Jhon Barleycorn by Jack London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jhon Barleycorn by Jack London - Essay Example a dimension which is free from any rules or obligations. Probably the one who is under the influence, sees things clearly, well at least from a different angle. This angle is far from the norm or what people are used to. The way first chapter of the book begins, it speaks volumes about the mental state of the man. He is going to vote for something very important and he’s drunk. Probably logic doesn’t do justice when it comes to voting. He votes for women suffrage amendment. The popular vote is probably a fabrication, a concoction, and people who craft the ballet box and the election system, design it in such way so that it gets picked up by the majority. It is equivalent to giving a person a set of choices and when he’s done choosing his favorite, he feels liberated as he used his freedom of choice to get what he liked but little does he know that all choices were acceptable by the person who gave him the choice. The interesting thing about the state of mind (of the protagonist) is when he’s under the influence, he gets more indignant while explaining or talking about something. He explains why he voted for the woman suffrage amendment. Although he claims that he was not under the influence but probably he was. He gives his reason that he ride his way back from the polling station on the back of the wildest horse. No one can ride it drunk, that’s why he couldn’t be drunk. Nice explanation but it doesn’t prove he wasn’t under the influence. People consider Jack’s book his autobiography. There is no doubt that he was an alcoholic himself. And this book probably is a preaching book towards alcoholism. What a man feels when he’s drunk is something a man can’t understand unless he’s drunk. Some strange wisdom, which is â€Å"beyond life’s wisdom† starts flowing as the rum goes in the body. The question is what kind of explanation is that? On the surface it might seem

The past world expo economy influence and effect on property market in Essay

The past world expo economy influence and effect on property market in previous host cities and countries - Essay Example The first of such exhibition was held in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London in 1851. It was named at that time as â€Å"the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations† and rightly so because this exhibition celebrated the coming of age of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Thus the 1851 Great Exhibition was not only a trade fair but also a display of scientific, industrial and technological inventions. Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert, possibly did not foresee that what he conceptualised would become today’s third grandest event after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, considering its impact on culture, on society and the nation’s economies. Today, the World Expo has come a long way. It is not only a trade fair and a showcase of new scientific and technological advances and inventions but it is also a means of promoting cultural correspondence and transfer and a way of finding solutions to issues that hound humanity. Moreover, it becomes a platform of presenting a strong national image before the whole world. In other words, it affords countries to advertise their assets and perceived advantages over other nations. The pavilions that each country construct have become competitive in terms of lavishness, splendor, magnificence and cost. There is a contest as to who builds the most stunning and most memorable pavilion. So many World Expo historians are of the opinion that the geodesic dome of the US pavilion in the 1967 expo in Montreal, Canada is the most memeorable and the glass and iron Crystal Palce of UK in the 1851 World’s Fair in London as the most imposing. In each world expo, all countries try to express s ome theme via its architectural design and the contents of its pavilion Thus each World Expo is characterised by glitter, glamour, visions and images (Maddox 2004, p. 79). The

Goals in life Essay Example for Free

Goals in life Essay It is the goal of every individual to adequately achieve his/her goals in life. It is what motivates them to strive and seek for something worthwhile. Each one uses this as a model for getting motivation and fulfillment in the things that they do. Amidst the setbacks that are in place, it is in here that they learn to appreciate what is important in life; hard work and determination. Moreover, our ability to transcend to other people and influence change can truly bring about capabilities to be adaptive and vibrant. Give this notion, I wish to present my intention to apply for a degree in Communication. Dialogue and exchange remain to be one of the instruments that shape man’s interaction among other people. It serves as an important determinant in molding and creating individuals who are both capable to adapt and conquer the challenges of professional practice. Given the complexities of today’s workplace, many students need to be formally trained to have the sufficient and necessary skills to cope in these changing times. By doing this, I can be competent and vigorous in the things I do. To supplement this, one must have the essential experience and leadership skills so that this relative facet be honed and cultivated. For my part, I believe that I have these necessary ideals to adequately address these challenges both in the educational environment and in the workplace. It is in here that I wish to point out my qualifications and traits that I believe can be vital towards my application in UC. At an early age, I was exposed into various endeavors that opened up my abilities and potential as a leader. Being immersed in these activities other than my study widened my horizons and opened new boundaries for me to explore. From my experience in Hong Kong to my community work in Santa Monica College, all these paved the way for such realization. At the same time, I was able to cultivate the service trait which I believe is an essential component of a good and adequate leader. Looking at my experiences, I had mentioned that I was not merely involved in academic undertaking. I too tried to develop my interpersonal skills by advocating numerous civic and extracurricular activities including