Q1: “ Information Communication

Technology has revolutionalized the field of

instruction “. Discuss and elicit its educative
value.
Information Communication Technology:
Information and communication technology has quickly become a key part of
the infrastructure of classrooms and schools. From preschool to higher
education, computers, laptops, smartphones, smart boards and tablets are
powerful mediums through which to get information and communicate. In
the 21st century, technology plays a role in every facet of education as
students, teachers and administrators turn to their computers to access
information, create and express themselves, communicate and collaborate,
and track the achievement of learning outcomes.

Information Access
Technology plays a central role to both students and teachers searching for
information. Online reference material, such as Encyclopedia Britannica
Online, offer vast amounts of content supplemented by engaging multimedia
and interactive links. Ebook collections offer thousands of texts, and the
sheer amount of online articles and journals devoted to every imaginable
topic make research efficient and highly rewarding. Teachers looking to
engage their students have access to thousands of images, diagrams,
videos, maps, animation, games and a host of other options to appeal to the
varied learning styles of their individual students. Today's broad access to
educational resources encourages students to inquire more and follow
pathways of information according to their own interests. Information
technology thus plays a key role in the development of the autonomous
learner.

Creativity and Self-Expression

Information and communication technology also plays a role in how students
express themselves and reflect on their learning. Aided by the digital
recording functions integrated into smartphones, tablets and other electronic
devices, students are able to index the world the way they see it and add
their own perspective to already existing bodies of knowledge to create
original work. With audio, photo and video editing software and the various
ways to post self-created media on the Web, students not only access
information but contribute to its creation. The ability for students to be active
members of the learning community, whether on the small scale of a
school's social media site or on the larger canvas of the entire World Wide
Web, gives their work broader significance and affirmation.

Communication and Collaboration

Information and communication technology provides students and teachers
more opportunities to communicate and collaborate. With Learning
Management Systems such as Blackboard and Moodle, many courses have
an online space to participate in discussion threads and forums, chats, and
video conferences. Collaborative functions in office applications allow
students and teachers to view revisions and add comments in real time,
making the process of relaying feedback more efficient. Technology further
transcends traditional brick-and-mortar settings by providing working adults
and parents taking care of children, geographically-isolated students, and
the underprivileged the opportunity to connect and interact with learning
communities through online schools and educational networks.

Student Achievement and Learning Outcomes

Information and communication technology also plays a role in how
administrators assess the achievement of student learning outcomes.
Various assessment tools such as standardized tests, student portfolios,
rubrics, and surveys yield data that can be collaboratively analyzed by an
educational institution to find areas in which to improve. As the data is
entered into databases and statistics, charts and graphs are generated, and
administrators identify patterns and make decisions involving changes in the
curriculum and budget allocations. Technology has a prominent role in
assessment and evaluation and helps direct curricula to the greater
achievement of students.

Information technology has taken the educational landscape by storm,

increasing the learning potential of students and empowering teachers with
engaging presentation tools and advanced class-management systems.
From preschools to institutions of higher education, a plethora of electronic
devices -- laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even smart-boards -- has
opened access to vast amounts of information. These tools promote wider
participation in the academic community and benefit educators and students
alike.

Educative Value
Its educative value was great in order to enhance the student’s ability.The
ability for students to be active members of the learning community,
whether on the small scale of a school's social media site or on the larger
canvas of the entire World Wide Web, gives their work broader significance
and affirmation.
Learner Styles
A well-known concept to educators, Neil Fleming's multiple learning styles
model (See Reference 1) suggests that not all students learn the same way.
Information technology addresses individual learning preferences with its
incorporation of rich multimedia. With just a few clicks instructors have
instant access to thousands of articles, images, audio, and video that
enhance their presentations and engage students. For instance, if a student
has difficulty picturing a "yurt" -- the portable dwelling of nomadic Mongols --
a quick Web search yields informative articles, professional photographs, 3-D
models, and videos about how yurts are made, along with an interactive map
showing where the structures are found. Technology supports various
approaches to visual learning, auditory learning, reading, and writing
through its interactive, kinesthetic nature.

Classroom Management and Interaction

Information technology benefits the management of classrooms by its ability
to create and organize in a virtual space. Many schools have adopted
Learning Management Systems (LMS) that centralize aspects of courses in
such a virtual space (See Reference 2). Teachers can post documents,
ebooks, media, and quizzes that are automatically graded. Assignments can
be posted and submitted online and grades can be viewed in a single virtual
space. Students can access the LMS anytime and never have to worry about
losing a paper or carrying a textbook. LMS also facilitates communication,
interaction, and collaboration between students and teachers, providing
opportunities to send messages, chat, create wikis, compose documents,
blog, and share information much like social media sites.

