Showing posts with label 21st century learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 21st century learning. Show all posts

Monday 29 April 2013

Intelligent Adaptive Learning: An Essential Element of 21st Century Teaching Part II

In our previous article of “Intelligent Adaptive Learning: An Essential Element of 21st Century Teaching Part I” we saw “What is Intelligent Adaptive Learning all about and why is it required” Let us explore the subject further more

Increase inDemand of Intelligent Adaptive Learning

With more and more learners, students and faculties moving to online education, box instructor or adaptive learning has come up as the most sophisticated solutions. Intelligent Adaptive Learningcontributes in bigger way (much more meaningful way) in developing engagingenvironment and through grasping relations between the learner and the online tutor. It is a commonly established fact that understanding the needs and developing the solutions based on those very needs is beneficial for all.

A few challenges of Intelligent Adaptive Learning

In online education, all the students might not be on the same platform of intelligence and understanding as each student comes from totally distinct geographical, cultural, economical and intellectual background. For such students regular methodic approach of imparting education does not serve as a plausible option. Thus, inferential technology has been used to form the Intelligent Adaptive Learning. With the help inferential technology adaptive learning is expected to grow leaps and bounds. Now, that this system has come out as an open-market paradigm, it is going through an optimistic phase of impact on various aspects such as affordability, accessibility, quality challenges of global education as well as training pertaining to e-learning systems.

Importance of intelligent adaptive learning

One of the greatest advantages that intelligent adaptive learning provides is that it gives the learner the privilege of selecting his own modular components which are especially suitable for their learner-centric environment. Moreover, it also provides flexible solutions through which they can adapt themselves dynamically and which also suit their real-time goals. At present, three models have been created for teaching learners of different levels:
  • Expert model
  • Student model and,
  • Instruction model
Intelligent adaptive learning finds its usage in classrooms as well as in distance learning education fields. It is also used in group collaboration applications.  

Each individual is uniquewe have hundreds of reasons to believe it. Since many centuries humanity has been trying to bridge the gap between high level and low level, be it education, financial status or other socio economic factors. As far as learning is concerned with rise of intelligent adaptive learning techniques, by the mid of 21st of century we can expect all the people getting access to the unique, specially customized and affordable learning systems. These Intelligent Adaptive Learningsystems will be flexible and can be tuned in to match the understanding and interest level of an individual. Through Intelligent Adaptive Learningsystem, everyone will have the same level of knowledge, information and understanding of the subject at the end of the curriculum. This will also create better learned and thoughtful individuals, who will be able to use it for pursuing their further goals more effectively.

Geographical barriers have already started dropping with the coming up of the internet, at least in the virtual world. But the high speed of adaptive learning looks assuring enough to bring the same shift in the outlook of real world as well. In short though as of now Intelligent Adaptive Learning systems are yet in their cradle phase yet soon enough Intelligent Adaptive Learning systems will create better learned generations that shall be enhanced forever.

Friday 15 March 2013

The Future of Teaching and Learning Will Always Need the Humanities

Study of humanities was relevant in the past and is equally relevant in the present. The study of humanities is the unavoidable discipline and it is beyond any argument that study of humanities will remain equally important in the future too. The fact is our world is shrinking day by day due to the prominence of scientific inventions and the dominance of information technology. But there is no science in this world which is not for humanity or which does not remain inclined to the needs of humanity.

The term ‘humanities’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘Humanus’. In Latin the word signifies human, who also means “cultured’ and “refined’ too. Irrespective of any linguistic assertion human beings do possess tenderness, kindness and rationality. All these latent qualities bring forth different connotations being carried by the vehicles of beliefs, values, environments and experiences.

All these qualities contribute to the refinement of the basic qualities of a human being. So the thought and belief about the study of humanities has the power of “walking an extra mile in some other’s moccasins”. The illustration of this quotation is, if you are literate in ‘humanities’ you can market your product more than those who are not. No body will deny that cross-cultural understanding will be powerful booty to make use of it in this global village. That is why teaching and learning will always need the humanities, in a substantial way.  
   
Humanities constitute many variables. By studying humanities we become closer to many horizons that our life can offer through the profoundness of literature, philosophy, art, music and history. So, any solid grounding to any / many of these studies followed by its perseverance enriches our existence. Any nation can be politically liberal or conservative, independent studies of humanities can lead the people towards better thought processes. It also enables one to catapult the general synthesis of rational of happenings of things.

