Saturday, 10 December 2011
WEBINAR
MEANING OF WEBINAR
The term webinar is short for Web-based Seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web. Web conferencing refers to a service that allows conferencing events to be shared with remote locations. The service allows information to be shared simultaneously, across geographically dispersed locations in nearly real-time.
Applications for web conferencing include meetings, training events, lectures, or short presentations from any computer. A participant can be either an individual person or a group. Depending upon the provider, webinars may provide hidden or anonymous participant functionality, making participants unaware of other participants in the same meeting.
HISTORY OF WEBINAR
A trademark for the term "webinar" was registered in 1998 by Eric R. Korb (Serial Number 75478683, USPTO). In the late 1990s, the first true web conferencing software was introduced. By using a telephone and the internet, a broad audience of attendees can participate in a seminar without having to leave their desks.
ADVANTAGES OF WEBINAR
Webinars are as effective as on-site presentations without the travel expense. Other major advantages of webinar are Ability to ask questions of the speaker, Ability of the speaker to ask questions of the audience to assure comprehension, Survey at the end of the presentation for feedback to improve your presentation. A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information.
ROLE OF VENDOR IN WEBINAR
Web conferencing is often sold as a service, hosted on a web server controlled by the vendor. The method of controlling access to an event is provided by the vendor. Offerings vary per vendor but most hosted services provide a cost per user per minute model, a monthly flat fee model and a seat model. Some vendors also provide a server side solution which allows the customer to host their own web conferencing service on their own servers. Most vendors also provide either a recorded copy of an event, or a means for a subscriber to record an event. The service is made possible by Internet technologies, particularly on IP/TCP connections.
FEATURES OF A WEB CONFERENCE INCLUDE
Slide show presentations - where images are presented to the audience and markup tools and a remote mouse pointer are used to engage the audience while the presenter discusses slide content.
Live or Streaming video - where full motion webcam, digital video camera or multi-media files are pushed to the audience.
VoIP (Real time audio communication through the computer via use of headphones and speakers) There are web conferencing technologies on the market that have incorporated the use of VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) audio technology, to allow for a completely web-based communication.
Web tours - where URLs, data from forms, cookies, scripts and session data can be pushed to other participants enabling them to be pushed though web based logons, clicks, etc. This type of feature works well when demonstrating websites where users themselves can also participate.
Meeting Recording - where presentation activity is recorded on the client side or server side for later viewing and/or distribution.
Whiteboard with annotation (allowing the presenter and/or attendees to highlight or mark items on the slide presentation. Or, simply make notes on a blank whiteboard.)
Text chat - For live question and answer sessions, limited to the people connected to the meeting. Text chat may be public (echo'ed to all participants) or private (between 2 participants).
Polls and surveys (allows the presenter to conduct questions with multiple choice answers directed to the audience)
Screen sharing/desktop sharing/application sharing (where participants can view anything the presenter currently has shown on their screen. Some screen sharing applications allow for remote desktop control, allowing participants to manipulate the presenters screen, although this is not widely used.)
REFERENCES
Saturday, 3 December 2011
CASE STUDY AS A TYPE OF RESEARCH
INTRODUCTION
Research studies are designed to obtain pertinent data and precise information concerning the current status of a phenomenon and to draw valid general conclusions from the facts discovered. In educational field it helps to explain educational phenomenon in terms of the conditions or relationships that exist, opinions that are held by the students, teachers, parents and experts, processes that are going on, effects that are evident, or trends that are developing. These investigations are of immense value in solving problems about children, school organization, supervision and administration, curriculum, teaching methods and evaluation. Researchers in the field of education attempt to trace the relationships between facts by employing a number of research techniques. Case study is one such method that endeavors to discover the phenomena in educational field.
