second
language. Student at this stage will be near native in their ability to perform in content area
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learning. Most ELLs at this stage have been exited from ESL and other support programs. At the
beginning of this stage, however, they will need constant support from classroom teachers
especially in the content areas such as history/social studies and in writing.
Once a language learner reaches advanced fluency, he/she has acquired a near-native level of
speech. At this moment, a language learner masters academic language. In addition, language use
becomes natural. Even though grammatical errors are no longer an issue, pronunciation errors
may occur. Pronunciation errors may occur because of accent. An accent depends on the age that
language learning began.

The student has a near-native • Decide if. . .
5-7 years
level of speech. • Retell. . .
Source : Classroom instruction that works with English language learners / Jane Hill and
Conclusion
Psycholinguists studies the theories behind language acquisition and how the mind helps in a
person's potential to gain language. Noam Chomsky is a famous linguist who developed a theory
known as Nativism during the 1950's. This theory embodies the fact that children will never gain
the resources needed for processing language just by the things they heard, but more by how the
language acquisition device works (Ambridge & Lieven, 2011). This theory emphasizes that all
people are born with a universal grammar that gives them the ability to acquire language.
References
Aitchison, Jean 1998. The articulate mam ate mammal. An introduction to psycholinguistics.
London: Routledge.
Clark, Herbert H. 1996. Using language. Cambridge: University Press.
F. Parker,K. Riley(2009) . Linguistics for Non-natives edition by Paperback.
Fletcher, Fletcher, Paul and Michael Garmon (eds) 1979 and later Language acquisition
Cambridge: University University Press.
Gregory, Richard L Chard L. (ed.) 1987. The Oxford companion to the mind. Oxford:
University Press.
Lust, Barbara and Claire Foley (eds) 2004. Language acquisition: The essential readings.
Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Terrell,T. A. Natural Approach to the Acquisition and Learning of a Languagr. “Modern
language Journal 61 :325-36.
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Constructivist pedagogical approach for strengthening

self-developed employability skills through an e-portfolio
Eliwon Thiumai1 & Maria Josephine Arokia Marie. S2

