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Learning Diary of the Third Module of Pedagogy Course

Innovative Pedagogical Methods & Assessment Tools

Presented by:

M. Miran H. Rahim Saeed

Dr. Karwan Ali

Prepared By:

Farhad Abdullah H. Hassan

2022-2023
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*   Introduction: 22-8-2022

First of All, this module was very interesting, obtaining new information in the field of your work is something that can't be described in words, but its effect is manifested during work and you will see how it helps you in overcoming difficulties and removing obstacles and this leads to the success that the owner of the profession desires, especially teachers and lecturers.

M. Miran emphasized several principles that are important to him during the course, including punctuality, classroom seating, bringing a laptop, and silent mobile phones.

It then began by outlining the theme and purpose of the module. He asked the participants about the meaning of pedagogy; several students expressed their views and I defined pedagogy as “the way teachers deliver curriculum content to a class”. Another question was what kind of experience do you have in your university courses or classes? And was your role passive or active?

Similarly, the participants each responded according to their experience and understanding, and I was one of those who mentioned the passive role.

What differentiates this module from the student-centered approach is that this module works as a practical guide which focuses on concrete and applied teaching and assessment tools.

The old classroom lectures note-taking, and exams are being replaced with more innovative teaching methods. The days of sitting passively and listening to a teacher talk are over. Now, students are expected to be active participants in their education.

But today’s education system is changing. Students have access to a wide variety of teaching methods, including digital learning platforms and collaborative learning strategies.

In today’s digital world, education has undergone a paradigm shift. Traditional teaching methods are being replaced by innovative pedagogical tools and techniques.

My special thanks to the Lecturer and the friends in the course, who enriched the topics with their interventions. I got acquainted with many terms in the field of education and the teacher opened new horizons for me in education and methodological study. The calm and purposeful dialogue is one of the most important things that can be referred to during this course.

M. Miran mentioned several methods used in some countries in the field of education and learning, one of which was a hologram, which is to show a celebrity or scientist as if he presents the subject with the movement and voice of that person gives them on the subject as they will gain more confidence from hearing it from the owner.

Another example was to recognize students' faces by installing cameras in classrooms and connecting them to a database to compare students' faces so that they could feel any problems on their faces and solve the problem. Mr. Chener believed that this deprived the learner of his freedom and made him feel constantly under surveillance and unable to exercise his wishes, creating a form of dictatorship.

Another way was to use VR, where students can attend class or teachers at home with glasses. There were many other topics that I cannot mention here because of the number of topics.

According to our groups, M. Miran asked us to identify the most important skills that a person needs to have to be successful in his field within 20 minutes and then present them. Each group pointed out several skills, then discussed the topic with my teacher and colleagues, in general, the teacher presented more information and details about it and introduced us to the importance of skills in education and learning. LMT), and Life Skills (FLIPS). These include critical thinking skills, creativity and innovation, collaboration, flexibility, adaptability, communication, responsibility, initiative, social skills, leadership, productivity, and accountability.

He gave us an important handbook called 21st Century Skills that can be used a lot.

This module includes three major themes, namely (teaching methods, assessment tools, and creating learning environments).

·          The Theme of Teaching Methods: 24-8-2022

It looks at various teaching techniques and methods aligned with the student-centered approach to allow teachers and students to become familiar with key pedagogical tools to meet the individual needs of their learners.

The choice of each teaching method depends on what method is appropriate for your subject. The rate of recall depends on the way the information is given, for example, reading only 10%, hearing only 20%, seeing 30%, hearing and seeing 50%, discussing and speaking 70%, and saying and implementing 90%.

Another topic that the teacher mentioned was innovative pedagogy. This includes (creative learning, creative teaching, and teaching for innovation).

If pedagogy is generally defined as the study of the teaching process, creative pedagogy is defined as the science and art of creative teaching. Creative pedagogy is a branch of pedagogy that emphasizes the leading role of creativity in successful learning. Creative pedagogy essentially teaches learners how to learn creatively and become creators of themselves and their future.

What is creative learning?

It is building knowledge and developing skills using innovative techniques.

Creative Education- guides the learner through the teaching process using creative methods. And it challenges the obvious, the ordinary, and the assumed.

Why is creative learning important?

Learners are deeply involved in creative learning experiences. The more engaged learners are in the process, the more they will retain information and expand their understanding.

It increases the level of confidence. Creative learning techniques build trust. But that’s just the beginning. Learning creatively does much more than that.

One of the effects mentioned by the teacher to retain information in the learner's mind is to tell a story on the subject or tell the subject in the form of a story.

He also mentioned positive effects such as the teacher's tone of voice, eye contact, body movements, clear questions, and obvious comments. He talked about the pros and cons of this subject. What I understood was that students' needs are easier to meet and they are given more information, classroom control is easier, and those with good listening skills learn more and do not identify different learner abilities for learning in a traditional environment).

