Revamping of an age-old concept ‘Learning by Teaching’ Striving to create an invaluable workforce

27 November 2013 07:17 pm - 0 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Graduate unemployment is attributed by some analysts to the poor content of degree programmes being offered and the outdated teaching methods adopted. Against this backdrop, the Higher Education Ministry, as part of its plan for sweeping changes in the university curricula, is now heading towards the introduction of a new teaching methodology at the university, which is the concept of learning by teaching. Rather than confining students to being mere attentive listeners, students learn by teaching others in a class.

Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, the Higher Education Ministry Secretary, has introduced the new concept to the local university system and has contextualised this concept, based on insights from research done at internationally reputed universities.

The quality of the contents of degree programmes offered by Sri Lanka’s universities, particularly in the Arts stream, has been questionable. Lack of skills, innovative thinking and proper public relations are known as reasons that diminish the employability of graduates produced under the age-old teacher-centred teaching process.

- In an interview with Daily Mirror, Dr. Navaratne said, though employability of science and engineering graduates remained high, arts graduates were encountering great difficulties in findings jobs in the modern corporate sector, in a competitive environment.

" While learning by teaching, students become authentic contributors and experts in a learning environment and approach the learning materials at a higher level of commitment, understanding, and passion "

“The same scenario is faced by external graduates. We have to change this situation and produce human capital. We need to produce a workforce updated with skills, knowledge, creative thinking and personal qualities,” he said.

Stressing the need to inculcate all these values in undergraduates to mould them into quality human capital, he said ‘teaching to learn’ is the concept proposed in this exercise.

" The learner’s challenges change daily as do the technologies we use and the knowledge we seek. With all the changes the enduring values we can count on are respect, critical thinking, teamwork, and intellectual dialogues. "

Calling it a modern teaching principle evidenced in research carried out at leading universities in the world, Dr. Navaratne said the practice of having students to learn by teaching, transforms the role of a teacher. “Already, curriculum development is underway. We will give free textbooks on each subject to students. These are the textbooks used in advanced universities in the United States and the United Kingdom,” he said.

" In today’s world learning is an extremely dynamic life-long commitment. The learner’s challenges change daily as do the technologies we use and the knowledge we seek. "

According to Dr. Lin Linof from the University of North Texas, who has done extensive research on this method, ‘teaching has become scaffolding and facilitating an active learning environment - it has become learning.’

In comments posted on his website he said, "It is learning to find the stumbling blocks, gaps, obstacles, and disorienting moments and also learning to scaffold and to situate the students in an environment where the students can help one another to discover the knowledge themselves.

I see teaching as a life-long learning process. It takes a continuous effort to reflect on, innovate, and transform one’s practices in order to be an innovative and transformative teacher. This is especially true as our society changes rapidly with new media and technologies and as teaching and learning are no longer bound by time and space. In practice, I have incorporated different approaches to encourage an active and student-centred learning environments. One approach is learning by teaching as best illustrated in the following learning pyramid:

The concept of learning by teaching has been discussed frequently in research and has been evidenced in my own research (Lin, 2008) and practices. While learning by teaching, students become authentic contributors and experts in a learning environment and approach the learning materials at a higher level of commitment, understanding, and passion. With the ever-evolving technology, recognising students’ expertise is particularly important, because each student, not surprisingly, often brings with him or her some special expertise and knowledge that a teacher or other students do not possess. Encouraging each student to be a teacher provides a positive energy for everyone to teach and learn from one other.

In today’s world learning is an extremely dynamic life-long commitment. The learner’s challenges change daily as do the technologies we use and the knowledge we seek. With all the changes the enduring values we can count on are respect, critical thinking, teamwork, and intellectual dialogues. I see teaching as one of the ideal professions that offer such continuous learning opportunities – to learn with colleagues as well as to learn with and from the students.”
Commenting on this concept, Prof. Susirith Mendis (Physiology –Ruhunu University) said such a method is always important for a high knowledge retention level for students. However, Prof. Mendis said it should be done in an organised environment so that students perform teaching others as part of their learning process, under the watchful eyes of lecturers.

“We have to do it carefully. Students’ teaching abilities should be checked properly,” he said.

Also, he said, in medical faculties, it is common that senior students teach their juniors.

“It is a practice that has existed for years. It is not a new concept for medical faculty students,” he said.

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Revamping of an age-old concept ‘Learning by Teaching’ Striving to create an invaluable workforce

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