Research Scholar1 & Assistant Professor2
Department of Education, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University
Amarkantak (M.P.) 484887, India
E-mail: eliwonigntu@gmail.com, maria.arokia@igntu.ac.in
Abstract
Not all-pedagogical change is caused by technology; instead, we should incorporate
pedagogical frameworks that can support learner-centered approaches. More
technologies that are cutting-edge are needed to provide 21st century learners with
the skills they need to succeed in the workforce in order to keep up with the current
altering trends in education and in the workplace. Today many academics have
voiced their opinion that constructivism would result in better educational software
and learning. Therefore, it is important to emphasize on creation of authentic, open-
ended learning environments where students can gain information, skills and
understanding that is both personally meaningful and transferable. An emerging Web
2.0 tool called an e-portfolio is one of the tools that are well adapted to the digital era
as a hub for learning and a practical approach to frame and take advantage of this new
revolution in the online educational revolution. A platform can best foster the theory
of constructivism. This paper attempts to enlighten the potential of e-portfolio and
proposed new ideas on how to self-regulate and strengthen personal employability
skills using an e-portfolio. It seeks to explore possible e-portfolio usage to enhance
users' self-regulatory employability skills in a constructivist-learning environment.
The study also discusses how an e-portfolio could promote employability skills like
ICT Skills, writing skills, critical thinking skills, communication skills, problem-
solving, creativity skills, teamwork abilities, interview skills, peer feedback skills,
decision-making, self-awareness, and recognising the value of reflective learning.
Keywords: E-portfolio, constructivist, self-developed employability skills, 21st
century skills.
Introduction
Numerous studies examine the connection between the technical tool of the e-portfolio and the
transition into the workforce, offering a range of viewpoints and pertinent data on the subject.
Web 2.0 technologies, which pertain to a variety of digital applications that enable interaction,
collaboration, and sharing give users an unparalleled learning experience and are a great means
of fostering and developing employability skills in the learners .
Not all-pedagogical change is caused by technology; instead, we should incorporate pedagogical
frameworks that can support learner-centered approaches. More technologies that are cutting-
edge are needed to provide 21st century learners with the skills they need to succeed in the
workforce in order to keep up with the current altering trends in education and in the workplace.
295
Teaching methods and resources have been dramatically altered by the growth of Internet
technology. As a result, academics are paying increasing attention to the use of integrated
learning in education. The goal of this paper is intended to explore possible e-portfolio usage to
enhance users' self-regulatory employability skills in a constructivist-learning environment. It
seeks to explore possible e-portfolio usage to enhance users' self-regulatory employability skills
in a constructivist-learning environment. The study also discusses how e-portfolio could
promote employability skills.
Constructivist Pedagogical Approach
According to constructivism, learning entails cognitive construction in which individuals learn
based on their individual perceptions of the outside world. Learners are more than just recipients
of information in constructivist learning are. The construction of new knowledge is
accomplished by connecting previous knowledge with current information as they actively
engage in the process of learning. Constructivist learning aims to develop independent, self-
reliant learners who are skilled and confident enough to employ a variety of techniques to create
their own conceptualizations, knowledge, and problem-solving frameworks '''' . The aim of
constructivist learning is to engender independent, self-reliant learners who have the confidence
and skill to use a range of strategies to construct their own conceptualizations, knowledge and
solutions to problems . Constructivism essentially focuses on the process of creating knowledge,
which depends on what learners already know and, in turn, on the types of experiences they have
had, how they have structured those experiences into knowledge structures, and their beliefs
when interpreting the information '''' . The constructivist educational philosophy emphasizes the
significance of active learners who can conceivably self-regulate their own learning experiences.
The complexity of its theoretical foundations is a drawback for constructivist pedagogy, which
serves as the bridge between theory and practice. Knowledge-building, active learning and self-
direction are constructivist principles.
As quoted by Marlowe and Page, "Learning in constructivist terms is (2005, p. 7) (Büyükduman
& Şirin, 2010)
i. learning is the process and outcome of questioning, interpreting, and analysing
information
ii. using this knowledge and our thinking process to refine, expand, and change how we
grasp and interpret ideas and concepts; and
iii. Combining current events with experiences and prior knowledge to form a
comprehensive understanding of a subject.
E-portfolios
“An e-portfolio is a digitized collection of artifacts, including demonstrations, resources, and
accomplishments that represent an individual, group, community, organization, or institution.
