Domain Dependency

                                            Domain Dependency

Introduction

            Learning is not an event. It is a process. It is the continual growth and change in the brain’s architecture that results from the many way we take in information, process it, connect it, catalogue it, and use it. Learning is consisting of three major domains. Thus, the evaluations also concentrate on the domains.

Domain- Meaning

            Domain means an area of interest or an area over which a person has control.

            It also a particular interest, activity, type of knowledge.

Background of Domains in Learning

            During 1950’s, Benjamin S. Bloom led a team of educational psychologists in the analysis of the academic learning behaviors. He aimed to develop a system with different categories of learning behavior to assist in the design and assessment of educational learning. The results of his approach produced what is known today in the field of education as Bloom’s taxonomy. The designed learning domains are:

·       Cognitive: Mental Skills (Knowledge), Consisting six levels.

·       Affective: Growth in emotional or feeling areas. (5 levels)

·       Psychomotor: Manual/ physical skills (7 levels)

1)     Cognitive domain:

      Cognitive domain deals with how a student acquires processes and utilizes the knowledge. It is the thinking domain. This domain focuses on intellectual skills and is familiar to educators. It has the following six levels;

Knowledge: It is the recalling of previously learnt materials.

Comprehension: It is the grasping of the meaning of materials.

Application: It is the use of previously learnt materials in new situations.

Analysis: It is the breaking down of materials into their components and clarifying organization structure.

Synthesis: It means creatively putting parts together to produce a new whole.

Evaluation: It means judging the value of a material based on personal values   and opinions.

2)    Affective Domain

                 Affective domain is critical for learning, but is often not specifically addressed. This domain focuses on attitude, motivation, willingness to learn, participate, valuing, what is being learned and incorporating these discipline values into real life. The levels in it are;

  Receiving: Students passively listens/pays attention.

  Responding: The student actively participates in the learning process and reacts.

  Valuing: The student can put together different values, information and ideas and accommodate them within his own schema.

              Characterizing: The student holds a particular value or belief that now exerts influence on his behaviour so that it becomes a characteristic.

3)    Psychomotor Domain

   The domain of behaviour that includes physical moment, co-ordination and use of motor skills is called psychomotor domain. The levels are:

Imitation: Observing and patterning behaviour after someone else.

Manipulation: Being able to perform certain actions by following instructions and practicing?

Precision: Refining and becoming more exact. A few errors are apparent.

Articulation: Coordinating a series of actions, achieving harmony and internal consistency.

Naturalisation:  Having high level performance, become natural and spontaneous.

Importance of Domain Dependence during Classroom Assessment

               Teachers must know the concepts, knowledge and skills to be taught within a domain, the precursors necessary for acquiring them, and what a successful performance in each looks like. With this knowledge they are able to define a learning progression of sub goals toward the desired learning that will act as the framework to guide assessment and instruction. A sufficiently detailed progression will also supply the resources for recognizing when the students have successful performances and when they have not, and in providing them with proper feedback about their learning status in relation to goals.

Ways to Measure Cognitive Domain

·       Class discussion

·       Organized class notes

·       Tutorials

·       Provide sufficient information through charts

·       Self cheek quizzes

·       Conducting course seminars and viva voce

·       Practice questions with answers and ‘expert’ explanations.

Assessment Tools for Affective Domain

Self report: Individual gives an account of his attitude or feeling toward a concept, idea/people.

eg: why don’t I like mathematics?

ü  Rating scales: Set of categories designed to elicit information about a quantitative attribute in subject/ideas.

ü  Semantic Differential scales: helps to assess an individual’s reaction to specific words, ideas, concepts.

eg: Good____________________________ Bad

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ü  Thurshone Scale: addressed the issue of how favorable an individual is with regard to a given issue.

ü  Likert Scales: This requires an individual to fide on a box to report whether they ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘undecided’, ‘disagree’ or ‘strongly disagree’.

ü  Checklists: Here the teacher/Student marks as ‘absent’ or ‘present’.

Assessment Tools for Psychomotor Domain

ü  Performing arts

ü  Training using computers, projectors

ü  Competitions

ü  Physical education activities

Conclusion

               The assessment of various learning domains are very important in the educational process. Thus, it is necessary make the students aware of the learning objectives and apply various assessment tools for assessing learning domains.

Bibliography

Jamaludeen, K. (2012).Effective teaching of English. Manjeri: Quality Publishers.

Kalaiyarasan, G. (2012). Curriculum development. Delhi: APH Publishing House.

