VARIABLES IN THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS

You can access material and appropriate links for this topic on my Wikieducator page (http://www.wikieducator.org/User:Nimrat)

SKILL OF REINFORCEMENT

I am afraid this is in bits and pieces - you can take a print out if you wish to.

SKILL OF REINFORCEMENT

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour in a given situation brought about by repeated experiences in that situation
How does the teacher ensure the change is brought about?
Threats?
Promises?
Rewards?
Praise?
Punishment?
Embarrassment in front of peers?
Marks?

THE AIM OF THE TEACHER

To ensure that the desired behaviour occurs and keeps occurring
HOW?
Through REINFORCEMENT of the desired behaviour

Reinforcement: Any stimulus that increases the probability that a response will occur

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
A stimulus that increases the probability of a response when it is added to a situation
e.g. you get an approving smile if you are on time for assembly
e.g. a chance to work out a problem on the board

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
A stimulus that increases the probability of a response when it is removed from a situation
e.g. you do not pay a fine if you are on time for assembly
e.g. no stay back in break if all problems solved

PUNISHMENT

• A pleasant stimulus is removed; e.g. the comic book is removed from between the covers of the Mathematics textbook
• A noxious or unpleasant stimulus is added; e.g. sent out of the class while the Principal is on rounds

Click on the image at the top of this post to see a comparison of reinforcement and punishment.

PUNISHMENT
Not recommended; results in simply drawing attention to undesirable behaviour and affects emotional well being; studies show that merely suppresses undesirable behaviour

REINFORCEMENT
Encourages desirable behaviour and leads to unlearning of undesirable behaviour; increases students’ involvement in work; has a motivating effect; improves discipline

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF REINFORCEMENT

• Positive verbal reinforcement (PVR)
• Positive non-verbal reinforcement (PVNR)
• Extra-verbal cues (EVC)
• Repeating and rephrasing (R&R)
• Writing pupils answers on the blackboard (WPABB)

DESIRABLE TEACHER BEHAVIOUR
I.Use of positive verbal reinforcers
•Use of praise words (good, well done)
•Use of statements of praise (that is very perceptive of you)
•Accepting pupil’s feelings (yes, you are right; please elaborate; summarizing of responses)
II. Use of positive non-verbal reinforcers
•Use of non-verbal actions (smile, nod, move closer)
III. Use of extra-verbal cues
•Encouraging sounds (Uh-huh, Hmmm, Ah-ha, etc)
IV. Repeating and rephrasing pupils’ responses
V. Writing pupils’ responses on the blackboard

PRECAUTIONS

• Avoid too little or over-frequent use
• Reinforcing/encouraging only responding students
• Use a variety of reinforcers
• Rarely use marks, stars, etc as reinforcement
• Both individual and class reinforcement
• Immediate reinforcement
• Personalized reinforcement
• Meaningful reinforcement
• Avoid negative verbal and non-verbal behaviours (that is not good, humph, sarcastic tone, raised eyebrows, etc)
• Avoid inappropriate use (using when not needed, not using when needed)

WORKING WITH COMMUNITY

The format of the Working with Community file to be submitted by students of the B Ed programme at the end of the academic session is as follows:

FORMAT OF REPORT

INTRODUCTION

My perspective of community service: to be written in a minimum of 300 words an a maximum of 500 words, this should include the meaning of community service and what you think is its relevance to the B Ed programme
My expectations from community service: to be written in a minimum of 200 words and a maximum of 500 words
Details of the organisation: to be written in a minimum of 400 words to a maximum of 500 words

DAILY REPORTS

Daily reports: these are to be in the format given in the example below:

Day 5 Thursday
27 October 2009
Timings: 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Objective of the Day: To get the more shy children involved in making cards for Diwali

Activity undertaken: I formed groups, with the more outgoing and shyer students in different groups, and declared that this was a card making competition

Reflections: an example of a reflective report is posted alongside. Please note that failures as well as successes must be reported. This is to be written in a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 200 words.

Learnings: The word limit will depend on your learnings on that particular day.

