Course: Teacher Education in Pakistan (829) Semester: Spring,

2021 Level: MA/M.Ed

ASSIGNMENT No. 1

Q.1 Compare the objectives of teacher educaiton given by Aggerwal and National
Education Policy 2009.

Objectives of Teacher Education

Some of the most important objectives of teacher education are as follows:

1. Imparting an adequate knowledge of the subject- matter:

The objective of teacher education is to develop a good command of the subject matter of the
assignment given to him in the colleges.

2. Equipping the prospective teachers with necessary pedagogic skills:

The main objective of teacher education is to develop a skill to stimulate experience in the
taught, under an artificially created environment, less with material resources and more by the
creation of an emotional atmosphere. The teacher should develop a capacity to do, observe, infer
and to generalize.

3. Enabling the teacher to acquire understanding of child psychology:

The objective is to understand the child psychology so that the teacher is able to appreciate the
difficulties experienced by children so as to bring about new modes and methods of achieving
the goals in consonance with the reactions of the children.

4. Developing proper attitudes towards teaching:

One of the major objectives of teacher education is to develop proper altitudes towards teaching
as a result of which he will be able to maximize the achievements from both the material and
human resources. T here is also development of a proper perception of the problems of universal
enrolment, regular attendance, year-to-year promotion.
5. Developing self-confidence in the teachers:
The objectives of teacher education are development of the ability to take care of himself in
terms of:
(a) Adjustment with the physical conditions,

(b) Healthy adjustment with the social environment

(c) Adjustment with himself to derive emotional satisfaction with his life.

6. Enabling teachers to make proper use of instructional facilities:

The objective of teacher education is to develop the capacity to extend the resources of the
school by means of improvisation of instructional facilities.

7. Enabling teachers to understand the significance of individual differences of child and to

take appropriate steps for their optimum development:
The objective of teacher education is to know the causes of individual differences as a result of
which he will be able to develop the ability to be a child with children, an adult with the adults, a
responsible citizen among the community.

8. Development of the ability to give direct satisfaction of parents from the achievement of
children in terms of:
(a) Proper habits of taking care of the body,

(b) Proper attitudes reflected in the behaviour of the children at home, in the school, in the
streets, at the farms and fields etc.

(c) Progress in the class.

The duties of the teacher is very much relevant in nursery, primary, middle, secondary, higher
secondary schools. Hence the scope of teacher education is very vast. The duties of the teacher in
different stages of education depend on the foundational general education of the teacher.
Emphasis is to be on the practical aspects rather than theory.
1. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2009 (“the Policy”) is the latest in a series of
education policies dating back to the very inception of the country in 1947. The review
process for the National Education Policy 1998-2010 was initiated in 2005 and the first
public document, the White Paper, was finalised in March 2007. The White Paper, as
designed, became the basis for development of the Policy document. Though four years
have elapsed between beginning and finalisation of the exercise, the, lag is due to a
number of factors including the process of consultations adopted and significant political
changes that took place in the country.
2. Two main reasons prompted the Ministry of Education (MoE) to launch the review in
2005 well before the time horizon of the existing Policy (1998 - 2010)1 : firstly, the
Policy did not produce the desired educational results and performance remained
deficient in several key aspects including access, quality and equity of educational
opportunities and, secondly, Pakistan’s new international commitments to Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and Dakar Framework of Action for Education for All
(EFA). Also the challenges triggered by globalisation and nation’s quest for becoming a
knowledge society in the wake of compelling domestic pressures like devolution and
demographic transformations have necessitated a renewed commitment to proliferate
quality education for all.
3. . This document is organized into nine chapters. Chapter 1 describes overarching
challenges, identifying two fundamental causes that lie behind the deficiencies in
performance (the commitment gap and the implementation gap), and outlines the way
forward. Chapters 2 and 3 articulate the ways of filling the Commitment Gap (system
values, priorities and resources) and Implementation Gap (Ensuring good governance)
respectively. Chapter 4 puts forward the provisions of Islamic Education and
transformation of the society on Islamic human values. Chapters 5 to 8 outline reforms
and policy actions to be taken at the sub-sector levels. Chapter 9 broadly suggests a
Framework for Implementation of the Action Plan of this Policy document. Annex- I
describes the current state of the education sector. Available indicators have been
assessed against data in comparable countries
4. . Most of the issues recognised in this document were also discussed in previous policy
documents. A new policy document on its own will not ameliorate the condition but all
 segments of society will have to contribute in this endeavour. However, the document
does recognise two deficits of previous documents i.e. governance reform and an
implementation roadmap, which if redressed, can improve the performance of the present
Policy.
5. . The policy discusses issues of inter-tier responsibilities wherein the respective roles and
functions of the federal-provincial-district governments continue to be unclear. Confusion
has been compounded, especially, at the provincial-district levels after the ‘Devolution
Plan’ mainly because the latter was not supported by a clear articulation of strategies. The
other issue identified for governance reforms is the fragmentation of ministries,
institutions etc. for management of various sub-sectors of education and, at times, within
each sub-sector. Problems of management and planning have also been discussed and
recommendations prepared.
6. This document includes a chapter that describes the implementation framework. The
framework recognises the centrality of the federating units in implementation of
education policy measures. The role of the Federal Ministry of Education will be that of a
coordinator and facilitator so as to ensure sectoral and geographic uniformity in
achievement of educational goals nationally. A shift has been made by making the
National Education Policy a truly ‘national’ document and not a federal recipe. For this, it
has been recommended that Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ Conference (IPEMC),
with representation of all federating units, will be the highest body to oversee progress of
education in the country. In this respect, the Federal-Provincial collaborative effort
remains the key to success.
7. It has also been proposed to make the document a “dynamic document” that will “live”
for an indefinite period and be subjected to improvements whenever needed. IPEM will
consider and approve all such improvements which can be proposed by any of the
federating units.
8. . The purpose of the Policy is to chart out a national strategy for pursuing improvement
in education. Many of the policy actions outlined have already been initiated through
reforms: most notably in the domains of curriculum development, textbook/learning
materials policy, provision of missing facilities. A number of initiatives are already being
implemented by the provincial and area governments. The Policy takes account of these
 ongoing reforms and integrates them into its recommendations. The Policy is also
embedded within the Islamic ethos as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan.
9. . The success of the Policy will depend on the national commitment to this cause.
Already there has been a marked improvement in this sector, as all provinces and areas,
as well as the federal government, have raised the priority of education. This will now
have to be matched with availability of resources and capacity enhancement for
absorption of these resources to improve education outcomes for the children of Pakistan.
It is a long journey that has already begun. It is hoped that the policy document will help
give a clearer direction and help institutionalise the efforts within a national paradigm.

