NEP Assignment 2019

S.Sriram

Department: Physics

Discipline: Astrophysics

RegNo:1942094

Assignment: Impact of the Draft National Education Policy on its adoption by the Government of India in Information Technology in teaching Physics

On 31 May, the draft National Education Policy (NEP) developed by a committee chaired by K.Kasturirangan was shared by the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) for public comment. A comprehensive education policy for India is on the anvil for the first time since 1986. The ambitious plan lays out a wide-ranging restructuring of higher education in the country and aims to promote a research culture in higher education with the creation of a new National Research Foundation. The report proposes an education policy, which seeks to address the challenges of: (i) access, (ii) equity, (iii) quality, (iv) affordability, and (v) accountability faced by the current education system.

One of the key proposal in NEP2019  is integrating technology into all levels of education( Chapter 19, Draft NEP, 2019). 

The major observations and key aspects in Technology in Education by the committee are

a.  Improving the classroom process of teaching, learning and evaluation.

b. Aiding in preparation of teachers and continuous professional development of teachers

c. Improving access to education in remote areas and for disadvantaged groups

d. Improving the overall planning, administration and management of the entire education system.

The committee  recommends focused electrification of all educational institutions as electricity is a pre-requisite for all technology-based interventions and it further  recommends

A)  National Mission on Education through information and communication technology: The Mission will encompass virtual laboratories that provide remote access to laboratories in various disciplines.  A National Education Technology Forum  (NETF) will be setup under the Mission, as an autonomous body, to facilitate decision making on the induction, deployment and use of technology.  This Forum will provide evidence-based advice to central and state-governments on technology-based interventions

B) National Repository on Educational Data: A National Repository will be setup to maintain all records related to institutions, teachers, and students in digital form.  Further, a single online digital repository will be created where copyright-free educational resources will be made available in multiple languages.

Information and communication technology (hereinafter referred to as ICT) is one of the most important and irreplaceable technologies of the twenty-first century. The introduction of ICT in the field of science particularly in Physics and its impact is discussed here.

Many teachers of Physics ate primary, secondary schools and universities think that teaching Physics does not have a character of science and depends mainly on so called pedagogical talent of the teacher. However research results proved that teaching of Physics can be based on science and methodology and Physics can be understood as a systematic scientific discipline whose procedures and results can be replicated

Physics as a science oriented course or discipline is known for its abstract nature. Students leaving science class because of physics to commercial or Art subjects, simply point to the fact that other disciplines are not abstract in nature like that of physics. However, physics is a unique subject, which promotes the acquisition of specialized science skills and knowledge, which explain the natural phenomena of life in the society. Despite the abstract nature of physics its teaching is to bring about scientific thinking in students, a mindset that requires students to test out, through experimentation.

Information Technologies offer new educational environments, which aim to enhance teachers instructional potentialities and to facilitate students active engagement. IT offers a great variety of opportunities for modeling concepts and processes. IT provides a bridge between students prior knowledge and the learning of new physical concepts, helping students develop scientific understanding through an active reformulation of their misconceptions. Specifically, they are developing their understanding about physical laws through a process of hypothesis-making, and ideas testing and isolate and manipulate parameters and therefore helping them to develop an understanding of the relationships between physical concepts, variables and employ a variety of representations (pictures, animation, graphs, vectors and numerical data displays) which are helpful in understanding the underlying concepts, relations and processes and express their representations and mental models about the physical world investigate phenomena's which are difficult to experience in a classroom or lab setting because it is extremely complex, technically difficult or dangerous, money-consuming or time-consuming, or happen too fast.

Today a wide variety of educational software is available for teachers and students helping them to present and model physical phenomena and processes, or solve physics problems. Computer simulations have been successfully applied from high school to university physics teaching. They have been used to diagnose and remedy alternative conceptions of velocity, and confront alternative students conceptions in mechanics. A recent study showed that simulations were equally effective to micro-computer based labs in facilitating the comprehension of concepts involving the free fall of objects. Other studies focus on the effects of the use of computer simulations on students conceptual understanding.

It is important that Physics teachers should be  digitally literate and well trained in the use of all kinds of educational technologies, particularly in the field of experimental skills and the teachers will have to regularly acquire new competences in the rapidly changing ICT field by consistently undergoing additional training.

