Review Article

Contemporary Computation Teaching Methods in Communication Scholarship

Yau Ahmad Sara and Aondover Eric Msughter*

¹Department of Education, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria

²Department of Mass Communication, Skyline University, Nigeria

Submission: April 05, 2022; Published: May 09, 2022

*Corresponding author: Michèle Bertrand, Professor Emeritus, Psychoanalyst, titular member of the Psychoanalytic Society of Paris, France

How to cite this article: Yau Ahmad S, Aondover Eric M. Contemporary Computation Teaching Methods in Communication Scholarship. Psychol Behav Sci Int J. 2022; 18(5): 555997. DOI: 10.19080/PBSIJ.2022.18.555997.

Abstract

This study interrogates contemporary teaching methods for basic and post-basic levels of learning. Teaching is a psycho-social business that goes several steps beyond paper qualification and made incursions into the personal psychological dispositions in terms of behavioral antecedents and projections of the teacher. With the turndown of events over the years in Nigeria, the trend of globalization, digital technology, and the mass quest for formal education and certification, the teaching or learning process that was utterly conservative is gradually metamorphosing as it is becoming more modernized. The study is exploratory, as it utilizes the qualitative research method whereby relevant literature, documents, and records were conceptualized and analyzed to underscore contemporary teaching methods for basic and post-basic levels of learning. The study concludes that the teaching methods examined in this study are scientifically proven by a growing body of literature, and it is safe to argue that nothing is more alluring in the teaching-learning process than teacher personality. For any method to be so effective, the teacher should be able to maintain a strong affinity, and excellent interpersonal relations with the learners for effective learning to take place. There should be a reciprocal mutual respect with the learners and the teacher as well as self-efficacy, positive attitudes, values, interest, resilience, psychological adjustment, moral reasoning, and self-regulation or monitoring.

Keywords: Basic and post basic; Contemporary computation; Learning and teaching methods; Cognitive; Monitoring

Abbreviations: NERC: National Educational Research Council; CAL: Computer Assisted Learning; CBE: Computer Based Education; CBT: Computer Based Training; NS: Natural Sciences

Introduction

With the recent development in Nigeria, the trend of globalization, digital technology, and most importantly the mass quest for formal education and certification, the teaching or learning process that was utterly conservative is gradually metamorphosing as it is becoming more modernized. It is evident in the literature that the philosophy, goals, and methods of education now have to face the incredible by which societies, cultures, and civilizations are being swooped by disruptive technology [1]. For instance, Jack Ma, the American-based Chinese founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba remarked that: In a few years to come, the new technology will take over the world in every aspect of human interaction in the educational system. That the future of knowledge competition is very vast and the competition is going to be based on independent thinking…so, shortly, it is not going to be knowledge-driven but rather wisdom-driven and experience-driven.

The future of the world would be creativity-driven, and that is what the world should be focusing on (p. 1). Thus, one of the biggest innovations in the 21st century is the dynamism of human societies as they evolve in the gradual process down to the overbearing influence of intelligence on the success of human endeavors. The disappearance of the conventional approaches to learning is becoming impotent with the advent of knowledge explosion, artificial intelligence, technology, and another method of scientific inquiry which gear toward the account of human ability, the world has adopted new forms of creativity that often constitute the hallmark in the ultimate success of academic learning and knowledge update. The advancement in technology now has facilitated new approaches and pedagogical methods of teaching-learning.

These developments, coupled with the modern equipment available to instructors and learners, the desire and demand from individuals and societies are becoming highly interwoven within the context of persona-behavioral interactions down to the cognitive and non-cognitive variables which have necessitated the incursions into creativity by psychologists across countries and continents. The truth is that technology and a new form of teaching methods have over time improved self-reliance, socio-economic prosperity, and academic prowess that normally change the policies in the cycle of education worldwide. This qualitative approach to new methods of learning and teaching does create an apparent knowledge-based system in the educational system result impendent. Relevant literature in this perspective point to the fact that new ways of imparting knowledge to learners must be improved for proper knowledge transfer globally [2].

According to Sara [3] in the area of education, most importantly, developing countries need transformation in the new methodological and theoretical approaches with emphasis on teacher-centered methods of imputing knowledge to students with the line of more practical steps to education for up-to-date application and method of knowing with much interest on the level of creativity. Despite this challenge, local-based writings are often associated with just definitions, characteristics within the classroom setting. Ideas on the techniques used for acquiring knowledge in the class for the students and real-life situations are merely relegated and in most cases never exposed to prospective teachers. This new trend is also responsible for the lack of empirical studies and papers by scholars within the domain of the subject matter [4].

