MALL

                                    

                        

                       

             Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL)

Introduction

            The learning and teaching environments of the twenty first century are changing very fast due to unprecedented opportunities, advancement of information and communication technologies have created for education. After around half a century of integrating computers into instruction, the rapid evolution of mobile devices is opening up a whole world of new learning experiences with technology.

Mobile Learning (M-learning)

     Mobile learning refers to the use of mobile devices for the purpose of learning.

       Mobile learning is a process of using a mobile device to access and study learning materials to communicate with fellow students, instructors or institution. -  Ally

Objectives of Mobile Learning

       i.          To enhance students motivation through the use of familiar technology.

     ii.          To increase students’ use of the four skills- listening, speaking, reading and writing in English language.

   iii.          To enable students to become more competent in English language and foster the use of English language for communication.

   iv.          To facilitate the learning process as students have the possibility to explore, analyze, discover and choose activities which are real and meaningful.

     v.          To enhance interaction between real and virtual environments.

   vi.          To promote self learning, learning by fun and learner centered approach.

Characteristics of Mobile Learning

       i.          Spontaneous: Mobile learning is more spontaneous than other learning types. It is this spontaneity that is probably the most defining characteristics of mobile learning. Mobile learning is content aware, meaning that students can learn everywhere. Wireless technologies such as laptop computers, palmtop computers and mobile phones are revolutionizing education and transforming the traditional classroom based learning and teaching into anytime anywhere education.

     ii.          Portable size of mobile tools: Mobile learning tools are small and portable. Students can use it anywhere and everywhere during their learning activities.

   iii.          Blended: Teachers can use this approach with blended learning model. Students can use mobile tools for homework, projects etc in education. Blended learning which combines classroom instruction with M learning can maximize the benefits of both face-to-face and online methods.

   iv.          Private: M learning is private. It means that only one learner at a time usually has access to the mobile tool and that when students want to access information connects and downloads independently from other learners.

     v.          Interactive: M learning environments which utilizes the latest technologies to bring an interactive learning environment into learning and teaching activities. Students are not passive, the functions of mobile tools and environments allow varying levels of interactivity.

   vi.          Collaborative: Mobile technologies support communication between students and teachers. So mobile technologies may use for collaborative learning activities in classrooms.

 vii.          Instant Information: Instant information means using a mobile tool is all about immediately. According to Cohen, the need is for quick answers to specific questions. Learning content must reflect this requirement by providing material that enables a learner to quickly zone into information. Examples of instant information are definitions, formula and equations.

Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL)

            Mobile assisted language learning is any type of language learning that takes place with the help of portable devices. Mobile devices are effective tools for language learning and have positive effect on the development of language skills, heighten learners’ language learning attitudes and motivation and support learner interaction , collaboration and the co- construction of knowledge.

          Research on MALL has mainly focused on teacher-led mobile learning and students’ own use of mobile apps and the role of mobile apps in their learning have been taken for granted in the literature. Language learners use these apps quite frequently due to their ‘availability, convenience and low cost’.

Salient Features of Mobile Assisted Language Learning  

                   Useful for language learning, most mobile phones are equipped with functionalities including SMS, MMS, Face book, Twitter, internet access, mp3/mp4 player, video recorder, digital camera and many can run multimedia contents including audio and video.          

Internet Facility

            Students can use their cell phones to surf online. By browsing on internet, they can check e-mails, read online textbooks and watch lectures at any time. Websites like Wikipedia, shmoop provide critical analysis and summary of all works of art in English.

Downloading

            Now there are many free online materials which enable students to download various kinds of them to their cell phone easily. With the availability of downloading, students do no not need to carry heavy books and they could read the required e-books in any time and in any place. Kindle app provides all the books for reading.

Short Message Service

            SMS is a service that allows people to interchange text messages between cell phones. SMS systems can be used to help students learn foreign languages and teachers can use SMS to communicate with one student or even one group of students. Cell phones could be used to help students with vocabulary and grammar through SMS text exchanges with the teacher, peer or foreign language students.

            SMS has three advantages;

1.     Users express themselves concisely

2.     It does not cost much because texts need little memory

3.     SMS system doesn’t require technological trainings.

Audio Recording Apps

            Through audio recording apps, learners can be guided to record their communication and after listening to their records, they can be asked to improve their weak areas. Students can record interviews or conversations outside the classroom and later on they can play them in class for feedback and discussion.