sports. Back then, I was in the badminton school team since I was in grade 7(grade 7 to grade 11) I represent my school to entered many badminton competitions and came out with a good results. Moreover, I am proud to have been part of the â€Å"Duke of Edinburg Awards† (The DofE) and finished the Silver level. The DofE is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged from 14 to 25, regardless of personal ability. In the end, all these endeavors contributed to what I am right now; competitive and vibrant. With your help, I can actively sustain this energy and create opportunities for me to create and respond actively to the needs of others. Prompt 2 I believe that determination and patience remains to be the defining factor in the way we do and handle things. It is in this light that we gain experience and insights that contribute to the way we do our tasks and responsibilities. Give the different struggles that we may encounter in these situations; we must continue to stand up and use these events as a way to facilitate a renewed effort to widen our horizons and learn from the process. It is with this adage that I come to combat every challenge that may come along the way. Coming from the United States as an immigrant, I too experienced difficulties in adjusting to the norms and culture. I had to cope up with the language barrier and effectively communicating with other people. However, this did not stop me from achieving what I wanted to be. Rather than giving up in the process, I developed my personal commitment to major in communication to help me bridge this gap and let other immigrants feel the same way. Though this task is never an easy one, I feel that my background and the way I was brought up by my father can give me the strength to tackle any challenge that may come along the way. Looking back, I am proud to say that my family raised me pretty well and gave the right norms and values to handle the pressures in the outside world. They gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent and skills in different ways. Each one did not hamper my growth but gave me the inspiration to focus on what I want. In addition, they imparted in me the lessons of patience and perseverance in everything. Now, I began to understand and appreciate what they gave me. As I brought these adages to practice, I became involved in numerous activities outside the academic realm. It has always been my belief that to achieve an element of satisfaction and fulfillment, one must go out of his/her comfort zone and serve other people. With this, I began to associate with individuals in different levels may it be in sports (badminton) or civic activities such as my participation in Duke of Edinburg Awards. Not only did these programs enhance my capabilities and skills as an individual, it also gave meaning in my life and purpose in everything that I do. My involvement as a vice president of my house was also a unique experience on my part. It proved vital for me to enhance my leadership and communication skills among other people. I became part of charity events and reaching out for disabled people. It motivated me because I am now seeing what I wanted to become and actively working harmoniously with other individuals. I learned useful skills which allow me to meet people and communicate with them. In all of these, I feel that the past five years of my life were a determining factor of what I wanted to be.

The Evolution Of English Through Time English Language Essay

The Evolution Of English Through Time English Language Essay In the beginning, life was simple and life forms were non-complex. Communication between these life forms was also simple, spoken communication and languages did not exist. As life evolved, and Homo sapiens began roaming the Earth, the need for spoken communication became necessary and languages were born. Join me in an exploration of how the English language came to be, and how it has evolved over time. . The Roman Empire controlled England for centuries; however, by the early 400s the Irish, Britons, and Anglo Saxons invaded and began settling England for themselves. Though each of these tribes had their own language, their dialects were close enough for them to understand each other. The language that developed from this inter-twining of tribes became known as Anglo-Saxon or Old English. Later, during the 800s, with the arrival of the Vikings, two things happened to this Old English language. The first was that many Old Norse words were added, and the second, was the complex conjugations began to decline as people disagreed about which ones to use. The alphabet of the Old English language did not use the letters k, q, v, x or z, and the pronunciations of some of the letters changed depending upon what letters were near them. Vowels were easy with the short vowels a, e, i, o being pronounced pretty much the same, as they are today, the exception was the vowel u, and its pronunciati on was more like the pronunciation of the word book today. The long vowels were often marked with an accent mark and have a completely different pronunciation from the long vowels sounds we recognize today. Along with short and long vowels, the Old English language included three double vowels, each with short and long versions. In 1066, the French-Normans under the rule of William the Conqueror invaded England bringing political change and their French-Norse language, which they made the official language of the monarchy and elite. However, due to the daily need to communicate with the English peasant class, the common language became English. Prior to the Norman invasion, Latin had only a minor influence on the English language, but afterwards there was an influx of Anglo-Norman words added to the English language. There was a split between original Germanic words used by the common class and the Norman words used by the elite for everyday items. Beef and cow are an example of the split in words used by the elite versus the peasants, as beef was often eaten by the elite, while cows were tended by the peasants. Beef has its roots in Anglo-Norman while cow comes from Germanic roots. Many legal terms are also derived from Anglo-Norman roots because the Normans ran the courts. Sometimes, French words replaced Old English words completely, while other times French and Old English combined creating