Reference:

https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/education/8-important-objectives-of-teacher-
education/45259

https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/ressources/pakistan_national_education
_policy_2009.pdf

Q.2 Discuss the usability of teaching methods recommended by Muslim scholars in the
current teaching learning environment.

Teaching Methods in Islam

The ancient Muslim educationists adopted a special method of teaching that promotes the
recipients of knowledge. The following are some articles of the teaching methods:

Forsaking Tension
Teachers ought to treat their pupils leniently and kindly and avoid any tension and cruelty since
these two things impede the mental growth and author serious psychological complexes. Ibn
Khuldun says, “Tensional teaching injures the pupils, especially the children and the harshly
educated.”
Physical Discipline
Pupils of irregular behavior and negligence should be disciplined if they ignore the advice. The
ancient Muslim teachers used to beat and detain even the kings’ sons. Abu Merriam, the educator
of al-Amin and al-Mamun*, caned them so harshly that one’s arm was injured. Before his father,
the boy showed his hand, and the teacher was summoned. “What for did Mohammed –al-Amin-
complain you?” asked ar-Rashid. “He is full of naivete and slyness,” answered the teacher. The
caliph then said, “You may kill him! His death is better than being dull.”
In his instructions to al-Ahmer, one of his sons’ educators, ar-Rashid said, “You should first
reform him by means of kindness and lenience. If he refuses, then you should use tension and
coarse.”

Fathers used to say to the educators of their sons, “Your share is the flesh while ours is the
bones.”

Beating and tormenting were the most important means of education. This is incorrect indeed
since it is undecided to Islam that regards mercy, kindness, and lenience as the most matters on
which education should settle. All of the crooked ways should be avoided in the educational
processes. Teachers should not exceed in disciplining the irregular and deviant pupils since it
creates mental complexes and impedes the maturity and prosperity of education and personality.
Ibn Khuldoun says, “If the educator uses coercion, this will distress the pupil and confine his
delighted spirit and urge on indolence and lead to lie and malignancy for avoiding more
coercion. In addition, this coercion will teach the pupil trickery and fraud, and the pupil may take
them as customs and qualities forever. The educator, whether teacher or father, should not
exaggerate in disciplining the sons.” The Prophet (s) said, “Teach without chiding. Teachers are
preferable to the scolders.” Ibn Quteiba said, “Teachers are recommended not to use tension or
pride.”

Teachers are compared to the compassionate father. It is said, “Teachers are the substitutes of
fathers.” It is also said, “Teachers ought to care for the students’ interests and treat them like the
dearest sons with kindness, courtesy, benevolence, and patience on probable alienation. Teachers
should apprise of their flaws by means of advice and sympathy, not chiding and crudeness.” Al-
Qabisi, one of the master educators of the fourth century –of Hegira-, was asked whether it is
recommended for teachers to use coarseness or lenience with students, he answered,
“Disciplining should never occupy the good teachers’ lenience and mercy to the pupils. Teachers
are the substitutes of their fathers. It is discommended for teachers to be always frowning. This
will make the pupils disrespect them.”
Teachers’ roughness originates mental troubles and leads to the students’ refusing the lessons.

Suggestive Rebuke
Muslim educationists believe that the insinuative rebuke should be within the teaching methods
in case pupils show irregular behavior or imperfect work since this method is more impressive
than expression. They said, “Teachers who notice an irregularity or a crooked behavior should
not state it directly to the pupils. They should insinuate within their common speech by referring
to the disadvantages of such a behavior. This will achieve the intended convention.”

This method, in fact, is more useful than direct reproach, which may lead to rebellion and
insistence on the wrong. Islam has asserted this topic in the fields of education and teaching. It is
related that Imams al-Hassan and al-Hussein, the grandsons of the Prophet, once noticed an old
man perform the ritual ablution incorrectly. They avoided stating to him directly; hence, they
agreed on making him the arbiter who should rule of the most accurate ablution. As they
performed the ablution before him, the old man said, “O masters! You both have performed the
very accurate ablution, but it seems that the old man can master nothing.”
Islam has adopted this necessary practice since it saves the deviant from irregularity and
aberrance and takes him back to the truth and right. Educationists said, “The pupil that is not
amended by insinuative impression, owing to lack of understanding and perception, secret
expression and frank warning should be used. If this method is unsuccessful, the teacher may
warn openly and reproach. If this is also unsuccessful, the teacher then may dismiss and leave the
pupil till he
returns.”
THE LEARNERS’ MANNERS
Muslim educationists have been greatly concerned with the learners’ affairs. They constituted the
considerable methods that aim at disciplining and acquiring the virtuous ethics and noble
manners.

- Learners should seek knowledge for God’s sake purely, neglecting any worldly interest or
valueless purpose. God will surely raise the respects of such learners, facilitate the difficulties,
grant perception and intelligence, and combine the welfare of this world and the Hereafter.

- Learners should carry out the religious instructions and precepts as well as the noble morals and
ritual practices. They should fear God in their hiddens as well as their appearances and purify
their hearts against discommended qualities such as envy, ostentation, pride, and arrogance since
these characters are the vilest and the most unassuming. An educationist says, “Prayers are
invalid without extrinsic purification. Likewise, heart worship that is seeking knowledge is
invalid unless the hearts are purified from ill manners and immoral qualities. Knowledge is not
the abundance of narration. It is an illumination that is cast in hearts.”
- Learners should enjoy self-possession and sedateness. The Prophet (s) said, “Seek knowledge
and convey to people. Use composure, tranquility, and modesty to those from whom you learn
and those to whom you convey. Do not be the despotic of knowledge.” Imam as-Sadiq said,
“Seek knowledge and use self-possession, composure, and modesty to those from whom you
learn. Do not be the despotic of knowledge, otherwise the wrong will remove your right.”
Students of such perfect moralities will naturally be the exemplars of others and influence
positively in the people’s behavior and ethics.

- Learners should exert all efforts for seeking knowledge since it is not inspirational. Knowledge
is acquirable. It depends upon the scope of the efforts that lead to obtaining scientific fortune.
Learners should respect time as well as their lessons. Any tardiness will waste the classes and
cause the teachers’ carelessness.
- Learners should not exaggerate in studying lest their powers and energy will be exhausting and
the mental maturity be impeded. It is essential for learners to have sufficient time for rest and
physical relaxation. Men should regard the rights of their bodies. Al-Ghezali said, “It is essential
to give the pupils sufficient time for acceptable amusement and relaxation after the fatigue of
teaching. Preventing the pupils from entertainment after the exhausting teaching will deaden
their hearts stupefy their minds. This will also cause a life disturbance and oblige them to look
for trickeries for the sake of getting rid of such a disturbance.”