Accessibility and Wider Participation

The emergence of online classes opens doors to many students who could
not otherwise participate in educational settings due to time and financial
limitations. Working adults, parents taking care of children, and students
being home-schooled can earn diplomas and degrees while on the road or
from their homes. Online courses offer non-traditional students the chance to
go back to school and improve their lives according to their own schedule
and at a lower cost than brick-and-mortar institutions. (See Reference 3)
Free education services are sponsored by educational powerhouses. In an
effort to share its resources with the world, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology developed OPENCOURSEWARE (Link in Resources) that gives the
public access to many of the school's courses. Information technology makes
it possible for anyone with a desire to learn to pursue an education.
Information Technology and Assessment
As educational institutions move away from traditional grading and towards
the assessment of specific skills, information technology redefines how to
judge whether students have reached their objectives. For instance, by
looking at broader collections of student work compiled in student
ePortfolios, institutions are able to monitor how students develop over time
and whether they have achieved their goals (See Reference 4). The
assessment of such skills as writing are enhanced by the use of online
software programs such as WriteToLearn (Link in Resources) that compares
semantics among large samples of student work and provides specific
feedback on items such as content, redundancy, and irrelevancy (See
Reference 4). Information technology provides more complete assessment of
a students' academic competence and offers feedback focused on the
individual.

Q2: Describe the different types of physical

and mental disabilities and the help a teacher
can provide to the students falling in these
categories.
Different types of physical and mental
disabilities
Teachers are expected to do so much with students in only six hours a day.

It would be an easy job if all they had to do was teach the subject matter and
go home. But their jobs are far greater.

Teachers are expected to act as parents, counselors, disciplinarians, tutors,

and more. They have to create lesson plans, grade papers, coaching duties,
mentoring clubs, attend meetings, communications with parents, and
teaching. Classroom sizes range from fifteen to thirty students.

If only five of those have mental health problems, that is a huge burden for
the teacher. Not only does he or she have to teach subject material geared
so students can pass the state testing, they also have to do this while
dealing with the mental health issues kids may be exhibiting.

In addition, teachers may have their own mental health issues to overcome
each day.
As a parent, you want to make sure your child’s learning environment is set
up so they are successful.

Learning about the mental health disorders that are most common among
kids is a good first step. You can also learn what your child’s teacher should
be doing to help, what they should not be doing, and what you can do to
make it better.

Common Mental Health Disorders Among

Students
Mental health disorders in schools are on the rise with reports showing one in
five students experiencing mental health problems.
The most common mental health disorders among students are depression,
attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety,
autism spectrum disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic
stress disorder, tourette syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct
disorder, substance abuse and eating disorders.

School systems have many resources available to students and families to

help with diagnosing and treating most issues.

They may find it hard to sit still and without even thinking about it, they get
out of their desk and move around the room.

The one disorder that may not be as obvious in the classroom is an eating
disorder.

However, a student with an eating disorder can have very difficult time
learning. On top of looking for specific eating behaviors that are associated
with disorders, teachers can also look out for the student being withdrawn or
isolated, weight loss, or trying to cover up their weight loss with baggy
clothing.

Substance abuse is another area of importance and most of the time, a

student who has been using substances exhibits noticeable behaviors
including slurred words, staggering walk, falling asleep or hyperactivity that
is unusual for the student.

How Teachers Help Students with Mental

Health Disorders
Teachers can take steps in their classroom to help recognize mental health
issues in students.
They can educate themselves and others on the symptoms of mental health
issues, provide a safe environment, encourage good health, and help
students access mental health resources. PBS News explains that students
spend six or more hours a day at school and it is inevitable that teachers will
encounter the mental health issues of students.
A teacher’s perceptions of mental health disorders, their role in regards to a
student’s mental health disorders and the barriers to helping a student is
important to their success.
There is a clear connection between mental health and academic
performance.

If a student is dealing with social anxiety, it may be harder for them to

participate in a class group discussion. If a student has an eating disorder,
they will not feel comfortable during the class food party. If a student has
been through a trauma such as sexual abuse the night before, they are
certainly not going to care how to solve word problems in math. Teachers
can make a difference just by recognizing signs and symptoms students are
exhibiting.
Each mental health disorder has its own set of emotional and behavioral
symptoms.

In addition, teachers can take steps to be culturally sensitive, create

awareness, and work with students and their families to make sure the
students are receiving the best help available.

Having a flexible classroom culture can help students with mental health
disorders because the kids aren’t expected to be perfect.

Instead, they are expected to work on improving their own behavior through
self-regulation and taking opportunities to figure out what they need to make
their behaviors better.

