Have we found any other way to test the true education acquisition skills of our students besides written examinations? - Exploration of a new paradigm

Dudley Morgan

Abstract
Education for All is one of the lofty goals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As crucial as the goal is to achieve Education for All especially in the Third World, which is characterized by low literacy level amongst the populace, the question to ask is if the true education acquisition skills of our students have been tested and verified by written examination?

Most former British colonies in Africa were introduced to written examinations as the test of education skills’ acquisition and this has extended till present day. In this paper, the authors investigate how applicable in South Africa context written examination is able to retain skills learnt. From the evidence presented, the paper would seek to advocate a new paradigm as an alternative approach to achieving education acquisition skills of our students.

In conclusion, the authors would present Consciousness Based Education (CBE) based on the Maharishi Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi (SM) Programs, as a model that could be added to existing curricula of schools and universities. This technology of Consciousness Based Education could help develop the full value of the three fundamental aspect of education: the student, the subject matter and the processes of knowing.


Keyword/Phrases: Education for All, Consciousness Based Education (CBE), Human Development

Introduction

“I chose to study the role of education in the development of scientific understanding, as it is experienced by Yupiaq people in the Kuskokwin region. How do Yupiaq students learn about science in the school, and what implications do that have for the integration of Yupiaq and Western scientific traditions? (Kwagley, 1995, pp 87). Similarly Gerry Angel, Managing Director of Polar Institute of Technology has been searching and discussing with the co-author `new systems of teaching and learning for Yukon First Nation students (Aboriginal students). Gerry has been trying new systems of modular teaching with applied practice skills and is now ready to embark on a new pilot project, akin to `re-discovery of the self, while re-discovering or discovering an acceptable learning environment.

The reasons for a series of hypothesis tested and tried by the Polar Institute of Technology (PIT) was based on the premise that: “students come first in the teaching-learning environment, and that the best testimony to the institute was successful students who could demonstrate successful IT skills. To this end the institute continues to work, but along the way a series of discoveries have been made:

  1. Profiles of successful students were reviewed

  2. Attempting to replicate the systems that work for successful students, did not readily apply itself to other students

  3. Attitudes and approaches of individual students through social issues and concerns was major negative determinant

  4. A Student advocate, similar to a counseling role is required, to deal with social concerns and interferences (Student Support System)

  5. Coaches /facilitators need to focus on the strengths of the students and to reinforce that

  6. An intrinsic segment of the instructional role is to have the capability to pass on enthusiasm to the students

In the areas of items `a' and `b' the facilitators/coaches (faculty) of the institute quickly realized that the profile of some of the successful students was based on drive/motivation; self determination to succeed regardless of the odds and there were situations where some of the successful students would `self destruct' (for lack of a better word), due to social issues. This relates to item `c', but occurs after successful training and a successful period of working

Brief Background to the Need for Exploring New Systems of Teaching-Learning

The managing director of Polar Institute of Technology teaches and lives by multi-skilled performance. He is the manager of operations of Polargroup ICT Inc and operates the largest IT business in the Yukon. He has been involved in other successful business interest and at one time pursued a successful career in the field of Human Services. Coming from this background of experience, he was always exploring the limits of `minting' (creating challenges for learners and employees to solve in the IT industry, and choosing the best, to be a part of his business) IT professionals, where they could be the best in the business. In this light, he worked from a paradox - counter paradox scheme to allow entry-level professionals who earned industry certification or academic certification; or who may have an interest but no academic or practical training in the field to start on a working-learning process. This same principle and process has been adapted to general IT classes for learners. A measure of success was gained through this phase of staff development and training, and was then used as a system of modular instructional techniques with students.

The co-authors had the opportunity to work on at least three instructional projects over a period of five years, using Polar Institute of Technology as a mobile laboratory. Some successes have been observed in training over a period of five years some of which include a series of information exchanges about what makes a student successful in the learning environment. Through these information exchanges a series of interviews have been carried out with the managing director of Polar Institute of Technology, which will become the foundation of this case study.

What is Polar Institute of Technology (PIT) Doing That Makes a Difference?

(a) The institute has developed and adapted a five step modular teaching/staff development and training approach, by taking staff from the lease denomination of technical work to the most complex, and returning to the lease denomination. The acquisition of the competencies and skills in those six steps, are not just for the purposes of applied skills, but the successful person, now enters into a teaching role. (See illustration One)

(b) Utilizing Successful Past Students to Teach IT Skills at Polar Institute of Technology

A Systems Approach to coaching and instructing for students has been used to try to increase successful learning outcomes. This is the system of utilizing one successful past student as a teacher/facilitator. Staff members working in the Polargroup ICT Inc industrial environment that have pursued the five-step staff development and training approach successfully are also used as coaches/facilitators.