- Learners should not ask rigor questions otherwise they lose prosperity owing to disrespecting
the knowledge and dishonoring the teachers whose approval should precede everything else.

- Learners should respect their teachers who should enjoy rights that are preferable to the fathers.
Ashafii said, “I used to reverence my teacher, Malik, to the degree that I skimmed over the books
so slightly so that he will not hear the sounds of the papers.” Learners should also esteem their
teachers in their presence or absence, use various styles of honoring and veneration, neglect
using their names, and stand their flaws and roughness. Ashafii reported, “People informed
Sufian bin Uyeina that some people, who had come from distant districts, would leave him
because of his harshness.” He said, “They are surely ignorant if they leave their advantages
because of my ill manners.” Learners should also be in the class before their teachers, sit in front
of them, not lean to a wall or a pad, and not turn the back before them. All these affairs
contradict the teachers’ rights. They should also listen heedfully to their teachers and save them
against repeating the teaching materials. Moreover, learners should avoid yawning, eructing,
laughing, mocking, or practicing any deed that dishonors the teachers.

- Learners should not combine two subjects of study at the same time, lest their minds will be
exceedingly disturbed. Ibn Khuldoun says, “Learners must not mix two matters of knowledge at
the same time, lest they will be too deficient to obtain any of them since this causes mind
confusion and leaning to one on the account of the other.”

- Learners should not associate with other than the hard-working students so that they receive the
good behaviors. It is said that the social life is influential and being influenced. Each individual
gives and takes from the surroundings. Lazy and slender individuals will surely convey their
qualities to their associates.

- Primary learners should not involve themselves in discrepancies and ambiguous opinions of the
master scholars especially in conceptual theses, lest these variant opinions will weaken their
mentalities and natures.

- Learners should not move to another lesson before they master the earlier. Negligence will
surely cause tardiness and skillessness

Learning and Teaching in Islam

To acquire knowledge is a religious duty in Islam. The Prophet has said, "To seek knowledge is
incumbent upon every Muslim." According to fully established hadiths which elucidate the
meaning of this saying, knowledge here means the three principles of Islam : unity or tawhid ;
prophecy or nubuwwat; and eschatology or ma'ad. In addition to these principles, Muslims are
expected to acquire knowledge of the subsidiary branches and the details of the injunctions and
laws of Islam according to their individual circumstances and needs.

It is clear that acquiring knowledge of the principles of religion, even if it be in summary

fashion, is possible to a certain extent for everyone. But acquiring detailed knowledge of the
injunctions and laws of religion through use of the basic documents of the Book and the Sunnah
and technical reasoning based upon them (or what is called demonstrative jurisprudence, fiqh-i
istidlali ) is not possible for every Muslim. Only a few persons have the capacity for
demonstrative jurisprudence, nor is such acquiring of detailed knowledge required of everyone,
for there are no injunctions in Islam requiring one to do what lies beyond his abilities.
Therefore, the study of Islamic injunctions and laws through reasoning has been limited through
the principle of "sufficient necessity" (wajib-i kifa'i) to those individuals who have the necessary
capability and are worthy of such study. The duty of the rest of the people, according to the
general principle of the necessity for the ignorant to depend on the one who knows, is to seek
guidance from capable and worthy men of learning, who are called mujtahids and faqihs. This
act of following mujtahids is called imitation or taqlid. Of course this imitation differs from
imitation in the principles of religious knowledge which is forbidden according to the very text
of the Qur'an, "(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge." (Qur'an, XVII, 36).

It must be known that Shi'ism does not permit imitation of a dead mujtahid. That is to say, a
person who does not know the answer to a problem through ijtihad and through religious duty
must imitate a living mujtahid and cannot depend on the view of a mujtahid who is not living,
unless he had received that guidance while the mujtahid was alive. This practice is one of the
factors which have kept Islamic Shi'ite jurisprudence alive and fresh throughout the ages. There
are individuals who continuously follow the path of independent judgment, ijtihad, and delve
into the problems of jurisprudence from one generation to another.

In Sunnism, as a result of consensus of opinion (ijma') that occurred in the 4th/10th century, it
was decided that submission to one of the four schools (of Abu Hanifah, Ibn Malik, al-Shafi'i,
and Ahmad ibn Hanbal) was necessary. Free ijtihad or imitation of a school other than these four
(or one or two smaller schools that died out later) was not considered permissible. As a result,
their jurisprudence has remained in the same condition as it was about 1100 years ago. In recent
times certain individuals in the Sunni world have turned away from this consensus and have
begun to exercise free ijtihad.

Shi'ism and the Transmitted Sciences

The Islamic sciences, which owe their existence to the ulama of Islam who organized and
formulated them, are divided into the two categories of intellectual ('alqi) and transmitted (naqli).
The intellectual sciences include such sciences as philosophy and mathematics. The transmitted
sciences are those which depend upon transmission from some source, such as the sciences of
language, hadith, or history. Without doubt the major cause for the appearance of the transmitted
sciences in Islam is the Holy Qur'an. With the exception of a few disciplines such as history,
genealogy, and prosody, the other transmitted sciences have all come into being under the
influence of the Holy Book. Guided by religious discussions and research, Muslims began to
cultivate these sciences, of which the most important are Arabic literature (grammar, rhetoric,
and the science of metaphors) and the sciences pertaining to the external form of religion
(recitation of the Qur'an, Qur'anic commentary (tafsir), hadith, biography of learned men, the
chain of transmission of hadith, and the principles of jurisprudence).

Shi'ites played an essential role in the foundation and establishment of these sciences. In fact, the
founders and creators of many of these sciences were Shi'ites. Arabic grammar was put into a
systematic form by Abu'l-Aswad al-Du'ali, one of the companions of the Holy Prophet, and by
Ali. Ali dictated an outline for the organization of the science of Arabic grammar. One of the
founders of the science of eloquence (rhetoric and the science of metaphors) was Sahib ibn
'Abbad, a Shi'ite, who was a vizier of the Buyids. The first Arabic dictionary is the Kitab al-'ayn
composed by the famous scholar, Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Basri, the Shi'ite who founded the science
of prosody. He was also the teacher of the great master of grammar, Sibuwayh.