Responding to a student’s mental health disorder can be done with several

strategies including: teaching the student’s problem solving skills, helping
students set goals, creating accommodations for the student when situations
arise that need interventions or redirection.
Accommodations that teachers can give to students include the following:
 Special seating, especially near the door to allow leaving class for
breaks
 Assigned classmate as volunteer assistant
 Beverages permitted in class
 Tape recorder use
 Note taker or photocopy of another student’s notes
 Private feedback on academic performance
 Exams in alternate format such as orally versus essay form
  Use of assistive computer software to help them sear or
understand better
 Extended time for test taking
 Exam in a separate, quiet, and non-distracting room
 Substitute assignments in specific circumstances
 Permission to submit assignments handwritten rather than typed
 Written assignments in lieu of oral presentations or vice versa
 Extended time to complete assignments
Teachers can send healthy messages to students.
Help students realize their self-worth is not based on grades, that mental
wellbeing is just as important as academic performance, and that they are
supportive of them. Mental Health America suggests there are several things
a teacher can do to promote positive mental health among students.
 Know the warning signs of mental illness
 Seek the help of school counselors or psychologists to determine if
testing or assessments are needed for the student.
 Implement preventive techniques with students, including social
skills training
 Educate students on mental health
 Crisis counseling for students following a traumatic event
 Classroom management skills training for teachers.
 Allow your students to discuss troubling events at school or in the
community
 Encourage students to verbally describe their emotions

Teachers Hindering Mental Health

Signs that your child’s teacher is hindering your child’s mental health include
not welcoming parents, retaliation on students who report to their parents,
dropping grades, fatigue, stress, negative statements made about teacher.
Teachers can be bullies and although rare, they are usually older teachers or
those considered veterans of the school. They rarely get punished for their
behavior.
At each school there is at least one teacher who can be identified as
mistreating students or having favorites/ non-favorites. Bullying by
teachers is complex because there can be a thin line between disciplining a
student and abusing a student. While teacher bullying is rare, it has
happened in some schools.
Other ways your child’s teacher may be hindering their success is by
ignoring their problems, by not referring them to in school mental health
professionals, and by not informing you of any issues. Steps to take if your
child is being bullied include going up the chain of command, help your child
have confidence, do not let the bullying continue; talk with your child before
going straight to the teacher and complaining.
You want to make sure your child knows what is going on every step of the
way so they do not encounter any surprises at school and so they know what
to report to you if there are ever cases of retaliation.
There seems to be a lack of school policies addressing how to handle
teachers who are found to be bullying students.
There are plenty of resources for teachers who get bullied by students.
However, not much is available when the student is the one being bullied by
the teacher. As a parent, you can help implement such policies by working
with the school to create them.

Areas for Teacher Improvement

Most teachers do not claim to be experts in the field of mental health and
they will most likely say this is one area that they need improvement.

One specific area of improvement for teachers is their level of training they
receive regarding mental health disabilities among students. Fortunately,
teachers have access to many avenues of training. Educating teachers needs
to be a priority.
There are many things teachers can learn about mental health among
students. Recognize the difference between bad behavior and mental health
issue. Recognize warning signs. Connect the student to resources. Work with
parents. By doing so, teachers can help the students feel welcome and
encourage them to learn, help parents feel confident in where they are
sending their child for a proper education, and the teacher to feel confident
in how to handle children with problems. Teachers have a huge impact on
each child they teach.
Therefore, it is important that teachers receive the mental health treatment
they too may need. Maybe it is a vacation they need; maybe it is counseling
and medication. Whatever it is, the school needs to pay attention to the
needs of each teacher so they are at their fullest ability when teaching.This
should not be ignored. The teacher’s mental health status will directly impact
the student’s mental health status.

Q.3: Differentiate between management ,

control and discipline.it is observed that
some teachers do not have to impose
discipline in their classroom. What is about
their teaching the seems to keep their
classes free of disciplinary problems ?

Difference between management ,

control and discipline
 Differentiate the measurement Control and discipline .It is observed that
teachers do not have to impose discipline in the class room. What is
there about teacher that seems to keep their classes free of disciplinary
problems?
The most misused word in education is "classroom management." Many
educators incorrectly associate classroom management with discipline.
Certainly, behaviour events frequently occur in class, particularly in
classrooms where there is no management pan in place.
Classroom management is all about effective teacher instruction (what the
teacher does) and effective student learning (what the students do).
 DISCIPLINE is concerned with how students BEHAVE.
 PROCEDURES are concerned with how things ARE DONE.

DISCIPLINE HAS penalties and rewards.

