Student engagement and understanding of materials is given
more emphasis in today’s education over spoon feeding the facts. Therefore,
using black-boards or the typical lecture methods are not adequate to teach
science and other related subjects. More than just conveying facts or findings in
science, students will love to explore the world of science. These innovative
teaching methods in science can substitute the typical teaching techniques to
achieve the goal.Some of these innovative strategies as follows:
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Peer
tutoring is a flexible, peer-mediated strategy that involves students
serving as academic tutors and tutees. Typically, a higher performing
student is paired with a lower performing student to review critical academic
or behavioral concepts.A peer tutor is anyone who is of a similar status as the person
being tutored.
It
is a widely-researched practice across ages, grade levels, and subject areas.The
intervention allows students to receive one-to-one assistance.Students have
increased opportunities to respond in smaller groups.It promotes academic and
social development for both the tutor and tutee.Student engagement and time on
task increases.Peer tutoring increases self-confidence and self-efficacy.The
strategy is supported by a strong research base
Peer tutoring models -
- Classwide Peer
Tutoring (CWPT)
- Cross-age Peer
Tutoring
- Peer Assisted
Learning Strategies (PALS)
- Reciprocal Peer
Tutoring (RPT)
- · Same-age Peer Tutoring
How should peer tutors
be trained?
- Establish
rules for confidentiality of student progress.
- Define
and develop procedures for social skills students may need throughout peer
tutoring (i.e., sharing, taking turns, using respectful language, and accepting
criticism or feedback).
- Define
and develop procedures for moving into peer tutoring groups quickly and
quietly.
- Explain
and model peer tutoring and allow students to practice prior to the first peer
tutoring session. Consider using a prepared script for practicing interactions.
- Train
students how to provide feedback for correct and incorrect peer responses,
including praise.
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Cooperative learning is an educational approach which aims to organize
classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences.There
is much more to cooperative learning than merely arranging students into groups,
and it has been described as structuring positive interdependence.Students must
work in groups to complete tasks collectively toward academic goals. Unlike
individual learning, which can be competitive in nature, students learning
cooperatively can capitalize on one another's resources and skills (asking one
another for information, evaluating one another's ideas, monitoring one
another's work, etc.).Furthermore, the
teacher's role changes from giving information to facilitating students learning.
Different approaches
are as follows :
- STAD (Student Teams Achievment Division)
- Jigsaw classroom
- Learning together
- Group investigation
- Co-operative scripting
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Concept
Mapping
A concept map or conceptual diagram is a diagram that depicts suggested relationships
between concepts. It is a graphical tool that instructional designers, engineers, technical writers, and
others use to organize and structure knowledge.
A concept
map typically represents ideas and information as boxes or circles, which it
connects with labeled arrows in a downward-branching hierarchical structure.
The relationship between concepts can be articulated in linking phrases such as causes, requires, or contributes
to.
The
technique for visualizing these
relationships among different concepts is called concept mapping. Concept maps have been used to define the ontology of
computer systems, for example with the object-role modeling or Unified Modeling Language formalism.
- Helps visual learners grasp the material (however all
learners benefit from the activity)
- Helps students see relationships between ideas,
concepts, or authors
- Utilizes the full range of the left and right
hemispheres of the brain
- Helps memory recall
- Helps to clarify and structure ideas
- Aids in developing higher-level thinking skills
(create, analyze, evaluate)
- Helps students synthesize and integrate information,
ideas and concepts
- Encourages students to think creatively about the subject
- Lets students do self-evaluation of beliefs, values,
socialization, etc.
- Helps students evaluate assumptions.
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Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the
experience of solving an open-ended problem found in trigger material. The PBL
process does not focus on problem solving with a
defined solution, but it allows for the development of other desirable skills
and attributes. This includes knowledge acquisition, enhanced group collaboration
and communication. The PBL process was developed for medical education and has
since been broadened in applications for other programs of learning. The
process allows for learners to develop skills used for their future practice.
It enhances critical appraisal, literature retrieval and encourages ongoing
learning within a team environment.
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A reflective journal is a
personal record of student’s learning experiences. It is a space where a
learner can record and reflect upon their observations and responses to
situations, which can then be used to explore and analyse ways of thinking.
Journals, although generally written, can also contain images, drawings and
other types of reference materials.
A reflective journal is a means for learners
to reflect on their learning and learning experiences in different ways. They
are used to:
- record
the development of learners’ ideas and insights and / or those of a group in a
given context and can include concepts, ideas and main points from experience
and theory;
- reflect
upon the subject content and personal experiences as a means to increase
learners’ understanding;
- analyse
learning process for self development.
Reflective journals are used to explore
situations from a personal perspective, but generally within the context of
learning from students’ own experiences. They are used to reflect on, in and
for action. Common questions arising from 'reflection' are:
- What
happened? (Reflecting on actions)
- Why
did it happen? (Reflecting in actions)
- What
can be learnt from this for future actions? (Reflecting for actions)
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