Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Here comes a better option to ‘chalk-and-talk’ teaching method

— Photo: K. Ganesan

New means: Active Learning Methodology training programme under way in Madurai.

MADURAI: Active learning methodologies (ALM) would improve the grasping capacity of students by leaps and bounds, said K. Sridevi, Chief Educational Officer for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, here on Monday.

Participating in a three-day training programme on ALM for the Additional and Assistant Elementary Educational Officers, supervisors of Block Resource Centres and Block Resource Teacher Educators, she said that the methodologies adopted to teach students of Class VI to VIII would help them understand lessons better. Besides, it would also develop creativity among students.

The conventional ‘chalk-and-talk’ would give way to this new method envisaged to encourage self-learning and application of what had been learnt in classrooms, said Ms. Sridevi.

ALM did not rely on stereotype teaching practices but allowed the students to learn the subjects all by themselves, leaving more space for the creativity of the student, she said. The teacher would be more of a facilitator and a catalyst to spur on the students’ creative ability and help them learn and analyse things on their own, she said.

The teacher would introduce the lessons to students and help them develop ‘mind mapping,’ which could help easy assimilation of the subject. Through this methodology, students would be encouraged to go for self study, survey and raise questions. Moreover, it would also help them to read, recite, review and recall lessons learnt in classrooms, she said.

Effective learning would take place using diagram method and students would be encouraged to study in pairs, as such a practice would facilitate exchange of views and sharpen the mind, she said.

The participants were briefed about applying ALM in science and social science subjects. This new methodology could be applied in language teaching also, said Ms. Sridevi.

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