Apps for English Speaking Learning

            There are so many mobile apps which are aimed to develop English pronunciation. These apps help the learners to practice and improve certain aspects of English pronunciation such as individual phonemes and stress, intonation.

Whatsapp

            Whatsapp is a mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages. Users can create groups. Whatsapp can be used;

1.     To send students a short news article or podcast and ask them to send an audio response summarizing it in their own words or giving their opinion.

2.     To send photos with captions to illustrate different tenses.

3.     To create a video or audio by students themselves making a short lesson/ presentation or reviewing a book.

Face book

            Closed face book groups can be a great way of communicating with students. Students can share ideas, opinions and homework projects. Face book groups can;

1.     Post quizzes and grammar tips

2.     Get students to share book reviews

3.     Brainstorm ideas about different topics

4.     Have a different theme each week and get students to share ideas, pictures and quotations connected to the theme.

Useful Apps to Learn English

1.     English Speaking Practice

2.     Basic English for Beginners

3.     English Grammar Book

4.     Learn to Speak English

5.     Learn English for Kids and Children

6.     English Listening Player

7.     Learn English Vocabulary

8.     English Conversation Practice

9.     English Listening

Conclusion

            Mobile devices help students study easily and independently. They enable them to incorporate self-study into their busy lives, accelerating their progress and guaranteeing better results. These learning devices make the teaching and learning process effective and useful.

Bibliography

Roy, R.K. (2013). English language teaching. Delhi: APH Publishing House.

Thangasamy, K.(2016). Pedagogy of English. Chennai: Vinoth Publications.

Hariry, N,A. (2016). Mobile phones as useful language learning tools. Retrieved from:

            www.sciencedirect.com.

Guo, H.(2017). Analyzing and evaluating current mobile applications for learning English.

            Retrieved from : www.britishcouncil.com

Nezarat, A.(2012). Mobile assisted language learning. Retrieved from: www.mall.com.

Cavus, N. (2011). Basic elements and characteristics of mobile learning. Retrieved from:    

           www.sciencedirect.com.

           

RPA Presentation

          CHALLENGES FACED BY DALITS IN ACHIEVING EDUCATION                                                  

                                                          JINCY, J.

I Year B. Ed student

HOLY TRINITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,

MELPALAI, EDAICODE POST.

ABSTRACT Education is meant to develop the humankind. In ancient India, educational institutions were considered as “the treasure houses of knowledge with self discipline”. But in the present scenario, education is becoming a business with more profit in terms of money. Thus education is become a private property for certain groups of the society by neglecting some other groups of the country. In India, one of such neglected groups of people are “dalits”. Our society refused to include them in the main stream of our country and don’t allow them to get access of education. On the whole, the major reason for the negation of educational opportunities of dalits is the lack of consideration by the upper castes. This paper intricately betells the challenges faced by dalits in accessing education. Keywords : Dalits, access, education, discrimination, exclusion, caste.

Introduction

            In India, many students face violence and discrimination in the educational institutions in terms of caste, religion, gender, class.etc. Even though our constitution ensured the right of education for all, still many educational institutions   denied the access of education to all children irrespective of their caste and class. Dalits are the most deprived groups of Indian caste hierarchy who are denied of life, educational as well as employment opportunities. The society considered them as “unimportant”, thus they don’t need the fruitfulness of education.

Who Are Dalits

            The word “dalit” is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit. In classical Sanskrit, this means “divided, split, broken, scattered”. This word was repurposed in 19^th century Sanskrit to mean “a person not belonging to one of the four Brahminic castes”. The term “dalits” was first used by Pune - based social reformer Jyothirao Phule. (Rao,2002).

                        “Dalit is mostly used to describe co0mmunities that have been subjected to untouchability”. Such people were excluded from the for – fold varna system of Hinduism and the thought of themselves as forming a fifth varna, describing themselves as Panchama.

Other Terms for Dalits

1.     Scheduled Castes is the official term for dalits in the opinion  of India’s  National; Commission for Scheduled Castes ( NCSC).

2.     Mahatma Gandhi coined the word “Harijan” , translated roughly as people of God, to identify untouchables in 1933.

3.     Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, echoing the literal meaning of dalit, used the English phrase “the broken men”.

