INNOVATIVE TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

 INNOVATIVE TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

ONLINE EXAM/ONLINE EXAMINATION SYSTEM (OES)

       Online Examination System (OES) is a Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) based examination system that provides an easy to use environment for both Test Conductors and Students appearing for Examination. The main objective of OES is to provide all the features that an Examination System must have, with the "interfaces that doesn't Scare it's Users!”

Taxonomy of OES

      Users of OES are classified into three categories: Administrators, Test Conductors and Students. Administrators are responsible for management of system users, subjects, tests, questions, results, system backup and recovery, etc. Test conductors are responsible for preparing subjects, tests and questions. Students are the candidates appearing for the Examination.

     The online examination system not only reflects the justification and objectivity of examination, but also releases the workload of teachers, which is accepted by more and more schools, certification organizations and training organizations. Most online examination systems only support several fixed question types and don't allow users define their own question types, so they have pool scalability. This paper proposes a new online examination system, which not only provides several basic question types but also allows users to define their new question types (user-defined question type) through composing of basic question types and/or user-defined question types, which is realized based on the object-oriented conception and composite design pattern. The new online examination system overcomes the shortcoming of old online examination systems and has better extensibility and flexibility.

Proposed System

1.       The online Examination system is web based application.

2.       The system suits the needs of Educational institutions, Primary and Secondary Schools, Colleges, Professional and Vocational Institutes, Universities or Training Academies.

3.       The product (system) aims at reducing costs associated with conducting exams over a period of time and achieving total automation of examination system-related tasks like registration, publication of results, which leads to a very high degree of system efficiency.

objectives of online examination system

1.       Online examination will reduce the hectic job of assessing the answers given by the candidates manually.

2.       Being an integrated online examination system it will reduce paper work.

3.       To allow faculty to give additional time to students with disabilities.

4.       To allow faculty to create tests and answer key.

5.       To allow automatic grading and manual grading which can be recorded per test.

6.       Random generation of test question timed exams.

7.       The result will be shown immediately to the participating students.

8.       The projects allows faculties to create their own tests. It would enable educational institutes to perform tests, quiz and create feedback forms.

Features of Online exam system

The online test created for taking online test has following features.

1.       In comparison to the present system the proposed system will be less time consuming and is more efficient.

2.       Result will be very precise and accurate and will be declared in very short span of time because calculation and evaluations are done by the simulator itself.

3.       The proposed system is very secure as no chance of leakage of question paper as it is dependent on the administrator only.

4.       The logs of appeared candidates and their marks are stored and can be backup for future use.

Online exam form logic behind the concept

1. Use of latest information technology in education sector is basically known as Online Education. No doubt that online examination is getting more popular now these days and students need to fill online exam form for appearing in the particular exam. Online preparation for online exam is very useful for those websites which deal in education, recruitment news, employee screening process and many other things.

2. At present time, every exam is going to organize online. No doubt that online exam has greater flexibility in scheduling and timing test. This will definitely allow more students to be appeared in the particular exam that will definitely increase more competition. Online Examination System is playing very important role for institutions and college organization. Today, many organizations are conducting online exams worldwide very easily.

3. There are so many advantages of online examination method over the traditional examination method. Online Exams can be conducted for each student. Answers of every paper can be evaluated with help of the automated system.

4. There are various advantages of online examination system-: 1. It reduces long term costs. 2. It comparatively required very less physical space as compared to the paper answer sheets. 3. The main advantage of online exam system is the enjoyment and satisfaction of the students that they received from computer and internet.

5. 4. Students can give the exam from anywhere at any time. 5. Students can increase their communication skills by interacting various new students and teachers online.

 6. Students can see their result immediately. They no need to do wit for their results as they have to do in traditional exam pattern.

 7. It provides improved learning environment.

8. It increases a greater degree of student satisfaction.

9. A higher level of student learning.

Why Online Examination?

·         Stored Repository of exams.

·         General problem with time for students.

·         Auto grading.

·         Flexible.

·         Time Saver.

·         Security.

·         Develop a system which allows the faculty to create, modify and store questions which can be grouped together to form tests/examinations.

Advantages of online examination

        Online examination systems seek to efficiently evaluate the exam partakers thoroughly through a fully automated system that not only saves time but also give fast results. The Online examination system helps to completely automate the old manual procedure of conducting exams. Usually it is done through a Web Based Online Examination Software or and Intranet variant. It also significantly eliminates the need for monitoring while the exam is being taken. All instructions are displayed to the exam taker before the tests begin.