Business world is grateful to teaching and learning humanities
The need of teaching and learning humanities is more prevalent in this virtual world. The more you are exposed to the world, the more you need to learn many languages and foreign cultures. Every country is expanding its business throughout the world. The product may be a simple “pin” or the “powerful medicinal or defense product”, hence knowing or not knowing the local language or local culture will make the difference. Since the vendors are many, the aptness of marketing will be seen through the deal. There are many countries that do not use a single language as the medium of correspondence, rather they oblige and prefer those who come under their language or cultural folds. Japanese audience will love the Japanese speaking vendors. Spanish speaking countries compel the English speaking businessmen to become closer in the language they prefer to. Many such examples can be sited when, albeit many resources, the business world need the support of humanities.    

Even if there is no obligatory part involved as above, your business can only grow in this global environment if you can communicate freely and frankly with your business partners across thee world. Here comes the benevolence of humanities.

Education and Research world is grateful to teaching and learning humanities
Other than business world, scholars / scientists / researchers and such luminaries do not want to be called as ‘awkward social geek’ due to their linguistic problems. They feel relieved if and when they can communicate their ideas to the wider audience. A few may contradict the idea and argue that why the luminaries need the orientations of humanities?

The answer is simple, teaching and learning humanitieswill introduce us to the ideas and thoughts to the specialist and outside world where we can enjoy our relevance, attain new directions and also increase our creativity. If a society is to be successful, it has to be assorted with the refined integration of generosity, compassion, civility, charity, altruisms where the characteristics of emphasized and evaluated humanities make its presence felt.

Read on: How can you establish the relevance of studying humanities for today and also for future
About PracTutor
Started in April -2012, PracTutor (www.practutor.com) is an adaptive learning platform to help students excel in Math and English. PracTutor is part of emPower Training Solutions (www.empowerbpo.com) that has been providing online compliance solutions to 100+ healthcare practices and hospitals since the last 4 years.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at:
http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor

Friday 15 February 2013

Digital Learning Day aims to change education’s direction

Program organizers launch 'Project 24,' which gives districts a customized digital learning plan; a Massive Open Online Course for educators to learn about ed tech; and more

Throughout the rest of February, educators are encouraged to capture digital learning in action.


With an overwhelming 25,000 educators participating in Digital eLearning Day on Feb. 6, ed-tech supporters used technology-based projects, lessons, and enthusiasm to mark what they called a perfect time to launch a national digital learning campaign.

“Every day should be Digital Learning Day,” said Karen Cator, director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. “Access to technology has become as important to learning as access to a library, yet teachers remain the critical link between students and the content.”

Cator said teachers are setting expectations for multiple “revision cycles” of student productions, made possible with “professional tools for writing, composing music, creating video documentaries, and design.”

“They are learning along with their students and modeling good questioning and internet research strategies, assigning more complex and challenging projects, and facilitating communication and collaboration even across borders,” she said.

“The president and I are convinced that with technology, we have an extraordinary opportunity to expand educational excellence and equity, and personalize the experience for students,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who attended Digital Learning Day in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Donovan’s class at Jamestown Elementary in Arlington, Va., presented their favorite apps during Discovery Education’s webinar celebrating Digital Learning Day.

Along with teachers, students, and parents representing all 50 states, Digital Learning Day garnered support from nearly 50 national partners and 25 corporate partners.

Efforts included:

• Facebook worked with a range of stakeholders to develop resources and tools to help educators understand how to use social media inside and outside of the classroom.

• KnowledgeWorks’ World of Learning blog featured essays about the benefits and opportunities of digital and blended learning. Throughout the year, Principal Erin Frew of Cleveland’s West New Tech High School (who also works for KnowledgeWork’s New Tech Network) will be an expert resource for Digital Learning Day’s toolkit to help teachers in specific subject areas.

• The National Council of Teachers of English released a Framework for 21st-Century Curriculum and Assessment that recognizes that to be 21st-century literate, students must become proficient with the technology tools and use them to create and manage information, build meaningful relationships with others so they can inquire and work together, reflect on their own work processes and products, critically evaluate the multimedia sources and tools they use, and use these sources and tools ethically.

• American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a multi-year initiative of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, featured its Classroom Resources on the Digital Learning Day website. Classroom Resources connects teachers, parents, and students with easy navigation to the best of public media’s educational resources targeted to middle and high school youth.

• The National School Boards Association will be hosting its annual series of Technology Site Visits this spring to provide school leaders and educators with an in-depth look at the policies and practices that support digital learning.

• Global Kids, an in-school and after-school New York City youth program, had high school students learn about game design skills and global issues using the online platform Gamestar Mechanic. These students became expert mentors and will lead workshops across the city and enroll youth in the National STEM Video Game Design Challenge.

• The Alliance for Excellent Education (AEE), which hosts Digital Learning Day, is offering Digital Learning: Lessons in Action, which incorporates multiple strategies with digital learning, such as collaboration, personalized learning, project-based learning, flipped classrooms, virtual access to experts, and simulations.

