Concepts in Education and their Changing Connotations

Connotation is the tone or emotional association that a word has. It can be negative or positive, but is usually something seen by the population in general but in logic, the characteristic or set of characteristics that makes up the meaning of a term and thus defines the objects to which a term can be applied.

CURRICULUM

Cunningham :- “Curriculum is a tool in the hands of the artist (teacher) to mould  his material (pupils) according to his ideals (aim and objectives) in his studio (school)”

Curriculum is the core of an educational system. While education is a process, curriculum is a means to the process, while education is learning, curriculum signifies situations for learning, While education deals with ‘how’ and ‘when’, curriculum deals with ‘what’.

Brubacher has rightly compared curriculum with the ‘material’ in the construct of the ‘building of education’

Etymologically it is derived from the word ‘currer’ which means to run.

The ground on which the pupils and the teacher cover to reach the goal of education.

According to  Modalior commission :-  “Curriculum includes all the learner’s experiences in or outside that are included in a program which has been devised to help him  develop physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually and morally.”

 “Curriculum is the total effort of the school to bring about desired outcomes in school and out of school situations.”  Sayler and Alexander

Coles (2003) “A curriculum is more than a list of topics to be covered by an educational programme, for which the more commonly accepted word is a ‘syllabus’. A curriculum is first of all a policy statement about a piece of education, and secondly an indication as to the ways in which that policy is to be realised through a programme of action.”

OLDER CONCEPT OF CURRICULUM

1.       Narrower concept : Earlier Curriculum was considered as a body of subjects or  subject matter prepared by the teacher  for the students to learn it was synonymous to  ‘course of study’ or ‘syllabus’

2.       Priority to art and literature :

3.       Vague

4.       Teacher Centered

5.       Priority to mind and sense

6.       Philosophical approach

CHANGING CONNOTATIONS OF CURRICULUM

1.       Wide and comprehensive

2.       Experience centered

3.       Application of Knowledge and understanding

4.       Higher Position to Research

5.       Systematically Planned

6.       Based on Principle of utility

7.       Child Centered

8.       Psychological approach

9.       Community centered

10.   Interrelation of subjects

11.   Management of leisure

12.   Virtual learning

13.   Problem base curriculum

14.   Distance and correspondence learning

15.   Priority to Science and technology

16.   Co Curricular and Extracurricular activities

17.    All around development

SCHOOL

“Learning is the greatest game in life and the most fun. All children are born believing this and will continue to believe this until we convince them that learning is very hard work and unpleasant.” Gordon

“A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students (or "pupils") under the direction of teachers” Gilbert

The word school derived from Greek  (scholē), originally meaning "leisure"

OLDER CONCEPT OF SCHOOL

1. Religious Institutions

2. Residential Schools

3. Built by rulers

4. Religious education

5. Teachers as base

6.  Primary Concern of teaching

7. Rigid Discipline

8. Concise Curriculum

9. Only intellectual development

CHANGING CONNOTATIONS OF SCHOOL

1. Miniature Society

2. Demolished religious Institutions

3. Broad Curriculum

4. Discipline

5. Teacher as Facilitator

6. for Harmonious Development

7. Student as a chief concern

8. Empowerment of teachers

9. Management and administration

10. Technological advancements

11. New teaching & learning techniques

12. New developments in school buildings

13. Changes in society’s attitude towards learning/ learners

TEACHER

Among the greatest of all services that can be rendered by men to Almighty God, is the education and training of children, so that they can foster by grace in the way of salvation, growing like pearls of divine bounty in the shell of education and will be one day the jewel in the crown of abiding glory.

