Evaluation

Evaluation is a systematic determination of a subject's merit, worth and significance, using criteria governed by a set of standards. It can assist an organization, program, project or any other intervention or initiative to assess any aim, realisable concept/proposal, or any alternative, to help in decision-making; or to ascertain the degree of achievement or value in regard to the aim and objectives and results of any such action that has been completed.^[1] The primary purpose of evaluation, in addition to gaining insight into prior or existing initiatives, is to enable reflection and assist in the identification of future change.^[2]

Evaluation is often used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice, foundations, non-profit organizations, government, health care, and other human services. It is long term and done at the end of a period of time.

DefinitionEdit

Evaluation is the structured interpretation and giving of meaning to predicted or actual impacts of proposals or results. It looks at original objectives, and at what is either predicted or what was accomplished and how it was accomplished. So evaluation can be formative, that is taking place during the development of a concept or proposal, project or organization, with the intention of improving the value or effectiveness of the proposal, project, or organisation. It can also be summative, drawing lessons from a completed action or project or an organisation at a later point in time or circumstance.

Evaluation is inherently a theoretically informed approach (whether explicitly or not), and consequently any particular definition of evaluation would have been tailored to its context – the theory, needs, purpose, and methodology of the evaluation process itself. Having said this, evaluation has been defined as:

• A systematic, rigorous, and meticulous application of scientific methods to assess the design, implementation, improvement, or outcomes of a program. It is a resource-intensive process, frequently requiring resources, such as, evaluate expertise, labor, time, and a sizable budget^[3]
• "The critical assessment, in as objective a manner as possible, of the degree to which a service or its component parts fulfills stated goals" (St Leger and Wordsworth-Bell).^{[4][not in citation given]} The focus of this definition is on attaining objective knowledge, and scientifically or quantitatively measuring predetermined and external concepts.
• "A study designed to assist some audience to assess an object's merit and worth" (Stufflebeam).^{[4][not in citation given]} In this definition the focus is on facts as well as value laden judgments of the programs outcomes and worth.

Learning curve

For other uses, see Learning curve (disambiguation).

A learning curve is a graphical representation of how an increase in learning (measured on the vertical axis) comes from greater experience (the horizontal axis); or how the more someone (or thing) does something, the better they get at it.^[1]

Fig 1: Learning curve for a single subject, showing how learning improves with experience

Fig 2: A learning curve averaged over many trials is smooth, and can be expressed as a mathematical function

The term learning curve is used in two main ways: where the same task is repeated in a series of trials, or where a body of knowledge is learned over time. The first person to describe the learning curve was Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885, in the field of the psychology of learning, although the name wasn't used until 1909.^[2][3] In 1936, Theodore Paul Wright described the effect of learning on production costs in the aircraft industry.^[4]This form, in which unit cost is plotted against total production, is sometimes called an experience curve.

The familiar expression "a steep learning curve" is intended to mean that the activity is difficult to learn, although a learning curve with a steep start actually represents rapid progress.^[5][6]

In psychologyEdit

The first person to describe the learning curve was Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885. His tests involved memorizing series of nonsense syllables, and recording the success over a number of trials. The translation does not use the term learning curve—but he presents diagrams of learning against trial number. He also notes that the score can decrease, or even oscillate.^[6][7][8]

The first known use of the term learning curveis from 1909: "Bryan and Harter (6) found in their study of the acquisition of the telegraphic language a learning curve which had the rapid rise at the beginning followed by a period of retardation, and was thus convex to the vertical axis."^[3][6]

Psychologist Arthur Bills gave a more detailed description of learning curves in 1934. He also discussed the properties of different types of learning curves, such as negative acceleration, positive acceleration, plateaus, and ogive curves. (Fig 1)^[9]

Upanayana

Upanayana sanskara ceremony in progress at Nepal. Typically, this ritual was for 8 year olds in ancient India, but is now practiced for all ages.^[1]

Upanayana (IAST: Upanayanam) is one of the traditional saṃskāras (rites of passage) that marked the acceptance of a student by a guru(teacher) and an individual's entrance to a school in Hinduism. The tradition is widely discussed in ancient Sanskrit texts of India and varies regionally.^[2] The sacred thread(yajnopavita or janeu) is received by the boy during this ceremony, that he continues wearing across his chest thereafter.