new words. It is important to understand that Middle English was not the only language spoken during this period in England; Scots, Cornish and Welsh were also spoken and differ from Middle English. This accounts for the significant differences in dialects from each of the above areas versus the dialect spoken in London. Sometime in the 12th century, the French Influence in England began to fade and a number of writers began writing in the vernacular language rather than French, Latin or Greek. The 14th century produced the most notable vernacular writer of the time, Geoffrey Chaucer the author of The Canterbury Tales. Since then, the English language has been absorbing vocabulary from many languages around the world. English steadily adds the creation of new words and new uses for old words by the sub-cultures of the English-speaking world. Until the 16th century, French remained to be the literary language and Latin the scholarly language of Europe. The evolution of Middle English into Early Modern English began during the Renaissance in the 16th century when a renewed interest in education sparked across England and most of Europe. As a result of the growing interest in the writings of antiquity many Latin and Greek words were introduced into the English language. Along with the introduction of new words into the English language a shift of vowels, changes to some consonants and grammar were also part of the evolution of English at this time. As more literary works began to be written, the need for the stabilizing the spelling of words became important. One of the earliest attempts at stabilizing the spelling of words came in 1582 with the book Elementarie, by Richard Mulcaster. Some of the principles he established include the removal of all unnecessary letters, adding letters to words to indicate correct pronunciati on and the use of a final silent e to mark long vowels distinguishing them from short vowels. Mulcaster also established other principles, but these three are the most significant. Many spelling concepts within the English language exist simply because some Norman scribe first spelled an English word using the phonetic principles of his own native language. From the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, the spelling conventions for many words in the English language have been determined by referring to their original forms as a guide; resulting in an unusual combination of old and modern practices. Many of the spellings, including the silent letters of words that we use today were established in the first printed books, and have remained that way because it would have been unfeasible to change printed texts after distribution. By the 17th century, it became abundantly clear that assistance was required for writers to gain a clear understanding of the meanings of words and thei r spelling. One of the first books to offer such assistance was A Table Alphabeticall, published in 1604 by Robert Cawdrey. It was intended to only define difficult and unusual words in the English language that were derived from the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or French languages. This book contained approximately 2500 words with an interpretation of the meaning. The first book to actually call itself a dictionary though, was The English Dictionarie; published in 1623 by Henry Cockeram. This book was a two part work claiming to be able to not only help readers with the understanding of the difficult to understand writings of some authors, but also to attain speedily an elegant perfection of the English tongue in reading, writing and speaking. The first part of Cockerams book contained brief definitions of words that may have been important to the 17th century elite who may have wanted to leave an educated impression on those they spoke with. Many of his words, were ambiguous contrivances cobbled together from bits and pieces of Latin, and were therefore amusingly inventive; however lacked clear understanding. While the second part of his book reversed the process, listing everyday words, following them with his inventive version of meanings meant to show people how to turn simple statements into more impressive complicated ones. Fortunately, this allure to the obscure finally ended. The 18th century once again brought changes to the English language. These evolutionary changes were brought on by two major events; the first was the ascent of the British Empire and the British Industrial Revolution. The ascent of the British Empire introduced the English language to the world; and the new discoveries in the industrial and scientific fields introduced new words into the English language. The classic languages did not support words like oxygen, nuclear, protein or vaccine, therefore Late Modern English relied heavily on Latin and Greek for the creation of these new words. Late Modern English is the form of English that has lasted through to the 21st century, continuing to add new words every few years, as generations of people start using them. A perfect example of 21st century evolution in English today, is the use of SMS language to replace complete words while using the newest technology of cellular phones and computer chat rooms in the internet. SMS English is t he use of acronyms to state either a whole word or a grouping of words to relay a message. It is a form of the English language that was used during the time of the telegraph, and although using it to relay a message within a text message may be faster and easier, it does not follow any standard rules for grammar or spelling or even which acronyms are word specific. Some have claimed that the use of SMS English is wrecking the English language, and from what I have heard and read in my college rhetoric classes, I tend to agree. However, with the addition of at least one SMS word in the English dictionary recently, it appears that the increased use of this dialect is at hand. What evolutionary change could be next after that of SMS? Could the English language evolve from SMS to more technical forms like that of fax machines? Can you imagine walking into a classroom or down the street and listening to people use beeps and slurs to communicate? One thing we do know for sure is that change and evolution is inevitable, and the changes on the horizon will come just as we learn what OMG and LOL are meant to convey.