“A ‘teacher’ is a person who delivers an educational program, assesses student participation in an educational program, and/or administers or provides consistent and substantial leadership to an educational program.” Harmer

OLDER CONCEPT OF TEACHER

1.       Dominant Information Feeder

2.        Imparting instruction only

3.       Major source of Knowledge

4.       Syllabus Followers

5.       Technically handicapped

6.       Pre Service Training only

7.       Older Methods of Instruction

CHANGING CONNOTATION OF TEACHER

1.       Dominant Information Feeder to a Facilitator

2.       Adaptation of Instruction to developmental levels

3.       Friend Philosopher and Guide

4.       Adapting Holistic Approach

5.       A motivator and Encourage Feeder

6.       Emphasis on Learner’s Initiative

7.       Pre Service as well as In service Training

8.       Planner of the learning

9.       Moral Development

10.   Assess the students

11.   Freedom and Control

12.   Experimentation Opportunity

13.   Transforming Information into wisdom

14.   Identifier of Students’ Potentialities

15.   Reviewer and reinforce of students activities

Western Concept of Education

The question of education has been given particular consideration by many Societies, Western or Indian. By definition, education is a transfer of knowledge from one generation to another; it is a system or practice of teaching and learning. Also in its broadest meaning, “education is any process by which an individual gains knowledge or insight, or develops attitudes or skill”

1. Socrates: "Education means the bringing out of the ideas of universal validity which are latent in the mind of every man".

To him ‘Knowledge is Virtue’  and knowledge can be achieved through knowing oneself so ‘Know thyself’, the way of real knowledge is truth and truth is the way which directly leads to God.

2. Plato was an idealist and he fully realized the needs of human body and soul. According to him "Education of giving to the body and soul all the perfection of which they are susceptible”

-Inculcation of sentiments of love, beauty and goodness

                                    

               TRUTH                           GOODNESS                                      BEAUTY

Intellectual Development            Ethical Development                             Aestheticism

(Philosophy, Logic,                        (Ethics, Morals, Values)                    (Art, Music, Painting)

Mathematics, Language

Geography, Science, History)

  

-Harmonizing the personality of child

3. Aristotle: "Education is the art of acquiring happiness and not the pursuit of pleasure”

He lays emphasis on making an individual a good human being, he states ‘In virtue of each, the virtue of all is involved’

                                                                                                        

                                                                         Education of the Body

  3 aspects of education                                   Education of the character

                                                                               Education of the intellect

  

4. Rousseau: According to him there are 3 different sources of education

a)  Education by Nature : “The constitutional exertion of our organs and faculties is the education of Nature”

It restores the unsophisticated man whose sole function is to be a man. In the natural order of things, all men being equal, their common vocation is manhood.

b) Education given by men : “The uses we are taught to make of that exertion constitutes the education given by men”

c) Education from circumstances: The acquisition made by our own experiences”

                                          Two Types of education

A} Negative type of education: “I call negative education that which tends to perfect the organs that are the instruments of the knowledge, and before giving this knowledge directly and that endeavours to prepare the way for reason by proper exercise of the sense. A negative education does the time of idleness, far from it. It does not give virtues, it projects from vice. It does not inculcate truth. It projects from errors.

B] Positive Education:  “ I call positive education one that tends to form the mind prematurely and to instruct the child in the duties that belongs to man.”

5. Froebel: “Education is unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ. It is the process through which the child makes internal external"

Froebel's Meaning of education rested on  basic ideas of

a)      free self expression and creativity

b)      social participation

c)       motor expression.

6. John Dewey: “I believe that the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child's powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself.”

Social View : What the best and wisest parent want for his own child, that must the community want for all of its children

7. Herbert Spencer: "Education is complete living".

Spencer was an agnostic who believed that the only way to gain knowledge was through a scientific approach.  He felt that religion was a futile attempt to gain knowledge of the unknown

Indian Concept of Education

Introduction

The most important contribution of ancient India not only for India but also for the world is in the field of education. It may also be remembered that education is not an abstract term. It is manifested in the cultural economic, individual, philosophical, scientific, social and spiritual advancement. In other words, education is the means for developing the mind for the betterment of the individual and society. Seen from this perspective, the following views of great scholars and thinkers deserve mention.