Arguments on the cognitive, and most importantly effective and psychomotor domains are gradually taking another way of redefinition of epistemology (Knowledge) about the modernization approaches of teaching and learning process. At the level of primary and secondary, the Nigerian policy of education in the 2007 curriculum put more emphasis on patriotism and self-reliance, and moral values, especially in the light of the redefinition of goals, aims, and objectives of all teaching and learning processes by spotlighting new ways of pedagogical roadmaps. Given this, Dorgu [5] proposed that the method of teaching denotes that a teacher delivers to the subject based on some predetermined instructional objective that will promote more learning in the student's activity.

For instance, effective methods of teaching should be based on some factors that will stimulate students to have more interest in a particular subject. The effective implementation of the curriculum depends on a large portion of the availability of the teaching methods and instructional materials present at the time an instructor sets for classes. Contrary to this, it becomes difficult for adequate learning to take place and this may discourage the psychological activity of students’ engagement in the proper learning process. Thus, for successful teaching to take place, the following methodologies must be put into cognizance:

Conceptualizing Cooperative Learning and Scaffolding

Considering the position of Asad et al. [6,7] scaffolding is the highest level of instruction, the steps in this process are relative to interactive support for students who are already in the process to learn and participate meaningfully to gain skills and learn more beyond the initial level of scaffolding, with the leverages to their unassisted abilities. Scaffolding often encompassed two key events that are present for proper learning to be effective –interconnected dynamic assessment of the child’s current performance characteristics and provision of just the right support for that child [8].

a) If one cannot be able to learn faster, then one should strictly adhere to the syllabus presented by the National Educational Research Council (NERC).

b) Another one is to be involved or engage with peers and other adults in learning processes, e.g. home works should be given with specific instructions and how to follow such instructions in achieving the task of the home should a child face difficulties in doing it. The use of artifacts and other visual teaching aids are also imperative in this context for achieving the essence of knowing the subjects.

c) As in [9] tasks were arranged, minimal or low-level support to those that provide middle or high-level support for the contextual and visual support learning process was fundamental to the overall success of learning new methods.

d) The use of front-loading vocabulary and how to ask questions, also constitute some mechanisms for effective ways of learning activities as suggested by McLeod [3] which are mostly utilized.

Modeling Method

In this method, educational psychology often got its significance from the works of Bandura (1965) who maintained that the social cognitive theory of learning is fundamental to the overall learning process. To him, this facilitates the application of relevant methods of modeling for adequate skills and proper adaptation of new methods of inquiry and other behavior of a skilled model that are used to imitate observational ways of learning. This idea is possibly originated from observing and learning that is based on values and social-cognitive. Some of the assumptions as presented in the literature are linked with theorists on students, environment, and personal characteristics that are propagated for the modeling in the educational system.

Oyelere et al. [10] are of the view that learning can be a strong role in self-regulatory skill which suggest that skills are learned efficiently when they are more acquired properly based on some of the relevant observations and situations leading to self-control and that of self-regulation. By this, effective ways of learning new things are a guarantee as learners tend to find such new methods relevant and putting these new methods into practice connects students with good learning outcomes within the course objectives.

At this level, modeling is seen as a social appraisal from teachers, parents, peers, or even the characters that are more significant and knowledge based. This signifies that for someone to put in place good behavior and learning skills in terms of new approaches to the teaching and learning process, there is a need for great stimulus for an observer’s response. Models can be factored symbolically in the context of written instructions, pictures, oral or cartons for exemplary models which refer to all behaved people in experience-driven ways of acquiring new forms of learning. This method is also imperative to students who wish to learn new things by opening or subscribing to the new technological or new forms of computing methods of knowledge accusation.

Findings and Discussion

Based on the existing literature, it is apt that the choice of teaching strategy depends on whether the teacher wants the student to come up with new ideas of learning within the domain or situation (experiential learning) or to accept a controversial idea (learning by communicating). This entails either learning by experience or learning by doing, in either both way, the basis for the research-oriented attitude of students are applied within the conditions of developing new skills in terms of putting forward and verifying hypotheses in a natural phenomenon as well as the practical application of knowledge, observations by broadening the knowledge of the methodology of Natural Sciences (NS).