The upanayana was restricted in many medieval Indian texts to the upper three of the four varnas (castes) of society — brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas. However, Vedic period texts such as the BaudhāyanaGrihyasutra encouraged all members of society to undergo the upanayana, even (manual workers) shudras.^[3][4][5] Women were encouraged to undergo upanayana in ancient India before they started Vedic studies or before their wedding.^[6]

EtymologyEdit

Upanayana (Sanskrit: उपनयन) literally means "the act of leading to or near".^[7] It is an important and widely discussed samskara in ancient Sanskrit text.^[2] The rite of passage symbolizes the leading or drawing towards the self of a child, in a school, by a teacher.^[7]It is a ceremony in which a guru (teacher) accepts and draws a child towards knowledge and initiates the second birth that is of the young mind and spirit.^[2]

AKSHAYA  PROJECT

The Akshaya project, first started in the rural Malappuram district of Kerala, India, and now spread all around the state, was the first district-wide e-literacy project in India and one of the largest known Internet Protocol (IP) based wireless networks in the world. In November 2002, the state government of Kerala put into place a project, piloted in Malappuram, with the goal of at least one person in every family to be computer literate in that district. Malappuram is now what is said to be India's First E-literate District. The mission continues to make Kerala the First E-literate state in India.

In Malappuram district alone, Akshaya has conducted one of the world's largest computer literacy drives, claiming to reach over 600,000 households, representing more than 3.6 million people, in less than 6 months. The project has created a unique brand of state-funded computer access centers, and simultaneously led to a massive wireless infrastructure, providing a wide range of services and making way to many future opportunities.

The project offers lots of services like: E-Pay (electronic payment of utility bills like electricity, land phone, drinking water, university fees etc.); E-Krishi (for farmers to provide online agriculture trading and information portal, A to Z Solution) E-Vidya (advanced IT learning for e-literates and others); E-Ticketing (online train, flight, bus ticket reservations); PMRY online registration; online passport registration; a village kiosk for transparent collectorate program, online communication providers for expatriateIndians; an online medical transcriptioncourse, with extension programs for all the above-mentioned services.

Children’s emotional development

Emotional development is a complex task that begins in infancy and continues into adulthood. The first emotions that can be recognised in babies include joy, anger, sadness and fear. Later, as children begin to develop a sense of self, more complex emotions like shyness, surprise, elation, embarrassment, shame, guilt, pride and empathy emerge. Primary school children are still learning to identify emotions, to understand why they happen and how to manage them appropriately. As children develop, the things that provoke their emotional responses change, as do the strategies they use to manage them.

Very young children’s emotions are mainly made up of physical reactions (eg heart racing, butterflies in stomach) and behaviours. As they grow, children develop the ability to recognise feelings. Their emotions are also increasingly influenced by their thinking. They become more aware of their own feelings and better able to recognise and understand other people’s. Thus, an emotional reaction of a 10-year-old is likely to be far more complex than that of a three-year-old. The experience of emotion includes several components:

• Physical responses (eg heart rate, breathing, hormone levels)
• Feelings that children recognise and learn to name
• Thoughts and judgements associated with feelings
• Action signals (eg a desire to approach, escape or fight)

Many things influence the ways that children express emotions, both through words and behaviour. These influences include: 

• Values and beliefs about appropriate and inappropriate ways of expressing emotions that children learn from parents, carers and school staff
• How effectively children’s emotional needs are usually met
• Children’s temperaments
• Emotional behaviours that children have learned through observation or experience
• The extent to which families and children are under various kinds of stress

Teacher as a Change Agent and Nation Builder !

Teacher as a Change Agent and Nation Builder !