To effectively deliver an examination, 3 major components have to be catered for efficiently.

They are:

1.       Creation of exams – Obviously, an exam will have to be created. Examiners can create exams online. The contents also have to be kept securely until the examination starts.

2.       Supervision of examination – Students have to be efficiently identified, and screened to ensure that they so not compromise the standards of the exams.

3.       Marking of the exams. Marking is the ultimate stage in any examination as it determines the success or failure of the candidate. It is the stage that dictates the next level of success and achievement in life.

     A major highlight of using a web based exam software or an online examination system is that it gives a high level of transparency as opposed to the traditional method or remote method. It is almost impossible to compromise exam questions and evaluations because they cannot also be influenced. Most online exams generate their results instantly and it is often possible for the exam taker to get information on his results immediately.

Some of the major advantages of online examination include the following:

1.       Security and confidentiality

As has been stated before, the security and confidentiality of an exam are critical if the exam is to retain its value. Prepared exams need to be securely kept. Any leakage will definitely compromise the standard of the exam and may result to a cancelation or a retake. All these features are well addressed using an online system because not only is the content of the exam safely locked away in a database, access to the database is only possible with an authorized personnel. A lot of possibilities are also opened up on exam day as it allows you to conveniently make your own test in a secure environment. Questions can easily be randomized so that no participants see the same questions in the same order. Questions can easily be mixed as each new question is added to the system’s database. The questions can then be randomly drawn from the database. This is why most examination bodies have gradually adopted the online platform.

2.       Accessibility and Flexibility

Exams can be conducted anywhere. All a student needs is a personal computer with internet connection. A student does not need a long commute to exam venue as long as these requirements are met. This also means that thousands of students can take the same exams over a wide spread of locations. Gone are days, students move from one region or locality to another in the name of sitting the examination. A lot of lives have been lost in the process due to accident and other similar mishaps. In the same vein, examiners also benefit from this. Examiners do not have to bother with the laborious task of marking exams as this is well taken care of by the system. The system actually marks each exam and presents the result to the student at the end of the exam. Examiners are also afforded the opportunity to create exam online through an online examination system that can present examinations in multiple languages. Multiple exams on multiple subjects for multiple courses can also be set. Exams can also be configured for 24/7 availability. This allows candidates to take exams at their own convenience.

3.       Cost saving

When an exam is placed online, it results in significant cost savings. The cost of paper, copying, and distribution expenses are all reduced or eliminated. The elimination of paper costs alone is extraordinary. The copying and distribution of assignments to a large class are often unwieldy and inefficient. Administrators anxious to reduce expenditures are likely to strongly favor the transition from paper assignments examinations to using online assessment software.

4.       Time management

      Online examination systems make use of computers that helps in saving time. With the widespread availability of computers and the internet, there is a general acceptability and endorsement of this system. The lengthy formalities and processes involved in creating question papers, registering candidates for exams, answer sheet evaluation and declaration of results are completely eradicated with the online exam system. Each student is timed precisely and all results are generated instantaneously. In some cases, a candidate may even be able to get an assessment on failed questions.

5.       Statistical analysis

On a statistical point of view, compared data can be stored over time. This means that different comparative analysis can be done to analyze the outcomes of exams overtime. Depending on the online exam system used, statistical data can be pulled to analyze different data and create reports.

Limitation

1. In the case of any type of problem in student verification no functionality is defined in the system to correct it or inter-communication among users are also not available.

2. The Fees is taken manually as there is not any module for online payment.

3. The Total marks is get by the student only after some time of exam, because in case of subjective paper, the exam dept will evaluate the answer and declare the result. Student can see his result on internet through his LoginId and PWD only after that.

Open book exams

Open Book Examination

         Advanced countries are restructuring their educational systems and preparing to make changes in the human to intellectual capital for meeting the economic and manpower demands of the 21st century. Educationalist and academicians opined it is necessary to build a young community who are able to think independently and creatively and able to process the information analytically. Scholars opined that in order to develop creative and independent thinkers, more open-ended tasks that reflect real-life situations –questions involving problem-solving should be incorporated in examinations. It is generally accepted that open book examinations create an enriched environment, offering the student an opportunity to better understand and respond to a particular question. The Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) proposal for an open-book exam from 2013 within its class X and XII board assessments is appreciated. It makes a better option than the present one which reflects a fresh, borne in mind innovative spirit, reshape education in India.