This collection can be comprised of text-based, graphic, or multimedia elements archived on a
Web site or on other electronic media such as a CD-ROM or DVD” — .
The usages of e-portfolio in higher education to improve learning have been addressed in various
parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Australia, and America . And in order to facilitate
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learning and personal development, e-portfolios are becoming more and more common in
tertiary education in the UK, northern Europe, America, and Australasia (Barrett,2007; Stefani et
al., 2007; Strivens, 2007). E-portfolio is a term that is being used more frequently and has several
meanings. The National Learning Infrastructure Initiative defined e-portfolio as a collection of
authentic and diverse evidence, drawn from a larger archive representing what a person or
organization has learned over time, on which the person or organization has reflected, and
designed for presentation to one or more audiences for a particular rhetorical purpose . E-
portfolio are categorise depending on its purposes and objectives. It is used to address a diverse
range of educational needs, including those related to evaluation, presentation, learning, personal
development, multiple owners, and working . The European Initiatives Co-ordination
Committee distinguishes 4 common types of conventional portfolio usage in different learning
contexts . They are development portfolio, showcase portfolio, reflective portfolio, and
assessment portfolio. Recent literature provide an evidence that e-portfolios can be used for a
variety of purposes, such as learning reflection, showcasing particular models or skills, and
highlighting accomplishments . It provides a learner-centered strategy with an emphasis on
reflection.
Platforms for creating e-portfolios
The simplest way to construct an electronic portfolio is with Microsoft PowerPoint, which allows
us to produce files and PowerPoint slides that can later be converted to video-based material. A
variety of platforms or websites, including Linkedin, Behance.net, MyPortfolio, Mahara,
Google Sites, Weebly.com, Wix.com, portfoliogen.com, and Wordpress, can be used to create an
e-portfolio. Accessibility of the created e-portfolio is not restricted by time or place as long as
there is no disruption in internet connectivity. One alternative for creating an electronic portfolio
when you cannot access the internet or a browser is the USB Portfolio.
Self-developed Employability Skills in a Constructivist Learning Environment
The central tenet of constructivism is that knowledge is constructed, created, invented, and
developed by the learner. Constructivist learning has gotten a lot of attention in the educational
community because it is viewed as a more natural, pertinent, fruitful, and empowering
framework. Several pedagogical implications are made from constructivism to support learning
and evaluation, despite the fact that it has been viewed as a learning theory rather than a teaching
theory . Instead of testing task completion and factual information through standardized
examinations, assessment of student performance in constructivist classrooms necessitates the
creation of a number of methodologies for assessing the process of learning higher-order
thinking skills and knowledge construction . Self-generated ideas, feelings, and behaviours that
are planned and cyclically adapted based on performance feedback to attain self-set goals are
referred to as self-regulating . Learners who are self-regulatory are proactive and effectively
control their own learning in a variety of ways. When students actively engage in their learning
on a cognitive, motivational, and behavioural level, they are exhibiting self-regulation . Teachers
plays a pivotal role in fostering self-regulated learning. And students need to develop into active
learners, capable of coming up with creative solutions to complex issues. A strategy for realizing
this goal is student-centered learning, and technology can play a significant role as a potent
instrument for fostering change in the educational system.
297
To revolutionize and to drastically improve students' academic achievement so that students are
employable and be ready to enter the workforce, we must actively engage the students and get
them to think constructively and tactically about gaining knowledge, particularly in the
acquisition of core competencies like literacy skills, communication skills, decision making
skills, analytical skills, and organizational skills etc. E-portfolio, an emerging Web 2.0
technology, is thought to be particularly well adapted to this digital age as a hub of learning and a
practical approach to frame and utilize this open revolution in education . It can correlate to a
student's capacity to direct his own learning and to develop his skills and abilities. Portfolios, in
the opinion of educators, help students develop their critical thinking skills as well as their ability
to be active, independent, and self-reliant learners . E-portfolio are one of the most intriguing and
fascinating new development, not only because they serve as multimedia containers for students
and teachers, but also because they assist student self-regulation and key academic competences,
particularly literacy skills .
Figure 1 depicts the strategies for e-Portfolio Development as suggested by (O'Keeffe &
Donnelly, 2013) in their study titled "Exploration of ePortfolios for Adding Value and Deepening
Student Learning in Contemporary Higher Education."
Figure 1. Strategies for e-Portfolio Development