 PROCEDURES HAVE NO penalties or rewards.
 Discipline is behaviour management.
 Classroom management is organization.
 Classroom management is NOT about DISCIPLINE. Classroom
management is about ORGANIZATION and CONSISTENCY.
Classroom Management is Planned
 The number one problem in the classroom is not discipline.
 Most problems in the classroom are procedure related; they are not
discipline problems.
 It is much easier- and far more effective- to monitor and correct
procedures than to institute tighter discipline.
Rules
 Rules are used to control people.
 Although rules are necessary , they create an adversarial relationship.
 When rules are broken, there are adverse consequences.
 Ideally, rules and policies are meant to be guidelines- not dictums set
in stone.
Ineffective vs. Effective Teachers
 Ineffective teachers discipline their students to control their every
action.
 Effective teachers teach their students how to be responsible for
appropriate procedures.
Major Differences Between Discipline and Classroom Management

Discipline Classroom Management

Is Reactive Is proactive
Is problem-driven Is productivity-driven
Has negative consequences as Has rewards as increased learning time
 punishments
Promotes compliance Promotes responsibilities
Stops deviant behaviour Produces predictable behaviour

Their teaching the seems to keep their

classes free of disciplinary problems :
Although related, classroom management and discipline are distinctly
different topics. They should not be lumped together as if they were
synonyms .CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT deals with how things are done. It
has to do with procedures, routines, classroom structure and is the teacher’s
responsibility. When procedures are learned, routines are established.
Routines give structure to instruction. Classroom management is enhanced
when procedures are:1. Explained to students,2. Practiced by students,
and;3. When necessary, periodically reinforced by practicing again. Good
classroom management is essential for efficient teaching and learning.
Chances are that when you walk into a room, you do not pay much attention
to the floor, but if it were missing, you certainly would! This analogy works
well for classroom management. You don’t notice it when it is good, but
without it, the lack of it is readily apparent. DISCIPLINE deals with how
people behave. It has to do with impulse management and self-control and is
the responsibility of the student. Discipline without Stress is designed to aid
a teacher in dealing with discipline issues .The word discipline or self control
comes with rules and principles which a person has to follow. Discipline is
most important factor for success. There is a huge difference between
discipline and self discipline. Disciplines are the rules and principles of others
which are imposed on you,. Self control or self discipline gives you a
complete sense of freedom as per your wish and will. How to keep a class
free of discipline problem Discipline problems challenge most new teachers
and even some veteran educators. Good classroom management combined
with an effective discipline plan helps keep bad behaviour to a minimum so
the entire class can focus on learning. Classroom rules must be easy to
understand and manageable. Make sure that you don't have such a large
number of rules that your students can't consistently follow them.
Set an Example Discipline starts with you.
Begin each class period with a positive attitude and high expectations. If you
expect your students to misbehave, they probably will. Come to class
prepared with lessons for the day. Reduce downtime for students to help
maintain order
Q4: Develop a teacher made achievement
test by constructing six items of each , short
answers , completion , true false , matching ,
multiple choice and essay type from class VI
Science book being taught in the public sector
school.
Teacher made achievement test
Carefully constructed teacher-made tests and standardised tests are similar
in many ways. Both are constructed on the basis of carefully planned table of
specifications, both have the same type of test items, and both provide clear
directions to the students. Still the two differ. They differ in the quality of test
items, the reliability of test measures, the procedures for administering and
scoring and the interpretation of scores. No doubt, standardised tests are
good and better in quality, more reliable and valid. But a classroom teacher
cannot always depend on standardised tests. These may not suit to his local
needs, may not be readily available, may be costly, may have different
objectives. In order to fulfill the immediate requirements, the teacher has to
prepare his own tests which are usually objective type in nature. Teacher-
made tests are normally prepared and administered for testing classroom
achievement of students, evaluating the method of teaching adopted by the
teacher and other curricular programs of the school. Teacher-made test is
one of the most valuable instrument in the hands of the teacher to solve his
purpose. It is designed to solve the problem or requirements of the class for
which it is prepared. It is prepared to measure the outcomes and content of
local curriculum. It is very much flexible so that, it can be adopted to any
procedure and material. It does not require any sophisticated technique for
preparation. Taylor has highly recommended for the use of these teacher-
made objective type tests, which do not require all the four steps of
standardised tests nor need the rigorous processes of standardisation. Only
the first two steps planning and preparation are sufficient for their
construction. Features of Teacher-Made Tests: 1. The items of the tests are
arranged in order of difficulty. 2. These are prepared by the teachers which
can be used for prognosis and diagnosis purposes.