4.     In southern India, Dalits are sometimes known as “Adi Dravida, Adi Karnataka, and Adi Andhra”.

Dalits in India

            The number of dalits in India increased by 35 million during the decade ranging from 2001 to 2011. Dalits form around 16.6% of India’s population. Nearly half of the country’s dalit population is in four states according to the 2011 census. Uttar Pradesh stands first with 20.5% of the total scheduled caste population, followed by West Bengal with 10.7%, Bihar with 8.2% and Tamil Nadu with 7.2% third and fourth. According to the 2011 census, Dalits officially known as “scheduled castes” constitute 201 million people. (Paswan & Jaideva, 2003).

Legal Provisions for the Educational Upliftment of Dalits

1.     Scholarships ( pre- matric and post- matric)

2.     Opening of schools in  dalits localities

3.     Grants of hostel fees and books

4.      Opening of residential schools, balwadis, community centers etc.

5.     Establishing book banks

6.     Up gradation of merits of SC/ ST students

7.     Coaching and allied schemes

8.     National overseas scholarship and passed grants for higher studies abroad

9.     15% reservation in Kendriya Vidyalaya

10.  27% reservation in higher education

11.  Midday meal scheme. ( Pandey, 2005).

Educational Status of Dalits in India

            India advocates inclusive growth, but owing to lack of education and skill development, the marginalized sections are not becoming part of the inclusive growth. Dalits literacy rate did not go beyond 8.5 percent in1961. In spite of this, the literacy rate has not crossed beyond 11.39% in 1971 because of the complex nature of issues like absenteeism, stagnation, drop- out and seasonal migration by dalits.

            The 2011 census data indicate that educational development of the STs is quite uneven among different states. The data indicate that some states with higher concentration of tribal population have been doing extremely well.  They are Mizoram (91.5%), Nagaland (80.0%), Manipur (77.4%) and Meghalaya (74.5%). Whereas some states with more number of dalit habitations continue to perform very low. They are Jharkhand (57.1%), Madhyapradesh (50.6%), Orissa (52.2%) and Andhra Pradesh (49.2%). (Brahmmanandam & Babu, 2016).

Challenges in Achieving Dalit Education

            Discrimination against Dalits in the educational system is a widespread problem in caste-affected countries. Alienation, social exclusion, and physical abuse transcend all levels of education, from primary education to university. Illiteracy and drop-out rates among Dalits are very high due to a number of social and physical factors.

                         In school, even their touch was considered as “polluting”. A common practice   was the requirement for dalit and children from other low castes to sit at the back of the class room. The teachers barely noticed their presence, answered their questions or helped them with classroom activities. Similarly the low caste children and dalits were banned from entering the school kitchen or touching the vegetables, fruits or utensils. They had separate seating and serving of food during midday meal. (Bajoria, 2015).

            Even in the 21^st century, many people foolishly believing in the superstition “untouchability”. For ages, dalits and other low castes have had to adhere to the stringent principles of the caste system and to rigidly maintain the historical notions of purity and pollution. Teachers and children from  upper castes considering their touch as “polluting”. (Ovichegan, 2015).  Discriminatory practices against Dalit children exercised by teachers may include corporal punishment, denial of access to school water supplies, segregation in class rooms, and forcing Dalit children to perform manual scavenging on and around school premises (IDSN and Navsarjan, 2010).

                         A study on caste-based discrimination in school documented that indirect discrimination by teachers, such as neglect, repeated blaming, and labeling of Dalit students as weak performers, lead to social exclusion of Dalit students in schools. The consequence was irregular attendance in classroom, less concentration in studies, less participation in school activities, lower performance, failure, and school drop-out (D.R. Bishworma, 2010).

                                    Intolerance, prejudice and harassment towards Dalits are equally prevalent in institutions of higher education where discrimination is practiced by senior upper-caste students, teachers, faculties, and administrations. The caste bias manifests itself in the way teachers ignore Dalit students and unjustly fail them in exams, in social exclusion and physical abuse, and in the unwillingness of the university administration to assist Dalits and support them. As a grave consequence of this harassment, a disproportionate number of Dalit and Adivasi students have committed suicide in India. ( Paik, 2005).

            Additionally, Dalit children face discriminatory attitudes from fellow students and the community as a whole, in particular from higher caste members who perceive education for Dalits as a waste and a threat. In reflection to this, dalit people also don’t give any significance to their education and didn’t want to raise protest against the figures who are excluded them.  This is linked to a perception among some higher caste people that educated Dalits pose a threat to village hierarchies and power relations, and that Dalits are generally incapable of being educated (Vasavi et al., 1997).