(Adapted from O'Keeffee & Donnelly, 2013)
Strengthening Self-Regulated Employability Skills using an E-portfolio

Learners' conscious control over their cognitive processes, metacognition, motivation, and
environment is referred to as self-regulatory learning. Self-regulatory is not a mental ability or an
academic performance skill; rather it is the self-directive process by which learners transform
their mental abilities into academic skills . Self-regulation does not happen to learners, rather, it
happens by them as they proactively monitor, regulate and control their thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours with the objective to accomplish their goals .
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Constructivism is now emphasized as a philosophical, epistemological, and pedagogical

approach to learning, replacing the model of didactic instruction that are traditionally directed
education and sees the student as a passive recipient of information. Today many academics have
voiced their opinion that constructivism would result in better educational software and learning.
Therefore, it is important to emphasize on creation of authentic, open-ended learning
environments where students can gain information, skills and understanding that is both
personally meaningful and transferable. The emphasis of the socio-constructivist learning
approaches is the acquisition of a fresh set of abilities and knowledge. They support inquiry,
problem-solving, and collaborative learning strategies. The deeper cognitive processes,
including problem solving and critical thinking, that should develop because of technology use
cannot be measured by our standard techniques of assessing classroom/ teacher performance in a
complete or straightforward manner. The use of e-portfolios to improve cognitive abilities in the
BLE was discovered by study. It was discovered that, overall, respondents' opinions were at an
average level and their requirements were at a high level. Traditional assessment methods also
make it difficult for students to demonstrate their new knowledge in a variety of ways, such as
using multimedia. They are intended to promote literacy development by encouraging writing
and editing skills. Although e-portfolio tools are rarely made to include the ability to write
equations and mathematical expressions, they may also promote some numeracy skills, notably
problem solving. By allowing users to create artwork, utilizing new media like paintings,
drawings, and animations, e-portfolio may also promote the growth of other literacies including
ICT and media skills, musical expression, and artistic expression. Additionally, it might promote
teamwork, communication, and the strengthening of interpersonal skills. Students, instructors,
parents, as well as employees and supervisors, may all communicate with one another. Using an
electronic portfolio makes it feasible to practise giving feedback to their students while also
allowing for peer feedback. One key benefit of having an e-portfolio is the reflective practice,
which helps users become aware of their own learning strengths and shortcomings. It even helps
users develop their careers and job-hunting skills. Because the user's e-portfolio serves as proof
of their accomplishment, it also helps them get ready for interviews.
Why incorporate an electronic portfolio into a constructivist teaching strategy?
Numerous research on the usage of e-portfolios have shown that they are helpful for developing
or enhancing cognitive skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking skills.
Using the CHAT framework, looked at student teachers' perceptions on how the e-portfolio
contributes to the development of reflective thinking skills at Excel, and the results show that
they believed the e-portfolio had the ability to foster reflection. Students who use e-portfolios
have a better awareness of their own skills and attributes and boost their self-confidence when
marketing themselves to potential employers. According to , project-based learning with an e-
portfolio improves students' capacity for analysis, evaluation, and creation. The utilization of e-
portfolios enhances abilities, skills, and knowledge. Investigate how an e-portfolio in a technical
communication course might help engineering students develop their graduate-level skills,
notably their ability to communicate effectively and to think critically and solve problems
collaboratively. The findings indicate that the majority of the students' expectations were met by
their actual learning. This showed the e-portfolio's potential as a tool for enhancing students'
299
graduate qualities. In their research project it was found that after participating in e-Portfolio
pedagogy mentorship sessions, participants' interview abilities were much greater than those of
students who received little or no intervention. The study confirms that using an electronic
portfolio helps students develop their language, writing, and technical skills as well as their
ability to acquire new languages. Additionally, pupils' writing skills and usage of self-control
tactics are also significantly impacted.
The previous studies confirmed that e-portfolio usages could improve learning outcomes by
combining technological knowledge with optimistic learning attitudes. It also provides evidence
that 21st century employability skills like ICT Skills, critical thinking skills, communication
skills, problem solving, creativity skills, teamwork abilities, and decision-making can be foster
by the implementation of e-portfolio under constructivist pedagogical approach. However, e-
portfolio adoption has not yet gained much traction in India.
Conclusion
This paper informs higher education institutions and other relevant organizations about the
benefits of using e-portfolios to enhance students' cognitive abilities. E-portfolio has the
potential to be a learning tool that students may use to acquire and develop their employability
skills as they participate in the learning process. Many studies also show the positive impact of e-
portfolio on the users. In order to integrate e-portfolio into the curriculum and to promote
students' autonomy in skills development, administrators, faculty, policy makers, and
researchers must dive deep into the issue more closely. It is the high time that the academics in the
field of education really need to examine the learning theory that underpins employability skills.
It may be found that cognitive constructivism, not behaviourism, serves as the learning theory
that underpins the curriculum and pedagogy for employability skills. A thorough rethinking of
how we choose, organize, and present the educational material to the learners is necessary to
equip them to enter into the workplace. Students' personal and professional growth will thrive by
incorporating an e-portfolio tool into higher education.
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Contributors
List of Contributors
Abdullah Chandrang Pathak

