Teaching-Learning is a combined process where an educator assesses learning needs, establishes specific learning objectives, develops teaching and learning strategies, implements plan of work and evaluates the outcomes of the instruction. Though teaching – learning process is the base of education, it is not often understood.

Usually in most university programs, we find it difficult to relate inputs to outcomes. Inputs, such as syllabus, textbook, notes, PPT slides, assessment pattern are put into the hands of a teacher. And, a lot of time, energy, and thinking are invested while designing an educational program. But, it is treated ambiguously because of the lack of scientific assessment of the program output. The output is rarely been measured properly. Both the teacher and student cannot predict the learning outcomes because of the lack of precisely drafted course output.

It is worth to note that teaching-learning process becomes easier for both the instructor and the students when learning objectives are clearly mentioned and accordingly a subject is taught. They make the learning process more inspiring for the students. Learning objectives communicate exclusively what students should be able to do after learning a subject. For example, the subject of business communications in MBA program has the learning objectives as follows:

• The student will understand effective business report writing skills
• Will develop useful listening skills
• Adapt research approach for information collection
• Develop and delivering effective presentation skills
• Will develop positive interpersonal communications
• Analyze the importance of time management.

Learning objectives should be used to guide students as they work through the course, and to assess their learning progress. Vividly drafted learning objectives provide as a guide for students when reviewing materials and during assessments. Learning objectives are the most powerful if they are actionable and measurable.

Bloom’s Taxonomy was created by Benjamin Bloom in 1956, published as a kind of classification of learning outcomes and objectives that has been used in the more than half-century. It is a framework for everything from framing digital tasks and evaluating apps to writing questions and assessments. The original sequence of cognitive skills was knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The framework was revised in 2001 by Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl, by replacing ‘Synthesis’ with ‘Creation’ as the highest-level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. And being at the highest level, the implication is that it’s the most complex and demanding cognitive skill; it represents a kind of pinnacle for cognitive tasks.

How Bloom’s Taxonomy Is Useful for Teachers? Educators are keen to use Bloom’s because, among other qualities, it gives them a way to think about their teaching and the ensuing learning of their students. The framework can be used to create assessments, evaluate the complexity of assignments, increase the rigor of a lesson, and simplify an activity to help personalize learning, design a cumulative assessment, plan project-based learning, it helps to frame a group discussion, a quiz, a role-play and much more. Because it simply provides an order for cognitive behaviors, it can be applied to almost anything. There are six levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy. There are six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy; remembering at the base and creating at the top of the hierarchy.

 The Six Levels are:

1. 1. The first level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to Remember: We need to remember in order to move forward, we also need to look back which is again remembering. The historical approaches help in analyzing why changes took place. Activities such as memorizing, taking notes, memory spots, writing diary, creating mental memory tree helps to remember what we have studied.

2. The second level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to Understand: When something is meaningful, it is understood and retained for longer time. Understanding can be built upon, and helps in acquiring further understanding. A learner becomes versatile in the situations because he uses his understanding. For example, the law of demand in Economics gives us an understanding that if all other factors remain equal, the higher the price of a good, the less people will demand that good. In other words, the higher the price, the lower the quantity demanded. Similarly, once you understand what an atom is, you are not likely to forget it; it is essential for understanding the chemical behavior of matter (atomic theory); it is a broadly useful concept in chemistry; and it greatly facilitates a chemist’s ability to develop creative ideas and products.
3. The third level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is Apply: Teaching students to apply knowledge and skills is important part of teaching learning process. Applying knowledge benefits in accomplishing public and organizational goals; application also fosters understanding of a concept deeper. Knowing is like winning half battle; applying what you know is great. Knowledge is power about applying knowledge is more powerful.
4. The fourth level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to Analyze: Analysis is essential in every aspect of life. We need to look at our goals, we need to analyze what we have accomplished and accordingly analyze future plans. We need to analyze available opportunities, weaknesses, threats and remedies. Individuals and organizations can move forward and make progress only when they analyze.
5. The fifth level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to Evaluate: Evaluation is a process that critically examines a program. It involves collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. Good management is based on good decision making. Good decision making depends on good information. Good information requires good data and careful analysis of the data. These are all critical elements of evaluation.
6. The sixth and final level of Bloom’s taxonomy is to Create: As mentioned above, the framework was revised in 2001 by Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl, by replacing ‘Synthesis’ with ‘Creation’ as the highest-level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Creating is the most complex or demanding cognitive skill, it is at highest of all the cognitive tasks. Creativity is one of the greatest qualities of an individual and the outcome of education; it helps in solving problems, it helps in articulating a process.

Summary:  A teacher/instructor must plan learning objectives in the centre of the teaching plan which should be both specific and measurable. The teacher must define objectives in simple, clear language, and avoid jargon or references and avoid going beyond scope of study of a subject. A syllabus must be revised after two-three years to accommodate gaps between business world, society and academics. A torpid syllabus is useless for students, changing it requires measurable guidance. Education cannot afford to be cocooned in mundane policies and politics. The objectives of education must be broad; it should be to increase creativity in society and world at large. Vague objectives mar the purpose of education. Bloom’s Taxonomy allows being articulate and specific in educational endeavor.