3. The test covers the whole content area and includes a large number of
items. 4. The preparation of the items conforms to the blueprint. 5. Test
construction is not a single man’s business, rather it is a co-operative
endeavour. 6. A teacher-made test does not cover all the steps of a
standardised test. 7. Teacher-made tests may also be employed as a tool for
formative evaluation. 8. Preparation and administration of these tests are
economical. 9. The test is developed by the teacher to ascertain the
student’s achievement and proficiency in a given subject. 10. Teacher-made
tests are least used for research purposes. 11. They do not have norms
whereas providing norms is quite essential for standardised tests.
Steps/Principles of Construction of Teacher-made Test: A teacher-made test
does not require a well-planned preparation. Even then, to make it more
efficient and effective tool of evaluation, careful considerations arc needed to
be given while constructing such tests. The following steps may be followed
for the preparation of teacher-made test: 1. Planning: Planning of a teacher-
made test includes: a. Determining the purpose and objectives of the test,
‘as what to measure and why to measure’. b. Deciding the length of the test
and portion of the syllabus to be covered. c. Specifying the objectives in
behavioural terms. If needed, a table can even be prepared for specifications
and weightage given to the objectives to be measured. d. Deciding the
number and forms of items.
f. Deciding date of testing much in advance in order to give time to teachers
for test preparation and administration. g. Seeking the co-operation and
suggestion of co-teachers, experienced teachers of other schools and test
experts. 2. Preparation of the Test: Planning is the philosophical aspect and
preparation is the practical aspect of test construction. All the practical
aspects to be taken into consideration while one constructs the tests. It is an
art, a technique. One is to have it or to acquire it. It requires much thinking,
rethinking and reading before constructing test items. Different types of
objective test items viz., multiple choice, short-answer type and matching
type can be constructed. After construction, test items should be given lo
others for review and for seeking their opinions on it. The suggestions may
be sought even from others on languages, modalities of the items,
statements given, correct answers supplied and on other possible errors
anticipated. The suggestions and views thus sought will help a test
constructor in modifying and verifying his items afresh to make it more
acceptable and usable. After construction of the test, items should be
arranged in a simple to complex order. For arranging the items, a teacher
can adopt so many methods viz., group-wise, unit-wise, topic wise etc.
Scoring key should also be prepared forthwith to avoid further delay in
scoring. Direction is an important part of a test construction. Without giving a
proper direction or instruction, there will be a probability of loosing the
authenticity of the test reliability. It may create a misunderstanding in the
students also.

Table of Specializations:
A Table of Specifications is a two-way chart which describes the topics to be
covered in a test and the number of items or points which will be associated
with each topic. Sometimes the types of items are described as well.

The purpose of a Table of Specifications is to identify the achievement

domains being measured and to ensure that a fair and representative
sample of questions appear on the test. As it is impossible, in a test, to
assess every topic from every aspect, a Table of Specifications allows us to
ensure that our test focuses on the most important areas and weights
different areas based on their importance / time spent teaching. A Table of
Specifications also gives us the proof we need to make sure our test has
content validity.

Tables of Specifications are designed based

on:
 Course objectives
 Topics covered in class
 Amount of time spent on those topics
 Textbook chapter topics
 Emphasis and space provided in the text
Multiple choice
Multiple choice questions are composed of one question (stem) with multiple
possible answers (choices), including the correct answer and several
incorrect answers (distractors). Typically, students select the correct answer
by circling the associated number or letter, or filling in the associated circle
on the machine-readable response sheet.

Example: Distractors are:

A) Elements of the exam layout that distract attention from the questions
B) Incorrect but plausible choices used in multiple choice questions
C) Unnecessary clauses included in the stem of multiple choice questions

Answer: BStudents can generally respond to these type of questions quite

quickly. As a result, they are often used to test student’s knowledge of a
broad r

ange of content. Creating these questions can be time consuming because it

is often difficult to generate several plausible distractors. However, they can
be marked very quickly.

Avoid Do use
In the stem: In the stem:

 Long / complex sentences  Your own words – not statements

 Trivial statements straight out of the textbook
 Negatives and double-negatives  Single, clearly formulated
 Ambiguity or indefinite terms, problems
absolute statements, and broad
generalization In the choices:
 Extraneous material
 Item characteristics that provide a  Plausible and homogeneous
clue to the answer misconceptions distractors
 Statements based on common
In the choices: student misconceptions
 True statements that do not
 Statements too close to the correct answer the questions
answer  Short options – and all same
 Completely implausible responses length
 ‘All of the above,’ ‘none of the  Correct options evenly
above’ distributed over A, B, C, etc.
 Overlapping responses (e.g., if ‘A’  Alternatives that are in logical or
is true) numerical then ‘C’ is also true)
order
 At least 3 alternatives
True/false
True/false questions are only composed of a statement. Students respond to
the questions by indicating whether the statement is true or false. For
example: True/false questions have only two possible answers (Answer:
True).

