User:Gita Mathur/Teaching and Learning-My Experiences of three decades

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I have been teaching Botany to undergraduates for more than twenty five years. I have seen a sea change in the approach and perspectives in both teaching and learning.

When I was a student in University of Delhi the scene was as follows:

  • teacher knows all and can not be challenged
  • Very few books available, only international editions and out of reach for purchase
  • students had to sit in the library and make notes on every topic
  • for that we had to reserve a book and wait for it to be returned by the student who was reading it
  • the paper we used was rough and pens were only fountain pens with liquid ink
  • libraries had ink pots to refill ink in our pens
  • no personal vehicles for commuting, only overcrowded buses
  • no bookshop on the campus, only University cooperative store which had a strong smell of cheap brown washing soap
  • Coffee house which served hot water with only the smell of coffee

The improvements started with :

  • advent of the photocopy machine
  • release of Indian editions for many good books
  • new books by Indians, many of our teachers, with examples from our country
  • better quality paper notebooks and registers
  • improved lab instruments
  • advancement in techniques
  • computers with DOS

The scene today:

  • Computers at home as well as work place
  • easy to use operating systems
  • Internet which is a total revolution for education
  • totally new approach to access to learning materials
  • advanced gadgets filled labs
  • finer and more accurate instruments
  • power backups