Albert Einstein:-

“We owe a lot to the Indians who taught us how to count without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have made.”

Mark Twain, an American Writer:-

“India is the cradle of the human race. Most valuable and the most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”

Lancelot Hagen, in his publication Mathematics for the Millions:-

“There has been no more revolutionary contribution than the one which the Hindus made when they invented zero.”

    

VEDIC EDUCATION

According to Rigveda “Education is that which makes man self reliant and selfless”

According to Upnishads “ Education is that whose end product is salvation”

Vedantic View of Education “We need an education that quickens, that vivifies, that kindles the urge of spirituality”

Dr. A. S. Altekar says that the Brahmanic education aimed at “Infusion of a spirit of piety and religiousness, formation of character, development of personality, inculcation of civil and social sense, promotion of social efficacy, & preservation and spread of national culture.”

 1. Knowledge:

Education is knowledge. It is mans third eye. This aphorism means that knowledge opens mans inner eye, flooding him with spiritual and divine light, which forms the provision for man‘s journey through life. Through education, the development of every aspect of human life become possible. Knowledge protects an individual like a mother, inspires him to follow the path of good conduct as father does, and gives the pleasure that one‘s wife provides.

2. Infusion of Spiritual & Religious Values:

The primary aim of ancient education was instilling into the minds, of pupils a spirit of being pious and religious for glory of God and good of man. The pursuit of knowledge was a pursuit of religious values. The life of the pupil was full of ritual acts. Prayers were common every pupil was required to perform religious ceremonies duly. He had to participate in all religious festivals. Education without religions instructions was not education at all. It was believed that a keener appreciation of spiritual values could be fostered only through a strict observance if religious rites.

3. Character Development

In no period of the History of India, was so much stress laid on character building as in the Vedic period Vyas Samhita states, ―The result of education is good character and good behaviour. A conquest does not make a hero nor studies a wise – woman. He who has conquered his senses is the real hero. He who practices virtue in really wise.‖ Wisdom consisted in the practice of moral values. Control of senses and practice of virtues made one a man of character. Moral excellence could come only through praticising moral values. Example was better than precept. The teacher and the taught were ideals of morality, for both practiced it all through their lives.

4. Development of Civic Responsibilities and Social Values:

The inculcation of civic virtues and social values was an equally important objective of education in India. The Brahmachari after his education in the Gurukulas went back to the society to serve the rich and the poor, to relieve the diseased and the distressed. He was required to be hospitable to the guests and charitable to the needy. After a certain period of studies he was required to become a householder and to perpetuate his race and transmit his culture to his own off springs.

5. Personality Development:

The Guru in the ancient times realized that the development of personality is the sole aim of education. Human personality was regarded as the supreme work of God. The qualities of self-esteem, self confidence, self restraint and self respect were the personality traits that the educator tried to incukate in his pupils through example.

6. Preserving and Diffusing National Culture:

Vedic culture was kept intact and transmitted through word of mouth to succeeding generations. Every individual was required to commit to memory at least a portion of the sacred scriptures. Everyone was required to serve as a medium of transmission. The members of the priestly class learnt the whole of Vedic Literature by heart & passed it on.

JAINISM

1. Self Control

2. Renunciation

3. Liberation (Self reliant, Individual efforts)

MUSLIM EDUCATION

Quran’ first word is IQRA which means “Seek Knowledge”

According to Tirmidhi

“A single scholar of religion is more formidable against shaitaan than thousand devout person”

1- Religious Objective:

It refers to the Quran as the primary source of knowledge, as well as the Sunnah of the Prophet, and aims at developing the Muslim personality that believes in Allah, his prophets, angels, revealed books, day of judgment and destiny along with reviving the Islamic rites, sticking to its instructions and spreading its teachings amongst future generations.