Like multiple choice questions, true/false questions:

 Are most often used to assess familiarity with course content and to
check for popular misconceptions
 Allow students to respond quickly so exams can use a large number of
them to test knowledge of a broad range of content
 Are easy and quick to grade but time consuming to create

True/false questions provide students with a 50% chance of guessing the

right answer. For this reason, multiple choice questions are often used
instead of true/false questions.

Avoid Do use
 Negatives and  Your own words
double-negatives  The same number of true and
 Long / complex false statements (50 / 50) or
sentences slightly more false statements
 Trivial material than true (60/40) – students are
 Broad more likely to answer true
generalizations  One central idea in each item
 Ambiguous or
indefinite terms

Matching
Students respond to matching questions by pairing each of a set of stems
(e.g., definitions) with one of the choices provided on the exam. These
questions are often used to assess recognition and recall and so are most
often used in courses where acquisition of detailed knowledge is an
important goal. They are generally quick and easy to create and mark, but
students require more time to respond to these questions than a similar
number of multiple choice or true/false items.

Example: Match each question type with one attribute:

1. Multiple Choice a) Only two possible answers

2. True/False b) Equal number of stems and choices
3. Matching c) Only one correct answer but at least three choices
Avoid Do use
 Long stems and options  Short responses 10-15
 Heterogeneous content items on only one page
(e.g., dates mixed with  Clear directions
people)  Logically ordered
 Implausible responses choices (chronological,
alphabetical, etc.)

Short answer
Short answer questions are typically composed of a brief prompt that
demands a written answer that varies in length from one or two words to a
few sentences. They are most often used to test basic knowledge of key
facts and terms. An example this kind of short answer question follows:

“What do you call an exam format in which students must uniquely associate
a set of prompts with a set of options?” Answer: Matching questions

Alternatively, this could be written as a fill-in-the-blank short answer

question:

“An exam question in which students must uniquely associate prompts and
options is called a
___________ question.” Answer: Matching.

Short answer questions can also be used to test higher thinking skills,
including analysis or
evaluation. For example:

“Will you include short answer questions on your next exam? Please justify
your decision with
two to three sentences explaining the factors that have influenced your
decision.”

Short answer questions have many advantages. Many instructors report that
they are relatively easy to construct and can be constructed faster than
multiple choice questions. Unlike matching, true/false, and multiple choice
questions, short answer questions make it difficult for students to
guess the answer. Short answer questions provide students with more
flexibility to explain their understanding and demonstrate creativity than
they would have with multiple choice questions; this also means that scoring
is relatively laborious and can be quite subjective. Short answer
questions provide more structure than essay questions and thus are often
easy and faster to mark and often test a broader range of the course content
than full essay questions.
Type of Avoid Do use
questio
n
All  Trivia  Your own words
short-  Long / complex  Specific problems
answer sentences  Direct questions

Fill-in-  Taking out so many  Prompts that omit

the- words that the only one or two key
blank sentence is words at the end of
meaningless the sentence

Essays
Essay questions provide a complex prompt that requires written responses,
which can vary in length from a couple of paragraphs to many pages. Like
short answer questions, they provide students with an opportunity to explain
their understanding and demonstrate creativity, but make it hard for
students to arrive at an acceptable answer by bluffing. They can be
constructed reasonably quickly and easily but marking these questions can
be time-consuming and grader agreement can be difficult.

Essay questions differ from short answer questions in that the essay
questions are less structured. This openness allows students to demonstrate
that they can integrate the course material in creative ways. As a result,
essays are a favoured approach to test higher levels of cognition including
analysis, synthesis and evaluation. However, the requirement that the
students provide most of the structure increases the amount of work
required to respond effectively. Students often take longer to compose a five
paragraph essay than they would take to compose five one paragraph
answers to short answer questions. This increased workload limits the
number of essay questions that can be posed on a single exam and thus can
restrict the overall scope of an exam to a few topics or areas. To ensure that
this doesn’t cause students to panic or blank out, consider giving the option
of answering one of two or more questions.
Avoid Do use
 Complex, ambiguous  Your own words
wording  Words like ‘compare’ or
 Questions that are too broad ‘contrast’ at the beginning of
to allow time for an in-depth the question
response  Clear and unambiguous
wording
 A breakdown of marks to
make expectations clear
 Time limits for thinking and
writing

Q5: Discuss the initiatives taken by the

government for universalization of education.
How can public and private sector contribute
to achieve this target ?