                        Even though there are many merit scholarships for dalit children, most of the time they are denied of it. Money spent on education is much more than the money received as scholarship. As a result of this they drop out from the schools and colleges, it will affect their educational outcome. (Shubodaya, 2013).

                        Though our constitution ensured many legal educational provisions for the upliftment of dalit community, many institutions refuse to access them education for being low castes or dalit.  These legal provisions will ensure within the non- dalit students by political and social influence.

Suggestions for Improvement

            The first and best way to achieve universalization of dalit education is the wiping out of discrimination and caste hierarchy from Indian society. Governments should take concrete steps to eradicate the existing prevalence of caste-based discrimination in schools, including stereotypical and demeaning references in e.g. school books; ensure inclusion of children of affected communities in schools; and disseminate general information about the importance of non-discrimination and respect for affected communities in the entire education system.

            The Government of India must appoint certain committees in order to monitor the provision of merit scholarships for dalit children and avoid corruption in it.

            All the educational institutions must be ensure themselves with a anti discrimination cell for the protection of students from violence and discrimination. For achieving all these, first the society must abolish the evils of discrimination and untouchability from our country. Then only we are able to promote the educational status of dalits.

Conclusion

      Education is the powerful weapon which leads a country into the path of development. But in our country the education is not equally accessible to all the citizens. The reason behind it is the discrimination on the basis of caste and class. If we don’t provide educational opportunities to the dalit group, our country will not become prosperous and developed as they are the part of our country.

References

  Paik, S. (2014). Dali women’s education in modern India. New York: Routledge.

Ovichegan, S.K.(2015). Faces of  discrimination in higher education in India. Oxon: Milton       Publishers.

Paswan, S. & Jaideva,P. (2003). Encyclopedia of dalits in India. New Delhi: Kalpaz       Publications. 

 Brahmanandam, T.& Babu, T.B. (2016). Educational status among the scheduled tribes:                   issues and challenges. Retrieved from: www.sciencedirect.com.

Shubhodaya, K.(2013). Dalit and adivasi education: challenges and prospects in planning , financing and implementation. Delhi: JNU Publishers.

Rao, S. (2002). Dalits in education and workforce. Retrieved from:       https://www.reserchgate.net/publication/262122305.

Subramanian,M. (2016). Educational status of dalit girls in India : an evaluative study.       Retrieved from: www.researchgate.com.

Bajoria, J. (2015). International dalit solidarity network: education. Retrieved from:       www.scrool.in.

Pandey, J.N. (2005). Constitutional law of India forty second edition. Allahabad: Central  law          agency  Publishers.

Praveen,C. (2015). Problems faced by dalits in India. Retrieved from:       http://www.ncdhr.org.in.

Paik, S. (2016). Education and exclusion of dalits : a history of hurt and humiliation.       Retrieved from: www.today.blogspot.com.

Library week programme

Social learning theory

INTRODUCTION

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

            Albert Bandura is a social psychologist. At the time of doing his Ph. D in 1952 ,  Bandura developed the social learning theory. Introducing his theory Bandura writes “we do not blindly respond to environmental stimuli rather we pick and choose from many environment options, basing our decisions on our own sights and  experiences’ . A person learns through observation. A student observes others behavior and learns through that observation. Early experiments on observational learning by E. L. Thorndike and J. B. Waston on cats, dogs and monkeys conducted that learning results not only by observation but from direct experiences.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Social learning theory is based on the belief that changes in one’s behavior are due to observation and imitation. To imitate others is rather a natural human tendency. It is a theory of learning and social behaviour which proposes that new behaviours can be acquired by observing and imitating others. It states that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction. Learning also occurs through the observation of rewards and punishments.

                                     In social learning theory, Bandura agrees with the behaviourists’  learning theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning. However, he adds two important ideas;  

v Mediating processes occur between stimuli and responses.

v Behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning.

                       Albert Bandura agreed with Miller and Dollard about the importance of imitation. In his book ‘Social Learning and Personality Development’, they have stressed two points. First, merely observing another person might be sufficient to lead a learned response. Second observational learning may not necessarily lead to imitation. Here, the observational learning is a complex phenomenon and not mere imitation.

BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT                                                            

                                               Bandura (1961) conducted a study to investigate if social behaviours (i. e. aggression) can be acquired by observation and imitation.

SAMPLE

    Bandura and Ross and Ross (1961) tested 36 boys and 36 girls from ihe Stanford University  Nursery School aged between 3 to 6 years old.  