CONCLUSIONS

· Learnings from community service: this is to be an amalgamation of the learning that has occurred at the end of 30 hours of community service, to be written in a minimum of 200 words and maximum of 300 words.
· Change in my perspective of community service: compare your perspective of community service at the start of the session and after completing 30 hours of community service; to be written in a minimum of 200 words and a maximum of 300 words.
· Recommendations: please state any recommendations you have to make this component of the B Ed programme more meaningful.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Please attach a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 photographs related to the activities you undertook as a part of community service. Computer print-outs of digital photographs on non-photographic paper are acceptable as long as they are clear.

GENERAL

It is strongly recommended that you write the daily report on the day you have visited the organization where you are working. During mid-term evaluation, you will be required to present these reports as evidence that you are indeed proceeding in the right direction

REFLECTIVE DIARY (B Ed Programme)
The format of the Reflective Diary to be submitted by students of the B Ed programme at the end of the academic session is as follows:

CONTENTS

Report on participation in house activities
Report on participation in inter-institute activities
Report on participation in activities organized by the Activity Clubs
Report on educational visits
Report on sports and Sangathan-related activities
Report on participation in morning assembly
Any other in consultation with CCA Coordinator

FORMAT OF REPORT

Date of participation
Name of activity
Nature of participation (to be written in a few sentences; e.g. I represented AIE as part of the Kho-Kho team; I participated in the Debate competition organized by AIE on the topic ‘……’)
Reflections: the emphasis should be on what you experienced and the learning that occurred; an example has been posted to further clarify your understanding of what is expected of you. This part of the report has to be written in a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 500 words.

It is strongly recommended that you maintain the reflective diary throughout the year as and when you participate in any activity.

TERMS IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Behaviour: actions or reactions of a person in response to external or internal stimuli

Stimuli: any thing or event in the environment that evokes a response, overt or covert, conscious or subconscious or unconscious

Environment: circumstances or conditions that a person is in

Experience: apprehension, realization of an object, thought or emotions through the senses; active participation in events/activities

Science: methodical activity, discipline, study

Consciousness: mental alertness to a particular situation; being aware of one’s environment or existence, sensation and thoughts

Subconscious: not wholly conscious; part of mind below level of conscious perception (e.g. hear a sound that recollect later)

Unconscious: lacking awareness and capacity for sensory perception; absence of conscious awareness/thought; involuntary or unintended

Covert: hidden, not seen

Overt: open, observable

Positive science: attempts to describe things as they are, not how they ought to be; descriptive, objective; e.g. pure physics

Normative science: how things should be; which things are good and which bad; which actions are right and which are wrong

Applied science: application of knowledge to solve particular problems

Perception: understanding the information obtained through the senses

LINKS FOR LEARNING THEORIES

You could follow these links for material on learning approaches
BEHAVIOURISTIC APPROACH
http://cranepsych.com/Psych/Overview_of_behaviourism.pdf
http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/behaviourism.html
http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551503/behaviourism.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/5769721/teaching-learning-process-
CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)
http://saskschoolboards.ca/research/instruction/97-07.htm#A%20Classroom%20Example%20of%20Constructivist%20Teaching
http://www.prainbow.com/cld/cldp.html

An example of lesson planning with constructivist approach

http://jaime1.blogspot.com/2005/02/lesson-plans.html

VYGOTSKY'S SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Look at the sections titled ‘Theory of learning’ and ‘Theory of transmission’ at this site
http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Vygotsky.html
Look at this too
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Vygotsky's_constructivism

MATERIAL ON LEARNING THEORIES
Can explore these – a kind of virtual library for learning theories
http://www.emtech.net/learning_theories.htm
http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/

CONSTRUCTIVISM

Wikipedia page on constructivism with links to pages on psychologists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)

BRUNER'S CONSTRUCTIVISM
Some information on Bruner
http://www.learning-theories.com/discovery-learning-bruner.html
http://www.thinkingink.com/_contents/edu/phd_archives/EPRS8500_DiscLrngThry.PDF