Date:05/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/05/stories/2009070550950200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

It’s all about the hands-on approach and spirit of enquiry

Staff Reporter

Explore - Discover is promoted by new-age engineers

Experimentation increases curiosity: professor
Role of teaching stressed by school principal

VISAKHAPATNAM: Principal of AU College of Arts and Commerce L.K. Mohana Rao on Saturday emphasised how to demonstrate science and learn it by self-experimentation and observation.

He was speaking at a one-day ‘hands-on learning’ workshop conducted by Explore - Discover, promoted by Yardstick in collaboration with Academic Staff College.

Explore - Discover is promoted by new-age engineers from reputed educational institutions like Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad and National Institute of Technology, Bhopal. It tries to facilitate the gap between educational system and children experiencing the fun way of learning.

In his keynote address, Prof. Rao spoke about how experimentation could increase curiosity and interest of an individual.

Principal of Etasi-Tympany School Annie Cherian introduced the theme of the workshop ‘hands-on learning.’ She said science was all about investigation and enquiry. She also laid emphasis on context, relevance of learning and role of teachers.

Prof. G. Ramachandrudu, head of economics department in AU mentioned about the role of teachers in present society. He also described his experience regarding science education.

Dean for International Affairs K. Vishwanath spoke on how science should be taught. He said observation was a good quality and said for enthusiastic students, science was everywhere and it was beyond classroom teaching.

Delhi Public School (Ukkunagaram) Principal Aruna Kumari said hand-on learning would always make a student an active participant in the classroom.

HR Manager of Vertical Marketing Shyala Kumari explained about the importance of language skills and how language should be built from childhood.

Chief Executive of Explore-D Vamsee Koneru focused on hands-on learning through balloon cart, circuit puzzles, resistance pencil, motor and electricity.The concept of science covered through these activities were Newton’s Laws, distance, displacement, flow of current, resistance, Fleming’s left hand rule, insulators and conductors.