2- Worldly Objective:

It is not less important than the religious objective as the noble verses of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet have repetitively stressed on the importance of acquiring knowledge and seeking after it for every Muslim individual. The Quran and the Sunnah have furthermore emphasized on the vitality of benefiting from Allah’s blessings in the Universe, urging Muslims to seek after their well-being and secure a good livelihood by earning money through legal means; such as trade, manufacturing or agriculture … etc.

Islamic education has sought to intermediate between those two objectives and work on striking harmony and balance between them, thereby fulfilling the famous statement of Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, “Work for your temporal world as if you will live forever; and work for the Hereafter as if you will die tomorrow.”

3- ‘Knowledge for the Sake of Knowledge' Objective:

This objective reflects the spiritual pleasure of acquiring knowledge, and it is the motivation that sets human individuals on the quest for truth, to seek after knowledge and embark on a journey of learning and research, just for the pleasure of learning.

BUDDHISM

1. Nirvana

2. Demolishing Blind Faith

3. Control of Sense and mind

4. Non Violence

5. Truthfulness

MODERN CONCEPT OF EDUCATION

MK Gandhi “ By education I mean an all around drawing out of best in child and man- mind body and spirit”

1. All Round Development

In our national perception education is essentially for all. This is fundamental to our all round development material and spiritual.

2. Acculturating Role { process of cultural and psychological change}

Education has an acculturating role. It refines sensitivities and perceptions that contribute to national cohesion, a scientific temper and independence of mind and spirit – thus furthering the goal of socialism, secularism and democracy enshrined in our Constitution.

3. Development of Manpower

Education develops manpower for different levels of the economy. It is also a substrate on which research and development flourish, being the ultimate gurantee of national self-reliance.

4. Unique Investment

Education is a unique investment in the present and the future. This cardinal principle is the key to the National Policy of Education.

Change In Teacher's Role and Learner's Participation

Role Of Teacher

Among the greatest of all services that can be rendered by men to Almighty God, is the education and training of children, so that they can foster by grace in the way of salvation, growing� like pearls of divine bounty in the shell of education and will be one day the jewel in the crown of abiding glory.

Traditional Role :

Teacher’s Role as instructor as based on concept of  Knowledge. Teacher was a Dominator.

Modern Role:

1.       Dominant information feeder  to a facilitator.

2.       Concept of knowlwdge as  process of reasoning.

3.       Adaptation of Instruction to developmental levels.

4.       Monitoring students

5.       Resource providers

6.       assess the students

7.       plan the learning.

8.       implement the plan

9.       evaluate the process.

10.   opportunity for experimentation without evaluation, grading or marking.

11.   Adopting Holistic Approach

12.   Freedom and Control

13.   Optimal Learning

14.   A Motivator and encourage feeder

15.   Moral Development

16.   Thematic teaching

17.   Facilitative Teacher as Mediator : The function of techer as mediator is to promote students confident adaptability by enhancing their security and making them aware of their own powers and their own worth. The teacher in modern scenario would strengthen the confidence of the students in their own capabilities.

18.   Emphasis on learner’s initiative

Learner’s participation

Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. As far as learner is concerned even bad times have their scientific values and a good learner never miss it.

1.       Profound faith  in capable of solving problems

2.       persistent in examining their own assumptions

3.       Learning from the experiences and interests

4.       Interaction with other

5.       Pair and group activities

6.       Learning by doing

7.       irrevocable resolution to every problem

8.       Ability to take constructive criticism

9.       show initiative

10.   able to monitor and evaluate their own learning

11.   self-aware in relation to their own learning

12.   adaptable and flexible in their approach to learning

13.   pro-active (i.e. they don’t wait for things/people to come to them)

14.   critical and analytical thinker

15.    filtering and selecting the needed information

16.   learning as pleasurable

17.   Goal-oriented

18.   Practical

19.   Competence and mastery

20.   Learning by experience

21.   Responsible for Self

22.   Need for Community.

Concept of Virtual Learning

Concept of Virtual Learning Environment

"The explosion of the knowledge age has changed the context of what is learnt and how it is learnt – the concept of virtual Learning Environment is a manifestation of this knowledge revolution.”   

