Abstract

The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 12 months according to NCTE. Now technology increases conversation, sharing, and learning among and between students and teachers. Today’s digital students think of information and communications technology (ICT) as something akin to oxygen: they expect it, it’s what they breathe, and it’s how they live.  Now-a-days the Parents role was minimized and the web page role was maximized by the students. The dimensional shifts describing students in the digital age was explained in four ways; a) literacy, b) learning, c) reasoning and d) action.

Today’s generation of students communicates in a language that many academics don’t yet understand. Web-based modules are used as animations, voice and video clips, captions, and text, all combined in accurate, well organized, pedagogically solid productions. Learning theories for Digital age deals with three instructional environments viz., behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology.  The digital learning provides the learners with a platform to exchange with peers and reflect on their work and to foster learner autonomy and learning strategies (Wang 2007). This paper also discusses the skills are needed for the teachers in the Digital age and the curriculum access in digital age as well as trends and futures of digital age. Preparing teachers for this does not imply that better learning will come from finding better ways for the teacher to instruct, but from giving the learner better opportunities to create new knowledge with and without technology.

Abstract

Good education is the product of good administration and the administration is not simply a managerial occupation. It demands new dimensions of knowledge, techniques and skills. Today administrators are confronting a variety of problems in their respective organizations. The complex environments of the educational institutions require leaders and heads with greater skills in communication, collaboration, and community building. Even though the principals and administrators possess all the required skills to be an effective educational leader, sometimes they struggle to cope up with their job related stress. So they find it difficult to cope up with their stress related burdens and become helpless. To avoid this, mind has to be managed properly whatever the external environment stresses one. To gain mind management meditation is an effective tool. Mind works only within the boundaries of the field of whatever one have previously heard, seen, thought of, or imagined. Maharishi Patanjali says that “you can cross that field by training your mind, and all its faculties, so that you can go beyond”. Meditation helps in controlling the mind. By doing regular meditation, it is possible to put a switch on the mind and turn it off when it is not needed. In fact, it teaches how to manage the mind just by witnessing it through neutral energy. With the help of meditation the educational leaders can tackle their job related stress; like the recent one based on fees structure of schools. Meditation is where thoughts get dissolved naturally, enhancing your concentration power, memory power, will power, right thinking, and fitness power, automatically. Meditation is neither a mental exercise nor a practice. It is a direct and natural process beyond mind itself.

Abstract

This paper explores how the Education System concerning Moral Education (ME) has evolved over the years. ME is a core subject for non Muslim students in Malaysian schools and complements Islamic Studies taken by Muslim students. Over the years, the subject has undergone various evaluation and changes. With the forthcoming implementation of a transformative syllabus starting from the year 2011 in Malaysia, the paper critically looks at the purpose of such a change in the system pertaining to ME starting from primary schools.

Abstract

The study utilized a descriptive research approach to analyze the professional development needs of participants. Researchers for this study wanted to know the kinds of support and incentives that are being offered for faculty members who are teaching online courses, the kinds of professional development opportunities that are being offered, the topics faculty members are interested in learning more about, and their preferences for delivery methods of professional development sessions. A self-report survey was selected as the method of research. The population consisted of 40 faculty members who teach education-related courses at one southern university. Data were summarized utilizing descriptive statistics, specifically frequencies and percentages.

Abstract

The national Council for Social studies defines social sciences as the “integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence” .At the elementary school level, social studies generally focuses on the local community and family. By middle and high school level, the social studies curriculum becomes more discipline based and content specific. It includes various fields which involve past and current human behaviour and interactions such as sociology, history, political science, economics, religion, geography, anthropology, and civics. A student will learn about social customs, cultural heritage, and history of society .This education will train the learners to develop a genuine interest in and urge for, preservation of what is good in our culture and improvement of existing socio economic cultural set-up. In the present scenario teaching/learning of social studies as a subject is often considered as boring. Technology can be used to enhance the understanding of social studies. Map marking is one of the important activities in history from primary class itself. Gaining mastery in the map marking skill is a task included in the curriculum. Programmed instruction is one of the effective methods for imparting map marking skill. The proposed study has been undertaken to find the effectiveness of programmed learning material for teaching map marking skills for students at high school level.