black and white :: essays research papers

Change as changing times and techology................. People often use these terms without realizing that word CHANGE has neither a denotation nor a connotation of advancement,improvement or progress; a change can take place at any direction: forward, backward, up and downward! In common, plain English, speaker is required to specify the condition and direction of Change as the expressions are used to define the changing subject matter as in: "change for the better" "change for the worse" Those who promote and seek change in society, by their misuse of the word CHANGE, mostly will misrepresent their agenda or program for change in existing conditions and stations of their community. Beware when you hear the talk of changing societty I am going to write this paper through the eyes of someone else, who had a impact on my life. As it made me realize the number of different ways people are being taught about a specific issue. It was at the beginning of my freshmen semester, I went into a classroom without the intentions of it having any impact of my life. What I did not know was that this course held not only a vision for the future but also answers to my past. Growing up, I was influenced by a society that was inhabited almost entirely by blacks. For that reason only, I have been completely aware of any bias or unfair treatment to minorities. Because of this upbringing, I found many incidences discussed in this one class I was in quite believable. However, my views on our society and the educational system have been broadened which leads me to believe that the teachers of the future now have the key to a fair, unbias education for each student that enters the school. As she seen me in class, and I seen the curiousty in those blue eyes, I knew it was only time before we were going to examine the differences in our lives as well as our values, As time went on we learned that we shared some of the same hurdles growing up. The death of a sibling as well as the experience at multiple schools as "the new student" are just a few of the ways in me and her that were quite similar. As many people know, dealing with issues like this can be quite hazardous to how a young child develops into a functioning adult. She would say to me, the course discussions and lectures that I experienced had a dynamic impact on my personal beliefs and values.

Prosecution Of Macbeth (if He Was Tried For The Murder Of Duncan) :: essays research papers

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we have heard the defence glorify Macbeth in an effort to cloud the horrible acts of murder that he committed. The question that we are here to answer today stands, ?is Macbeth guilty of the murder of our beloved king, Duncan?. Many questions cloud our judgement today. Did Macbeth have a motive to kill the king? Did Macbeth meticulously premeditate the murder of Duncan? Did Macbeth carryout, then cover up the murder of King Duncan? Ladies and gentlemen it will be difficult, nay impossible for you to deny any of these allegations of murder against Macbeth, because simply put, he did commit these vicious acts of murder. Members of the jury, King Duncan was ruler of Scotland in a kingdom which the Scottish lineage to the throne moves from father to first-born son. However a member from within the same bloodline could lay claim to the throne if Duncan had no living sons. Therefore a question ponders in your mind. Why would Macbeth murder king Duncan? Macbeth had no legitimate claim to the throne However ladies and gentleman, what some of you may not know is that Macbeth was in-fact the King?s cousin. Before Duncan?s untimely death he stated to Macbeth: ?O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman? (pg 32) which confirms that Macbeth was in-fact Duncan?s cousin. Therefore Macbeth was in the same bloodline as Duncan, and therefore could take the throne if Duncan had no sons who were able to ascend to the throne. But since Duncan had already named Malcolm as heir to the throne, Duncan had to be murdered. This was always in the back of MacBeth?s mind from the very beginning. The prophecy of the three witches, only fired his imagination to confirm the terrible deeds he was already planning, the death of king Duncan and tearing the throne from his dying hands. Macbeth stated ?I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what false heart doth know.? (Pg 55) This demonstrates that he was resolute and determined to use all the powers of his body to commit that terrible murder. He was to deceive the world by framing two innocent servants and appearing distraught by Duncan?s untimely death. The death of a king, who was a kind-hearted man, was aided by the blatant mis-use of his own love, loyalty and trust for his closest friends

Method of Teaching

EFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS AT HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL Dr. Shahida Sajjad Assistant Professor Department of Special Education University of Karachi. Pakistan ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various teaching methods used for teaching students at graduate level. Two hundred and twenty undergraduate students studying in 11 departments of Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, were interviewed about their perceptions of best and effective teaching methods and the reason for that. Most of the students rated lecture method as the best teaching method.Reasons included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic, time saving, students attentively listen lecture and take notes etc. The group discussion was rated as the second best method of teaching because of; more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the students don’t have to rely on rote learning, and this method