                                                                                                                                   Elliott Masie

                                                            or

"The objectives of virtual Learning Environments are to improve access to advanced educational experiences by allowing students and instructors to participate in remote learning communities using personal computers; and to improve the quality and effectiveness of education by using the computer to support a collaborative learning process. “  Franklin

Just as the term virtual means a simulation of the real thing, Virtual Learning Environment is a simulated Learning Environment via Internet, which provides a convenient communication environment for distance learners bit same to  traditional face-to-face Learning Environment.  A virtual Learning Environment allows learners to attend a class from anywhere in the world and aims to provides a learning experience that is similar to a real Learning Environment. When we go to college we have a schedule of lectures, which we must attend. Student must arrive on time, and when he enters the Learning Environment, he finds a teacher, fellow learners, a blackboard or whiteboard, LCD projector, optionally a television screen with videos. Likewise, a Virtual Learning Environment is a scheduled, online, teacher-led training session where teachers and learners interact together using computers linked to a network such as the Internet. A virtual Learning Environment enables to bring learners from around the world together online in highly interactive virtual classes while greatly reducing the travel, time, and expense of on-site teaching/training  programs. It can be used as a solution for live delivery and interaction that addresses the entire process of creating and managing our teaching-learning process. It facilitates instructor and student in teaching-learning events, such as a seminar, online discussion or a live training for employees in company. As in traditional Learning Environment, there are professor and fellow learners present with the student; we have many participants present in virtual Learning Environment. They can talk with each other as in the traditional Learning Environment via chat. Similarly presenter uses whiteboard, gives notes/resources, gives presentation as given in traditional one. Thus, virtual Learning Environment can be visualized as a Learning Environment where a lecture or session is conducted using Internet. Now, that we have some idea about virtual Learning Environment, we will discuss some advantages  that virtual Learning Environment offers over traditional Learning Environment.       CDAC’s Virtual Learning Environment.

Acc  to Brown “a mode of computer based education whereby the teacher interacts with students either via video-conferencing, Internet broadcast, or email” Wikipedia.com says, "A virtual Learning Environment is a learning environment created in the virtual space.

Users of Virtual Learning Environment

There are different classes of users of virtual Learning Environment based on the  roles that they play. These roles are as follows:

• Presenter (or Administrator)

• Participant

When presenter enters in virtual  Learning Environment, he has  different work to do than participant and viceversa.

Facilities provided by presenter interface to Faculty:

• Register new users  : Presenter as an administrator has to register new users that will be  attending the session.

• Create a session  : Presenter has to decide the session time, users that will be invited

for the session. While creating a session, he can specify the time and  users of the particular session.

• Cancel a user registration : If any registered user does not want to attend the session, presenter  cancels his registration.

• Conduct Online presentation : As a presenter, he conducts the session for participants. During presentation he performs various activities in the Learning Environment. He can load the presentation slide that will be displayed to  participants. 

• Share Resources: Presenter can add various resources to the session. It may be a file  or just a simple web page link that participant can download at their  end.

• Conduct Poll:  He can create a poll for participants. Also  he can chat with participants.    

• Explain concepts using Whiteboard: He can use whiteboard to explain some of the topic, which may not  be able to explain via presentations, or to solve any particular doubt  asked by the participant.

Facilities provided by participant interface to students:

• View online presentation : When a participant joins the session, they can view the presentation, which are conducted by the presenter in the virtual  Learning Environment. The presentation may include the PowerPoint presentation  slides or it may also include the snap of the whiteboard on which the  presenter can explain the concepts to the participants.

• Public/Private Chat : The participants can have a conversation with the fellow participants publicly or privately via the chat feature available in the interface, the chat allows the participant to send the instant messages to the participants who are also attending the session. Participants can also send private messages to any of the participant but he is not allowed to send private messages to the presenter but  can do so by  using the hands up facility, which is explained next.

