Microteaching was introduced into teacher
education during the 1960s at Stanford University, with the aim of helping
preservice teachers develop teaching skills in a safe environment (Grossman,
2009). Micro learning is adjustable and advantageous because it is recyclable.
Micro learning can be agreed as a process of subsequent ‘short’ learning
activities (i.e. learning through interaction with micro-content objects in
small time-frames). Mostly, it means teaching a small group of peers for a
relatively short period of 5 to 15 minutes and then giving and taking feedback
on the performances. Micro learning in this context means the microteaching
experience as a learning experience and an effective method of learning for
students. We can learn a lot from the experience related to this field, but it
would be a big mistake to reduce the question of micro learning to the
questions of formal education, teacher training or pedagogical discourse
horizons (Paduri et al., 2017).
The influence of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is becoming increasingly
effective in teaching and learning at all the levels of education. Micro
learning is enjoying a rapid growth and importance among the changing management
and learning professionals. Learning is a comprehension of how the human mind
is wired to adapting as opposed to an approach or a framework. It is one of the
best and most regular methodologies for the 21st century learners.
Smaller scale learning is also fascinating because of its method for
instructing and taking in the substance in a little, particular burst.
Difference between Microteaching and
Traditional Teaching
The traditional
teaching emphasizes on the transmission of factual knowledge and hence, the
teachers are the main source of information. The teaching objectives have now shifted to
the student centered, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely concept
(Paduri et al., 2017). Microteaching allows learning each skill to the maximum
extent as there is a chance of listening, observing, and practicing.
Microteaching along with technology (i.e. video, pictures, schematic diagram
etc.) would develop a systematic and accurate method of giving feedback to the teacher trainee.
Integration of Microteaching in Science (my) Subject
Micro teaching is a
widely accepted technique adopted and approved by various institutions. It is
an advanced form of learning however; it does have its own limitation. When it
comes to teaching a diverse level of students at once, it becomes a hassle.
During the training, the strength of the students is limited however when the
strength of students is increased it seems like a problem. This
program manages to keep the teachers away from real classroom problems. As a
result, trainees struggle in maintaining classroom behaviour. Moreover, the
artificial situation does not help in preparing teachers for the real-time
situation.
For example, my course
BI408 Advanced Environmental Microbiology is a postgraduate course offered
face-to-face mode at Laucala campus. This is a technical course, gaining
real-time skills on environmental microbiology through project based, research
data analysis, presentation and report writing and encouraging research paper
drafting. The assessment of this course will totally be internal which includes
one Internal written examination 30%, In-class Participation (10%), News and
Views (5%) and 55% (15% - Research Proposal & Literature Review; 30% -
Final Project Report and 10% - Oral Presentation) project work (research
proposal, literature review, execution of advanced microbiology based projects
of about 9 weeks’ work, presentation and report submission). This course cannot
be offered in ‘online mode’, it may be offered in ‘Blended mode’. A total of
55% assessments of this course involves in real-time situation (hands-on-skills based)
which can’t be simulated with artificial situation.
E-Assessment
E-assessment has enhanced
the measurement of learner outcomes and made it possible for them to obtain
immediate and direct feedback (Gilbert et al., 2011). It is essential to create
a system to assess students, which take into account the educational goals and
help students to develop their skills which will be a useful for the society
for long-term (Ridgway et
al., 2004). E-assessment can have
different forms such as, automatic administrative procedures, digitizing
paper-based systems and online testing that includes multiple choice tests and assessment
of problem solving skills (Ridgway et al. 2004).
Assessment
of student learning is an essential part of instruction. Learning science is
something students do, not something that is done to them (National Research
Council, 1996). Students should develop an understanding of what science is,
what science is not, what science can and cannot do, and how science
contributes to culture. Therefore, the assessment has to be properly
constructed. E-assessment is a rapidly emerging and valuable tool in Higher
Education for many reasons. It has enormous prospective benefits for students
in terms of learning and retention of material as well as increasing their
engagement with their chosen topic. E-assessment offers many advantages over
traditional pen and paper exams (Teame, 2020). However, applying E-assessment
in science and technology has challenges and advantages as well (Shute et al.
2016). Therefore, I would like to do research on “E-Assessment: Challenges and Effective Practices in Science Education”
for my ED403 case study. In which I believe I can summarize the advantages of
digital age assessment in science and their disadvantages. Here I would also
share my experience in E-assessment of my science courses have been teaching at
USP. According to University of Monash, Australia E-assessment benefits
students in many ways such as word processing functions, enabling authentic
assessment, preference for tech over paper, supports emerging tech and
innovation for assessment, LMS for formative and summative and engaging and creative
questions. It is also advantageous to instructors in many aspects like a wider
array of engaging question types that reflect real world scenarios (i.e.
multimedia), innovative functionality (i.e. accessing authorised internet
sites, free hand drawing), knowledge management - Item bank, eliminates
illegible responses, auto marking and soon after the exam has finished - no
need to wait for paper batching and enhanced insights.
Reference
Gilbert L., Whitelock D. and Gale V. (2011). Synthesis
report on assessment and feedback with technology enhancement, Southampton.
Grossman, P. (2009). Studying teacher
education, the report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education:
Research on pedagogical approaches in teacher education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
http://www.teame.ie/benefits-of-e-assessment/
retrieved on 30 April 2020.
Hug, T. (2005). Micro learning and narration:
exploring possibilities of utilization of narrations and storytelling for the
design of “micro units” and didactical micro-learning arrangements. Proceedings
of Media in Transition.
National
Research Council. (1996). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC:
The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/4962.
Paduri, V., Suresh, N. and Hashiyana, V.
(2017). Micro learning and microteaching strategy pragmatic to tertiary
institutions using smart devices. Proceedings International Conference on
Researches in Science and Technology, pp 46-53.
Ridgway J., McCusker S. and Pead D. (2004). Literature
review of e-assessment, Bristol.
Shutea
,V.J., Leighton, J.P., Jang, E.E. and Chu M.W. (2016). Advances in the Science
of Assessment. Educational Assessment 21: 34-59.
Thanks Dr Ramesh for detailed explanation in regards to Microteaching. Your blog post is excellent too because of videos and pictorial representations.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Krishneel Tiwari