develops creativity among students etc. Students†™ perception and ratings about the interesting and effective teaching methods is a way to suggest improvements in teaching/ learning process.Introduction: Teaching and learning are the two sides of a coin. The most accepted criterion for measuring good teaching is the amount of student learning that occurs. There are consistently high correlations between students’ ratings of the â€Å"amount learned† in the course and their overall ratings of the teacher and the course. Those who learned more gave their teachers higher ratings (Cohen, 1981; Theall and Franklin, 2001). This same criterion was also put forth by Thomas Angelo, when he said; â€Å"teaching in the absence of learning is just talking. Doyle. T. (n. d. ). A teacher’s effectiveness is again about student learning. The literature on teaching is crammed full of well researched ways that teachers can present content and skills that will enhance the opportunities for students to learn. It is equally fil led with suggestions of what not to do in the classroom. However, there is no rule book on which teaching methods match up best to which skills and/or content that is 1 2 being taught. Students often have little expertise in knowing if the ethod selected by an individual instructor was the best teaching method or just â€Å"a method† or simply the method with which the teacher was most comfortable. Doyle. T. (n. d). â€Å"Research indicates that students are the most qualified sources to report on the extent to which the learning experience was productive, informative, satisfying, or worthwhile. While opinions on these matters are not direct measures of instructor or course effectiveness, they are legitimate indicators of student satisfaction, and there is substantial research linking student satisfaction to effective teaching (Theall and Franklin, 2001). A meta-analysis of 41 research studies provides the strongest evidence for the validity of student ratings since these st udies investigated the relationship between student ratings and student learning. Doyle. T. (n. d. ) quoted Ory â€Å"The use of students’ ratings for evaluating teacher effectiveness is the single most researched issue in all of higher education. Over 2000 articles and books have been written on this topic over the past 70 years†.Research on student evaluation of teaching generally concludes that student ratings tend to be reliable, valid, relatively unbiased and useful (Murray, 1994). Most universities embrace a process by which students provide anonymous feedback at the end of each course they complete. These ratings of instructor effectiveness, these ratings have been a hot topic since they were first employed in mid 1920’s (Chang, 2001) and they create an enormous challenge for nearly every institution that uses them (Hoyt & Pallett, 1999).Over the years student evaluation of instructors has changed significantly especially in the areas of the purpose and m ethodology. They have transformed from being primarily used to assist students in the selection of courses, to helping faculty members further develop and improve their teaching skills, to assisting administrators with respect to personnel decisions (Ory, 2000). Today, student ratings of instruction are widely used for the purpose of making personnel decisions and faculty development recommendations (Scriven, 1995).For administrators, the information derived from ratings aids them in making both summative and formative judgments dealing with faculty retention, tenure, and promotion, hiring, selecting faculty for teaching awards and honors, and in assigning teachers to courses (Franklin, 2001; Kulik, 2001). Braskamp (2000) suggests that instructors use the data formatively to develop and improve their teaching effectiveness. Student-ratings are in 2 3 fact used in over 90 percent of all colleges and universities in the United States and represent the most frequently used strategy for evaluating instructors and courses (Cuseo, n. . ). There is much debate within the higher education community on how teaching or teaching effectiveness may be defined (Braskamp, and Ory; 1994). For instance, Centra (1993), defines effective teaching as â€Å"that which produces beneficial and purposeful student learning through the use of appropriate procedures† (p. 42), Braskamp and Ory, (1994, p. 40) include both teaching and learning in their definition, defining effective teaching as the â€Å"creation of situations in which appropriate learning occurs; shaping those situations is what successful teachers have learned to do effectively†.Many researchers have focused on whether or not students are legitimate judges of teaching effectiveness. Though caveats abound, the general sense is that students are both rational and reliable sources of evidence (Arreola, 1995; Braskamp & Ory, 1994; Pratt, 1997), While in class, students are exposed to all sorts of instructional experiences (lectures, instructional materials and aids, readings, exams). They are in effect experimental consumers—able to discern quality, relevance, usefulness, and instructor interaction with students (Montgomery, n. . ). As consumers, Cuseo (n. d. ) claims that students can judge what is taught and how it is taught, yet Braskamp & Ory (1994) claim that students can only provide information with respect to teaching. However, Ory (2001, p. 12) sums it up best stating: â€Å"unless they haven’t been to class, as consumers they have a legitimate voice†. Theall, M. (n. d. ) mentioned that the students can answer questions about the quality of lectures, the value of readings and assignments, the clarity of the instructor's explanations.Students are certainly qualified to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the experience. They have a right to express their opinions