What are open book exams?

      Open book exams allow you to take notes, texts or resource materials into an exam situation. They test your ability to find and apply information and knowledge, so are often used in subjects requiring direct reference to written materials, like law statutes, statistics or acts of parliament.

Open book exams usually come in two forms:

§  Traditional sit-down / limited-time exams, with varying degrees of access to resources and references.

§  Take home exams–open book exams you do at home. Question(s) are handed out, answers are attempted without help from others, and the exam is returned within a specified period of time (often the next day).

What kinds of material can be used?

The materials you can take into an Open Book exam can vary. Some restrict the type of materials (e.g. formula sheets and tables or a limited number of texts), others may be totally unrestricted (any quantity of any material).

Materials might be:

§  your notes

§  readings, reference materials or textbooks

§  Equipment like calculators, drafting tools etc.

Materials used in Take Home exams are usually unrestricted. Check your course guide or with your lecturer to find out what you can use. The main restriction for Take Home exams is that they must be your work–you must attempt them by yourself without any help from others.

Why some exams are 'open book'?

       Because they test for more than just rote-learning. At university, simply memorizing and repeating information is not enough to get you a good mark. Higher education is supposed to equip you with intellectual abilities and skills. Open Book exams test your ability to quickly find relevant information and then to understand, analyze, apply knowledge and think critically.

What kinds of questions will an open book exam have?

      Open Book Exams don't test your memory. They test your ability to find and use information for problem solving, and to deliver well-structured and well-presented arguments and solutions.

Open Book exam questions usually require you to apply knowledge, and they may be essay-style questions or involve problem solving or delivering solutions. The style of question depends on the faculty or school setting the exam. For example in Law, the questions may set up a hypothetical fact situation that you will need to discuss.

          In an open book exam you are evaluated on understanding rather than recall and memorization.

You will be expected to

§  apply material to new situations

§  analyze elements and relationships

§  synthesize, or structure

§  evaluate using your material as evidence

Access to content (books, notes, etc.) varies by instructor.
The exam can be take home or in the classroom
with questions seen or unseen before exam time

Do not underestimate the preparation needed for an open book exam:
your time will be limited, so the key is proper organization in order to quickly find
data, quotes, examples, and/or arguments you use in your answers.

Preparation:

§  Keep current
on readings and assignments in class

§  Prepare brief,
concise notes on ideas and concepts being tested

§  Carefully select
what you intend to bring with you to the exam,
and note anything significant about what you do not

§  Include your own commentary on the information
that will provide fuel for your arguments,
and demonstrate that you have thought this through

§  Anticipate with model questions, but not model answers.
Challenge yourself instead with how you would answer questions,
and what options and resources you may need to consider.

Organize your reference materials, your "open book:"
Make your reference materials as user-friendly as possible so that you don't lose time locating what you need

§  Familiarize yourself
with the format, layout and structure of your text books and source materials

§  Organize these with your class notes
for speedy retrieval, and index ideas and concepts with pointers and/or page numbers in the source material
(Develop a system of tabs/sticky notes, color coding, concept maps, etc. to mark important summaries, headings, sections)

§  Write short, manageable summaries
of content for each grouping

§  List out data and formulas
separately for easy access

Test taking:

§  Read the questions carefully
to understand what is expected.
Refer to our guide on Essay exam terms/directives

§  Make good use of time
Quickly review the number of questions and note how much time each could take.
First answer the questions that you are confident of and/or for which you will not need much time checking out the resources.
Leave more complex and difficult questions for later

§  Don't over-answer
Aim for concise, accurate, thoughtful answers that are based in evidence.

Use quotations

§  to illustrate a point, or act as a discussion point

§  to draw on the authority of the source

§  because you could not say it better

Quotations can be short
Three or four words can be extremely effective when they are worked into the structure of your sentence

A reference to a quote
may be as effective as the quote itself

Guard against over-quoting
It is your words and your argument;
extensive quoting may detract from your point or argument

          An “open book examination” is one in which examinees are allowed to consult their class notes, textbooks, and other approved material while answering questions. The conventional memory testing examinations must give way to examinations that test the intellectual skills of the student. This is where open book examinations come in. An open book question provides the candidates with the theory the question is examining and then asks them to demonstrate their ability to apply the theory to a scenario.