Initiatives taken by the government for

universalization of education.

1. Subject wise learning

In order to focus on quality education, the Central rules to the Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 have been
amended to include reference on class-wise, subject-wise learning outcomes.
The learning outcomes for each class in languages (Hindi, English and Urdu),
mathematics, environmental studies, science and social science up to the
elementary stage have, accordingly, been finalized and shared with all states
and UTs. These would serve as a guideline for state and UTs to ensure that
all children acquire appropriate learning level.
2. National Achievement Survey (NAS)
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) conducts
periodic national surveys of learning achievement of children in classes 3, 5,
8 and 10. Four rounds of National Achievement Survey (NAS) have been
conducted so far for class 5 and three rounds for classes 3 and 8. These
reveal improvement in learning achievement levels of pupils, in identified
subjects from first round to fourth round.
Further, a National Achievement Survey based on learning outcomes was
conducted for classes 3, 5 and 8 on November 13, 2017 with a sample frame
upto district level to enable states/UTs to identify gaps in learning outcomes
at district level and design strategies to address those gaps.
Similarly, NAS for Class 10 was conducted on February 5, 2018. NAS Reports
show students' learning levels against the expected learning outcomes of a
particular grade and are used to provide feedback to the districts for further
improvement.
3. Minimum qualification of teachers
3. Section 23(2) of the RTE Act has been amended to extend the period of in-
service training for untrained elementary teachers to March 31, 2019 in all
the states and UTs.
As per the above amendment, all untrained in-service teachers working in
government, government- aided, and private un-aided schools should
acquire minimum qualification as laid down by an academic authority,
authorized by the Central Government, by March 31, 2019.
The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was entrusted to conduct
this training through ODL (Open Distance Learning) mode. The online
D.El.Ed. course has been started from October 3, 2017 and completed on
March 31, 2019.
4. BEd degree structure
A four year BEd integrated course to bring about qualitative improvement in
teacher education programmes in India has been conceptualised and
regulations for this course have been published in official gazette on March
29, 2019 and applications have been invited w.e.f. June 31, 2019.
The model curriculum prepared for this course includes crucial aspects like
gender, inclusive education, ICT, yoga, Global Citizenship Education (GCED)
and Health & Sanitation. The teaching specialization would primarily be for
the primary levels and the secondary level.
5. Quality education
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act,
2018 has been notified on January 11, 2019. The said Act provides to
empower the appropriate government to take a decision as to whether to
hold back a child in class 5 or in class 8 or in both the classes, or not to hold
back a child in any class till the completion of elementary education. The Act
seeks to improve the learning levels of children and will lead to greater
accountability and improvement in the quality of education.
6. Equality in education
6. The Central Government has launched an integrated scheme for school
education named as Samagra Shiksha, w.e.f. 2018-19 which subsumes the
three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored schemes of school education i.e Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and
Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE).
The common objectives of all these schemes were to enhance access, to
promote equity through the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and weaker
sections and to improve the quality of education. The new integrated scheme
envisages school education as a continuum from pre-school to senior
secondary level and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education
at all levels.
7. International exposure
Government of India has decided to participate in the programme for
International Students Assessment (PISA) to be conducted by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2021.
PISA is a competency based assessment which unlike content based
assessment, measures the extent to which students have acquired key
competencies that are essential for full participation in modern societies.
Learnings from participation in PISA help to introduce competency based
examination reforms in the school system and help move away from rote
learning. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and NCERT are a
part of the process and activities leading to the actual test.
8. Cultural festivals
In order to experience and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of India,
Rangotsav was held from December 7 to 21, 2018 in schools, with
participation of students, teachers and other stake holders.
Rangotsav is focused on creating a non-judgmental platform for the
participants to explore and express their artistic minds through dance,
music, theatre, painting craft making etc.
The fortnight-long event promoted a joyful learning environment with no
restriction on expression of different forms of arts.
It is a gate way for each state to get exposed to the cultures, arts and
languages of other States and UTs and enrich the minds of students and
enhance their thrust for knowledge.
9. Grading system
In order to objectively evaluate the performance of the school education
system in the states/UTs, MHRD has designed a 70 indicators based matrix
called Performance Grading Index (PGI) to grade the states and UTs. The
indicators have been chosen after detailed stakeholder consultation and the
information on these indicators is drawn from the inputs provided by the
respective states and UTs. This grading system will assist the states and UTs
to identify the gap and design appropriate interventions to bridge them.
10. Integrated data
Timely and accurate data is the basis of sound and effective planning and
decision making. Towards this end, the establishment of a well-functioning
and sustainable Educational Management Information System is of utmost
importance today. In 2018-19, the UDISE+ (i.e. UDISE plus) application has
been launched to collect data from all schools, so that it becomes an
effective tool for decision making.
11. E-learning material for teachers and
students
In order to provide supplementary learning material for students and for
upgrading the skills of teachers, MHRD has developed a dedicated Digital
Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform. The high quality e-
learning material both for students and teachers are uploaded by ministry
and states/UTs on this portal. This is expected to substantially augment the
knowledge base of the students and technical skills of teachers at no
additional cost.
12. Innovations in classroom study
The Government has launched Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan (RAA)
programme on 09.07.2015, to motivate and engage children of the age
group of 6-18 years in science, mathematics and technology through
observation, experimentation, inference drawing, model building, etc. both
through inside and outside classroom activities.
The Central Government also supports states and UTs on early grade
reading, writing and comprehension, and early mathematics programmes
through a sub-programme namely 'Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat' (PBBB) in
foundational years of schooling.
13. Interactive content for students
A single point repository of e resources called e- PATHSHALA containing
NCERT textbooks and various other learning resources has been developed
for showcasing and disseminating all educational resources including
textbooks, audio, video, periodicals, and a variety of other print and non-
print materials.
14. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
MHRD has launched a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platform
popularly known as SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active learning for Young
Aspiring Minds) on July 9, 2017. The portal is offering various online courses
for school education and higher education. NCERT is developing course
modules for Massive Open and Online Course (MOOCs) for school education
system in 12 subject areas (accountancy, business studies, biology,
chemistry, economic, history, geography, mathematics, physics, political
science, psychology and sociology) for classes 9-12. Twelve and twenty one
courses have been completed in the first cycle and second cycle until
November 30, 2018 on SWAYAM platform (https://swayam.gov.in/)
respectively. Nearly 22,000 students and 30,000 students were registered in
the first cycle and second cycle respectively.
15. Education channels
A programme for utilization of satellite communication technologies for
transmission of educational e-contents through 32 National Channels i.e.
SWAYAM PRABHA DTH-TV has been launched. Central Institute of
Educational Technology (CIET)-NCERT is the national coordinator for one DTH
TV channel i.e., Kishore Manch (#31) and has started feeding a 24x7
educational TV channel by July 9, 2018. Besides, NIOS is running five
channels for teachers, for secondary and senior secondary levels and for sign
language.