The Qur'anic recitation of 'Asim goes back to Ali through one intermediary, and 'Abdallah ibn
'Abbas, who in hadith was the foremost among the companions, was a student of Ali. The
contributions of the Household of the Prophet and their associates in hadith and jurisprudence are
well known. The founders of the four Sunni schools of law are known to have associated with
the fifth and sixth Shi'ite Imams. In the principles of jurisprudence the remarkable advances
accomplished by the Shi'ite scholar Wahid Binbahani and followed by Shaykh Murtada Ansari
have never been matched in Sunni jurisprudence according to existing evidence.

The Brotherhood of Islam

A Muslim is related to different people in different ways: first, he is very closely related to his
family members; second, he is related to his relatives; and finally, he is related to other Muslims
in the bond of religious brotherhood known as the Muslim Ummah.

The first two circles of relationship are based on family ties. You and your brother or you and
your cousin are from a common fore-father. But the third relationship is not based on family ties,
it is based on religious ties. All Muslims are related to one another through Islam, and this
relationship is known as the “Islamic Brotherhood”. Allāh says in the Qur'ān, “Indeed the
believers are brothers.”
The basis of Islamic brotherhood is not a common forefather, but the common God, Prophet, the
Book, etc. All Muslims believe in Allāh, Prophet Muhammad, and the Qur'ān, and they all pray
towards the same Ka`bah.

Relationships are also based on common race, language or country. People of the same race,
same language or same country feel a special fraternity towards each other. But Islamic
brotherhood transcends all these boundaries of race, language, country, colour and wealth. Allāh
says in the Qur'ān: “O you mankind! We have created you from a male and a female; and made
you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other [more easily]. Indeed, the most
noble among you in view of Allāh is the most pious of you.”

All Muslims are brethren of each other even if they are from different families, races, and
countries, or have different skin colour and language. Muslims in China, Mexico, Iraq, Kenya,
USA, India, England, Turkey, Malaysia, Ghana, Japan and Tunis are all brethren of one another
on the basis of their common faith and beliefs. Their colour, country, and language are less
important when it comes to their relationship based on Islam.

All the Muslims of the world form a single brotherhood or community which is known as “the
Muslim Ummah”. Every Muslim is a member of the ummah. The Ka`bah is a visual center of
gravity for the Muslim ummah—Muslims all over the world face the same Ka`bah five times a
day and confirm their brotherhood.

2. The Prophet & Islamic Brotherhood

The issue of Islamic brotherhood and fraternity was so important in Islam that soon after
migrating to Medina, the first important social decree of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was on the
issue of brotherhood.
The Muslim community of Medina was divided into two groups: the Ansār and the Muhājirin.
“Ansār” (Helpers) was a title used for the natives of Medina, whereas “Muhājirin” (Immigrants)
was a title used for those Muslims, mostly Meccans, who had migrated to Medina.
Among the Ansār, there were two tribes known as the Aws and the Khazraj who were bitter
enemies and had fought each other for more than a century. The Prophet had resolved this
conflict even before he migrated to Medina. With the advent of Islam, the Aws and the Khazraj
put their past animosity behind and accepted the bond of Islamic brotherhood. Referring to this
blessing of Islam, Allah says: “And remember the favour of Allah upon you—you indeed were
enemies (of each other) and then He created fraternity between your hearts and thus you became
brethren by His blessing...”

The Prophet found that there was cultural and economic disparity among the Ansār and the
Muhājirin. So with the guidance of Allah, the Prophet announced one day that he was going to
establish the bond of brotherhood between the Ansār and the Muhājirin. He gathered the two
groups at the mosque and then started calling out the name of one Muhājir and one Ansār, and
declared them to be brothers of each other. Referring to this bond of brotherhood, Allah says:
“Those who believed, migrated and fought in the way of Allah [i.e., the Muhājirin], and those
who gave shelter and helped [i.e., the Ansār]—they are the true believers, for them is forgiveness
and a noble sustenance...”

Some of the Ansār went beyond the call of duty in fulfilling the rights of brotherhood: they
divided their entire wealth into two and gave one-half to their immigrant brother-in-faith. Some
even specified a substantial portion in their estate to be inherited by their immigrant brother-in-
faith. Then Allah revealed the following verse “The blood relatives have more right to each other
in the Book of Allah”.
This shows that one of the first steps towards building an Islamic community is creating the
atmosphere for Islamic brotherhood and fraternity.
An interesting segment of the event of brotherhood is that when the Prophet had joined each
Muhajir with an Ansar, ‘Ali bin Abi Tālib (a Muhājir) was left out. So he came to the Prophet
(who was also a Muhājir) and complained that he had been left out from the bond of brotherhood
between the Muhājirin and the Ansār. The Prophet said, “O ‘Ali! You are my brother in this
world as well as in the hereafter.”
3. The Moral Rights of Brotherhood
Islamic brotherhood as expressed in the Qur'ān (“Indeed the believers are brothers”) is not just a
fancy idea. It had been implemented by the Prophet in Medina. There are certain rights which the
believers have over each other. Allah has described some of those rights immediately after the
verse quoted above.
In this lesson, you will learn six of those rights from the Qur'ān: “O you who believe!

1. “No people should laugh at, or make fun of, another people.”
You might laugh at others because of what you see—their appearance, dress or way of living.
But you do not know anything about their hearts and minds. Their faces and dresses might look
funny to you, but inside they may be better than you. Therefore, do not make fun of other people
“because those who are being laughed at may be better, in Allah's view, than those who laugh.”

2. “Do not find fault with your own Muslim brothers.”

A Muslim should pay more attention to his own deeds and try to amend his own mistakes. There
is no need to probe and find the faults or mistakes of others.

3. “Do not call one another by insulting nicknames.”

Every Muslim has a good name; call others by their proper name or by a nickname which they
use for themselves. But never call names because Allah does not like that one Muslim should
insult his own brother-in-faith.
After mentioning these three rights of Muslim over each other, Allah ends the verse with the
following statement: “And those who (commit such sins and) do not ask forgiveness, they are the
unjust people.”
This verse of the Qur'ān makes it clear that even such trivial things —making fun of others or
calling names— are so much disliked by Allah that He considers such sins as “injustice”. And
He surely does not like the unjust people!

4. “O you who believe! Avoid most of the suspicious [thoughts about other Muslims].” (49:12)
The reason why Allah wants us to avoid most of the suspicious thoughts about other Muslims
has been explained by Allah in the next sentence: “Surely suspicion in most cases is a sin.” Islam
wants you to think positively about your Muslim brother and sister.

5. “And do not spy [on each other].”

Spying on your Muslim brother or sister and trying to find their weak points and secrets is not
allowed in Islam.