MEANING
Case study is an important type of non-experimental or descriptive research. Case study refers to an in-depth study of one situation or case which may be one subject, group or an individual such as the person’s life history, the history of a group or society. Usually the case is a person. Case studies study a single individual or single, discrete social unit such as a family, club, or gang. Case studies provide information about specific persons, existing institutions, or concrete entities. This information must include biographical, physiological, environmental, psychological data. Case studies attempt to describe the subject’s entire range of behaviours and the relationship of these behaviours to the subject’s history and environment. Here the investigator observes the subject’s reaction to naturally occurring events. He attempts to examine an individual or unit in depth. The investigator tries to discover all the variables that are important in the history or development of the subject. The emphasis is on the understanding why the individual does what he or she does and studying behaviour changes as the individual responds to the environment. This requires detailed study for a considerable period of time. The investigator gathers data about the subject’s present state, past experiences, environment, and how these factors elate to one another.
In the field of education case studies generally focus on individuals or schools. The case study goes beyond casual observation or superficial description. It requires detail planning and execution. Haphazard collection of data, careless recording of information or superficial investigation can render a case study worthless as a research device.
Numerous standardized instruments are used for a psychological evaluation such as to determine aptitude level and emotional maturity. The investigator must extend his data collection into the home, the school, and the community. The attitudes of the family and his associates will affect the attitudes of the subject.
TYPES OF CASE STUDY
Case study can be classified into two major types based on the number of individuals:
Individual case study Community case study
Individual case study: the social unit consists of one individual or person. It emphasizes in-depth study. Community case study: Here the social unit is not a person, rather, a family or a social group. It emphasizes on the thorough observation and analysis of a group of people who are living together. It can also be categorized based on the nature of study. Case study is classified into three types:
1. Intrinsic case study: The objective is to understand the particular of the case.
2. Instrumental case study: The objective is to understand something more general than the case.
3. Collective case study: The objective is to study and compare multiple cases in a single research study.
METHODS USED IN CASE STUDY
Multiple methods of data collection are used in the case study. These include:
¨ Observation
¨ Interviews
¨ Questionnaires
¨ Opinionnaires
¨ Tests (psychological and educational)
¨ Inventories
¨ Recorded data in the form of documents.
STEPS OF CASE STUDY
Present status: The first step is to determine the present status of the individual or the social unit under investigation through direct observation or measurements. Formulation of hypothesis: the next step is to determine the most probable antecedents of the case and to formulate a fruitful hypothesis or a set of hypothesis through knowledge of similar cases. Verification of hypothesis: to test a hypothesis the researcher may have to depend on personal documents, such as diaries and letters and various physiological or sociological measurements , data from teachers, friends, parents, brothers, sisters and other family members. Validation of diagnosis: In the next step is directed towards validation of diagnosis some remedial measures in the light of the causes found are suggested. Follow up: the last step in case study is the follow up of the case. The case is re-examined to ascertain whether any changes have been produced by the treatments introduced. If the change is positive and significant, the diagnosis is taken to be correct.TECHNIQUES USED IN CASE STUDY
Observation: Observation of behaviour, characteristics and social qualities of the case. Tools of research: Use of questionnaires, Opinionnaires, inventories, checklist or psychological tests. Recorded Data: Analysis of recorded data from newspapers, schools, clinics or similar cases. Interview: Interviewing the subjects, their friends and relatives.ADVANTAGES OF CASE STUDY
In-depth study: The greatest advantage of case study is the possibility of in-depth study; it attempts to understand the whole child or the whole adult in the totality of that individual’s environment. The individual’s present actions, his or her past, environment, emotions, and thoughts are probed. The researcher attempts to determine why an individual behaves as he or she does and not merely to record behaviour. Development of insight: Case studies often provide an opportunity for an individual to develop insight into basic aspects of human behaviour. The intensive probing characteristics of this technique may lead to the discovery of previously unsuspected relationships. Interpret results: The case study helps the researcher to observe events both within and outside the educational settings in their totality. It helps him to interpret results in terms of relationships and interdependence. Formulate hypothesis: A case study may provide insights that will help a researcher to formulate fruitful hypotheses. Comparison: It provides sufficient fact for making a comparison between two similar units.LIMITATIONS OF CASE STUDY