PUBLIC and PRIVATE QUALITY EDUCATION:

Currently Pakistan is on the sixth number with respect to world population.
Its man-power is another one of its resources. People who are daring and
passionate make up to about 18.5 million of this country. Primary education
is most important first stage of compulsory education, coming between
early childhood education and secondary education. Primary education
usually takes place in a primary school or elementary school. In some
countries, primary education is followed by middle school, an educational
stage which exists in some countries, and takes place between primary
school and high school. According to (Sabil and YuanTong Kai 2017) “In
addition to being a right, basic primary education underpins the success of
society. Every year of primary education increases a person’s productivity
and reduces their dependence on social resources. The goal of education is
to enable children to learn, realize their full potential, and participate
meaningfully in society. In spite of increasing enrolment rates, too many
children are learning far less than what they are taught about or what they
ought to learn in school” According to (NCHD-National Commission for
Human Development) In Pakistan, the situation of primary education is very
grief as there are 19 million primary school age children. Out of which
almost
half are still out of school. According to an estimate, gross enrollment rate in
schools is 70% but almost 50% children get dropout of schools before
reaching the fifth class. Only one third of the 50% survivors pass the
primary education.

Quality of school,
geographical condition,
and fees structure is
main factors which affect
the poor households to
decide their children
send to government
school, private school, or
no school. Many studies
shows that most of the
households shows
interests for private
schools and not more agree to send their children to the
Government schools. Lowering private school fees or distance
or raising measured quality raises private school enrollments,
partly by transfers from government schools and partly from
enrollments of children who otherwise would not have gone to school. The
strong demand for private schools is consistent with evidence of greater
mathematics and language achievement in private schools than in
government schools. These results strongly support an increased role for
private delivery of schooling services to poor households in developing
countries.

In Pakistan there are different types of institutions available like private and
public institutions, technical institutions, and madrasas (religious
institutions). These institutes are having the triangle of three main pillars;
consisted of Teachers, Students, and parents. Our study focused on two
main types of schools in Pakistan that is public and private school system.
Now a days private schools are becoming more favorite and attractive for
majority of the students due to their better education systems, test criteria
and knowledge creation and evaluation standards, which comparatively very
cheap but inefficient are losing their attraction. Parents prefer to send their
children in private schools and avoid public schools. The main objective of
this study is to investigate why people prefer high charging private schools
over free public schools.