Is punishment the way forward to ensure learning? Most people will respond by saying "what a crazy idea, how can you teach anybody by punishment." However most of our schools and educational institutions have a policy of negative marking or penalty. Attendence in classes is mandatory, and if you don't attend, then various kinds of penalties are imposed or students are down graded.
We as teachers crib about students becoming more and more grade consious and less interested in learning. Is the system of reward and punishment that we practise from the begining, in bringing up our children at fault? We as parent will often be saying "Get good grades and you will get a DS." "'A' grade and you can vaction in Dubai" etc. What would happen if the condition of 'A grade' or 'good grade' was changed to "lets discuss the new book you read" or "how do you think we can stop pollution," and reward that. The focus of the child then shifts from the association of Grade with reward to discussion/ knowledge with reward, as in order to carry out a successful discussion, the child must have read and assimilated the informaton.
Let me pose another question. What is the importance of a grade to a student? Most will answer that good grades will ensure a good job, thereby ensuring a good monetary reward. So the students feel that the only importance of study is getting good grades, ensuring them a good future, not knowledge. Further more the policies in institutions also reinforce this by measuring knowledge by attendence and grades. Have we not taught blank faces and wondered why what we teach does not sink in? Well the first rule of learning is, that it will only occur if a student understands and realises the importance of it. It cannot happen by force. Students need to understand that if they don't attend class, then they will be unable to aquire knowlege and therfore be unable to clear courses. The way forward is making the students responsible for their own learning, not wielding the whip.
We as teachers crib about students becoming more and more grade consious and less interested in learning. Is the system of reward and punishment that we practise from the begining, in bringing up our children at fault? We as parent will often be saying "Get good grades and you will get a DS." "'A' grade and you can vaction in Dubai" etc. What would happen if the condition of 'A grade' or 'good grade' was changed to "lets discuss the new book you read" or "how do you think we can stop pollution," and reward that. The focus of the child then shifts from the association of Grade with reward to discussion/ knowledge with reward, as in order to carry out a successful discussion, the child must have read and assimilated the informaton.
Let me pose another question. What is the importance of a grade to a student? Most will answer that good grades will ensure a good job, thereby ensuring a good monetary reward. So the students feel that the only importance of study is getting good grades, ensuring them a good future, not knowledge. Further more the policies in institutions also reinforce this by measuring knowledge by attendence and grades. Have we not taught blank faces and wondered why what we teach does not sink in? Well the first rule of learning is, that it will only occur if a student understands and realises the importance of it. It cannot happen by force. Students need to understand that if they don't attend class, then they will be unable to aquire knowlege and therfore be unable to clear courses. The way forward is making the students responsible for their own learning, not wielding the whip.