Teacher as a Change Agent and a Nation Builder

                                     The first and foremost responsibility of the teacher is ,his relationship with his students. His job remain confined to delivering a set of lectures or more 'coverage to syllabus'. What is called a revolution in education- "changed in objectives, in content, in teaching methods, in programmes, in the selection and professional operation of teachers and organisation. 'The primary objective should be to treat each individual students as an end in himself and to give him the widest opportunity to develop his skills, abilities and potentialities to the full.

                                        Dewey addresses his view of the self as being dynamic. Teachers being dynamic have the capability to acquire the quality of plasticity. Plasticity is "the ability to learn from experience; the power to retain from one experience something which is of avail in coping with the difficulties of a later situation." He adds that ' interest , concern, mean that self and world and engaged with each other in a developing situation' and that 'personal attitudes' towards thinking and acting in the world point the image of teachers as active agents of change. Based on Dewey's concept of interest and concern as well as 'plasticity' and 'personal attitudes' , a learning model was developed as part of teaching.

Dewey's learning model.

                                             The role of teacher in building a nation cannot be ignored. It is they who influence the immature minds of the youth and tries to mould the living stuffs into various forms. The nation's future depends upon them. Hence they are the most important part of the society. In the past teachers where considered respectable figures even by the kings and the emperors, because teachers were only there to guide and advice then in the hour of crisis. They were the true benefactors of the society. With the change in time they have lost their dignity to an extent. Still, they are considered as the backbone of a nation and society.

                                            Teachers are the real guides of the students. with their deep knowledge of the subject and teaching techniques they can impart valuable information to the students. Teachers play a cardinal role in the building up of a character of the next generation. The essence of teachers as nation builders cannot be over emphasised. Good teachers need to be themselves constantly seeking knowledge, be of good character, have high motivation and be creative , innovative and efficient in their teaching strategies. The good deeds of teachers are great , because of them , we will grow to become knowledgeable people who will be use to the society, religion and our country.

                                             

Meaning of Education

ACCORDING TO. VIVEKANDA

Swami Vivekananda thought that it was a pity that the existing system of education did not enable a person to stand on his own feet, nor did it teach him self-confidence and self-respect. To Vivekananda, education was not only collection of information, but something more meaningful; he felt education should be man-making, life giving and character-building. To him education was an assimilation of noble ideas. Swami Vivekananda stressed on giving the public only positive education, because negative thoughts weaken men. He said, if young boys and girls are encouraged and are not unnecessarily criticized all the time, they are bound to improve in time.

According to Swami Vivekananda:

1) “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”

2) “The training by which the current and expression of will is brought under control and become fruitful is called education.”

3) “Education may be described as a development of faculty, not an accumulation of words, or, as a training of individuals to will rightly and efficiently.”

4) “Real education is that which enables one to stand on his own legs.”

5) “If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library.”

Philosophy of Education:

Definition of Formal education

Education is a way, planned or unplanned, which elevates the man towards its fullness, physical, intellectual, and especially ethics. The man is body, mind and soul, which can be deployed in a natural way, and/or suffer social influence; It is in the latter case refers to education, and they always go together, since social education may not refrain from considering the natural maturity of the person.
The child since it was created is influenced by education, which it is transforming and adapting to the needs of your environment, suppressing his instincts to make it a useful social member. Then, you will receive educational influences of other children and other adults, and the media, especially television. However, there is family, no in your environment from friends or acquaintances, or in television, an educational intention planned, structured and recognized to certify the progress of that individual.
Need to know the level of education, and structured common guidelines for the education of young children and also adults (for education is an ongoing process) the State has organized formal education, which is in his own hands (public education) or the of private entities under its supervision, created specifically for that purposewhere teaches les trainees, according to their age and previous contents; new knowledge and deliberately arouses its interest and its wish to enquire about topics relevant to himself and the community, as well as developing their physical and based on programs or curriculum, artistic expressions, that fix objectives and means to achieve them, using as guides to education professionals, teachers or professors.