Perhaps most noteworthy, AEE has more than 250 school districts, representing approximately 2.5 million students across 42 states, participating in its groundbreaking new initiative, called Project 24, which will help school districts plan for, and effectively use, technology and digital learning.

The “24” in Project 24 represents the next 24 months, a time during which the nation’s education landscape will change greatly as states and districts face numerous challenges—including the need to implement college- and career-ready standards for all students; use online assessments to gauge comprehension and learning; push for greater system and classroom innovation; deal with shrinking budgets; and contend with demands of states’ waivers from key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.

To participate, a school district must (1) sign up at www.all4ed.org/project24; (2) assemble a team composed of the district superintendent or a representative, a district curriculum leader, the district technology director, and a district professional development leader; and (3) take the free self-assessment. Upon completion of the self-assessment, a confidential, customized report will be generated for each district.

“With Project 24’s self-assessment tool, district leaders can frame their vision for student learning, begin to recognize the various aspects of the system that need to be addressed, and specify how technology can help align these efforts to achieve higher college- and career-ready standards,” said Bob Wise, AEE president and former governor of West Virginia. “It will help district leaders move beyond counting computers and internet connections to analyzing how they can integrate technology into their instructional plans.”

Partnering with other national membership organizations, the Alliance has identified a framework with seven major components that will provide education leaders in states and school districts with tools to make good decisions about how technology aligns with the goals and visions for their students. The framework will provide assistance to districts on (1) academic supports, (2) budget and resources, (3) curriculum and instruction, (4) data and assessments, (5) professional learning, (6) technology and infrastructure, and (7) use of time.

In conjunction with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University, AEE has developed a Massive Online Open Course for Educators (MOOC-E), called “The Digital Learning Transition in K–12 Schools: A Planning MOOC for Educators.” The six-week course is designed to provide a new type of learning experience for education leaders, one that will help them identify the potential of technology-enabled learning opportunities for the district, including its leaders, teachers, and students. The course will kick off on April 8.

More information on Project 24 is available at www.all4ed.org/project24.
Want to get even more involved? Throughout the rest of February, educators are encouraged to capture digital learning in action. Enhance and share your photo using the Instagram photo app, and tag it using #DLDay and @digitallearningday. Remember to review Instagram’s policies, and be sure that any students included in your photo have necessary waivers. Digital Learning Day will post the best photos on its website, and there might even be prizes for the best photos at the end of the month. Learn more here.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Three Useful Tips for Integrating Videos in e-Learning Courses

There is a very famous quote which goes, “Show, don’t tell”. Taking this principle into account, there is a need for an interactive learning model wherein students can learn through videos and images. E-learning courses try to follow this principle so that students can learn in an unconventional manner but retain major part of the learning. E-learning developers are circumspect to use videos/images in the e-learning courses. But if the tips given in this article are taken seriously, then you can create amazing content with the help of videos in e-learning courses. Let us look at these tips:
  • Videos should be used to depict behavioral skills: There are times when it is very difficult to explain things to students especially when you want to teach them about body language and other soft skills. In such scenarios, videos can be best option. These skills need to be seen to understand rather than reading them. Moreover; videos make the content very attractive and visually appealing especially if the course requires practice to master.
  • Videos should be short and to the point: Always bear in mind that your target audience does not have the patience to see a full length feature film. It is always advisable to break the length of the video to less than 3 minutes. Try to keep the introductory video short, so that it captures viewer’s attention. If you wish to integrate audio podcasts to the content it usually can be of a maximum 10 minutes. But it has been observed that viewers normally tune off from the content after initial couple of minutes. Hence, the success formula for integrating videos is shorter is better.
  • Videos should integrate different social media tools to make it interactive:  Give an option to the audience to offer feedback or post a comment on your videos. This will make them think about various suggestions and questions that they have on that particular video. You can also add questions and quizzes on the basis of the video content. If you integrate various social media tools to the video it will make it easier for the viewers to post the questions to their colleagues and get relevant answers to the questions. They can even taken the help of experts to learn more about that subject.
About PracTutor
Started in April -2012, PracTutor (www.practutor.com) is an adaptive learning platform to help students excel in Math and English. PracTutor is part of emPower Training Solutions (www.empowerbpo.com) that has been providing online compliance solutions to 100+ healthcare practices and hospitals since the last 4 years.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor
PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
http://www.practutor.com
Contact:
Hardik Parikh, Co-founder and CEO
12806 Townepark Way,
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
Direct (502) 400-9374
Email: hardik@practutor.com
Twitter: @hardikvparikh
Blog: http://hardik.practutor.com

Thursday 8 November 2012

3 Activities That Boosts the Working Memory in Children

Children are the future of human mankind. Hence; it is very important to boost the working memory, which is an integral part of brain development process for children. In this article; we look at different activities which can boost the working memory in children.