       Teaching is transmitting Information in conventional system and tests how much information the students have been able to store in their minds. On the contrary teaching should equip students with the ability to acquire knowledge, to modify existing knowledge on the basis of new experience, to build new knowledge, and to apply available knowledge to solve problems and make intelligent decisions. The main focus of teaching will be on the skills of acquiring, modifying and creating knowledge, that is, on processing information, rather than on the information content itself.
         Suppose the examination consists of information based questions like, “Who invented the theory of relativity?”, “Explain the term ‘Standard Deviation’ etc., students can then easily find the answers in the textbooks or notes, and copy them in their answer books. In an open book examination, it is meaningless to ask questions like above.
           The essential difference between closed book examinations and open book examinations is that the former can still be used to evaluate how much the students have memorized, while the latter cannot. On the other hand, if the examination tests the skills of problem solving and critical thinking, then there is no harm in students consulting their text books and class notes. Students cannot copy anything from the textbook. The open-book examination measuring high-level skills such as conceptualizing, problem solving and reasoning corresponds almost completely to a total, real-world situation, less stressful, less memorization, more room for logical thinking and more room for creative thinking.

       In the broadest sense, an open book exam allows students to consult some form of reference

material in the course of completing the exam. Open book exams and closed book exams have

different pedagogical ends. While a closed book exam “places a premium on accurate andextensive recall, and unless carefully designed, its assessment of students’ knowledge is likely tobe dominated by that ability” (Gupta, 2007), an open book exams places the focus on higherlevel learning. Because open book exams don’t have the same emphasis on memorization,questions can move up Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, and ask students toanalyze, evaluate, or synthesize knowledge, rather than just remember it. 

           In her essay for Faculty Focus, Maryellen Weimer puts it simply: “exam situations are prettyartificial. How often in your professional life do you have a limited time window and no access to resources or expertise?” She goes on to say: “In this age of technology, we need to be purposely teaching students how to access, organize, and apply information,” not to simplymemorize it (2013). Students also respond positively to open book exams. When asked about it,“they don’t talk about how preparing the sheet helps them prioritize and organize content.”

Instead, they see their reference materials as stress relievers (Weimer, 2013).

As with any form of assessment, an open book exam can come in a multitude of formats. These can fall into a few broader categories summarized by Chan as: 

1.            Students are allowed to review reference material during the examination

2.            Exam questions are distributed to students in advance of the exam, allowing students to

Prepare resources for use in the exam

3.            Students are allowed to take home their exams to complete at home within a specifiedtime period (Chan, 2009)

    This issue of Best Practices will focus on the first of these categories. Within the framework of an open book exam in which students are allowed to bring reference material to review duringthe exam, there is also a great deal of variation. For example, only part of your exam could be Open book and part could be closed. The reference material “may be known and accessible to the students (such as handouts distributed earlier), or it may be newly supplied material not previously seen by the examinees” (Gupta, 2007). The reference material could be identical forall students, such as a textbook or formula sheet, or it could be prepared by the students to meet their own needs, requiring the students themselves to select the books or materials they will bring, or to create their own notes or “crib sheets” (Gupta, 2007). 

Best Practices in Using Open Book Exams

Chan, Gupta, Cullen and Forsyth provides the following best practices when considering using

Open book exams:

·          Decide whether all or part of an exam will be open book

·          Establish what materials are permissible and how they will be selected. Ask yourself the following questions:

àWhat type of material can they bring?

àHow much can they bring?

àWill you check if the material is acceptable?

àHow do you plan to guide students in the preparation of appropriate material? 

·                       Design exam problems that take advantage of the open book format

àQuestions should require students to “do things with the information available tothem, rather than merely locate and summarize or rewrite it”

àMake sure there is enough time allotted for the exam – open book exam questions

Will typically take longer that closed book exams questions

àSet up appropriate marking criteria with the weight placed on knowledge,

Comprehension and critical thinking, rather than just recall. 