Kasilingam,G.,RamalingamM.,& Chinnavan, E.(2014).Journal of young pharmacists.   

            Malaysia: AIMST University.

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Bethlahem paper presentation

                     

                  CHALLENGES  IN  ACHIEVING  INCLUSIVE  EDUCATION

ASHMI. K. RAJ.* & JINCY.J.**

*I B.ED

**I B.ED

HOLY TRINITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,

MELPALAI, EDAICODE POST.

ABSTRACT                Inclusiveeducation is implemented for the children with disabilities. But in the contemporary scenario implementation of inclusive education is troublesome. Its importance is neglected and is considered as worthless. Along with this, there are many challenges which inhibit the growth of inclusive education. On the whole, the major reason for the challenges in its implementation is the lack of consideration for the children with disability. This paper presents elaborately the major challenges in achieving inclusive education. KEYWORDS:Inclusive education, disability, implementation, attitude, challenge.

 

Introduction

            For a long time those concerned with the field of education have been grappling with the serious question of what kind of education to provide for children especially in the context of varying and different abilities of the students. Traditionally education had come to be separated into two types namely, general education and special education. It had been believed earlier that children with differing needs and especially those with special needs must be given education separately. The educationists now feel that each child should be allowed to learn in his own way along with his peer group. Inclusive education in essence stands for equality, and accepts every child with his or her own unique capabilities.

Inclusive Education

            Inclusive education is a learning environment that promotes the full personal, academic and professional development of all learners irrespective of race, class, color, gender, disability, sexual preference, learning styles and language.

            Inclusive education means children, regardless of ability are taught in general education classrooms with same age peers.

History of Inclusive Education

            The Kothari commission highlighted the importance of educating children with disabilities during the post independent period. In 1980’s the then ministry of welfare, government of India realized the crucial need of an institution to monitor and regulate the HRD programs in the field of disability rehabilitation. Till 1990’s, 90% of India’s estimated 40 million children in the age group, four to sixteen years with physical and mental disabilities are being excluded from mainstream education. In the year 1997, the philosophy of inclusive education is added in district primary education program (DPEP). National curriculum framework (NCF) 2005 has laid a clear context of inclusive education. In 2005, the ministry of Human Resource Development implemented a National Action Plan for the inclusion in education of children and youth with disabilities. Furthermore, Integrated Education of the Disabled Children (IEDC) was revised and renamed as “Inclusive Education of the Disabled at secondary stage” (IEDSS) in 2009-2010 to provide assistance to provide assistance for the inclusive education of the disabled children at 9^th and 10^th classes. This scheme is now subsumed under RashtriyaMadyamicShikshaAbhiyan (RMSA) from 2013. (Gnanam, D. & Shanmugaboopathi.,2016)

Aims and Objectives of Inclusive Education

v Education for all

v Protection of rights

v Identification of skills

v Development of social consciousness

v To prepare for new challenges

v Development of brotherhood

v To improve quality of education (Umadevi, M. R.,2010)

Need and Importance of Inclusive Education

v To fulfill the constitutional responsibilities

v To enable children to stay with their families

v For the development of healthy relationship

v For achieving the universalization

v Developing feeling of self-respect

v For the use of modern technology

v For social equality

v Self-reliant (Singh. J. D.,2016)

Challenges in Implementing Inclusive Education

Negative Attitude

Negative attitude of both parents and teachers affects inclusive education scenario in India. Teachers tend to be broadly positive about the principle of inclusion while at the same time, viewing its practical implementation as problematic. A number of studies found that general education teachers are not supportive of inclusive education. The parents of normal children have a negative attitude that the education of their children may spoil.(Mathew,2013)

Inappropriate Curriculum

            In any education system, the curriculum is one of the major obstacles or tools to facilitate the development of more inclusive system. In our country of diversity, curriculum is designed centrally, hence which leaves little flexibility for local adaptations or for teachers to experiment and try out new approaches in order to involve the children with disability in the active learning process. As a result of the knowledge based curriculum, the examinations are also too much content oriented rather than success oriented which is the demand of the flexible inclusive curriculum. (Sanjeev, K, 2007).

Untrained Teachers

            For implementing the inclusive education successfully, it is important that teachers must have positive attitudes towards learners with special needs. But, because of lack of knowledge, education, understanding, or effort the teachers give inappropriate substitute work to the learners,which eventually leads to learners dissatisfaction and poor quality of learning.  Another important feature of the schools is high teacher- student ratios (average 1:45) and where it is expected that learners of diverse abilities have be taught together. At the first place, there is a scarcity of trained teachers to deal with the diversity and secondly, it is very wrong to assume to deal with 45 learners with diversity. (Mitiku, W, 2014).