Exceptional cases: The dynamics of one individual or social unit may bear little relationships to the dynamics of others. In practice most case studies provide information on exceptional cases rather than representative individual. Subjectivity or prejudice: The opportunity for subjectivity or prejudice is high in case study. The preconceptions of an investigator can determine which behaviours are observed and which are ignored as well as the way in which the observations are interpreted. The elements of objectivity enter into the report, when judgments are made about the subject’s character and motives. The researcher’s personal biases and standards may influence his interpretations. Impossible to confirm results: It is impossible to either confirm or refute through empirical study the findings and results of a particular case study. Team of experts: A worthwhile case study requires a team of experts which include psychologists, physicians, social workers, teachers, parents and the researcher. It cannot be completed by a single individual. Costly method: It is a costly method in terms of money and time. Since each case has to be independently analysed, it not only consumes time but also consumes a great deal of money of the research fund.CASE STUDY IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
In the educational contexts, case studies may be used to study:
Typical individuals (like drug addicts, juvenile delinquents, school dropouts, slow learners, gifted children) Institutions (school showing poor performances, colleges leading in promoting national integration and leadership qualities among students, sick industries etc.) Communities (a tribe showing high literacy percentage among girls, characteristics of a migratory labour group forcing their children to drop out from the schools etc.)CONCLUSION
Case studies are employed to diagnose a particular problem or condition in educational field and for recommending remedial measures. The case is re-examined to ascertain whether any changes have been produced by the treatments introduced. If the change is positive and significant, the diagnosis is taken to be correct. Even though the scope of generalization is narrower in case study it is more informative than a survey.
REFERENCE
• Koul, Logesh (1994). Methodology of Educational Research. Vikas Publication PVT LTD, New Delhi.
Friday, 2 December 2011
JOHN AMOS COMENIUS
(28 March 1592 – 4 November 1670)
JOHN AMOS COMENIUS (Jan Amos Komensky) was born in 1592 in Nivnice, Moravia, in the area that is now the Czech Republic. Known today as the 'Father of Modern Education,' he pioneered modern educational methods. A contemporary of Galileo, Descartes, Rembrandt, and Milton, Comenius contributed greatly to the Enlightenment. John Amos Comenius was a Czech teacher, educator, and writer.
Life sketch
John Comenius was the youngest child and only son of Martin Comenius and his wife Anna. His parents and two of his four sisters died in 1604, and young John went to live with his aunt. Due to his impoverished circumstances, he was unable to begin his formal education until late. He was 16 when he entered the Latin school. In 1618 he became pastor and rector at Fulnek, one of its most flourishing churches. Throughout his life, this pastoral activity was his most immediate concern. He served as the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, and became a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica Magna. He lived and worked in many different countries in Europe, including Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Transylvania, the Holy Roman Empire, England, the Netherlands, and Royal Hungary. Comenius died in Amsterdam in 1670. Comenius is buried in Naarden, Holland.
The level of teaching should be suited to the child’s understanding.
Effective learning is done through the use of vernacular language.
Education should be in accordance with the child’s natural interest.
Older children should stay longer in school, while younger ones stay in school only for a short of period time.
Subject mastery: All subjects should be thoroughly mastered. All classes of the same level should have the same textbooks, teachers, and tests or examination.
Morning hours should be devoted for intellectual subjects, while the afternoon hours should be spent on subjects that promote physical and aesthetic development. He was the first to use pictures in textbooks (The Visible World In Pictures, 1658).Comenius is best known for his innovations in pedagogy, his religious and metaphysical convictions. Comenius characterized human life–from the mother's womb to grave–as a series of educational stages in which objects from nature would serve as the basis of learning. He believed in a holistic concept of education.
He taught that education must begin in the earliest days of childhood, and continued throughout life. He emphasised on early childhood education. He advocated the formal education of women, an idea which was unheard of in his day. Comenius formulated the general theory of education. He was the first to formulate that idea of “education according to nature”. The most permanent influence exerted by Comenius was in practical educational work. He first applied or attempted to apply in a systematic manner the principles of thought and of investigation to the organization of education in all its aspects. The summary of this attempt is given in the Didactica Magna.
He disapproved of the scholastic tradition of studying grammar and memorizing texts. He lamented the haphazard and severe teaching methods in European schools, which tended to diminish student interest in learning. Comenius felt that all children–whether male or female, rich or poor, gifted or mentally challenged–were entitled to a full education, and he regretted that only a privileged few received formal schooling.
