Science Teaching for Next Generation

The main objective of science teaching in schools is to arouse curiosity in children. Young children are always curious and questioning. Science teaching is taking advantage over this to promote the positive attitude of self-discovery and innovation. Science teachers are innovators. Science teachers should make use of the currently available resources in their hands to propagate scientific principles and science concepts. Thus children will learn to explore science.

In this decade, science learning is limited to their classrooms and laboratory. Children are taught science using certain hands-on experiments in the school laboratory. Children also learn science through collaboration with their friends when teachers convert their science teaching into group projects. Some teachers may also teach certain topics in science through Do IT YOURSELF (DIY) experiments. DIY experiments are given to them to make their learning perfect. Teachers see them enjoying, exploring, inquiring into the scientific facts with at most precision and accuracy.

Nowadays several mobile applications have been developed. They have made science learning much easier and interesting. Science learning is also promoted through several virtual games. Children learn by playing these games and understand the difficult concepts of science. These virtual games and mobile applications are supplementing their class room learning. But they cannot replace a teacher or a school or a laboratory.

In the coming years, science teaching and learning is bound to change. It is the technology that is going bring in changes in science education in schools. Teachers will be the monitors and motivators. Their role is to inspire self learning by students. They will guide the students in acquiring knowledge. They are either coordinators, or  participators  or partners of the teaching-learning process.

The physical appearance of the classrooms will change. There will be no white boards in the classrooms and there will be no traditional desks or chairs. Instead there will be computer terminals for each pupil or they may be asked to bring their own device. The class room will be divided into small groups and the children will be discussing amongst themselves and doing activities and learning. The children will be very busy doing various activities given by the teachers.

Depending on the topic the children may be taken outdoors for field experience by their teacher. In the outdoors children will experience real learning and the learning outcome will be the maximum. The aim of such outdoor learning is for preparing students for the world of work by exposing them how to present, convince and argue.

Teachers of the future classroom will help children studying the parts and working of a human heart in 3D screen. The science classroom will have the facilities of Google Glass, the Apple iWatch, Bluetooth earpieces and voice- recognition systems. The children will actually experience the nature of earthquakes and volcanoes through 3D animations and artificial intelligence.

Future science classrooms may become globally integrated and interactive. Education will become more personalized. Individualized lessons can be downloaded on iPads could guide pupils with a human voice, allowing them to work in their free time at their own pace. The children may study these lessons at their convenience at any place and at any time. When they want to clear their doubts or when they want to discuss with their friends they may bank on the internet and the social media websites. Thus they have 24X7 virtual classrooms.

The assessment and evaluation of children will be more and more practical and objective. The future science class rooms will have no formal tests and examinations as such. Instead everyday class room performance of the children will be assessed and monitored by their teachers. To facilitate this, class rooms will be equipped with recording equipments that will allow pupils to assess themselves, and they will watch their performances later in a room of monitors.

The multi-faceted scenario of teaching and learning science is briefly illustrated below:

• Explanation of Newton’s third law/Working of human heart is teacher’s demo.
• Discussion of the illustrations of the Newton’s third law is student-teacher participation.
• Construction and working of a Rocket is student-student interaction.
• Visit to the space station through various websites is the virtual tour or visit to a paper factory is a field experience.
• Making a rocket and testing it, is a group project or collaborated learning.
• Understanding working of various machines is the field work of Industrial Visit.
• Children planting seeds and growing plants is the DIY experience.
• Studying the atomic model of elements in 3D on the monitor with animation and artificial intelligence is advancement in technology utilized in the class rooms.
• Learning to solve the problems through Mobile Applications for Applied Mechanics for further studies at home in the form of games, puzzles and activities is the home assignment for children.

The future science learning will be a blended learning. The future science class rooms will be having teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction, mobile apps, virtual games, outdoor field experiences. Learning science through modern technology like using artificial intelligence in the class room, hands on experience on doing experiments, group projects, individual projects, logging to websites for discussion etc. Teaching science in this way will make science learning easy and interesting.

Science teaching without making use of technology will make various scientific principles remain abstract.  The aim of science teaching should be application oriented. Teaching and learning science using technology is interesting. Science learning becomes a pleasure when science class rooms adapt to new methods of imparting science knowledge by making use of adequate and appropriate technology. Practical oriented science learning will inculcate scientific temper in children. They will be leading the humanity into New Science Era.