in any case, and no one else can report the extent to which the experience was use ful, productive, informative, satisfying, or worthwhile. Methodology Eleven departments were selected through purposive sampling from the Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, including epartment of ; Special Education, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Mass Communication, Education, International Relations, English, Urdu, Persian, and Islamic learning. Twenty students studying at graduate level 3 4 from each department were selected through convenient sampling to seek their opinion about the most effective teaching methods (as perceived by them) used by their teachers, and the reasons for highly rating a particular teaching method.Total two hundred and twenty students were interviewed. They were asked to rate different methods of teaching used by their teachers on a scale of 1- 5, one being the least important and 5 being the most important teaching method. The results of the study were compiled and analyzed by percentage method. Objectives of the Study: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To find out the various teaching methods used by university teachers to teach graduate students in different departments of Faculty of Arts.To explore the opinion of students about the teaching method they perceived as the most interesting and best teaching method. To find out the reasons for perceiving any teaching method as the interesting and best method. To provide suggestions for improving quality of teaching in the light of students perception and use of ratings Findings: Most of the students rated lecture method as the best teaching method. Reasons included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic, it is time saving method; students listen lecture attentively and take notes etc.The group discussion was rated as the second best method of teaching because of; more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the students don’t have to rely on rote learning, and this method develops creativity among students etc. Students’ perception and ratings about the interesting and effective teaching methods is a way to suggest improvements in teaching/ learning process I. Rating of Various Teaching Methods: Rating was done on a scale of 1-5, 1 – being the least interesting and 5 being the most interesting teaching method as indicated in table 1. Teaching methodsRating No of 4 students 5 Table 1 1 N Lecture Group discussion Individual presentation Assignments Seminars Workshop Conferences Brainstorming Role play Case study 53 18 52 25 26 27 25 34 24% 08% 22% 11% 12% 12% 11% 16% 44 53 54 54 53 34 54 20% 24% 25% 25% 24% 16% 25% 26 12% 89 40% 34 16% 53 24% 53 24% 54 25% 27 12% 53 24% 53 24% 34 16% 54 25% 53 24% 35 16% 80 36% 80 36% 52 23% 44 20% 26 12% 26 12% 35 16% 53 24% 25 11% 34 16% 54 25% 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 34 34 % 16% 16% N 18 18 2 % 08% 08% N 00 3 % 00% N 4 % N 80 36 % 34 16% 5 % 220 220 88 40% 80 36% Total 54 24% 27 12% II.Reasons for rating various teaching methods as interesting and best teaching methods: 1. Lecture Method †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ It creates new ideas. It is good for large class. Teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject, explain all points and can answer all questions raised by students. Students can ask if they need any clarification. Learn through listening Teacher explains all points. Students give their input Teacher discuss whole topic in the class in easy language so students can easily understand the topic. It is good for large class. Teacher provides all knowledge related to topic.Time saving as teacher is supposed to finish lecture in time. Students give their views at the end of lecture. 5 6 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Students can ask question if they have any problem to understand lecture. Students attentively listen lecture and take notes as the teacher ask questions at the end of lecture. Students know and understand basic concepts. It creates new ideas. Teacher knows all the students so he/she can use suitable strategies for the class to make them understand. Teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject and can answer all questions by students.Teacher share information with students so it creates interest in students. Students are more involved and participate when teacher ask question. Teacher provides notes. Students easily understand every point. Students share knowledge with teacher. Teacher is role model for students. More participation of students. Students listen to other’s opinion ; express their opinion. Discuss with teachers the points that were missed during discussion. Students learn on their own ; find out key points. Students exchange their ideas. Students get point of view of all and not only those who always speak.After discussion when students give their presentation, teacher corrects their mistakes. Students can make their own notes. The learning is more effective. 2. Group discussion: 6 7 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ They don’t have to rely on rote learning. Develops creativity among students. It evokes thinking among students. Students have time for preparation of topic. Students should have material and knowledge before discussion. Suggestion Only those students participate who have confidence rest do not participate. Concepts become clear after discussion. Every student gives his/ her opinion. 