METHOD                

   A lab experiment was used, in which the independent variable was manipulated in three conditions;

v Aggressive model shown to 24 children

v Non - aggressive children model shown to 24 children

v No model shown- 24 children

STAGE 1: MODELING

         In the experimental conditions children were individually shown into a room containing toys and played with some potato prints and pictures in a corner for 10 minutes while either:

1.     24 children (12 girls and 12 boys) watched a male or female model behaving aggressively towards a toy called a ‘ Bobo doll’. The adults attacked the Bobo doll in a distinctive manner – they used hammer in some cases, and in others threw the doll in the air and shouted.

2.     Another 24(12 girls and 12 boys) children were exposed to a non- aggressive model  who played in a quiet and subdued manner for 10 minutes.

3.     The final 24 children (12 girls and 12 boys) were used as a control group and not exposed to any model at all.

STAGE 2: AGGRESSION AROUSAL

All the children were subjected to ‘mild aggression arousal’. Each child was taken to a room with attractive toys. A soon as the child started to play with the toys the experimenter told the child that these were the experimenter’ s  very best toys and she has decided to reserve them for the other children.

STAGE 3: TEST FOR DELAYED IMITATION

·       The next room contained some aggressive toys and some non- aggressive toys.

·       The child was in the room for 20 minutes and their behavior was observed and rated through a one way mirror.

·       Other behaviors that didn’t imitate that of the model were also recorded.

RESULTS

v Children who observed the aggressive model made far more imitative  aggressive  responses than those who were in the non- aggressive or control groups.

v There was more partial and non- imitative aggression among those children who has observed aggressive behavior, although the difference for non- imitative aggression was small.

v The girls in the aggressive model condition also showed more physical aggressive responses if the model was male, but more verbal aggressive responses if the model was female. However, the exception to this general pattern was the observation of how often they punched Bobo, and in this case the effects of gender were reversed.

v Boys were more likely to imitate same sex- models than girls. The evidence for girls imitating same sex- model is not strong.

v Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls. There was little difference in the verbal aggression between boys and girls.

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

                   Observational learning describes the process of learning through watching others, retaining the information and then later replicating the behaviours that were observed. Observational learning is sometimes also referred to as shaping, modeling, and vicarious reinforcement. While it can take place at any point in life, it tends to be the most common during childhood as children learn from the authority figures and peers in their lives .Observational learning also plays an important role in the socialization process, as children learn how to behave and respond to others by observing how their parents and other caregivers interact with each other and with other people.

MEDIATIONAL PROCESS

     Social learning theory is often described as the ‘bridge’ between traditional learning theory and cognitive approach. Bandura believes that human beings are active information processor and think about the relationship between the behavior and its consequences. Therefore individuals do not automatically observe the behavior of a model and imitate it. There is some thought prior to imitation and this consideration is called mediational processes. This occurs between observing behavior (stimulus) and imitating it or not (response).

    There are four meditational  processes proposed by Bandura:

       i.          ATTENTION :

    It is very obvious that if learning is observational, paying attention to a model’s behaviour is of utmost importance. It is concluded through experiments that similarity between the model and the observer, such as same age, same sex, etc, is effective in better learning.

     ii.           RETENTION

  However, the behavior is remembered. The behavior may be noticed, but it is not always remembered which obviously prevents imitation. It is important therefore that a memory of the behavior is formed to be performed later by the observer.

    iii.          REPRDUCTION

  This is the ability to perform the behavior that the model has just demonstrated. We see much behaviour on daily basis that we would like to be able to imitate but this is not always possible.

    iv.          MOTIVATION

    The will to perform the behavior. The rewards and punishment that follow a behavior will be considered by the observer.

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

a)     Students often learn a great deal simply by observing other people.

b)     Describing the consequences of behaviours can effectively increase appropriate behaviours and decrease inappropriate one.

c)     Modeling provides an alternative to shaping for teaching new behaviours.

d)     Teachers and parents must model appropriate behaviours and take care that they don’t model inappropriate ones.

e)     Teachers should expose students to a variety of other models.

f)      Students must believe that they are capable of accomplishing school tasks.

g)     Teachers should help students set realistic expectations for their academic accomplishments.

h)     Self regulation techniques provide effective methods for improving behavior.

CONCLUSION

                   People learn through observing others behavior, attitudes and outcomes of those behaviours. Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioural and environmental influences. People learn the best in their own way, some people learn best from experience. Others learn best from people telling them what to do and how to do it.