·                       Tell students from the beginning of the class that this is the format you will be using andlet them know the purpose of using an open book exam. Inform student that:

à Open book problems won’t rely on memorization and thus will be harder thanClosed book exam questions

àBringing too much information with them will actually hinder their retrieval of the necessary knowledge

àThey won’t receive partial credit for merely reproducing information that was available to them in the reference material

Maryellen Weimer suggests that preparing a crib sheet “might be an excellent activity for an in-Class review session.” Students can work together to prepare their sheets, which they submit at the end of the session and will be returned to them on exam day (2013). Students could also be required to return their crib sheets along with their exam. This allows you as the instructor to see when students had the necessary information on their crib sheet but were unable to apply it successfully, and to think about how these gaps in understanding can be addressed. Weimer also suggests using the open book format to get students to reflect on the way they studied and how they selected information. For instance, you could have them answer the following questions: 

· “How many questions did your crib sheet help you answer

· Did you have information on the crib sheet that you didn’t use at all

· How did you decide what to put on your crib sheet

· If you had the opportunity to revise your crib sheet, what changes would you make

· What have you learned from preparing this crib sheet that you want to remember whenyou make the next one?” (Weimer, 2013) 

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT OPEN BOOK EXAMS

1) Open Book exams are a breeze

       Open Book exams are not an easy option. Answering the questions well requires more than just copying information straight from texts. For example, having access to a textbook can stop you from giving a wrong answer if you can't remember a fact or formula, but just getting that fact correct won't get you good marks. In Open Book exams, it's how you locate, apply and use the information that is important.

2) You don't have to study

          Probably the biggest misconception about Open Book exams is that there is no need to study anything. However, you should study just as you would for any other exam. Having books and notes to refer to might mean you don't have to memorise as much information, but you still need to be able to apply it effectively.

        This means you must fully understand and be familiar with the content and materials of your course so you can find and use the appropriate information. In Open Book exams, you need to quickly find the relevant information  in the resources you have. If you don’t study you won't be able to–you won't know where it is.

3) You can just copy straight from the book!

       You can't copy chunks of text directly from textbooks or notes. This is plagiarism. In Open Book exams, the resource materials are made available to you, so you are expected to do more than just reproduce them. You must be able to find, interpret and apply the information in your sources to the exam questions. You usually need to reference as well, just as you would for any other assignment.

4) The more materials the better!

        Don't get carried away and overload with materials and resources in the exam. Only take what you need. Stacks of books won't necessarily guarantee your performance, and you won't have time for extensive reading. Too many materials can end up distracting you and crowding up your work space. Carefully select your materials and organise them for quick reference.

Advantages

1. Availability of reference material allows more freedom and flexibility in constructingexam questions

à Emphasizes higher order skills, de-emphasizes “cramming” or rote memorization

àBroader in scope – 

2. Students can call upon more information than they could have ever beenexpected to memorize

3. Questions can be longer and more involved and require students tointegrate information from multiple sources or types.

4. Exams can address a greater variety of subjects and learning objectives

àPermits more realistic exam questions that mimic professional work where informationis available and the skill is in determining the appropriate application

àEasier to include multi-step problems

àCan continue or extend work done in homework or other assessments

5.Encourages students to develop new learning strategies to ensure their success

àEnhances information retrieval skills

àPlaces greater focus on knowing how to use information

Disadvantages

1. Students may place too much emphasis on their reference materials

2. Students may believe that they don’t need to study as much, or may underestimate how long it will take them to locate the information in their reference materials. 

3.Student workload may be increased by the need to create reference materials before exams

4. Instructor workload may be increased if it’s necessary to police the material that is usedin the exam

5. Depending on the reference materials being used, limited desk space may be a problem

6. The reference material may not be available to all students, such as an expensive textbook that all students may not have purchased. 

7. Students may be unfamiliar with the format and will need to be provided with clear

Procedures and rules. 

8. Several types of questions that would be acceptable in a closed book exam will not workin an open book exam – these include questions that ask for definitions, descriptions, orlists of properties, characteristics, etc.

ROLE OF FEEDBACK TO ENHANCE THE LEARNING PROCESS

Think of feedback as any response make to students’ efforts. Sometimes the feedback is written as and when you mark students’ work; sometimes it is face to face as in a tutoring session. Marks, reports and annotations or comments on written assignments are the most obvious types of feedback that sprint to mind. In fact, consciously or unconsciously, we are giving students feedback all the time; facial expressions, tone of voice, and especially words all say a lot about our expectations and the quality of the responses to those expectations. In some cases, even the failure to provide feedback is a form of feedback; it could be saying, you are not important enough for me to spend my time on.’ It is also useful to think about how students’ reactions to our feedback can, in turn, serve as feedback to us, telling us about the equality of our feedback to them, and about how the course is going more generally.