Today is a very auspicious day – its Ganesh Chaturthi plus Teacher’s day! Lord Ganesha is considered as God of knowledge. His elephant head symbolizes the immense wisdom and perfection. Wisdom is something that comes out of independent thinking and reflection, education adds it in our life. Therefore, teachers are very important in our life. Lord Ganesh’s large ears symbolizes that one needs to be a good listener, when you are with a teacher, listen with attention. There is so much to learn from each teacher. Wise people are always open to hearing fresh ideas and opinions. In other words, the wise are those who always keep an open mind. Good teachers don’t teach us detailed syllabus, but they help us grow as people. They make us responsible by imparting some of life’s most important lessons.

Like other professions, even teachers evolve and mature in their profession. I am also a teacher and I wish to share some of my thoughts. Teaching as a process is entwined and complex. It is very difficult to be explain. The rapid changes and increased complexity of today’s world present new challenges and put new demands on our education system. The teachers therefore need a lot of preparation to change and improve the students for productive functioning in the continually changing and highly demanding environment. A teacher gets mischievous, restive, serious learner intelligent, sensitive, and agitated all sorts of students, and while she shapes their personalities, they also shape the teacher’s identity.

The fact is that each subject taught is as large and complex as life, therefore the familiarity of the subject is always flawed and partial. No matter how a teacher devotes himself/herself to reading and research, teaching requires a command of content that always evades some student’s grasp.  Some of the students themselves are larger than life and even more complex. To understand them, their capacity as learners and their questions and to respond them wisely in the moment, requires a fusion of Einstein, Freud and Edison! A teacher achieves this with lots of hard work. It is sad but the society undermines their commitment and their craft. Let me tell you, it takes few years for the teacher to mature in his/her profession. It takes few seasons for them to grasp the teaching-learning process and techniques.

Lord Ganesha’s head is the elephant trunk. This trunk depicts a dominant intellect that arises out of wisdom. Our intellect is of two kinds, gross and subtle. The gross intellect is used to discriminate between pairs of opposites in the world; black and white, hard and soft, easy and difficult. The subtle intellect, on the other hand, discriminates between right and wrong; permanent and impermanent which means the conscience. A teacher along with students discovers uncharted and unknown knowledge in the classroom. The teacher challenges the student’s inquisition at times with lenience and at times with dominance. The teacher refines thinking of her class, by discussing the facts and the teacher also has unique characteristics, and her life’s experience.

Ganesha’s pot belly depicts space; it is big in size to hold all wisdom and all life. Education endures our strength to tolerate and ride over all the good and bad in life. The life’s experiences prepare us to become perfect. A man of perfection must have the capacity to stomach peacefully all the experiences. Teachers refine their students; all of the crudeness, bluntness, anxiety and garishness slowly vanish because of their punishments and chiding. Efficient and Strict teachers enrich their students with etiquettes, kindness, courteousness, considerateness and politeness.

Ganesha’s four arms represent the four main divisions of human consciousness: mind, intellect, ego and the emotions. His four arms also depict the four directions. Teachers prepares their students to become independent; they them sensibly and intervene only when necessary. The educational institution is a place of social learning. Throughout the academic learning, various teachers that we come across, teach us to take independent decisions. Each teacher tells her students that they need to control their own destiny. All choices whether good, bad and the ugly are very individual. A change can never be predicted or pre-determined. Seasoned teachers help their students in understanding their potential. We get all types of teachers – strict, friendly, firm, unassuming etc. It may sound as cliché, but the fact is that teachers never stop teaching.

Life is all about the joys and sorrows, victories and failures, brightness and darkness life is full of contrasts.  The transition of opposites in life is indicated beautifully by Lord Ganesha’s two tusks, one is broken and one is complete. We need to rise in life to practice and experience the challenges that life throws at us. The examinations throughout our journey as students teach us to take dissimilarities with a pinch of salt. The strict teachers will always set a tough examination paper because they want to prepare their students for tough situations.

A teacher does not like a lifeless classroom session. However tough might be the topic, the teacher tries her level best to make the topic interesting. Let me tell you, as teachers we don’t like disordered and confused classrooms.  In such classrooms we feel powerless and to claim we are teachers seems an obvious sham. We are not Gods, our knowledge is also flawed and partial to some extent. No matter how much ever we devote ourselves to reading and research, teaching requires a command of content that always eludes our grasp because of constant changes happening around us. To understand each student’s personal pathology is just not possible. A decade and a half teaching experience has taught me that teaching is like mastering an occult art.  I have also learnt that there is no definition of a ‘perfect teacher’ or a ‘perfect student’. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. A good teacher learns to capitalize on her student’s strength and compensate for weakness. And very importantly, a good teacher recognizes that perfection is the enemy of the good!

Lord Ganesha is worshipped for prosperity and success. He removes the obstacles of both material and spiritual kinds. Similarly, gritty teachers have passion and perseverance to help their students reach long-term goals, by helping them cross the obstacles.

A VERY HAPPY GANSH CHATURTHI AND HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY TO ALL!!!