Evidence Based Learning Techniques

Every year we face the same music of repeated failures in spite of stringent measures like mandatory library hours, monitored studies, emphatic rote learning and the like. The uninitiated or the lesser souls continue to be the same in spite of all the exercises and trials, until fate takes a U-turn to solve the issue.
Cognitive scientists, recently, have shown that a few simple techniques can reliably improve the student learning curve.
(Source: New York Times News Service)

1. By alternating study environments
Instead of sticking to one study location, alternating the room where a person studies improves retention. Sitting put in a specific place, a study room, or a corner of the library, can hamper the learning efficiency as per a classic 1978 experiment. The psychologists found that students who studied in two rooms, alternatively, fared better than the students who studied only in the same room.

2. Mixing contents
Rather than focusing intensely on a single thing, studying distinct but related concepts in one sitting is advocated. Varying the type of material studied in a single sitting seems to leave a deeper impression on the brain than does concentrating on just one skill at a time. Musicians often employ this in their practice sessions, mixing a combination of scales and musical pieces. Many athletes stick to this line by combining workouts with strength, speed and skill drills.

3. Spacing study sessions
Crash courses aim at intensive immersion in a limited time to master a skill. This can give a better grade on a given exam but hurried jam-packing can be likened to speed-packing a cheap suitcase that holds the load for a while, then almost everything falls out.
When the neural suitcase is packed carefully and gradually, it holds its contents far longer and much better too. Dozens of studies have shown that Intermittent or spaced studying improves later recall, without requiring the student to put in excessive effort or pay more attention.

4. Self testing
Cognitive scientists see self testing, practice tests and quizzes as powerful tools of learning, rather than exams. Human brain has to relearn some of what it has absorbed, before adding new stuff, whenever it revisits materials at a later time. This relearning itself is self-reinforcing, anchoring retention of the information.

A combination of all these techniques can sure assist the common student who finds it difficult to tackle the problem. These are simple techniques that can be employed by anyone without any expert guidance.

But finally what is most needed is MOTIVATION. Only then incorporation of these techniques can find a suitable portal. Cognitive evidence based learning techniques give students a realistic plan than the clichéd learning practises and the often unusable theorising.

Musings on a teachers’ day

Bill Gates in a series of cyber talks (www.ted.com/talks) recently commented on education and the importance of teachers. Among other things he opined that paucity of good teachers is very much an Indian problem too. We always want someone of importance to comment or the arrival of a special day to make us think of pertinent issues like education, health, love and the like. Without Gates’ cautioning we are well aware of the rickety state of our education system. This traverses from the primary to the professional levels eroding the very values purported by the constitution.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recalled some of his teaching days during the eve of Teachers’ Day while conferring awards to the National Teacher awardees. He counted his days as a teacher as ‘the most satisfying and fulfilling in his life’. He also noted that the teachers needed to accept change in keeping with the times, maintaining a fine balance between traditions and innovation.

But it’s a sad truth that beyond these words, projected to the teaching community during ‘special times’, nothing promising is happening. Professional teaching suffers the most due to the lack of committed and sincere teachers and the price is paid by the community. The non-commitment and callousness of today’s professionals can be attributed to the teachers who failed to instil any values or morals in their wards. When the teacher him/herself promote wealth oriented and job oriented education what more can we expect from the students?

Teaching whenever becomes a supplementary job is detrimental. To make ends meet today’s professional take up teaching along with practice. They merely end-up as ‘arm chair teachers’ who never budge from their place to make an effort to teach or demonstrate. Many of them are interested in the promotions and the positions tied to these posts and will attain it with no sweat.

Academic exercises like research, paper presentations/publications and the like should be made mandatory in promoting and designating a teacher. Student evaluation of teachers is another effective tool to rate the best from the worst. This Sep’ 5th let’s pay homage to all those conscientious teachers who made teaching a sublime experience. Jai ho!