A well known scholar once said “A good memory is like a bagful of gold.” Therefore it is very important to build the + memory of children in their formative years. Working memory stores crucial information, while other material which is taught in schools forms the foundation for complex skills and knowledge. Children are very innocent in their early days. Hence, they can retain lot of information in their brains. A child who has poor working memory will find it extremely difficult to take on activities and face problems in learning. A recent research claims that memory deficits, if not found in early childhood can lead to extreme conditions; that can affect the academic performance of the child.
Let us now see different activities that can boost the working memory in children:
  • Kim’s game: This is a very popular game played by young kids that provides memory building exercises for them. It contains various selections of objects and number of words. These things are displayed to the child and then the objects are covered up. Kids then have to determine which item has been removed. This game can be played with different sets of objects.
  • Repetition: This activity ensures that children retain information for both short term and long term memories. It consists of reciting times tables, test questions and regularly viewing vocabulary cards. Study shows that with regular retrieval practice the child’s memory can be increased substantially.
  • Number and letter sequences: If you want to teach your child a foreign language then number and letter sequences is a very probable answer. It comprises of short number sequence and then gradually builds up digit by digit. The child then gets a minute to revise it after which the number sequence is removed completely. The child then has to recall as much of the sequence as they can. This process is repeated for letters.
About PracTutor
Started in April -2012, PracTutor (www.practutor.com) is an adaptive learning platform to help students excel in Math and English. PracTutor is part of emPower Training Solutions (www.empowerbpo.com) that has been providing online compliance solutions to 100+ healthcare practices and hospitals since the last 4 years.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor
PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
http://www.practutor.com
Contact:
Hardik Parikh, Co-founder and CEO
12806 Townepark Way,
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
Direct (502) 400-9374
Email: hardik@practutor.com
Twitter: @hardikvparikh
Blog: http://hardik.practutor.com

Saturday 18 August 2012

4 Classic Way to Study Without Being Distracted

In this age of 21st Century Learning; students often find it difficult to concentrate on studies due to various external factors. But when it comes to tests students have to start preparing for it as soon as possible. They have to avoid being distracted and concentrate on their studies. Let us look at various ways through which students can study without being distracted:
  • Study outdoors: Take the necessary study material and go outside. Do not take the computer with you. I find it extremely convenient to read, write and study outside without any difference of TV, music or internet.
  • Make use of paper: Paper is far less distracting than computers. If you wish to study typed it is advisable to print them and then study avoiding the computer. This will help you to study without any deviation that comes from pop-ups in the computer.
  • Keep a check-list ready and write things down: When you get distracted the best thing to do is to write things down so that it gets registered in your brain. This will help in getting a focused approach on the priority tasks so that it is not left out to be completed.
  • Take some free time out: Sometimes it is better to take out some leisure time. It helps in getting things sorted out and increases the concentration when you go back to study. You can concentrate a bit harder once you have had some fun time.
Enchanted learning has become of prime importance in recent times. We are already seeing students striving to get their best while attempting a quiz or test. Hence; it becomes very important for teachers and parents to see that students are not distracted from the studies.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://www.practutor.com

Saturday 11 August 2012

Challenging task of making math a fun-loving activity for students


Math has become a very challenging subject especially for tutors to teach. In this article, we discuss about the challenges and some innovative strategies that can be adopted to overcome these challenges.

In my previous blog; I tried to enlighten everyone about the benefits of teaching creatively to primary level students. In this blog; I will try to explain the importance of making math an interesting subject for students to learn. Remember the key to teaching small children is to think like a child, and come up with creative solutions for children. Hence; in order to get in-depth of this topic I will visualize the things I used to enjoy during my childhood days and come up with innovative solutions for building proper sense to the proceeding. So, let us start this amazing journey of self-realization. 

When I was a child my mother used to make me study math as if every calculation and every problem had an in-built magic in it. The key to finding the answer was to go through the problem carefully and understand the requirements and get the task completed. For example; I used to find retaining the math tables quite difficult. Since I was very good theory; it was natural to have a weakness in remembering numbers easily. I used to hate math like anything. But one day my mother shared a secret with me which changed my approach towards Math. I was finding it difficult to remember the tables of 9; and she told me that there is a magic in the table of 9. I was not convinced. She explained me that every time you multiple 9 with a number the addition of the both the digits will always come to 9. Let me give you an example. When you multiple 9 with 2 you get 18. When you add 1 + 8 it comes to 9. Similarly when you multiple 9 with 3 the product is 27 which adds to 9 i.e., 2 + 7 comes to 9. Likewise in the end it was very easy to learn the table. This was really an amazing experience for me. It was as if I had discovered something significant. Since I was very young it was natural to get excited with the discovery. Since that day I tried to enjoy solving math problems; and treated them as an opportunity to unveil a magical experience.