The modern Physics teacher needs to be well trained in the use of all kinds of educational technologies, particularly in the field of experimental work. It is therefore important for students during their studies to achieve adequate competences for an appropriate use of ICT in teaching theoretical topics as well as in executing experiments

Teachers should be creative to create a pleasant classroom atmosphere so that students do not afraid to physics lessons. It's not an easy thing for teachers to make the physics class atmosphere into a fun class, mainly to make abstract physics concepts can be displayed in real terms so that students get new experiences in learning that are inherent in their minds.

Visualization is one way that can be done to concretize something abstract. Information and communication technology will easily visualize in the form of moving images (animation) which can also be added to the sound

In order to maximize the use of ICT in learning, teachers are required to be creative in choosing a learning model that is able to facilitate developing concepts that have been built through ICT. Teachers must be able to map the competencies that must be achieved using ICT and concepts that must be followed up to produce new products or solve problems in new situations

Physics learning activities are inseparable from the delivery of material in the classroom and practical activities that will further deepen the mastery of the material that has been delivered in class. The implementation model of ICT utilization in classroom learning and laboratory activities can at least be classified as:

1. MBL/CBL (Microcomputer Based Laboratory/Calculator Based Laboratory)

2. VB/VBD (Video Based Laboratory/Video Based Demonstration)

3. SBL/ISE (Simulation Based Laboratory / Interactive Screen Experiment).

 

 In Microcomputer Based Laboratory (MBL) is the use of computers that are focused on the process of automatically extracting experimental physics data. Video Based Laboratory (VBL) is focused on analyzing physical phenomena/symptoms observed in digital video recording. Simulation Based Laboratory (SBL) is a well-known category, whose application makes scientific (physics) symptoms through computer simulations based on mathematical models. The main strength in SBL is its ability to vary the experimental parameters to bring up a different response from the observed physical quantities.

 

The availability of various software that supports physics learning is really something that is very beneficial for education actors. The availability and ease of accessing and obtaining the physics learning software is an excellent first step for the education to move further. Based on its functions and utilization, the software can be categorized into

Animated physics: MS Powerpoint, Macromedia flash

Simulation of physics: PhET, Interactive physics

Video analysis: OSP Tracker, Logger Pro

Data logging: Vernier LabPro, LabQuest

Graph and data analysis: MS Excel, OSP data tools

 

Factors that influence the ability of teachers to implement ICT-based learning are lack of teacher ICT skills,  lack of teacher confidence,  lack of pedagogical teacher training,  lack of suitable educational software,  limited access to ICT,  rigid structure of traditional education systems,  restrictive curricula.

However, through the use of IT, whether CD-Rom, power point, etc the teaching and learning of physics is interesting.

Schools access to Information and communication Technologies (ICT) poses tremendous challenges to physics teaching and learning. Government should encourage attracting state, local, international bodies and Non-governmental organizations to invest on IT related projects in secondary and high schools. IT equipment and facilities such as internet, and equipment of IT should be made available to all secondary and high schools. Only qualified and competence physics teachers have skills in using information technology should be allowed to teach physics course in classrooms.  Physics teachers should be encouraged to study further in the IT. Attention should be paid of facilities in secondary and high schools. Also ICT system together with necessary peripherals should be bought. This will enhance the teaching and learning of physics and allow discovery of more facts. Conferences, seminars and workshops and relevant programs should be organized by professionals of IT to teach physics teachers and science teachers on modern technology and its uses. IT relevant curriculum should be developed specially for primary schools, secondary schools and institutions.  Establishing facilities for electronic distance learning networks opportunities in schools. Creating IT Application, in Research Design and Development strategy

We need to be aware that technology cannot be effective every time and does not necessarily improve students' knowledge. Sensible use of technology requires a lot of knowledge and preparation. Teachers must have a good sense for planning, when, how, and why include ICT and to what extent. In addition, teachers must have skills in the didactically reasonable use of ICT during lessons

 

References

 

1. Draft New Education Policy 2019
2. RTE Act, 2009
3. Census 2011

4. State of the Nation: RTE Section 12(1)(c) – 2015, IIM Ahmedabad, Central Square Foundation, Accountability Initiative (Centre for Policy Research) and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy