The Progressive Teacher Vol 04 Issue 03

asic fundamental principles
of learning - integrating the
new information to the already
existing framework of knowledge
in the learner’s brain. Learning
pruned to fit into ‘what is
needed only for examination’
cuts down the possibilities for
right registering of the learned
material. Act of retrieval of the
learned material will be flexible
only if the registration of new
information is done on the secure
foundation of prior knowledge.
A student who has developed
a habit of learning just before
the examination has a flaky
foundation of prior knowledge.
His ability to retain and retrieve
information will fail to meet
the standards of satisfactory
performance.
Crash courses crush the
confidence
Crash courses, a byproduct of
shortcut culture, undermine the
basic guiding principles of the
process of learning. It is a futile
exercise if the student has not
undergone systematic learning
before entering crash courses.
Scientifically proved research
evidence related to fundamental
basic principles upon which
cognitive faculties of individuals
operate corroborates this claim.
For a student who has not passed
through the authentic sequence
of learning process and who has
not assimilated the qualities like
regularity, disciplined learning,
perseverance and grit required
for it, burning of cognitive energy
for learning is an insipid and
boring job. Crash courses crush
the confidence of such students.
Standing on the threshold of
board exams, the template of
shortcuts provided by various
teaching agents evades his
underdeveloped learning skills
or capabilities. Sudden surge of
motivation for learning just to
qualify an important exam and a
slew of shortcuts supplied for the
same need not commensurate well
with his intellectual disposition.
So the next best choice, for him to
qualify in the examination, though
declared as illicit, is a shortcut
called copying.
Copying — just one of the
many shortcuts
For the youth of new generation
copying is just another shortcut
and no more an act inherent with
ignominy and disrespect. It will
not be an exaggeration if one
says that the prevailing culture of
shortcuts has mellowed down the
air of indignity surrounding the
act of copying. Ever mounting
incidents of exam scams and
copying in the examinations is
indicative of this.
Learning, basically aimed to
expand one’s boundaries, does
not allow any space for short
cuts. It can be pursued only with
willingness for perseverance and
meticulousness. For the student
who has failed to discover the
joy of learning, the very act
of learning is a punishment in
disguise. When learning is just
mugging up things, copying is just
a shortcut to victory. Perhaps no
formal training will be available
in the skill of copying. But that
day is not far when everybody
will reticently approve copying
with just a word of caution that
‘one must not be caught red
handed’.
Combating copying in
examination
As in any illegal act, it is a
fact that, in copying some fall
prey to some vigilant eyes but
others escape due to their flair
for obscurantism or due to the
absence of vigilance in the eyes
of invigilator. China combats this
culture of shortcuts invading
the examination system as
the tendency of the students
to copy, with more efficient
shortcut methods for invigilation.
They replaced invigilators
in the examination halls by
sophisticated cameras which
surpass ordinary perceptual
faculties of human vision and
record each and every movement
of more than 20000 examinees
at a time from different angles.
The process of evaluating
the examination paper is
complemented with verification
and assessment of how a student
behaved at the exam venue.
In India if students are not
willing to comply with the
demands of being honest in
the examination hall, teachers
should be ready to be honest
to themselves as invigilators.
Interpretation of act of copying
must be two pronged. Not only
the dishonesty of the student but
the slackness of the invigilator
also must be probed while
dealing with issues of copying in
examinations. If somebody else,
say the evaluators of answer
sheets, comes out with evidence
of copying, the invigilator must
be bound to explain the cause.
Copying is illegal you may
inform your students. ‘Copying
is immoral’ is a statement
received with increasing amount
of complacency and leniency by
the students who have missed
the sacred purpose behind the
process of acquiring knowledge.
Sophisticated technological
facilities can ensure impeccable
error free examination system.
But new ways have to be devised
to combat students’ increasing
tendency to cut short the path
to victory. An overhaul in the
examination system to make it
error free will be effective only
if it is preceded by necessary
reforms in teaching and learning
practices. Factors that encourage
the students to evade the path of
hard work in learning must be
probed into. What kills the joy of
learning is the fundamental query
to be addressed. Inculcating a
passion for learning should be
the aim of all teaching processes
because one who loves learning
will never succumb to the
temptations for shortcuts or
copying.
Jul/Aug 2017
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