Now when I look back and remember those days, I feel that nowadays tutors do not consider these teaching techniques while explaining problems to students. They just try to explain the problem theoretically which is not good. I mean you should think from the perspective of the child. Normally any other subject is easier to teach except math because you cannot practically make the student visualize things like you can do in English and History by creating stories and making students interested. But there is a work around to this problem. Rather than seeing this as a problem, you should take this an opportunity to showcase your creativity in enhancing the knowledge of students. But I am yet to come across a break through math application which can make the teaching experience a blessing for children. 

Normally it is usually the same theoretical explanation of the problems which is then explained in the form of presentation when we speak about online tutoring. This does not help children. It makes their task even tougher. Because now they know the solution but they have to understand the steps/method used by the online tutor by themselves. In a lighter vein; this is like enticing a child with a chocolate in your hand without giving him the clear-cut explanation that they will have to reach at your height to get that chocolate. So the problem remains the same.

In addition to this, I have played a lot of math games like: Dress Up Math, Skater Math, Prime Landing and Quick Math among others. The purpose of these games is absolutely right, but these games cannot practically solve the problem of retaining the methods of calculation in the minds of children. This makes my point even more relevant. Even though through these games children can learn about math the sole objective of making them remember the methods of calculation is lost. What we are looking for is a long term solution rather than a quick-fix solution. 

Now you might be questioning me: if I had the answer to this problem; would I have read your blog? You are absolutely correct in that regards. Because normally online tutors do not have proper explanation to give for this question. But do not worry as I will try to find out a solution to this problem by the end of this blog. So you do not have to worry about wasting your precious time on reading this blog without getting the correct resolution for this problem. Being an online tutor makes it even harder to accept the facts that although technology has enhanced the e-learning courses to a great extent, there is still a lot of potential in terms of growth for math tutoring.

Let me shift my attention to the solution of the problem, rather than explaining the problem in greater detail. Like I explained earlier, treat math like magic. Always try to use creativity in depicting the course to the students. Because children do not like orthodox methods of teaching and that is well-known fact amongst tutors. If you are a tutor and do not accept this fact then it will be very difficult for you to understand the techniques; that I am going to discuss now. So if you do not agree with me stop reading the blog because you already are aware of the likes and dislikes of children; and there is no need to change your perception. But if you are in-sync with my ideas scroll down to see some of the basic techniques; that can create revolutionary changes in the teaching domain as far as math is concerned.

The methods that I am going to discuss are not new. They are already there to be seen but we have lost our innocence that a child has to understand these techniques that can work wonders for online tutors in near future:

  • Critical thinking: One of the basic elements which differentiate the teaching pattern in Math learning and English is that you do not have the scope for fictional work in Math like in English. Hence, it becomes very difficult to stimulate innovative strategies while teaching Math learning. Hence, it becomes very important to inculcate critical thinking amongst children at an early age. Now you might be wondering what exactly I mean by critical thinking. I will explain it with the help of an example. Imagine you are 6 years old and are having difficulty in solving a problem of division and need to get solution of dividing 250 by 5. Now right now it might seem a simple problem but if you are a 6 years old child it is very difficult to get instant solution to this problem. Remember we need to encourage children to use their mind creatively to get the desired solution. So in this case, we can ask the child to get their favorite comic books together. Assuming that the number of books are more than 100 ask the child to assume 1 comic book equals to 5 points and they need to count up to 250. Once they are done with the activity ask them to count the number of comic books that cumulate to the figure 250. The figure that they get i.e., 50 will be the solution to the problem. I know that this is a very lengthy process but it will enhance the creativity amongst children. They can then use different tools to get product of two numbers or divide two numbers to get the desired results.
  • Development of cognitive skills amongst children: I have already discussed in my previous blog that during the formative years of a child, it is very important to develop and enhance creativity in them. For that cognitive skills play a very important role. I know that you are aware of the definition of cognitive skills and are wondering how it is useful in math teaching? I will be explaining it in just a moment. But first of all let me explain the importance of cognitive skills development in child in my own words. Cognitive skills represent skills including attention, memory, processing and understanding language, solving problems and making decisions. Hence, it includes the overall development of a human brain at a very early age. Now there are two kinds of memory in a human brain: long term and short term/working memory. Long term memory is useful to recall information that has been stored in the past. While working memory/short term memory holds the information for immediate attention and helps in solving mental calculations. Hence, for math education both of them have equal importance.
Now the question is how to make children apply both memories in math calculation. This is a very important question and the answer is quite simple. Let me explain with the help of a practical example. Go back to the memory lane once again; and imagine that you are a 9 year old child. You are facing difficulty in solving a problem on fractions. For example; the problem is related to greater or lesser than sign and you are not sure which one of the two fractions is greater than the other one. The problem is determining which of these two fractions is greater than the other. The fractions are: 4/9 and 5/8. I know you are jumping of the chair and are saying this is a very simple problem. But if you imagine yourself in place of a 9 year old child; this can be a very complex problem. But do not worry. The solution is very easy. Ask the child to get 9 pieces of a chalk ask him to divide it into 4 parts. Then ask him to get another 8 more pieces of chalk. Again ask him to divide it into 5 parts. Once the activity gets over ask him which one of the two chalks has the greater pieces the answer would be solution to the problem. In this case it will be 5/8. Likewise; children can use their favorite objects to learn math in a very creative manner. This will not only make them use their working memory to get the activity done; but it will also help them to register the process in their long term memory. Hence, this activity will certainly help them to build their cognitive skills in a creative manner. That is the sole objective of my blog.