Abstract

This research study is the report of an experiment conducted to find out the effects of web based inquiry science environment on cognitive outcomes in Biological science in correlation to Emotional intelligence. Web based inquiry science environment (WISE) provides a platform for creating inquiry-based science projects for students to work collaboratively using evidence and resources from the Web. All projects make use of some content from the World Wide Web, as well as additional Web pages authored for purposes of the project. This approach helps students learn to use the Internet for inquiry, critiquing Web sites, designing approaches, or comparing arguments. The term cognitive outcomes as applied to science standards for intellectual capacity attained by the students as a result or consequence of learning science. Emotional Intelligence is the silent partner of rational Intelligence — equal in importance, yet frequently overlooked and rarely schooled or tested.  In order to find out the efficacy pre test-post test non equivalent group design and static group comparison design were followed. The tools which were used in the study include the test on cognitive outcomes in Biological science and scale of Emotional intelligence. The total sample consists of 128 students. The significance of difference between means, analysis of covariance, Pearson’s product moment correlation and standard error were used for data analysis. Analysis of data showed that students intervened using web based inquiry science environment was attaining significantly higher scores than conventional group student’s cognitive outcomes. Cognitive outcomes in Biological science and Emotional intelligence were negatively correlated and web based inquiry science environment have no significant influence on enhancing Emotional intelligence.

Abstract

English is a language, which is spoken by numerous people across the world.  It has acquired a prominent place in meeting the communicational needs of the people. Grammar is a set of rules that helps the people to use the language better. In schools, the teachers of English are considered as the most important factor in making the study of English Grammar successfully. We all know the teachers are experts in their subjects, but faces problems while teaching, because of the overcrowded classroom and heterogeneous group of students. This problem can be overcome by the application of innovative teaching technology. The most striking innovation in the field of educational technology is the application of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) in different mode. It makes the children more creative and providing them with an individualized environment. One of the most vital developments in school system is to meet the individual difference among the learners in a satisfying way. Considering the above, the investigators have developed and standardized a CAI package using Macromedia Flash 8 software for learning English Grammar —Voice for Eighth standard students. The selected content Active and Passive Voice is one among the important section in English Grammar. In this study, the quasi-experimental within and between the group pre-test and post-test design was adopted by the investigators. The investigators have undertaken the experimental study on 89 Eighth standard students of three matriculation schools in Mecheri taluk in Salem. The identified students are allotted randomly for two groups such as control group and experimental group. Pre-test and Post-test were conducted for both the groups. Test of significance difference (t-test) is employed for analyzing the data. The study proves that the learning outcome through CAI is higher than the conventional method. The present study clearly demonstrates that the CAI as individualized self-instructional strategy could be employed for learning English Grammar-Voice in the place of conventional instructional situation.

Abstract

Instructional technology is a growing field which uses technology as a means to solve teaching and learning challenges, both in the classroom and outside the classroom that is in distance learning environments.  Multimedia is an interactive instructional technology used in the classroom for teaching learning process has a wide significance to the learners as well as teachers.  Multimedia means the integration of continuous media (e.g. audio, video) and discrete media (e.g. text, graphics, images) through which the digital information can be conveyed to the user in an appropriate way.   In the present study, the investigators have developed and standardized the Multimedia Package in non-linear way using Macromedia Flash MX software for learning Volcanoes in Social Sciences for upper primary students.   The ADDIE model was considered to develop and standardize the Multimedia package.  In this study, the experimental method was adopted by the investigators.  The Parallel Group Design was chosen in this study in which the Control and Experimental groups were the two groups of parallel group design.  Fifty students studying VIII standard from Government Higher Secondary School at Vellalore panchayat in Coimbatore were randomly selected as sample for the study. The fifty students were divided into two groups (i.e.) Control group and Experimental group. Each group comprised of 25 students.  The pre-test and post-test were conducted for both groups.  Finally the study proves that the learning outcome through multimedia package is higher than the traditional method.  Hence, it concludes that the multimedia package developed and standardized for learning volcanoes in social sciences is so effective tool and the same can be implemented to enhance the learning activities of the students.