Lack of Adaptive Technology

            Students with disabilities generally have different kind of learning needs, modes of perceptions and preferences so the classroom environment must provide them with an access to content materials that are consistent with their learning preferences and needs. Such adoptions may include use adapted laboratory equipments with tactile markings, providing hearing or speech aids to the students, provision of a facilitator to support a student’s access, use of audio-recorded texts, Braille, large print materials, peer support, additional time fewer items or questions to address, multi model presentations etc. But a general survey of Indian classrooms shows a marked shortage of such resources. (Rasheed, S, 1998).

Social Factors

            Many parents as well as community consider that the students with disability are worthless for the society. So they give least importance for their education. It leads to the low enrollment of children with disability in school.

Inadequate Funding

            Insufficient funding is a chief threat to the implementation of inclusion. It is reflected in the scarcity of resources like insufficient classrooms, lack of teacher and dearth of qualified staff, scarce learning materials and absence of support. .(Sporoso, S. A., &  Lensink, J. M,1998). Eventhough fund is allotted for inclusive education it does not reach them for better implementation

Physical Challenges

            In some districts, students with physical disabilities are expected to attend schools that are inaccessible to them. In economically deprived school systems, especially those in rural areas dilapidated and poorly cared for buildings can restrict accessibility. Some of these facilities are not safe or healthy for any students. Many schools don’t have the facilities to properly accommodate students with special needs, and local governments lack either the funds or the resolve to provide financial help. The lack of wheel chair ramps in school buildings, parks, playgrounds, washrooms and public transportation is a main difficulty identified by several students with disabilities when going to school. Undoubtedly, most school structures do not respond to this requirement. (Walker, D. K, 2011).

Policies as a Challenge

            Policy challenges are frequently related to a lack of awareness or reinforcement of existing laws and regulations that require programs and activities be accessible to people with disabilities. Some of the examples are;

·       Denying qualified individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in or benefit from federally funded programs, services or other benefits

·       Denying individuals with disabilities access to programs , services, benefits or opportunities to participate

·       Denying reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, so they can perform the essential functions of the job for which they have applied or have been hired to perform.

Suggestions for Implementing Inclusive Education

            Some of the suggestions for inclusive education are as follows:

v Only a positive attitude can bring a great success in inclusive education. So, it is essential that the teachers, who are the key backbones should develop a positive attitude for a successful implementation.

v An appropriate curriculum should be framed which facilitates flexibility to the teachers to make changes for the active learning process and also it should be success oriented.

v The teacher student ratio should be decreased (1: 25). (Mitiku, W, 2014)

v  Provide quality training to the teachers based on inclusive education.

v New method of technology and provisions should be used to the students so that it can enhance the better implementation of inclusive education.

v Government should take steps to check whether the funds provided for the inclusive education reaches for its implementation and provisioning.

v Changes can be brought in the existing laws and policies, so that it can enhance the quality of inclusive education.

CONCLUSION

            Inclusive education is implemented for the welfare of children with disability. There are many challenges in implementing inclusive education. It is the responsibility of each and every teacher’s to eradicate the challenges for the better implementation of inclusive education for the welfare of children with disability.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mathew, A. (2013). Learning disabilities and remediation. Hyderabad: Neelkamal

            Publication Private Limited.

Sharma, R.A. (2007). Fundamentals of special education. Meerut: R Lall Book Depot.

Umadevi, M.R. (2010). Special education: A practical approach to educating children with

            social needs. Hyderabad: Neelkamal Publication Private Limited.

Gnanam, D.,&Shanmugaboopathi. (2016). Contemporary India and Education. Chennai:  

            Samritha publications.

Walker,D.K.(2011). Common barriers to participation experienced by people with

            disabilities. Retrieved from: www.brighthub.com.

 Rasheed,S.(1998). Barriers associated with inclusive education. Retrieved from;

          www.beighthubeducation.com.

Singh,J.D.(2016). Inclusive education in India-concept, need and challenges. Retrieved from:

            https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301675529.

Sanjeev,K.(2007).Inclusive education in India. Retrieved from:

            http://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/ejie.

Sposaro,S.A. &Lensink,J.M.(1998). Barriers to implementing inclusion practices.Retrieved

            from: http://scholaworks.gvsu.edu/theses.

Mitiku, W.(2014). Challenges and opportunities to implement inclusive education.Retrieved

            from: www.academia.com.

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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.