I would like to conclude this blog by stressing the points mentioned in this blog. It is very important to encourage children to use their brains creatively for Math education. Because without creative solutions there cannot be any innovation; and like I started my blog by mentioning a magical trick; the end also has to be magical. You can create this magical ending by contributing your enriching thoughts and ideas to make Math education a success in the coming years. 

To share your views on innovative strategies for Math education by following us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
United States



Friday 3 August 2012

Different Perspectives on Quality of Online Tutoring

Online tutoring has become an integral part of education in the 21st century. In this article; we have discussed about different perspectives on quality of online tutoring.

I have read a lot of things written about online tutoring. Interestingly, I found that quality is one of the most important components of online tutoring. It is very important for the designers to formulate the course pattern in such a manner that the learning objective of the student is met. Let me first discuss about the definition of quality in perspective of online tutoring.

Online tutoring is apt for individual based learning aptitude, personality and pace of the learning while imparting knowledge, skills and application. So quality of an online course can be measured in terms of knowledge gained by the students and how they can apply problem solving techniques to it.”

FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY

Quality of online tutoring cannot be evaluated on the basis of information grasped by the students as each and every student has their own grasping power. Hence, there are different factors which determine the quality of online tutoring:
  • Quality of the tutor: The role of tutor has a very crucial role by making the content personalized in such a manner that the students do not miss one-on-one teaching. The other criteria which makes the quality aspect an unsurpassable component of online tutoring is the ability of the tutor to engage the children by introducing novelty in the course pattern and provide exciting opportunities to the students to study their favorite subjects. The tutor should have a firm grip on the subject that they are teaching along with proper training of accents so that they can teach students from around the globe.
The major implications for the quality aspect of the tutor include:
  • Online course providers should recruit only those tutors who are academically strong in the subject knowledge and teaching skills
  • Provide systematic training to the tutors to an alien audience to build their online tutoring skills
  • Process control: Online tutoring is a person-to-person service. In order to develop proper synchronization between tutors and students a robust quality monitoring mechanism needs to be developed ensuring quality. Real-time monitoring helps in ensuring quality. Having a centralized teaching facility and tutors helps in building and maintaining quality tutoring.      
  • Quality of the content: Content covers up lots of things like teaching material, books, notes and exercises. Since the focus of online tutoring is on personalization different approaches need to be implemented for different students. It is always to take a pre-enrollment test before the student enrolls for the course. This will make the online tutors the strong and weak points of the students and they can then design customized course according to the intelligence quotient of the student.
  • Technology and infrastructure: Technology and infrastructure have a key role in designing the course design. If the technology and infrastructure is not apt then it is impossible to design the online course. The voice conferencing software, whiteboard etc. should be reliable and should not lead to wastage of time so that there is smooth functioning of sessions.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://www.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
United States
http://www.practutor.com

ONLINE TUTORING TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Tutoring – to be or not to be

It is always fun to have a healthy discussion on a hot topic because it brings about the best information on the subject matter. So, I read lots of articles on the subject “What is the relevance of tutoring in the 21st Century Education? Does it really serve the purpose of providing quality assistance to students?” The research showed that day-by-day the number of class sizes in schools are increasing which makes it tougher for the students to get personalized attendance from the teachers. Although technology has made things easier for us, students have become the ultimate sufferers because of the trend. I have seen students hooked on to computers for a long period of time to do their homework, to access chat rooms, instant messengers, games and more. With that the admissions in schools and colleges have become competitive. Students now have to get specialized knowledge in addition to regular studies to stay competitive and keep maintaining their grades. Moreover, parents have also become busier. We are already seeing both parents of children working to maintain the house. This adds up to the pressure and shows how the current generations of students are facing problems to cope up with the students.

