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Showing posts from February, 2017

Personalized learning goals: New information is built over reusing of previous information

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Some students perform better, while others not. What are the main reasons? 1) Study material provided and learning strategies used by teachers. It simply doesn't meet the learning criteria. https://github.com/amiyatulu/teacher_resources Students are feed with so much of abstract stuff as a result only those students excel who have a better memory retention capacity of abstract information and those who work too hard for it. But such a hard work is meaningless, as you will forget such information after exams are over. 2) Not teaching kids from where they are.  I will explain it with a concrete example. While teaching chemistry, one of my students was so fast in holding information and doing the problems, while other was slow. The reason for her/his slowness is not that he/she is less intelligent, it's because (s)he is taking more time for processing due to lack of previous foundational information.  When (s)he does the processing, (s)he has to take the account of

Critical Analysis on NEET Biology Questions, comparison with Campbell Biology Questions

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All entrance exams only test rote memorization of abstract concepts without testing critical thinking and in-depth knowledge. Questions don't let you think, just requires a recall of abstract data that you have memorized. Today I will review few questions of NEET and compare those questions with Campbell book Look at the question, it's very descriptive, and promotes critical thinking, just reading the question itself makes you think even if you don't know the answer But what NEET will ask The equivalent of a structural gene is: 1) Operon 2) Recon 3) Muton 4) Cistron Believe me, students would have just memorized or linked structural gene with cistron by attempting previous years questions. The questions simply don't make you think. Do the questions address the answer to the question why Cistron is called a structural gene? From the internet: A structural gene is a gene that codes for any RNA or protein product other than a regulatory fact

CBSE and other boards, All about rote memorization of abstract information

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Most questions of CBSE 12th board, all requires rote memorization of abstract information that adds no understanding to the subject. Let us analyze the style of question in CBSE: This is the question from book Nivaldo J Tro: The question gives some background knowledge,  structures are already given and the question really tests your understanding, not how much you have memorized. Answer:  Option Vitamin C and Vitamin B5 are water soluble as it contains many polar groups and others have large nonpolar groups (Vit K3 and Vit A) so its fat soluble. What type of questions you will expect in CBSE? Name the water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins? or Something like is Vitamin C water soluble?  (The structure of Vitamin C will not be given) How are vitamins classified? Name the vitamin which is fat soluble. "All these questions require rote memorization of vitamins:" Fat soluble vitamins are A D E and K Water soluble vitamins are Vitamin B So