6. “Nor should some of you backbite others

“Backbiting” is known in Arabic as ghibat. Ghibat means talking about the hidden bodily defects
or secret inappropriate behaviour of someone behind his/her back.
The reason why ghibat of another Muslim is forbidden in Islam has been explained by Allah in
the next sentence of the verse: “Does any one of you like to bite the flesh of his dead brother?!
Surely you dislike it.”
Ghibat is just like biting the dead body of your own brother: he cannot defend himself. Saying
bad things about someone in his absence is almost the same—he is not present to defend himself.
In this sense, the term “backbiting” is very close to the meaning of “ghibat”.
The last three sins —suspicion, spying and backbiting— are connected to each other. If you
avoid the first one, you will be able to stay away from the other two sins. But if you always
suspect others, then you will be tempted to spy on them or find bad things about them. If you
find out anything negative about others, then you are tempted to gossip about them.
So keep your mind clean and try to think good of your Muslim brethren. These are some ethical
rights which Muslims have over each other.

Reference:
https://www.erfan.ir/english/6290.html

Q.3 Elaborate the recent developments in teacher education system of Pakistan. Discuss the
problems of teacher education and also give suggestions to overcome these problems.

The right to education is enshrined within the Constitution of Pakistan. Article 25-A Pakistan
states: “The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to
sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law.”(“The Constitution of Islamic
Republic of Pakistan”, 2012)

Following the 18th amendment, education has largely become a provincial rather than a national
issue, and each province has made progress in developing reforms to their respective education
systems. However, implementation of these reforms has remained a huge challenge. There is no
doubt that steps have also been taken to strengthen the facilities and services for primary, middle
and secondary schools, as well as an admirable effort directed towards the expansion of non-
formal education. Unfortunately, major issues and challenges continue to hinder the end goals of
these initiatives from being achieved.

Some statics on the state of education in Pakistan

To share a few examples of the obstacles faced, the population of Pakistan has reached 208
million individuals as of 2018. 38% of this population currently lives below the poverty line
(Jamal, 2017), while 43% of the adult population (i.e. aged 15 and above) remains illiterate. For
portion of adults mentioned, the percentage can be further broken down to reveal a substantial
gender gap wherein 51% of adult women compared to 30% of men are illiterate(AEPAM, 2016).
Several other factors also directly affect the state of education in the country. A low annual
education budget, over 90% of which goes for teacher and administrative salaries, is one
example. Poor infrastructure that hampers productive learning environments, poor teaching and
learning resources, and an assessment structure that operates in non-native languages are several
more.

Further insights into statistics on the matter paint a grim picture on the country’s aspiration of
education for all. For instance, there are 51.17 million children in Pakistan between the ages of 5
-16 years out of which nearly 23 million are categorized as out of school (Khan, 2017). There is
also a shortage of schools, wherein for every 13 primary schools, there is only 1 middle school
(“National Education Policy”, 2017). Finally, there is a shortage of teachers — around 50% of
primary schools in Sindh and Balochistan and 29% in Pakistan as a whole have only one teacher
(“Pakistan Education Statistics”, 2017). When it comes to the quality of education and learning
outcomes of students, the numbers are even more distressing. For grade 5 students, 44% of
school children cannot read a story fluently either in Urdu or provincial languages. 48% cannot
read a sentence fluently in English, while 49% cannot carry out simple two-digit division.

Improving student learning is one of the key outcomes that all stakeholders of an education
system should focus on. A good understanding of student learning is important for teachers, so
they can focus their efforts on key areas that need to be improved and enhance teaching-learning
practices in the classroom. Examination and assessment data is also useful for policymakers to
understand what factors hinder effective learning, to inform future policies. In addition,
examinations are used to signal student performance for admission to higher studies and for the
job market. A sound assessment and examination system is thus integral to a good education
system.

The education system in Pakistan is categorized as primary (grade 1-5), middle (grade 6-8),
secondary (grade 9-10) higher secondary (grade 11-12) tertiary education. Those entering
secondary and higher secondary education go through high-stake examinations conducted by a
Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE). The secondary school education
system, particularly exams, plays a major role in both teaching and learning attitudes that affect
the entire system. If assessment and examinations are not aligned with the curriculum and
continue to focus on textbook based examination (i.e. memorizing the content of the textbook),
then eventually assessment starts to drive learning and has a trickle-down effect on the entire
education system.

There are currently 29 government run BISE bodies in Pakistan (Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan,
KPK, and a Federal Board), along with one private, local board (Aga Khan University
Examination Board), and two foreign boards (Cambridge Assessment and the International
Baccalaureate system).Teachers follow the pattern set by various BISE bodies, and as such most
are preparing students to rote learn as they know that the students will be tested on their ability to
memorize. This directly leads to student’s own learning attitudes becoming a lifelong behavior.
It is worth noting that out of the total body of students set to take their secondary or higher
secondary examinations, over 90% are doing so in government schools that follows various
BISE curriculums.
In this regard, government BISE bodies are widely criticized for not aligning their examinations
with the National Curriculum of Pakistan — although the National Curriculum of 2006 is based
on learning outcomes, many BISE bodies are still following 2002 curriculum. Another practice
that has come under scrutiny is their inability to assess higher order learning, as well as a
propensity to drive students to rote learn, rather than understand and apply concepts. Several
studies conducted at both a national and international level (Rind, 2017), (Awan, Aslam,
Muzaffar, Khan, & Rashid, 2016), (Burdett, 2017) have shown poor quality of examination
questions concentrated at the knowledge rather than application level that are also frequently
repeated over the years.

Furthermore, while there are major issues in quality of examination papers, there is also a lack of
compatibility between grades/marks and student’s demonstrated skills, which directly impacts
how the public views both the methods and validity of assessment. Meanwhile, rampant
malpractice and cheating in examinations make the system unreliable and unfair for all. Through
such poor practices, the system loses credibility for the qualification it offers and does not
prepare students for higher learning. These students also face challenges for admission into
university, as they are unable to clear the entrance exams.

To summarize: This is the harsh reality that we live in. While poverty and adult illiteracy
hampers the progress to provide basic education, the quality of education and assessment is
another major battle that Pakistan faces. To say that the education system of Pakistan is fraught
with considerable challenges would not be accurate. Rather, it is necessary to be blunt and say
that Pakistan continues to face an educational crisis.

Put together, these statistics and facts are reflective of two central issues at the heart of
Pakistan’s educational crisis: Firstly, existing educational paradigms are failing our students.
Secondly, there is an understandable deficit in the faith and trust that the public places in the
education system, considering that the statistics suggest most students lack an understanding
rudimentary linguistic or mathematical practice.