Research Scholar (UGCSRF) Research Scholar,
School of Education The Maharaja Sayajirao University
Pondicherry University Baroda
Puducherry - 605014
Chellamani, K. Dr.
Anand, K. Dr. Professor
Assistant Professor, School of Education
Krishnasamy College of Edu. for Women, Pondicherry University
Puducherry. Puducherry - 605014
Ananya Acherjee Debani Deb

Research Scholar, UGC-Senior Research Fellow
Department of Education, (Ph. D. Research Scholar)
IGNTU, Amarkantak, MP Department of Education
Arockia Panneerselvam, I.
Asst.Teacher, Eliwon Thiumai
St.Joseph's Primary School, Research Scholar
Ramanathapuram, Department of Education,
Tamilnadu Indira Gandhi National Tribal University
Amarkantak (M.P.) 484887, India
Arvind Gupta, Dr.
Assistant Director, Gowrishankar, M.
Directorate of Distance Education, Ph.D Scholar,
Pondicherry University Meston College of Education (Autonomous),
Puducherry - 605014 Royapettah, Chennai
Arvind Kumar
Research Scholars Gurminder Kaur, Dr.
School of Education Assistant Professor,
School of Law,
Pondicherry University Pondicherry University,
Puducherry - 605014 Puducherry - 605014
Bhukya Devender, Dr. Gyanendra Rawat

Assistant Professor, Research Scholars,
School of Education, School of Education,
Pondicherry University Pondicherry University
Puducherry - 605014 Puducherry - 605014
303
Hariharan, R. Dr. Pallavi Tamra

Assistant Professor Research Scholar,
Department of Education Central University of South Bihar, Gaya
IGNTU, Amarkantak, MP
Paramesh Roy
Idayaraja, V. Research Scholar
Ph.D. Scholar, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University,
Department of Education, Amarkantak (M.P.) - 484887
Tiruchirappalli– 620 024, Rajesh, P.K. Dr.
Tamilnadu Deputy Vice Chancellor,
International affairs,
Johnsi Priya, J. Dr. Director, Centre of Excellence,
Assistant Professor of Education, AIMST University, Malaysia
Meston College of Education (Autonomous),
Royapettah, Chennai Pragya Kolpal
Ryan International,
Kasi Eswarappa, Dr. Chhattisgarh,
Assistant Professor kolpalpragya@gmail.com
Department of Tribal Studies
IGNTU, Amarkantak, MP Praveen Kumar
Research Scholar, School of Education,
Kuheli Mondal, Dr. Pondicherry University
Assistant Professor
Nanadalal Ghosh B.T College Priti Kumari
Assistant Professor, Education,
Lavanya, P. Dr. Kalinga University,
Associate Professor Chhattisgarh
Head, Department of Education,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prof. Marie Perera PhD (UOW)
Anantapur Campus, Emeritus Professor
Andhra Pradesh Dept of Humanities Education
University of Colombo
Maria Josephine Arokia Marie, S. Dr.
Assistant Professor of Education Purnima Mondal
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Ph.D. Scholar,
Amarkantak (M.P.) - 484887 School of Education,
Md Mujahid Alom Puducherry - 605014
Ph.D. Scholar, School of Education,
Puducherry - 605014
304
Raghi.P. Nair Dr. Sarita, Dr.

Principal Assistant Professor
Vivekanandha college of Education, Dept. of Education
ECR, Lawspet, Pondicherry Sitananda College,
Nandigram, (W.B),
Ramesh, M. Dr.
Assistant Professor Seema
Department of Education Research Scholars
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University School of Education
Amarkantak, Anuppur, Pondicherry University
Madhya Pradesh Puducherry - 605014
Rohini Karunakaran Dr. Shacheendran, V. Dr.

