Pedagogy- learning-methods-evaluation-experience

Vastavikta Bhagat

We at SEA believe that the pandemic has a granularity of meta, non-linear narratives that become useful in making sense of the relational complexities of the pandemic and society. Thus, we set out to collect stories of fears, joys, agilities, fragilities, friendships, networks, collectives, home, work, infrastructures, entrepreneurship, privileges, marginalizations, migrations, desperation, gender, equity, etc. The glossary as a method became useful to reflect on this granularity of experiences and account for slippages during these times. These spatio-temporal stories, when read together or as individual instances produce a new sense of the emergent contemporary. This framework also allows us to speculate on the kind of world we will inhabit once the storm has passed. We draw on multiple readings to bring out the nuances and patterns of social life produced in a pandemic. This we hope would allow us to collectively reflect on the restructured ideas of the self, the collective, society, space, and time. With the pandemic, the tools of Pedagogy had to be restructured and questioned. Here the sense of the field, as well as the tools to make sense of it, were put into the foreground. Meanwhile, crumbling modern institutions themselves began questioning the current tools and methods of learning and evaluating.

The education system was greatly affected after the first wave was the fixed notion of the classroom found between the four walls which was leading to difficulties. But the simplest option, which came back was to shift online and which was made without any research. So the government introduced 12 channels for standard 1st to 12th on religious freedom radio channel considering that at least everyone is privileged enough to have a radio to listen to them. But all the online classes, the video calls was on one side, but the bigger problem that was coming up was the online exams.

So the exams have been the most important part, the education system according to the existing system, and they were not able to conduct them, thus leading to many questions. So due to the increase in the number of cases and the second wave the exams were either postponed or were either canceled. The new education policy proposed by the cabinet in 2021, and mainly focused on the formative assessment. And this is the best opportunity to implement it as the physical implementation of exams is not possible. So the question: Where does the education policies stand for all the people came up.

Virtual chemistry lab

A few days ago, while talking to my friend on the call, he told me about the college project his group has been working on. It’s the virtual chemistry lab. Developing a chemistry lab program using algorithms. The pandemic enabled them to think of the idea. The purpose of creating such a lab is that it would enable the learner to link between the theoretical and practical aspects without pens and paper. It would allow the learner to experience a lab without walls and doors and real chemicals but would allow one to conduct experiments with the help of virtual instruments and chemical solutions created through algorithms. These types of virtual lab software and other essential spaces software have started to develop a lot during the pandemic. The learner no more needs to worry about the availability of certain chemicals at a lab or worry about being very careful with dangerous solutions but feely be able to conduct experiments. In this pandemic, the software aims to enable ones with zero facilities or people away from their research places to conduct experiments and gain knowledge as well as continue research papers.

LOCKDOWN CLASSROOMS: SCREENSHOTS, SCRIBBLES, CAMERA PANS, ZOOMS

Design Studio discussions need a one-to-one dialogue. The discussions on experiential qualities of spaces need different tools. One needs to often draw to discuss. New platforms for such discussions have proliferated. New languages of discussions: screenshots, scribbles, camera pans, and zooms all became experimental modes of conversation.

Faced with a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, the central government canceled the Class 10 examination and postponed the class 12 examination. The ICSE and ISC examinations have also been postponed. The International Baccalaureate and several state boards have made similar decisions. Students are now left wondering about the nature of formative Academy assessment that will be applied to their class 10 performance during the year gone by which was marked by a shift to online classes and TV based instruction.

For many, it was a total lack of access without electricity, connectivity, computers and smartphones. The National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes formative assessment for learning and the challenge now is to take up these assessments where pen and pencil annual examinations cannot be held.These formative assessments are continuous evaluation techniques that are testing for learning which helps teachers access the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and suggest remedial measures.

The questions that came up while still being stuck in the concepts of itself, exams being the only source of the validity of the skills learned whether the exams are the only method in the education system around which all the policies are made considering all classes of students.

But while thinking this, we also found out that the cracks in the system are also fixed by sometimes technologies, which are coming up, such as the online learning platform. Cities around the world have now opened online portals which give access to various courses in India, Korea University, IIT Madras, among others have pioneered online undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Byjus, Vedanta, and Khan Academy have offered free online courses over the last few days.

Is education now only for those who are able to adapt to this system? A friend of mine told me about this initiative that an NGO was conducting of teaching kids online.

OBJECTS AND EYES

Explorations limited to the house tend to make me ponder on objects around me, some created, some encountered. The camera becomes a tool to escape, through these objects.

It does take a lot of patience and energy because it is really very difficult to handle kids online and to keep them engaged and attentive throughout the session. It was a very good learning experience for me. There has been learning on both ends throughout these days but it's fun. It's never a dull moment with them; they always manage to lighten up things with their wide smiles and laughs.

LEARNING FOR ALL

During this unfortunate time of covid, we all have been at home because the school is “shut.” Though, a few privileged people like us have been able to adapt to the “new online way of education.” There are a lot of kids who used to go to government schools which still haven't started. In fact, they can't afford the means to adapt to this life. There have been cases where the parents feel pressured because they aren't able to afford basic services like mobile phones and the internet for their kids to learn and have ended up committing suicide, who is the one to be blamed in this?

I wanted to speak about that. No, but let's begin with the marks wala thing, apart from you know, options we can go through, ke kya ho sakta hain... who is or who is a teacher, and recently I was talking to G, when she asked me,my brother is in 12th right now, so she asked me...exam kabhi hain and we said exams ka kuch bataya nahi hain but … matlab ho jayega.. Then after that it was said ke 10th ka exam cancel ho chuka hain and then she and then they were you know having conversation and then she asked me what about my studies and I told its all about portfolio ...and then the conversation kept on increasing and then I asked her...since you are a teacher… then how recovering at this stage right now how do you think the education system should work….the marking and grading and all thing. She specifically mentioned the marking and everything is required, the corruption and everything, the higher bodies which will pressurize ke humare bache ko lo paise lekar… donation denge management se aayenge… that will increase a lot. Because if the merit system nikal jayenge everything will go on donation then… because of which the people who are struggling a lot in the grading system.. Woh toh peeche chutt jayenge.

According to UNESCO, the key aspects of this pattern are the use of observation, quizzes, assignments, and feedback. The boards must now come up with a formative assessment framework that fixes clear metrics. The question of the school's capabilities to conduct these formative assessments has become important because not all have similar facilities. While CBSE schools may be more urbanized the picture for other rural schools is mixed. The unified district information system for education data shows that from 2017 to 2018, they will have one lakh 88,742 rural schools and 83,207 urban schools under their management. Data from the national sample survey for the same year indicates that only 4% of rural households and 23% of urban households had a computer. Internet access was restricted to 15% of rural and 42% of urban households. Future reforms would have to work on two fronts to ensure access to learning for every student in classrooms or remotely and make formative assessment possible through a scientifically designed set of metrics.

SEMI DIGITAL + PHYSICAL TOOLS OF PEDAGOGY

LOCKDOWN CLASSROOMS: MANY WINDOWS

New Tools, New Platforms, New Discussions

It's been more than 4 months since I have been teaching online to these kids through whatsapp video calls because a lot of their schools haven't opened yet and so that they dont leave their touch with education. I started teaching them basics and slowly however I was able to help them out with their studies.

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