This acquisition can be associated with the abovementioned competencies as defined by scholars and educational objectives for the overall actualization of learning goals. Similarly, learning by experience can be said to be effective when using ideas that can be communicated, and can be applied in everyday situations, whereby students can adopt such methods and equate them with their tasks. The advantage of this practical method is connected to the scope and the wide range of social skills by dealing with changes that enfold in the learning activities. Strategically, the scientific method of inquiry and reasoning plays a key role in learners' psyche upon new methods or procedures of knowledge acceptance.

a) Scientific thinking or scientific reasoning: this connotes an understanding within the characteristic of scientific procedures, methods, and tools that can be applied by scientific research within which conclusions are drawn, e.g. distinguishing between information based on facts and that of scientific evidence including opinions or assumptions.

b) Induction: here, general conclusions are based on observations, and deduction is based on specific to the general, which serves as a starting point for reasoning.

c) Scientific competencies: ability and the willingness to apply knowledge, methodology, and theoretical validation for explaining a particular phenomenon that formulate and draw evidence-based results that formed the bases for scientific conclusions.

Inquiry or Discovery Method

This is the application of a teaching-learning situation whereby students are allowed to discover and find out things themselves without much interference from the instructor. Here, students’ ability and curiosity to learn and acquire new things lend them such new innovations. This method provides meaningful learning skills to students compared to other methods of teaching and learning. This method is deeply rooted in the heuristic way of teaching activity and problem-solving with some major ingredients of modern scientific methods. It is a learner-centered method, within which a learner discovers and explores more opportunities in solving a particular problem that could lead to scientific evidence. This method often leads to the process of observing, predicting, and measuring relevant questions. This method of learning is basically acquired through inquiry or discovery, and it is mostly accepted as an authentic way of learning that is imposed by external forces. The method can be used by students in any academic setting for effective learning by students at secondary and tertiary levels.

Situation-based Learning

At the level of situation-based learning, situations required thinking ability and decision-making by students. Here, the teaching is handled as a social process, through which knowledge is rooted deeply into a student by a teacher. Knowledge must be contextual and can be applied to a particular situation that warrants the learner to learn from a particular social environment. By applying situation-based learning techniques, the teacher makes use of some of the best strategies that facilitate an effective learning process. However, this also depends on the training and skills, and one out of five types of tasks in this field of knowledge can be chosen:

a) The first one is the theoretical tasks, which aim at monitoring and evaluating such tasks.

b) The second one is task evaluation which is based on the degree of knowledge and skills acquisition by undertaking theoretical and practical tasks.

c) The third one is the corrective tasks which aim at controlling the task or the situation.

d) The fourth one is the decision-making tasks whereby students learn new skills for a problem-solving purpose.

e) The final one is the tasks controlling and evaluating process which has to do with the skill of communicating in different problems.

Problem-based Learning

This is a modern approach of learning that relies on identifying a particular problem or situation that can be called pseudo-problems (after all each difficulty is a problem) nor the tasks that do not require a creative method of asking questions or answers to such issues which can be found in a coursebook by formulated questions. In this method, the teacher seems to be the only one in the class to solve a particular problem, while students are accustomed to apparent participation in the lesson. Problem-based learning relies heavily upon the following: organizing problem situations, providing students with indispensable assistance in solving problems, depicting such problems, and findings ways of providing solutions, or how to handle or manage them using the required knowledge.

However, in a situation whereby one knows what one wants to achieve, but does not know how to achieve it, the task appears more challenging, and it takes no algorithm (an explicit and reliable instruction composed of the finite sequence of operations that are necessary to be performed that particular goal) within the framework of that problem to be solved. Here, a didactic approach is needed with a theoretical, or practical foundation, the solution to which students approach a particular problem can be research driven. The following types of problems can be identified in this context:

a) To indicate problems (cognitive), which is based on decision-making or action-taking.

b) Another one is the open problems which entail having a set of possible solutions on the ground.

c) The convergent problems are whereby divergent solutions occur.

d) The Stages of Problem-based Learning include:

e) Creating a particular problem situation.

f) Defining that particular problem in a general form.

g) Identifying some of the specific ways to handle such problems.

h) Concluding research and solving such problems.