AIM OF EDUCATION ACCORDING TO COMENIUS
The aim of education is to alleviate human suffering. Education aims at uniting all people and religions through a common appreciation of God. The aim of education is to create a good man and ultimately a good society. The ultimate purpose of human life is to become united with God and to obtain eternal bliss in life after death, with life here on earth being the preparation for life after death. Education helps man to attain this goal.
METHOD OF TEACHING SUGGESTED BY COMENIUS
He was a strong advocate of sensory learning who believed that the child should experience the actual object of study before reading about it. Comenius argued that the acquisition of new material began through the senses. Comenius desired to make learning enjoyable and more meaningful through the use of dramatic productions and other innovative methods. He showed aversion to corporal punishment. He was the first to use pictures and illustrations in text books. Lessons should proceed from easy to complex at a slow and deliberate pace.
ROLE OF TEACHER ACCORDING TO COMENIUS
Comenius argued that teachers could ensure that they produced knowledgeable and virtuous students who would continue to learn throughout their lives. He viewed teaching as a technical skill; if performed correctly, one could guarantee the results. Comenius delineated a universal teaching method or standard set of pedagogical postulates that would facilitate an effective communication of knowledge between the teacher and student. He said that teachers needed to identify their students' stages of development and match the level of instruction accordingly. Comenius also advocated that teachers begin with simple lessons for students to master before proceeding to more complex exercises. He recommended that teachers employ the students' native language as a necessary frame of reference for unfamiliar words to become meaningful.
PHILOSOPHY OF PANSOPHY BY COMENIUS
His philosophy of Pansophism (meaning 'all knowledge') attempted to incorporate theology, philosophy, and education into one. He searched for a method to alleviate human suffering while uniting all people and religions through a common appreciation of God. He believed that universal education and pedagogy, pansophy would eliminate human prejudice and lead to human perfection. He believed that learning, spiritual, and emotional growth was all woven togethe. Comenius believed that a pansophic college- "college of light" would be located in a prominent and accessible locale and utilize a common language in order to facilitate the inclusion of all European scholars of prominence. He reasoned that a good man (a rational being who understood God through nature), and ultimately a good society, could only be created if all people acquired encyclopedic knowledge.
Major works of Comenius
During his lifetime, Comenius published 154 books, mostly dealing with educational philosophy and theology. His educational influence on the subject matter and method of education, were exerted through a series of textbooks of an entirely new nature.
v The first-published of these was the Janua Linguarum Reserata (The Gate of Languages Unlocked), issued in 1631. This book brought him widespread prominence and fame.
v This was followed later by a more elementary text, the Vestibulum, and a more advanced one, the Atrium, and other texts.
v In 1657 was published the Orbis Sensualium Pictus probably the most renowned and most widely circulated of school textbooks. It was also the first successful application of illustrations to the work of teaching, though not, as often stated, the first illustrated book for children.
v In his Didactica Magna (Great Didactic), he outlined a system of schools that is the exact counterpart of the existing American system of kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school, college, and university.
v The World in Pictures a pivotal text in pedagogical innovation that opened the way for modern-day teaching instruments such as audiovisual aids and electronic media.
v In 1639, Comenius published his Pansophiæ Prodromus,
v Comenius also attempted to design a language in which false statements were inexpressible
His texts were all based on the same fundamental ideas:
learning foreign languages through the vernacular; obtaining ideas through objects rather than words; starting with objects most familiar to the child to introduce him to both the new language and the more remote world of objects; giving the child a comprehensive knowledge of his environment, physical and social, as well as instruction in religious, moral, and classical subjects; making this acquisition of a compendium of knowledge a pleasure rather than a task;making instruction universal.
While the formulation of many of these ideas is open to criticism from more recent points of view, the importance of the Comenian influence in education has now been recognized for half a century. The educational writings of Comenius comprise more than forty titles. Comencius’ contributions to the educational scene are immeasurable in many ways. He pioneered modern educational methods. He wrote several textbooks on education. These were so original that they won him the name “Father of Modern Education”.
WEBSITE REFERENCES
Hema's blog: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher expl...
Hema's blog: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher expl...: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." - William Arthur War...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)