Aug
31
2010

Teaching Through Text Books

For decades the demise of the text book has been easily predicted by advocates of each of the new panaceas of educational problems. First television then teaching machines like record players projectors and now computers all were expected to revolutionize education and free students and teachers from reliance on text books, but each of the new media has settled into its niche in the educational arsenal without dislodging the textbook. In fact, the greatest revolution in the field of education is not an out come of technology rather an achievement of text books and other printed materials made available for masses.

The introduction to open stack libraries, paper back books, inexpensive reprints and the photocopier has given the college teacher the opportunity to choose from sources varying in style, level and point of views. Many teachers are substituting graded knowledge by articles from journals and other materials which can disturb the structure of learners at school and college levels. The purpose of this proved fruitful at higher levels but in most undergraduate programs there is little hope that bits and pieces will be integrated by students into a meaningful whole. With input from the field of experience discussions, books, reprints articles and other source of reading students need some frame of reference within which to assimilate the confusion of additional points of higher reading level.

Ideally, the course book can provide such a structure. That structure need not be dogmatic, and it need not be gutless it need not be presented as an irrevocable truth rather it should present solid fact and figures to establish the foundations of the primary, secondary and undergraduate learner. Inevitably certain parts of curriculum information becomes outdated. If the teacher fails to recognize information which is obsolete and insists on its memorization, the students education is harmed rather than aided. However, out dated information if properly identified can be referred to as an old phenomenon.

The importance of text books can further be highlighted by their capability to build concepts from lower to higher level or we can say easy to difficult concepts build in an organized way. For any age level a well structured text book with correct concepts and vocabulary helps in memorizing and retaining concepts. Schools have to be equipped with experienced and qualified teachers to help management in the selection of good text books fulfilling the examination requirements. Printing of text books is also an important issue in enhancing learning as a book with clear diagrams and easy to read font keeps the learner motivated to learn and remember. Thus visual perception of a good learner lasts him a life time.

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