• Raise Hands: Whenever any participant will have any doubt, then he can tell that  to presenter by using the hands up facility available in the user  interface of the participant, using this feature the participant can  interact with the presenter via the private chat.

• Give Response to the polls  : The participants can answer the polls that are submitted by the presenter by using the “Submit Response” facility provided in the  interface. The poll can be of type objective or it may be of Yes/No type.  It the particular poll is public then participants can see response for  that particular poll, else it will be kept hidden from the participant. The  Only presenter is able to see the response for private poll.

• Download Resources  : The resources that are been shared by the presenter  can be  downloaded by the participants at their machine. The resources can be  the files which may include course material, e-book’s etc, or it may be also web links which presenter may want the participants should refer.

Use-case diagram for “Virtual Learning Environment”

                        Start Presentation

                                                                                                Registration

                        Register Create Create Load

                        Users     Agenda Poll    Resources                 Attend Presentation

Presenter                                                                                                                    Participant

                                                                                                Voting for Poll

                        End Presentation                                            Download resources         

Advantages of Virtual Learning Environment

Following are some of the advantages of Virtual Learning Environment over traditional Learning Environment model:

• Removal of geographical barriers :(Anywhere learning) A virtual Learning Environment allows learners and teachers to attend a single live training session from any place in the world, provided they have a computer and Internet connection.

• Sessions can be recorded:  If learners miss a traditional Learning Environment-based training session, they have very little opportunity to engage in the learning experience that took place. A virtual Learning Environment has a facility to record the session so learners or teachers can replay it afterwards. Teachers too get an opportunity to review their own or their colleagues’ performance.

• Quicker to organize : Training can be organized more quickly than traditional Learning Environment-based training. Learning Environments and projectors do not need to be reserved, materials do not need to be distributed. The sessions are easier to schedule or reschedule since attendees will not be traveling to the venue of the session.

• One to one communication:  In a virtual Learning Environment environment, learners can talk to the teacher and to each other, and although this communication is not as rich in a traditional Learning Environment, it still can help learners, since it is one to one. Due to these advantages, concept of virtual Learning Environment is getting very popular. Since it allows learners to attend sessions from anywhere in world, it is very useful for distant learners and for peoples who cannot meet face to face because of lack of time. Though it gives lots of advantages, it has some pitfalls also. Following section describes some limitations of virtual Learning Environment.     

• Completion Of  Course at your own pace

• Saves money and Time

• Beneficial for quick Learners : Students who are motivated and/or quick learners may be permitted to move ahead at a faster rate than in a normal in-class setting. 

• Communication

• No challenge of deciphering  handwriting

• Reusability of Material

• Easy process of Learning

• Child Centered or Learner cantered Education

• Supports Independent Learning

• Raise Quality Education

Limitations of Virtual Learning Environment

Following are some of the limitations of Virtual Learning Environment over Traditional Learning Environment:

• Familiarity of tools : Teachers and students need to become familiar with the tools Teachers and students are familiar with the workings of  a traditional Learning Environment, that is, they understand the concepts of hand raising, the whiteboard, assignments, and so forth. With a virtual Learning Environment, all attendees must become familiar with the way the virtual Learning Environment works before virtual Learning Environment based training starts.

• Time dependency for Live Sessions :Attending virtual Learning Environment training is restricted to  a certain scheduled time.

• Infrastructure for the participants:  PC needs to be prepared Virtual Learning Environment sessions need to be scheduled, teachers need to be invited, and participants’ PCs need to be prepared.

• Technical Limitations Technical issues such as bandwidth, speed of the connection or power failure may create problem while presentation is going on.

• Difficulty for the teachers to Structure the material for Internet Layout

• Not suitable at primary level of education

• Less Working of Communication Tools

• Lack Of competent teachers

• No provision of Physical Learning Environment

• Lack of Socialization

• Lack of infrastructure

• Difficult Interaction

• Some lessons can’t be taught