Feedback is sometimes distinguished from feedforward.

·         Feedback is intended to explain how a final grade was assigned.

·         Feedforward is made earlier in the process and is intended to point student in the right direction for completion.

   However, there’s nothing that says you can’t include both types of information in any comments you make. Even grade-related comments are useful if they help the student to understand what to learn from the current assignment and how to do better in the next one.

     In a similar way, feedback can also be distinguished as either formative or summative:

·         Formative feedback is diagnostic information given before the work is completed. Like feedforward, it is intended to help the student revise and improve the work.

·         Summative feedback is a final analysis of the work, on which final grades are based. It can also point toward improving future or of the same type.

In technical psychological sense, there is little learning without feedback. However there is more learning if the following conditions surround it;

Ø  Feedback contributes to learning when it is noticed.

Ø  Feedback contributes be more to learning when the learner reflects on the lessons for next time.

Ø  Feedback containing advice originating from the student’s own recent work is more likely to be given attention, understood and acted upon.

Ø  Feedback can fuel constructive reflection by the learner.

Feedback on performance is so importance that Gibbs and Simpson (2004) said that feedback to the students’ in their assignments was the single most powerful influence on student achievement. In fact, an item about the importance and quality of feedback shows upon almost all students evaluations of teaching.

     Feedback is an essential part of effective learning. It helps students understand the subject being studied and gives them clear guidance on how to improve their learning. Bellonetal ‘State’ academic feedback is more strongly an consistently related to achievement than any other teaching behaviour, this relationship is consistent regardless of grade, socioeconomic status , race, or school setting.

‘Feedback’ can improve a student‘s confidence, self-awareness and enthusiasm for leaning. Effective feedback during the first year in university can aid the transition to higher education and may support student retention. Providing students engage with feedback, it should enhance learning and improve assessment performance.

Parent’s and Teacher’s feedback

      Positive parent-school communications benefit parents. The manner in which schools communicate and interact with parents affects the extent and quality of parents’ home involvement with their children’s learning. For example, schools that communicate hadnews about student performance more oftenthan recognizing  student’s excellence will discourage parent involvement by making parents feel they cannot effectively help their children.

      Parents also benefit from being involved in their children’s education by getting ideas from school on how to help and support their children and by learning more about the school’s academic program and how it works. Perhaps most important, parents benefit by becoming more confident about the value of their school involvement. Parents develop a greater appreciation for the important role they play in their children’s education.

      When communicating with parents, consider your remarks in relation to the three categories that influence how parents participate. For example, are you communicating about,

Ø  Classroom learning activities?

Ø  The child’s accomplishments?

Ø  How the parents can help at home with their children’s learning?

Students Benefits:

        Substantial evidence exists showing that parent involvement benefits students, including raising their academic achievement. There are other advantages for children  when parents become involved, namely, increased motivation for learning, improved behaviour, more regular attendance and a more positive attitude about home work and school in general.

Teacher Benefits:

Research shows that parental involvement can free teachers to focus more on the task of teaching children. Also, by having more contact with parents, teachers learn more about students’ needs and home environment, which is information they can apply toward better meeting those needs. Parents who are involved tend to have a more positive view of teachers, which results in improved teacher morale.

GoodTwo-Way Communication

     Good two-way communication between families and schools in necessary for your students’ success. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more parents and teachers share relevant information with each other about a students, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically.

Opportunities for two-way communication include:

Ø  Parent conference.

Ø  Parent-teacher organizations or school community councils.

Ø  Weekly or monthly folders of student work sent home for parent review and comment.

Ø  Phone calls.

Ø  E-mail or school website.

Ø  Communication strategies.

    Personal contact, including conferences, home visits, telephone calls, and curriculum nights or open houses, seems to be the most effective form of communication and may be among the most familiar. However, the establishment of effective school-home communication has grown more complex as society has changed. The great diversity among families means that it is not possible to rely in a single method of communication that will reachall homeswith a given message.  It is essential that a variety of strategies, adapted to the needs of particular families and their schedules, be incorporated into an overall plan, some strategies to consider include.

Ø  Parent newsletters.

Ø  Annual open houses.

Ø  Curriculum nights.

Ø  Home visits (where applicable).

Ø  Phone calls.

Ø  Annual school calendars.

Ø  Inserts in local newspapers.

Ø  Annual grandparents or “special persons” days.

Ø  Board of Education spokesperson or communications officer at PTA meetings.