Even if a student is struggling to get the right grades in schools and colleges, it is not their fault. Tutoring is not meant to replace classrooms but it is an augmented facility which helps the students to get proper guidance which is now missing in classroom education. A classroom is the basic foundation on which the house i.e., student’s career stands. But if you do not have a good structure i.e., proper guidance, come winter it would show up cracks. Hence; it is very important to have a good structure so that all the cracks in the foundation are filled. I found some interesting facts which provide enough evidence to showcase the real need for tutoring in the 21st century education:
  • Provides personalized, one-on-one attention
  • Gives a chance to students to clarify doubts and ask relevant questions
  • Builds confidence and develops study skills in students
  • Provides growth opportunities to students

I also researched a lot to understand the key characteristics that define a good tutor. Let us look at these characteristics:
  • Enjoys working with children and build good rapport with the child
  • Should be kind, understanding, patient and fair
  • Should be able to teach alternative methods for better learning of the children
  • Should be able to initiate customized plan for each child so that there is personal growth in each child
  • Should have a workman kind of spirit i.e., They should be punctual, dependable and steady

The next step was to understand the role of tutors in the lives of students. An interesting quote from Helen Keller came across while I was researching on the topic. It read “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”  This quote is absolutely true. Without proper guidance and instruction, children will lose focus and concentration. The most astonishing detail that I found while researching on the importance of tutors in the lives of students was that even in the most comprehensive schools in USA (even government schools) the teaching quality was poor. The teachers would spend the entire first term on complex numbers, the next two terms on the next four topics leaving the last three topics to be rushed in the last few weeks of the exams. One of the prime reasons for this is low expectation from teachers for the students. The most depressing thing is that teachers were going through the motion and completing the course for the sake of it without imparting proper guidance to the students.

You can get relevant details on the topic by copying and pasting this URL on a separate browser:

http://www.duxcollege.com.au/importance-of-tutoring-i-64.html

Let us shift our focus to tutors and understand how they can play a significant role in the lives of students:
  • Understanding the expectations of the student from the course deliverable
  • Determining the type of content relevant for good preparation for exams and using it in the best possible manner for the student
  • Providing proper feedback to the students after assessing their results
  • The need for closely following the curriculum followed at schools including examination patterns
  • Providing alternate methods to students in case they do not understand the orthodox method of teaching
  • Discussing the progress of the student with the teachers and parents

So, we can say that a tutor is someone who has a central part in the education of the students. They are the ones who stand as a pillar between teachers and parents and intervene with either of them to get the best results for the students.  But tutors also have their own share of problems. They need to deal with a predicament of providing assistance to students or doing the work for them. Normally we find that tutors have also been teachers hence; it becomes very difficult for them to change their attitude. When you are working as a tutor you have to develop the perception that students are not reading on their own. They find it difficult to grasp the subjects in classroom atmosphere. The accountability factor also is higher in comparison to teachers. While teachers do not directly share the burden of each and every student, tutors have to not only help the students in their day-to-day assignments but also solve the concerns of the students personally through a step-by-step process. This way student can get the desired attendance from the tutors and are able to excel in their studies.

I suppose now you have a clear idea of the importance of tutors in the lives of students in 21st century education. You can also go through the following URLs to get more information on this subject:

http://www.anokaramsey.edu/en/resources/Success/TutoringSrvcs/becometutor/TutorTraining/M1-Role.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3292071/
https://expattutor.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/each-tutors-most-crucial-dilemma/

The next topic of discussion was the role of parents in enhancing the education of the students. Parents are role-models for the students. Students adopt the characteristics of parents sub-consciously. Hence; it is the moral responsibility of the parents to take care of the tutoring business of their children. In an interesting article on “Better tutors vs. better parents: recent PISA study”, OECD conducted several exams as a part of their Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing the knowledge of 15 years old students on the basis of science and math problem-solving techniques. The results found that parents who are more focused on their child’s education play a key role in the student’s achievement. There were two findings of the studies which included:
  • 15-year-old students whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school show markedly higher scores in PISA tests than students whose parents read with them infrequently or none at all.
  • The performance advantage among students whose parents read to them in their early school years is evident regardless of the family’s socio-economic background; and parents’ engagement with their 15-year-old kids is strongly associated with better performance in PISA tests.

This goes to show that good parental actions towards child’s learning at home can boost their confidence. It also helps them in taking tutoring lessons seriously. To learn more about the role of parents in their child’s academic achievements copy and paste the URL on a separate browser:

http://www.zimbio.com/NY+Caregivers+Net/articles/zPR-Pkn_rZW/Better+tutors+vs+better+parents+recent+PISA
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/magazines/home-help-parents-play-a-vital-role-in-learning-395323.html
http://grupsderecerca.uab.cat/grai/en/content/parents-tutoring

So, in short we can say that both parents and tutors have an equal importance in helping the students excel in their studies with flying colors.