 
The Way Forward

It would, however, be wrong to conclude on a note of despair. There is hope that the system
could improve if certain measures are taken. Considering that 33% of all education in Pakistan is
provided by the private sector, it is in the direct interest of the government to foster public-
private partnerships aimed at bolstering the existing public educational framework.

In this regard, I would like to give seven recommendations that focus primarily on secondary
education and more specifically on BISE bodies; not only relevant to our context but also
achievable, which are as follows.

Recommendation One: Support Teaching And Learning

Intuitively, the first step towards building better education system in Pakistan is supporting
academia. This can be accomplished primarily by following the National Curriculum of Pakistan
and developing syllabi based on it. The syllabi should be equipped to make use of achievable
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), which clearly define what a student’s takeaway from each
topic on any given subject should be. The syllabus, thus, serves as a guide for both students and
teachers to determine what material they must cover as part of their learning and prevents
reliance on a single textbook. Moreover, this measure allows for a fully transparent playing field
that charts a complete course of studies, ensuring students will always be aware of what material
they will be assessed on.

Recommendation Two: Ensure Quality Of Examinations

To ensure quality of examination papers, a quality assurance process of examination

development is necessary. This process should ensure the complete alignment with the syllabus,
and guarantee fairness and a linear increase in difficulty during the development of papers
themselves. Processes must be developed to ensure the examination is measuring a student’s
ability beyond knowledge such as understanding of the concepts, its application, problem solving
etc. Frequent repetition of the same questions over the years, allows a space for student to rote
learn responses; therefore, this practice should be minimized. Furthermore, it is imperative to
ensure that there is fairness to the entire student body in the construction of examinations,
meaning that the diverse backgrounds and circumstances faced by students are considered. For
instance, if students from urban cities tend to outperform students from rural regions, it is unfair
to construct examinations that may pose more of a challenge to the former at the risk of unfairly
putting the latter at a significant disadvantage.

Recommendation Three: Ensure Quality Of Assessment Data

Just as there is a need to ensure quality in exam construction, there is a need to ensure quality of
assessment data for a reliable, valid and fair assessment, too. This is primarily accomplished
through an extensive psychometric analysis that looks at response of each examination items to
strengthen the quality assurance process. For this purpose, rubrics or standardized marking
scheme for awarding marks should be established for each paper to reduce the influence of
personal biases on the part of examiners and ensures uniformity in the level of understanding
about how to award marks regardless of whom happens to be grading the examination papers. A
thorough post-exam analysis must also be conducted to determine trends in scores, item behavior
to ensure standardization before disseminating the results.

Recommendation Four: Ensure Fairness And Transparency In The Conduct Of

Examinations

Impersonation, cheating, and leakage of examination papers threaten the fair and transparent
conduct of examination — technology can be utilized to combat them. For example, CCTV
monitoring of examination halls can go a long way towards preventing cheating or improper
conduct of examinations, and further instill a sense of there being zero tolerance towards any
type of unfair practices. There is also a need to properly train and support both supervisors and
invigilators in the conduct of examinations, allowing for more experienced individuals to oversee
their conduct. Such good practices not only create public confidence, but also give credibility to
the qualification/certification.

Recommendation Five: Improve The Quality Of Teaching And Learning

While supporting teaching and learning is necessary, it is also important to emphasize that both
processes can be continually iterated and improved on. One of the key ways to do this is for
examination bodies to provide regular feedback to schools in the form of comprehensive,
systematic analysis of school achievements and results. This feedback could potentially compare
the performance of each school with others and offer an interpretation of these results along with
suggestions on areas where the school might be able to improve. Collectively, data from multiple
schools could also be relevant to larger education departments as it illustrates trends in both
student understanding as well as teacher performance across a wide selection of schools.

Recommendation Six: Build Engaging Classrooms Through Teacher Support

Since teachers play a pivotal role in translating the set curriculum within the classroom to
achieve learning outcomes, there must be an ongoing support provided to teachers that should be
focused on content and pedagogical approaches. This includes learning through classroom
observation to identify areas where a teacher’s approach can be learned from or, alternatively,
improved. Emphasis must also be placed on developing engaging and interactive classrooms that
increase student interest and participation in the subject matter, which directly affects students’
learning and performance on examinations.

Recommendation Seven: Make Informed Decisions

A large amount of data acquired through assessment is a good source of conducting quantitative
research to develop insights into how both students and teachers approach learning. This
evidence-based classroom research data can be utilized to make informed decisions on matters
such as identifying gaps, learning from mistakes, and developing intervention/solution strategies.
Moreover, the process of sharing classroom research can also provide collaborative opportunities
for educational bodies to coordinate and learn from one another.

Reference: 

https://www.reformer.pakistanascd.org/steps-towards-improving-the-quality-of-pakistans-
education-system/

Q.4 Describe the nature, scope and significance of In-service Teacher Education. How can
teachers be motivated for in-service training? 

Inservice teacher education is broadly defined as any learning opportunity for practicing
teachers. The term inservice teacher designates a teacher that has certification or is already
teaching in a classroom, in contrast to a preservice teacher, who is in the process of preparing to
become a teacher. Preservice and inservice teacher learning have changed over time. This is due
to the evolution of how the field has moved. In particular, there has been a shift from many
educators aligning with behavioral theories of teaching and learning to more constructivist,
sociocultural, and situated theories of teaching and learning. Inservice teacher education has
gone from one-shot workshops where an expert imparts knowledge to teachers in a traditional
lecture-style workshop to more professional learning opportunities where teachers engage in
communities of learning: unpacking content, examining teachers’ instruction, and analyzing
student thinking.

Through this evolution, inservice teacher education has become synonymous with professional
development or professional learning. These trends and the different ways that the field of
education conceptualizes teaching and learning have broad yet important implications for
inservice teacher education and professional development. In particular, the language and jargon
associated with the field has changed to reflect the transformed theories or stances. For instance,
the terms inservice teacher education and staff development are now more commonly referred to
as teacher professional development and professional learning respectively. Due to this
evolution of the field and the aligned adjustments in terminology in this article, we purposefully
use the vocabulary that is consonant with the article under review in this volume. Additionally,
this annotated bibliography builds on the Oxford Bibliographies in Education article by
Stephanie Hirsch, Joellen Killion, and Joyce Pollard titled “Professional Development,” but
provides a distinct framework and selection of annotations. We have selected articles that focus
on the impact of professional development on one or more of the following: teachers’
knowledge, teachers’ instructional practices, and student learning. We also put forth a new
theoretical construct to analyze research on inservice teacher education and professional
development. Synthesizing and detailing the best current knowledge on teacher professional
development (PD), this annotated bibliography highlights (1) research on the impact of different
models of inservice teacher education on teacher learning and instruction and/or student learning,
(2) handbooks and handbook chapters related to inservice learning and professional
development, and (3) salient reports, theoretical articles, and meta-analyses that have been
written on professional development and inservice teacher education.