3.Individual presentation †¢ Hamm (2008) quoted Rafe; â€Å"A presentation involves motivating listeners to accept a new idea, alter an existing opinion, or act on a given premise. † †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Students first thoroughly understand the topic before giving presentation i. e. mastery on topic. It increases confidence among students. Good way to learn for only one student who is presenting. Students search lot of books to collect material Teacher’s supervision is important It enhances the ability of research on any topic as the students search topic from different books, websites etc.Active learning Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. Motivate and make student active in learning. Interested method. Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. 5. Seminars 4. Assignment 6. Workshops 7 8 7. Conferences †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. Networking with other institutions and professionals. More interesting More informative Gain knowledge Learning is effective More participation of students Students give their opinion Active learning Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge.Every one gets the chance to express their thoughts. Simple topics can be learnt through different angles. Interesting method Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge. Students enjoy the situation Active learning Easy to learn Active learning Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge. 8. Brain storming 9. Role play 10. Case study Discussion: Making teaching methods more interesting 8 9 Higher education faculty strives to become more effective teachers so that students can learn better, and many explore methods to improve their teaching practice.Depending on the nature of subject, number of students, and the facilities available, there are different methods teachers are using in the classroom. Below are given various methods and certain tips and techniques for improving these methods. (Sajjad, S. 1997) Lecture Method: A lecture is a talk or verbal presentation given by a lecturer, trainer or speaker to an audience. With all the advancement of training systems and computer technology, lecture method is still a backbone widely used in teaching and training at higher level of education.This method is economical, can be used for a large number of students, material can be covered in a structured manner and the teacher has a great control of time and material. A study conducted by Benson, L. , Schroeder, P. , Lantz, C. , and Bird, M (n. d. ). provides evidence that students may place greater emphasis on lecture material than on textbooks. Lecturing is not simply a matter of standing in front of a class and reciting what you know. The classroom lecture is a special form of communication in which voice, gesture, movement, facial expression, and eye contact can either complement or detract from the content. Davis. 1993). McCarthy, P. (1992) in article â€Å"Common Teaching Methods† stated strengths of lecture method that it presents factual material in direct, logical manner, contains experienc e which inspires, stimulates thinking to open discussion, and useful for large groups. Our findings also revealed that most of the students considered lecture as best method because according to opinion of students ; it creates new ideas, it is good for large class, develops creativity among students, teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject, explain all points and can answer all questions by students.Sullivan ; McIntosh (1996) said that with planning and effective presentation techniques, the lecture can be a highly effective and interactive method for transferring knowledge to students. Lecture gives the pupils training in listening and taking rapid notes. (Kochhar. 2000, p. 345) Tips and techniques for improving lecture method †¢ Lecture material should be stimulating and thought provoking. 9 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Information should be delivered dramatically by using example to make it memorable. The teacher needs to use questions throughout the lecture to involve students in the learning process and to check their comprehension.Reinforce learning by using visual supports like transparencies, flip charts, whiteboard/ black board etc. Teacher should take feedback of students to improve lecture method. Discussion: It is a free verbal exchange of ideas between group members or teacher and students. For effective discussion the students should have prior knowledge and information about the topic to be discussed. McCarthy, P. (1992) stated strengths of class discussion as; pools ideas and experiences from group, and allows everyone to participate in an active process. Kochhar (2000, p. 47) stated that; a problem, an issue, a situation in which there is a difference of opinion, is suitable for discussion method of teaching. Our study also revealed that the students rated group discussion (class discussion) as the second best method by giving reasons that; it has more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the student s don’t have to rely on rote learning, every student give his/ her opinion, and this method develops creativity among students. Tips and techniques for improving discussion method †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The teacher should spend sufficient time in preparing the process and steps of discussion.Different aspects of the topic and the parameters should be selected for the focused discussion. Sufficient time should be allotted to discuss all the issues. At the same time students should know the time limit to reach a conclusion. The teacher in the beginning should introduce the topic, the purpose of discussion, and the students participating in discussion. Before the start of discussion, background information about the topic should be provided. There is a need to include questions to provide direction. Relaxed environment should be created to foster the process of discussion. 