In the next blog, I will discuss about private tutoring and how it is affecting the performance of students.
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PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
United States
http://www.practutor.com

Three Useful Tips for Integrating Videos in e-Learning Courses

There is a need for an interactive model in e-learning courses. By integrating videos in the e-learning courses students can not only grasp the things easily but it also makes the content visually attractive.

There is a very famous quote which goes, “Show, don’t tell”. Taking this principle into account, there is a need for an interactive learning model wherein students can learn through videos and images. E-learning courses try to follow this principle so that students can learn in an unconventional manner but retain major part of the learning. E-learning developers are circumspect to use videos/images in the e-learning courses. But if the tips given in this article are taken seriously, then you can create amazing content with the help of videos in e-learning courses. Let us look at these tips:
  • Videos should be used to depict behavioral skills: There are times when it is very difficult to explain things to students especially when you want to teach them about body language and other soft skills. In such scenarios, videos can be best option. These skills need to be seen to understand rather than reading them. Moreover; videos make the content very attractive and visually appealing especially if the course requires practice to master.
  • Videos should be short and to the point: Always bear in mind that your target audience does not have the patience to see a full length feature film. It is always advisable to break the length of the video to less than 3 minutes. Try to keep the introductory video short, so that it captures viewer’s attention. If you wish to integrate audio podcasts to the content it usually can be of a maximum 10 minutes. But it has been observed that viewers normally tune off from the content after initial couple of minutes. Hence, the success formula for integrating videos is shorter is better.
  • Videos should integrate different social media tools to make it interactive:  Give an option to the audience to offer feedback or post a comment on your videos. This will make them think about various suggestions and questions that they have on that particular video. You can also add questions and quizzes on the basis of the video content. If you integrate various social media tools to the video it will make it easier for the viewers to post the questions to their colleagues and get relevant answers to the questions. They can even taken the help of experts to learn more about that subject.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
United States
http://www.practutor.com

3 Activities That Boosts the Working Memory in Children

Children are the future of human mankind. Hence; it is very important to boost the working memory, which is an integral part of brain development process for children. In this article; we look at different activities which can boost the working memory in children.

A well known scholar once said “A good memory is like a bagful of gold.” Therefore it is very important to build the + memory of children in their formative years. Working memory stores crucial information, while other material which is taught in schools forms the foundation for complex skills and knowledge. Children are very innocent in their early days. Hence, they can retain lot of information in their brains. A child who has poor working memory will find it extremely difficult to take on activities and face problems in learning. A recent research claims that memory deficits, if not found in early childhood can lead to extreme conditions; that can affect the academic performance of the child.

Let us now see different activities that can boost the working memory in children:
  • Kim’s game: This is a very popular game played by young kids that provides memory building exercises for them. It contains various selections of objects and number of words. These things are displayed to the child and then the objects are covered up. Kids then have to determine which item has been removed. This game can be played with different sets of objects.
  • Repetition: This activity ensures that children retain information for both short term and long term memories. It consists of reciting times tables, test questions and regularly viewing vocabulary cards. Study shows that with regular retrieval practice the child’s memory can be increased substantially.
  • Number and letter sequences: If you want to teach your child a foreign language then number and letter sequences is a very probable answer. It comprises of short number sequence and then gradually builds up digit by digit. The child then gets a minute to revise it after which the number sequence is removed completely. The child then has to recall as much of the sequence as they can. This process is repeated for letters.
To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
United States
http://www.practutor.com

4 Tips That Will Help You Concentrate in Books

In this age of 21st century learning, there is tremendous competition amongst students to get high scores and percentages. There is lot of pressure on students from the parents which leads to additional stress. On top of it students also face the concentration problem while trying to study. Let us look at some tips which will help students to concentrate in books:
  • Keep away from distractions: Studying without being distracted is a very challenging task. Especially when you have so many things to enjoy in your free time like: playing games, watching television and browsing internet. While studying stay away from these distractions. Try to study outdoors if you cannot help switching on TV. Alternatively if you have the habit of bumping into strangers stay indoors.
  • Study with short breaks of exercise: Studying with breaks is an excellent practice for concentrating better and studying hard. Along with this if you can do 5 pushups it will do a world of good for your concentration. Also try to do some stretching. This will relieve the stress level.
  • Set goals and give rewards for the tasks completed: Always try to set some incentive for reading a particular chapter, section or paragraph. This will help you achieve your goals related to studies quickly. But don’t be over-generous on yourself and spend an hour on Facebook. In case you need shorter breaks; stretch yourself or eat some snacks.
  • Don’t pressurize yourself to complete things quickly: When you need to complete lots of task on a particular subject don’t over-stretch yourself. Set shorter targets and complete them in specified time limit. This will help get the desired result.
 To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://www.practutor.com
PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
United States
http://www.practutor.com
http://hardik.practutor.com