Professional Development Impact Studies

There is general agreement that the quality of teaching has been shown to be the most important
contributor to student learning and achievement. Thus, the field of teacher education has placed a
premium on research and development efforts to better understand the impact of professional
development (PD) interventions on teachers’ knowledge and practice as well as student learning
and achievement. Toward this end, researchers are studying which professional development
programs and characteristics of programs promote the highest degree of teacher and student
growth. Professional development models come in a range of different formats and structures,
yet there is emerging consensus on what high-quality, effective professional development looks
like (National Academy of Education, 2009). Borko, et al. 2010 (cited under Salient Research
Articles on Teacher Professional Learning), a review of the literature, presents a synthesis of the
characteristics of high-quality professional development organized around content, process, and
structure. With respect to content, research highlights the importance of focusing professional
development on students’ thinking and learning. With respect to process and structure,
participating actively and collaboratively in professional learning communities appears to be
essential
. Given this general agreement in terms of these broad outlines for professional development, one
might expect that recently developed models would look relatively similar to one another.
However, this is not the case. As suggested in Koellner and Jacobs 2015 (cited under Structured
Professional Learning Communities) we argue that there is an important distinction between the
formats of professional development that are currently available to teachers, with implications
for research, policy, and practice. We posit that professional development models fall on a
continuum of adaptability (Borko, et al. “Using video representations of teaching in practice
based professional development programs,” Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik:
International Reviews on Mathematical Education (2011) and Koellner and Jacobs 2015). Using
this continuum enables professional development models to be located on a scale from highly
adaptive to highly specified professional development models. Those at the highly adaptive end
are designed to be readily responsive or adapted to the goals, resources, and circumstances of the
local professional development context. These models are based on general and evolving
guidelines rather than specific content, activities, and materials.

On the other end of the continuum are highly specified approaches to professional development,

where goals, content resources, and facilitation materials are provided to ensure a particular,
predetermined professional development experience with fidelity to the developers. In specified
PD, the experience is expected to be finite in nature, often based on published materials with
stated learning goals, explicit design characteristics, and extensive supports for facilitators.
Naturally, there are professional development programs that lie on points all along this
continuum, with varying levels of specificity and adaptability. Additionally, the same
professional development model could be placed at different points on the continuum based on
the enactment by the facilitator. This bibliography is organized along this continuum of
adaptability. This allows the reader to see how the characteristics of the professional
development model are related to the impact on teacher and student learning. Furthermore, this
lens allows the reader to make connections between the design of the professional development
and the design of the research methodology.
 We argue that these relationships have critical implications for our understanding of the
effectiveness, responsiveness, and rigor of professional development research. We begin by
reviewing research that focuses on professional development models that are adaptive, and then
move to more specified models. We categorize these as highly adaptive, adaptive, specified, and
highly specified. We do not pinpoint an exact placement on the continuum, but instead discuss
them based on our interpretation on the goals, content, and resources identified. At the end of the
article, we provide annotations for handbooks, salient reports and theoretical articles, and meta-
analyses that have been written on professional development and inservice teacher education that
seem highly relevant for a deep understanding of the field.

Reference:

https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756810/obo-
9780199756810-0196.xml

Q.5 Explain the structure of Teacher Education in Pakistan, also critically analyze the
effect of 18th amendment on teacher education

structure in teaching

First a definition, since this is a topic that is rarely directly discussed in either face-to-face or
online teaching, despite structure being one of the main factors that influences learner success.

Three dictionary definitions of structure are as follows:

1. Something made up of a number of parts that are held or put together in a particular way.

2. The way in which parts are arranged or put together to form a whole

3. The interrelation or arrangement of parts in a complex entity.

Teaching structure would include two critical and related elements:

 the choice, breakdown and sequencing of the curriculum (content);

 the deliberate organization of student activities by teacher or instructor (skills
development; and assessment).

This means that in a strong teaching structure, students know exactly what they need to learn,
what they are supposed to do to learn this, and when and where they are supposed to do it. In a
loose structure, student activity is more open and less controlled by the teacher (although a
student may independently decide to impose his or her own ‘strong’ structure on their learning).
The choice of teaching structure of course has implications for the work of teachers and
instructors as well as students.

In terms of the definition, ‘strong’ teaching structure is not inherently better than a ‘loose’
structure, nor inherently associated with either face-to-face or online teaching. The choice (as so
often in teaching) will depend on the specific circumstances. However, choosing the optimum or
most appropriate teaching structure is critical for quality teaching and learning, and while the
optimum structures for online teaching share many common features with face-to-face teaching,
in other ways they differ considerably.

The three main determinants of teaching structure are:

(a) the organizational requirements of the institution;

(b) the preferred philosophy of teaching of the instructor;

(c) the instructor’s perception of the needs of the students.

11.9.2 Institutional organizational requirements of face-to-face teaching

Although the institutional structure in face-to-face teaching is so familiar that it is often

unnoticed or taken for granted, institutional requirements are in fact a major determinant of the
way teaching is structured, as well as influencing both the work of teachers and the life of
students. I list below some of the institutional requirements that influence the structure of face-
to-face teaching in post-secondary education:

 the minimum number of years of study required for a degree;

 the program approval and review process;

 the number of credits required for a degree;

 the relationship between credits and contact time in the class;

 the length of a semester and its relationship to credit hours;

 instructor:student ratios;

 the availability of classroom or laboratory spaces;

 time and location of examinations.

There are probably many more. There are similar institutional organizational requirements in the
school system, including the length of the school day, the timing of holidays, and so on.

As our campus-based institutions have increased in size, so have the institutional organizational
requirements ‘solidified’. Without this structure it would become even more difficult to deliver
consistent teaching services across the institution. Also such organizational consistency across
institutions is necessary for purposes of accountability, accreditation, government funding, credit
transfer, admission to graduate school, and a host of other reasons. Thus there are strong
systemic reasons why these organizational requirements of face-to-face teaching are difficult if
not impossible to change, at least at the institutional level.

Thus any teacher is faced by a number of massive constraints. In particular, the curriculum needs
to fit within the time ‘units’ available, such as the length of the semester and the number of
credits and contact hours for a particular course. The teaching has to take into account class size
and classroom availability. Students (and teachers and instructors) have to be at specific places
(classrooms, examination rooms, laboratories) at specific times.