Ø  Homework hotlines.

Ø  Annual field days.

Ø  Notices and handouts in local markets, clinics, churches, mosques, temples or other gathering sites.

Ø  Website for the school.

Ø  Workshops for parents.

Ø  Communications that are focused on fathers as well as mothers.

Effective communication strategies involve:

1.       Initiation:Teachers should initiate contact as soon as they know which student will be in their classroom for the academic year. Contact can occur by means of an introductory phone call or a letter to the home introducing yourself to the parents and establishing expectations.

2.       Timeliness: Adult should make contact soon after the problem has been identified, so a timely solution can be found. Waiting too long can create new problems, possibly through the frustration of those involved.

3.       Consistency and frequency: Parents want frequent, ongoing feedback about how their children are performing with homework.

4.       Follow-through: Parents and teachers each want to see that the other will actually do what they say they will do.

5.       Clarity and usefulness of communication: Parents and teachers should have the information they need to help students, in a form and language that makes sense top them.

Surprise a Parent

     Parents are not accustomed to hearing unsolicited positive comments from teachers about their children, especially in a phone call from the school. Imagine how you would feel, as a parent, if you were contacted by a teacher or the school principal and told that your son or daughter was doing well in school, or thatourchild had overcomea learning or behavourproblem. When you make calls to share positive information with parents, be prepared for them to sound surprised pleasantly surprised.

        Many research shows that school-home communication is greatly increased through personalized positive telephone contact between teachers and parents. Remember, when a phone call from school conveys good news, the atmosphere between home and school improves. When you have good news to share, why wait? Make the call and start a positive relationship with the parent.

Phone Guidelines

      Sometimes, as a new teacher, it’s difficult to make the first call to a parent or guardian. Preparing for the call will make it easier. Before making a call, write down the reasons for the call. One reason can be simply to introduce yourself to the parent or guardian. Here are several guidelines you can use as you prepare:

1.       Introduce yourself.

2.       Tell the parents what their child is studying.

3.       Invite the parents to an open house and/or other school functions.

4.       Comment on their child’s achievements (e.g., “Student of the week”).

5.       Inform them of their child’s strengths or share an anecdote.

Parent-teacher Conferences:

      A parent-teacher conference is a meeting between teacher and parent of the children to discuss child’s progress in school. Parent –teacher conferences happen in elementary, middle and high schools. This meeting may take place as a part of the regularly scheduled conferences held by the school each year, or teacher may contact the parent to schedule a meeting at other times during the school year.

Importance of Parent-Teacher conference

Attending the parent-teacher conference provides the parent and the teacher an opportunity to work together as a team in order to help your child. Both should have an important perspective to share-as the parent, they know their child’s personality, habits, strengths, and weaknesses. The teacher, on the other hand, has been trained professionally in the best methods of teaching, meeting individual student’s needs, how to control classroom behaviour, and how to help the child succeed in school. Working together parent will be able to find ways that each parent can provide the appropriate and necessary   support for the child.

     The conference is also an opportunity for the parent to ask questions about their child’s progress, to learn more about the class and what the students are studying, and to find out the child is having difficulty with anything in particular.

Parent should Prepare a list of questions

The following questions are examples that will help the parent more about their child’s progress in school.

1.       What is my child expected to learn this year?

2.       How will this be evaluated?

3.       What are my child’s strongest and weaknesses?

4.       What are some examples of these strengths and weaknesses?

5.       Does my child hand homework in on time?

6.       What types of tests and evaluations will my child have to take this year?

7.       How are my child’s test-taking skills?

8.       Is my child participating in class discussions and activities?

9.       How are my child’s social skills?

10.   Does my child seems happy at school?

11.   Has you noticed any unusual behaviours?

12.   Has my child missed any classes other than his/her excused absences?

13.   Do you think my child is reaching his/her potential?

14.   What can I do at home to help support his/her academic progress?

During the conference

Ø  Be on time

Ø  Be yourself—>Relax and be yourself. Remember that you and the teacher both wants same thing.

Ø  Stay calm

Ø  Ask for explanations of anything you don’t understand

Ø  Ask the most important questions early in the conference.

Ø  Respectfully discuss differences of opinion

Ø  Create an action plan

Ø  Thank the teacher for meeting with you

Ø  Talk with your child

Ø  Start working on the action plan

Ø  Keep in touch with the teacher.