Then he discussed some common methods of learning and presented the common and different points, and with the participation of students, the teacher discussed the importance and characteristics of these methods (seminar, workshop, written assignments, laboratory field work, graduation project work placement, and internship ).

Another method was the fishbowl, in which several students sat in the middle and the others stood around them, with the teacher acting as the moderator. Residents discuss the matter and others take notes and are not allowed to say anything, but if one of those seated does not want to continue, he gets up and someone else takes his place. When we practically implemented this approach in the classroom, in the flipped classroom, which is another approach in the teaching process, and I expressed my opinion on the type of subject given to students in the flipped classroom, I thought the teacher could not determine the subject Since there is a course book that must be followed for the academic year, he can only choose the right resources and methods for the students and make it easy for them.

The problem-based learning approach was then discussed,

Problem-Based Learning (PBL): This was another approach discussed which involves using complex real-world problems as a means to promote student learning of concepts and principles as opposed to direct presentation of facts and concepts. PBL can promote the development of critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills. PBL can also be used to create assessment items. Problems can come from a variety of sources: newspapers, magazines, books, and television.

Choose a central idea, concept, or principle that is always taught in a given course, then think of a typical end-of-chapter problem, assignment, or homework that is usually assigned to students to help them learn that concept. List the learning objectives that students should accomplish as they work through the problem. Consider a real-world context for the concept under consideration. Add some motivation for students to solve the problem. The problem needs to be introduced in stages so that students can identify the learning issues that lead to the exploration of the target concepts. The problem-sharing method of PBL falls under three related teaching techniques: case studies, role-playing, and simulation.
·        Presentation on Teaching Methods: 29-8-2022

Each group began to present the topics according to the method they chose out of the 150 methods the teacher had given us.

Group 4 started with learning by doing, which emphasized the importance of implementation for learning, ie the learner should experience what he is learning to see if things are realistic and useful. The advantages and disadvantages and importance of this approach were also discussed. The other groups then expressed their views on the topic in writing.

Another approach discussed was Exchange students, presented by Group This approach addressed the importance of student exchange between different universities in different countries or the same country. They started with an old Chinese saying that says, "Traveling many miles is better than reading many books. This program is conducted through the organization that is responsible for receiving information, communication, acceptance, presentation of instructions, monitoring the student in all aspects, and providing new instructions.

They discussed two methods depending on the student's stay,

1. Short period of 1 week to 3 months, which is like a descriptive period.

2. Long-term from 3 months to a year, which is more important.

The learner will become familiar with the culture of the area and will also learn their language and may learn a different language if there are other language learners in the classroom. He then brings his experiences back to his community. Of course, this path is not without its advantages and disadvantages.

M. Mariwan also gave an example of Iran during the Shah's reign, how many students were sent to other countries, especially France, to study, and talked about the impact on Iran at that time.

Then the role play module of teaching was discussed by group 3. This method is almost close to learning by doing, because it emphasizes the doing of the work by the learner, and entering the subject.

M. Zhala spoke of a Confucius saying that says, "I hear, I remember, I see, I remember, I do, I learn.

The steps of this model are that the teacher identifies a problem, develops a script, identifies roles, and talks to them about their roles, then the performance begins and the roles fall into the hands of the students, then they discuss together and evaluate.

Benefits of this approach: Students increase their self-esteem, improve their relationships and become leaders, reduce their shyness, can solve problems, increase their creativity, and low cost.

The disadvantages are: it requires an experienced supervisor, it takes more time, and they may get hurt during role plays.

And one of the examples they mentioned was that a psychologist pretended to be a patient and the students asked him questions.

Like Group 2, we talked about field trips. In this type of learning, the teacher or supervisor organizes a field trip for his students to a different environment outside the classroom, where students can see and experiment with what they are learning.

I participated by discussing the three important stages of a field trip:

1- Pre-trip stage: includes administrative preparations such as obtaining permission, providing buses to and from, obtaining the consent of the student's guardian, and notifying the place they are going. Prepare instructions such as giving students information about the trip and its location, if there are pictures, videos, and sites to visit and become familiar with the destination, and asking questions about the content of their visit and what students should learn.

2- Travel time stage: It is in the role of the supervisor and participants. The supervisor can encourage students to think and look for answers during their journey with several questions together on the bus Participants should follow the instructions, look for answers to the questions and try to learn thoroughly.

3. After the trip: It is to assess the students in terms of what they have learned and how much they have answered their questions.

Then my friends talked about examples and the pros and cons of the subject.

Another way was Timelines, which the sixth group mentioned.

And the way of photography was discussed by the first group. The importance of images in learning was discussed, which can convey a lot.

• Creating a learning environment: 31-8-2022

This article emphasized the importance of student participation and the environment in which he is physically and cognitively involved in the learning process since if the student is involved in his work, he will learn more and become connected to the subject and out of theory.

The teacher asked what the learning environment meant to you.

What I learned from the participants’ responses and the teacher’s explanation is that a learning environment is more than just a classroom, it is a space in which students feel safe and supported in their pursuit of knowledge, as well as inspired by their surroundings.