Thus despite the concept of academic freedom, the structure of face-to-face teaching is to a large
extent almost predetermined by institutional and organizational requirements. I am tempted to
digress to question the suitability of such structural limitations for the needs of learners in a
digital age, or to wonder whether faculty unions would accept such restrictions on academic
freedom if they did not already exist, but the aim here is to identify which of these organizational
constraints apply also to online learning, and which do not, because this will influence how we
can structure teaching activities.

Institutional organizational requirements of online teaching

One obvious challenge for online learning, at least in its earliest days, was acceptance. There was
(and still is) a lot of skepticism about the quality and effectiveness of online learning, especially
from those that have never studied or taught online. So initially a lot of effort went into designing
online learning with the same goals and structures as face-to-face teaching, to demonstrate that
online teaching was ‘as good as’ face-to-face teaching (which, research suggests, it is).

However, this meant accepting the same course, credit and semester assumptions of face-to-face
teaching. It should be noted though that as far back as 1971, the UK Open University opted for a
degree program structure that was roughly equivalent in total study time to a regular, campus-
based degree program, but which was nevertheless structured very differently, for instance, with
full credit courses of 32 weeks’ study and half credit courses of 16 weeks’ study. One reason was
to enable integrated, multi-disciplinary foundation courses. The Western Governors’ University,
with its emphasis on competency-based learning, and Empire State College in New York State,
with its emphasis on learning contracts for adult learners, are other examples of institutions that
have different structures for teaching from the norm.

If online learning programs aim to be at least equivalent to face-to-face programs, then they are
likely to adopt at least the minimum length of study for a program (e.g. four years for a
bachelor’s degree in North America), the same number of total credits for a degree, and hence
implicit in this is the same amount of study time as for face-to-face programs. Where the same
structure begins to break down though is in calculating ‘contact time’, which by definition is
usually the number of hours of classroom instruction. Thus a 13 week, 3 credit course  is roughly
equal to three hours a week of classroom time over one semester of 13 weeks.

There are lots of problems with this concept of ‘contact hours’, which nevertheless is the
standard measuring unit for face-to-face teaching. Study at a post-secondary level, and
particularly in universities, requires much more than just turning up to lectures. A common
estimate is that for every hour of classroom time, students spend a minimum of another two
hours on readings, assignments, etc. Contact hours vary enormously between disciplines, with
usually arts/humanities having far less contact hours than engineering or science students, who
spend a much larger proportion of time in labs. Another limitation of ‘contact hours’ is that it
measures input, not output.

When we move to blended or hybrid learning, we may retain the same semester structure, but the
‘contact hour’ model starts to break down. Students may spend the equivalent of only one hour a
week in class, and the rest online – or maybe 15 hours in labs one week, and none the rest of the
semester.

A better principle would be to ensure that the students in blended, hybrid or fully online courses
or programs work to the same academic standards as the face-to-face students, or rather, spend
the equivalent ‘notional’ time on doing a course or getting a degree. This means structuring the
courses or programs in such a way that students have the equivalent amount of work to do,
whether it is online, blended or face-to-face. However, the way that work will be distributed can
very considerably, depending on the mode of delivery.

How much work is an online course

Before decisions can be made about the best way to structure a blended or an online course,
some assumption needs to be made about how much time students should expect to study on the
course. We have seen that this really needs to be equivalent to what a full-time student would
study. However, just taking the equivalent number of contact hours for the face-to-face version
doesn’t allow for all the other time face-to-face students spend studying.

A reasonable estimate is that a three credit undergraduate course is roughly equivalent to about
8-9 hours study a week, or a total of roughly 100 hours over 13 weeks. (A full-time student then
taking 10 x 3 credits a year, with five 3 credit courses per semester, would be studying between
40-45 hours a week during the two semesters, or slightly less if the studying continued over the
inter-semester period.).

Now this is my guideline. You don’t have to agree with it. You may think this is too much or too
little for your subject. That doesn’t matter. You decide the time. The important point though is
that you have a fairly specific target of total time that should be spent on a course or program by
an average student, knowing that some will reach the same standard more quickly and others
more slowly. This total student study time for a particular chunk of study such as a course or
program provides a limit or constraint within which you must structure the learning. It is also a
good idea to make it clear to students from the start how much time each week you are expecting
them to work on the course.

Since there is far more content that could be put in a course than students will have time to study,
this usually means choosing the minimum amount of content for the course for it to be
academically sound, while still allowing students time for activities such as individual research,
assignments or project work. In general, because instructors are experts in a subject and students
are not, there is a tendency for instructors to underestimate the amount of work required by a
student to cover a topic. Again, an instructional designer can be useful here, providing a second
opinion on student workload.

Strong or loose structure

Another critical decision is just how much you should structure the course for the students. This
will depend partly on your preferred teaching philosophy and partly on the needs of the students.

If you have a strong view of the content that must be covered in a particular course, and the
sequence in which it must be presented (or if you are given a mandated curriculum by an
accrediting body), then you are likely to want to provide a very strong structure, with specific
topics assigned for study at particular points in the course, with student work or activities tightly
linked.

If on the other hand you believe it is part of the student’s responsibility to manage and organize
their study, or if you want to give students some choice about what they study and the order in
which they do it, so long as they meet the learning goals for the course, then you are likely to opt
for a loose structure.

This decision should also be influenced by the type of students you are teaching. If students
come without independent learning skills, or know nothing about the subject area, they will need
a strong structure to guide their studies, at least initially. If on the other hand they are fourth year
undergraduates or graduate students with a high degree of self-management, then a looser
structure may be more suitable to their needs. Another determining factor will be the number of
students in your class. With large numbers of students, a strong, well defined structure will be
necessary to control your workload, as loose structures require more negotiation and support for
individual students.

My preference is for a strong structure for fully online teaching, so students are clear about what
they are expected to do, and when it has to be done by, even at graduate level. The difference is
that with post-graduates, I will give them more choices of what to study, and longer periods to
complete more complex assignments, but I will still define clearly the desired learning outcomes
in terms of skill development in particular, such as research skills or analytical thinking, and
provide clear deadlines for student work, otherwise I find my workload increases dramatically.

Blended learning provides an opportunity to enable students to gradually take more

responsibility for their learning, but within a ‘safe’ structure of a regularly scheduled classroom
event, where they have to report on any work they have been required to do on their own or in
small groups. This means thinking not just at a course level but at a program level, especially for
undergraduate programs. A good strategy would be to put a heavy emphasis on face-to-face
teaching in the first year, and gradually introduce online learning through blended or hybrid
classes in second and third year, with some fully online courses in the fourth year, thus preparing
students better for lifelong learning.

Reference:

https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/11-9-step-seven/