Associate Professor Head & Associate Professor,
Unit of Biochemistry, Preclinical PG Department of Commerce,
Coordinator GPM Government College,
Medical Education Unit Coordinator, Manjeswaram,
Faculty of Medicine, Kasaragod District
AIMST University, 08100,
Semeling, Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia Singaravelu, S. Dr.
Principal,
Sai SoujanyaKumari B CK College of Education,
Assistant Professor, Department of Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu
Education
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Sreekala. E. Dr.
Anantapur Campus, Professor,
Andhra Pradesh School of Education,
Santoshi Singh Rathour Puducherry - 605014
PhD Research Scholar
Department of Education Srikumar, PS. Dr.
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Unit of Psychiatry and Medical Education
Amarkantak, Anuppur, Deputy Dean Students
Madhya Pradesh Faculty of Medicine
AIMST University
Sarita Pal Semeling, Bedong, Malaysia
Research Scholar,
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Suchinmoyee Mishra
Baroda Research Scholars,
School of Education,
Puducherry - 605014
305
Tarik, Md.
Research Scholar
Thamizhiniyan, K. Dr.
Independent Researcher,
Puducherry.
Tholappan A. Dr.
Professor & Head,
Department of Education,
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
Udhaya Mohan Babu, R. Dr.

Assistant Professor in Education,
Modern Institute of Teacher Education,
Kohima, Nagaland, India.
Ujjala Singh Assistant, Dr.

Professor
Dept. of Education,
Kidderpore College,
Kolkata (West Bengal)
Vijaykumar, R. Dr.
Assistant Professor,
School of Education,
Puducherry - 605014
306
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Constructivism in Teaching and Learning

Book · November 2022

Chennupati Kodanda Ramaiah Chellamani Kathirkamanathan

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

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13-14 Oct 2022

1. Constructivism in Education 2. Formal Education 3. Distance Learning

© 2022, PU, Puducherry – 605014

V. Track- I: Teaching & Learning in Hybrid Mode

Track- II: Self- Directed Learning in Distance Mode

Track- III: Blended Learning

Sponsors of the Conference

Proceedings of the International Conference on

Organized by the Directorate of Distance Education

Developing and implementing an integrated Preclinical phase

The experiences will be divided into six categories:

Self-Directed Learning in the Distance Mode

1.2 Modern distance learning

Traditional Self- Self-paced Self-

Table 2. Steps involved in Self-Directed Learning

Aligning Teaching, Learning and Assessment towards Metacognition

Perumbilavil Kaithamanakallam Rajesh

An ancient Sanskrit slogan describes on how we learn and grow.

5. New knowledge is integrated into the learner's world.

Knowledge and Cognitive -

Scientific methods, critical thinking, and Cognitive-

Leadership, Autonomy and Communication, teamwork, and

Lifelong learning and Information

Entrepreneurial Skills 4 Entrepreneurial and M anagerial skills Affective

Ethics and Professionalism 5 Ethics, professionalism, and humanities Affective

Communication Teaching Learning

Learning Outcomes Domains Assessment

Practical Skills Practical Skills Practical and Clinical examination

Lifelong learning and Information Continuous medical education/Reflective

Learning? International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care.

Beneﬁts and challenges of online class during

Professional development is required, including successful course design, instruction,

Informal Online Learning among Gond Tribal Women

Ananya Acherjee1, Kasi Eswarappa2 & R. Hariharan3

Student Satisfaction on Synchronous Online Learning – A

Md MujahidAlom1 & Dr.Vijaykumar. R2

2. Principles and Practices in Synchronous Online Learning

Practices in synchronous online learning environments:

4. Factors of Student Satisfaction in Synchronous Online learning

improve quality learning.

Attitute of Swayam Courses among the University Students in Tamilnadu

Dr. R.Udhaya Mohan Babu

Method Adopted In the Present Study

Table 3. Faculty-wise distribution of the sample

Within Groups 7317.627 18.432

female university students in Tamilnadu”, is accepted. Hence, there is no signiﬁcant difference in

Psychological and Behavioural Impact among Senior Students from Online

Priti Kumari1 & Pragya Kolpal2

Fig 1. Behavioral Characteristics

Fig 2. Psychological Characteristics

Online learning experience

communication and interaction was a major loss in online learning.