As students continue to grow and evolve learning environments have changed over time and can continue to expand to meet student needs, allowing teachers to continually improve their learning environment to help students achieve their educational goals.

Several different types of learning environments affect our learning, including our physical environment, our mental environment, and our emotional environment.

Physical:

Those vibrant, colorful classrooms of your youth or the rows of desks that characterized high school both fall into the category of physical learning environments. This class is all about the design of a classroom, including how it is designed to influence learning, and which spaces are designated for learning activities. Home and distance learning has also become part of the discussion of the physical environment.

Psychological:

A positive psychological environment can encourage students to engage with the curriculum in ways that can enhance their personal and professional development.

emotional:

School can be stressful at any age, which is why students need a positive emotional environment that supports their educational path. Part of creating a safe psychological environment space means addressing the need for the emotional environment for self-expression and the freedom to express emotions.

M.Miran mentioned several tools that we can use in this process for now and in the future.

Like a Mentimeter, which is a kind of question to see how much knowledge the students have about the subject we are going to give them, we get feedback and on that basis, we can plan our lesson.

Another tool was Gamification through the Kahoot tool 10 questions about ancient Egypt for each question you had 30 seconds to answer, we all answered whoever answered earlier received more points if the answer was correct. It was fun and interesting.

The environment created for the learner should be such that he or she feels involved, active, within the environment, and connected to the classroom.

The environment must be at the service of all learners with all its characteristics. You should encourage learners who are not participating to participate safely and securely.

Then in a picture, he talked about the motives and factors affecting the learning environment and the role and place of the university in the process with the help of the participants who discussed according to groups and for 1 minute their opinion on their understanding of the picture.

One of the most important aspects of a learning environment is the existence of a physical place for the exchange of information, such as schools, universities, camping, libraries, etc. And also, networks, such as friendships and family, and social media.

A good discussion was held on these issues and the importance of the library was emphasized and examples were given by the teachers and participants. He talked about the importance of applications and educational websites in the learning process.

To determine whether the learning environment is effective, we must consider the following points: Students ask deep and comprehensive questions, increase their activity, become active from a passive role, are comfortable in class, and do not express boredom.

One of the activities we did in class was to talk about what the teacher's first day in class should be like. Similarly, according to the groups, each group presented several points according to their understanding. Our group discussed the following points:

- The teacher should be open and show that he or she will be a good listener to solve personal and general problems to improve the learning process.

- Teachers introduce themselves to students and vice versa.

- Dress neatly and have a brave voice.

- You have to give them hope and make it easier for them.

- Give them clarity on the topic and discuss it, to determine your student's level on the topic and plan your lesson on this basis.

- State the purpose of the article, what you want to do and what you want to achieve in the end.

·         Assessment Methods/tools: 5-9-2022

Evaluation is an important and effective process in the teaching process, to determine how well the goals that the teacher indicates at the beginning of each subject should be achieved within a specified time, to identify shortcomings in all aspects, and to put appropriate solutions. Therefore, assessment according to the new pedagogical process relies on continuous assessment of learners in a variety of different and specific methods. This deviates from the traditional method of assessing students only a few times during the course and often in the same way, which could not identify the different skills of students and often became victims of this process.

Therefore, assessment according to process pedagogy came into being as a necessity with its different methods and procedures to solve this problem. And for all the different matters and cases he established special assessment methods that could fairly decide cases. One of the important things is that according to pedagogy, assessment must be an ongoing process.

I would like to thank my teachers (Miran) and (Dr. Karwan) for their hard work with us, they made us more talented by presenting their topics and personalities, and I would like to thank my colleagues for their comments and presentations.

In this process, the teacher's role is very important to evaluate students equally using assessment methods and tools, to make the subject popular with students, and to bring them into the classroom by asking questions, involving them, and not ignoring any student. He should give them hope and not intimidate them, test them in a way that they do not know anything about, and cause them anxiety.

The objectives and content of the topic should be explained to the students at the beginning of the lesson, and the goals that both parties should achieve at the end of the process should be presented. The evaluation methods and tools should be appropriate to determine the extent to which these goals or objectives have been achieved.

Specifications of the assessment method should include the following:

1. It must be universal to all levels.

2. It should be encouraging, not disappointing.

3. Be consistent with the curriculum.

4. Must identify different cognitive levels.

5. You must be varied

6. Be punctual

7. Grades are not everything

8. Feedback to the teacher.

Dr. Karwan briefly talked about the education system in developed countries, especially Finland, which he visited as a stop for his work.

There, students are taught to be prepared for the market and work. In a few picture slides, he presented how different Finnish universities and schools are from us.

He also discussed diagnostic assessment and formative assessment

That improves the characteristics of the student that the teacher must know whom he is dealing with in terms of intellectual, scientific, and age. Because the types of assessment change their characteristics accordingly. They also discussed the continuity of the evaluation process, which will lead to the identification of strengths and weaknesses.