10 1 †¢ †¢ †¢ Teacher after opening the discussion should p lay the role of a facilitator involving every one and at the end should summarize the discussion. Encourage students listen other’s point of view and then evaluate their own. Teacher should give value to all students’ opinions and try not to allow his/her own difference of opinion, prevent communication and debate. Role Play: Role play occurs when participants take on differentiated roles in a simulation. These may be highly prescribed, including biographical details, and even personality, attitudes and beliefs; or loosely indicated by an outline of the function or task.These techniques have already demonstrated their applicability to a wide range of learners, subjects and levels. (Singh, and Sudarshan, 2005, p 238, 239). It is a memorable and enjoyable learning method. To gain maximum benefits from this method, the incidents selected for enactment should be as realistic as the situation allows. Tips and techniques Before the role play, the teacher should brief partici pants about the roles they will play, give them time for preparation, confirm confidentiality of role play, and ask participants to behave naturally. †¢ †¢ Teacher should select ; brief observers about their roles.During the role play, the teacher must keep quiet, listen ; take notes, avoid cutting role play short, but give time warning if previously agreed. The teacher should be prepared for some action if participants dry up and can intervene as a last resort. †¢ After the role play, the teacher thanks participants, ask for feed back from lead participants, take comments from observers, ask other participants to comment, †¢ The teacher should use role names not those of participants, summarize, drawing out learning points, leaving the participants with positive comments and feelings.Case Study: Primarily developed in business and law contexts, case method teaching can be productively used in liberal arts, engineering, and education. This method is basically use d to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as to 11 12 present students with real-life situations. The students are presented with a record set of circumstances based on actual event or an imaginary situation and they are asked: 1. to diagnose particular problem(s) only. 2. to diagnose problem(s) ; provide solution(s). 3. o give reasons ; implications of action after providing both problem ; solution. It is a time consuming method and sometimes the case does not actually provide real experience. It could be in-conclusive, and insufficient information can lead to inappropriate results. At the end, the students want to know the right answer by the teacher. The role of the teacher in conducting the case study should be to: †¢ †¢ †¢ read the case and determine the key problems faced by the decision maker, determine the data required to analyze the problems and or a synthesis into solutions, develop, analyze, and compare alternative solutions, and r ecommend a course of action. Tips and techniques †¢ †¢ Cases should be brief, well-written, reflect real issues, and open to a number of conflicting responses. Students should work in group to prepare a written report and/or a formal presentation of the case. Brainstorming: It is a loosely structured form of discussion for generating ideas without participants embroiled in unproductive analysis. It is a very useful technique for problem solving, decision making, creative thinking and team building.It develops listening skills. Tips and techniques Ground rules for running brainstorming session include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ There should be no criticism and the wild ideas should be encouraged and recorded without evaluation. Emphasis should be placed on quantity of ideas and not the quality. There is a need of equal participation of members. It can be unfocused so teacher should know how to control discussion and facilitate issues. 12 13 †¢ It works well in sm all group Assignment method: Written assignments help in organization of knowledge, assimilation of facts and better preparation of examinations.It emphasizes on individual pupil work and the method that helps both teaching and learning processes (Kochhar, 2000, p. 358). Tips and techniques †¢ †¢ Teacher should describe the parameters of the topic of assignment. Fully explain assignments so that students know how to best prepare. When the inevitable question, â€Å"Will we be tested on this? † arises, make sure your answer includes not only a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no,† but a â€Å"because . . . â€Å". Shea, A. (2009). †¢ Davis (1993) suggests that â€Å"Give assignments and exams that recognize students' diverse backgrounds and special interests.For example, a faculty member teaching a course on medical and health training offered students a variety of topics for their term papers, including one on alternative healing belief systems. A faculty m ember in the social sciences gave students an assignment asking them to compare female-only, male-only, and male-female work groups. † Recommendations: †¢ To evaluate teaching effectiveness different methods can be used including: peer review, self-evaluation, teaching portfolios, student achievement and students’ ratings of teaching methods used by their teachers. †¢ †¢ †¢ Students must be assured that the information they are giving is welcomed by the faculty and will be used to improve the teaching and learning in the course; otherwise they are unlikely to take the rating process seriously (Doyle. T. n. d. ). Teachers need to educate students in effective ways of giving precise feedback that addresses specific aspects of their learning experience. Teachers need to continually assure students throughout the semester that the ratings will be used for productive changes in teaching/ learning process and that there will be no chance of retribution to the students.