(c ) The managing director of PIT assumed the temporary role of Student Support Facilitator, by taking on the position to act as social facilitator, mediator and mentor for the students, for the purpose of getting them out of the social ills situation that they found themselves in. Based on this, the managing director has a strategic goal and approach to obtain funding for a Student Support Facilitator, who could represent the students and act on their behalf.

(d) Planning and development for instituting a module for Rediscovery of Self through the use of socio-archaeological practice and research.

(e) Acquisition plan for funding from Human Resources and Skill Development Canada, to support learners participating in the Re Discovery of Self Modules.

The Leading Discussion to Pilot Project: A New Approach for a New Intake of Students.

The context for consideration comes out of several observational opportunities:

  1. Imaging - that observable notion of seeing people of your own ethnic group in specific IT places, practicing.

  2. Social issues and interferences: housing could be seen as one issue - the training takes place in the city of Whitehorse and if individual students dos not have availability of accommodation with their relatives, hotels become the norm. This transition from rural community to the city becomes more difficult, when friends and relatives start relying on these students to accommodate them, when they visit the city.

  3. The need for students to read - read - read, the textbooks and general instructions given. It has been observed that to be successful in IT training, there are two essentials, continuous practice of the skills and constant reading on the subject. Students choosing not to follow those two essentials often experience difficulties and frustrations and possible failure.

  4. Lacking in motivation and interest, to stay the `course'.

  5. One of the factors in dealing with First Nations students in an educational environment is the requirement to adapt curriculum to incorporate hands-on-experience to a greater degree than the standard environment.

Solutions That Could Make A Difference

  • Hiring a Student Support Facilitator - an advocate to assist students to navigate transition difficulties. Such as what we would term administrative details, such as financial supports while in attendance of the training,

  • Incorporating the Rediscovery of Self modules as alluded to before. In this case, students would be invited to revisit Yukon First Nation history through practical research for artifacts. A new set of skills and learning outcomes would be expected, from this, as it would be the learning of archaeology through practice and less theory. The whole idea of discovering or re-discovering something in the environment that you may have tracked over several times and learning about what you have found, creates world view with a difference as described by Kwagley (2000). It is through this sense of re-discovery that students would have a new motivated spark. The question could be asked, why through archaeological-historical events? The response could be: that we have tried social engineering, and we still require a greater degree of success.

  • Based on classroom observation and applied practice in the work site, the inference indicates that the socio-archeological (SA) skills module would actually be a component of the student intake engine. The SA Module would effectively form a cultural bridge to actually reach specific social or ethnic groups. Rather than relying on conventional advertising than passive standard course structure (the existing failing model), the SA Module could deliver an educational path starting in a familiar cultural setting leading to multiple educational destinations. The Information Technology destination would be the environment where a Systems Approach to coaching and instructing for students would be utilized. The SA Module could allow educationally-stranded groups or individuals (individuals that missed the education bus for whatever reason) an alternate path to various career destinations.

Integrating the Re-Discovery of Self Series as a Part of the IT Training for One Intake of Students (Evaluation to be done at the end of training program)

There are several studies about learning styles, and these are important. For instance Phillips (1983), Tharp (1989) and Shade (1982,1989) reported that American Indians and African Americans are frequently found to be more holistic-visual in their pattern of organizing learning on thought, while European Americans are frequently found to be more verbal-analytic.

Polar Institute of Technology through observational practices and historical findings is quite aware that Yukon First Nations are `grounded' in their cultural and traditional philosophies (Morgan and Chataway 2005) and that this is linked to their general learning styles. To create a more effective learning environment PIT is prepared to make the following system changes with the new intake group of First Nation students. The system changes are:

  1. Having a facilitator to conduct archaeological seminars, with actual applied practice, with discussion groups relating to the findings and linking this as the foundation to the Rediscovery of Self-Modules.

  2. Elders (Traditional and Cultural Educators of Yukon First Nations) would act as mentors to students, to relate and reflect stories and legends, as associated with the sites where the archaeological searches are done. The Elders could also be used as cultural and traditional coaches. In a counseling sense to the students

Inferences

Based on what we have discovered in observational needs assessment regarding social distress experienced by the students attending classes in the city, there is a feeling that the re-discovery of self through archaeological, social and historical discussions would bring about a sense of self in studying, as the self identity is important in learning (Goodkind 2006).

Insert Diagrams One and Two Here

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Figures

Diagram One



Diagram Two

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