In a more precise way, the practical terms the problem-solving method may facilitate in line with the discovery method is used by teachers while solving mathematical and scientific subject problems. This can be achieved to reveal relations between phenomena using laws and rules in the process of solving an issue. In the discovery method, students normally develop skills and learn how to apply such knowledge by analyzing situations. A discovery method hinges on the mental capacity and the innovative initiatives by students. It lens on searching news solutions, and at the same time following the path of innovation for greater opportunities. This method is applied in terms of the awareness of the shortcoming or the force to look for improvement which allows new ways of finding solutions to problems.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)

According to Mcdonald et al. [1] CAI is a based-learning process whereby a computer is used to present the instructional material and at the same time monitor the learning that takes that is put in place. It is also known as Computer Assisted Learning (CAL), Computer Based Education (CBE), and Computer Based Training (CBT). CBT allows students to involve directly in the process of acquiring new skills and methods of learning. In the CAI learning procedure, a combination of text, graphics, sound, and video is normally encouraged in the learning process. In the case of distance learning situations, it also closes the gap for proper knowledge delivery. The explosion of the Internet is another development within this cycle that has generated great interest and expansion of computer-assisted instruction. The CAI usually starts by identifying a student who want to learn best and is willing to learn and expose to new ideas. It reviews the learning procedure and presents a program that will aid the learning process. Sometimes the computer stores such information that may be gained from students who have taken the computer courses. This information can be re-analyzed in as much as teaching strategies are concerned, which may not be effective or maybe rejected, or rather may have succeeded for continuity [4].

In computer-assisted instruction, a sophisticated type of programmed instruction is normally generated which often uses electronic data processing, data communication, concepts of the audio-visual, and medial theory. Generally, students do learn well with CAI in considerable time. Computer-assisted instruction makes it easier to use some of the multimedia software in the learning process including text, graphics, sound, and Internet technology. Computer-assisted instructions are heavily used for the growing advantage of distance education. Traditionally, such computer-assisted instructions have been designed for better learning and systematic inquiry of methods. Web-based instruction on the other hand is also apt in the nonlinear process [10].

Provocative Operation

According to Mitchell [11], it is a creativity-enhancing technique that is originated by Edward de Bono in 1970. To Sara [3] this has coined shorthand for provocation to indicate how an idea can be valued. That word is “PO”. Having a short word that can be factored in terms of ideas generation, the conventional methods provide an avenue for brainstorming that can absurd the non-nonsensical solution to a problem that is under consideration through a critical thinking mode and move into the creative realm. The provocation process is a unique way of disrupting established patterns of thinking and giving people new places to start generating new ideas. At this level, one can use provocation by making deliberately wrong or unreasonable statements, in which the context in which a particular situation may not be true in the knowledge accusation. Such statements may need substantial verification like critically looking at the existing issues.

Brainstorming

The brainstorming process is at the point where relevant ideas are produced. The level at which such ideas are produced must gear towards problem-solving with the hope that might hit the target students that are within this category of the brainstorming process. The main aim is not just to brainstorm only but to literarily be around the subject that may come to mind through the listing and later screening of the ideas [11]. Scholars like Sara [3] observed that brainstorming is a creativity forum for general ideas. The technique, according to him is traditionally used to help groups of 6-12 people generate ideas and associate such ideas with better suggestions within the realm of a problem statement. The facilitator may record a board or flip chart and records ideas as group members in the new form that may verbalize such ideas in their new form, as quickly as they occur. It is based on this that the discussion on some of the steps in the brainstorming exercise as presented by Oyelere et al. [10] include:

a) Identification of the appropriate team to conduct that will conduct the brainstorming session.

b) Convene such a team and clarify the topic as well as the rules.

c) Generate relevant ideas.

d) Clarify the ideas and build conclusions that are in line with such brainstorming sessions.

Brainstorming, according to scholars is said to have the ‘same old way’ of thinking by creating more ideas that can be formed within a team and may subsequently build upon such a team. Such a team may devote more to putting an equal value on every idea along the line for the overall success of acquiring new things. Such ideas can be as creative as an individual team may wish to focus on the team’s common purpose. This does not only allow ideas already posted to remain identified, but it also allows news ideas to emerge as members of the team may build on some of the ideas that may not be known before. This usually facilitates some of the rules that may lead to the success of brainstorming sessions and may properly correct other team members in this category.

The facilitator may write the problem stamen for the group and indicate methods to be used. Here, once a list has been compiled, such a group can critically examine the list of ideas and work it together and try to formulate a publishable problem statement or solutions, which are often argued and voted for overtime. In this manner also, the group has a stronger hand in defining what constitutes the problem, as well brainstorming and using new creative ways in the initial stage of the creative process by producing what is called an ‘out-of-box’ problem definition that sets that may set off in a new and more productive direction. This has to do with brainstorming that may involve throwing out solutions without active judgment without a proper solution that may be used to offer to the problem. The ideas may sometimes be least and may somehow be feasible within a known reality.

Steps in “PO”

According to Feldman [12] the following three steps of provocative operations can be observed as follows:

Escape Methods

The only way to get started with better provocations is the “escape method.” Here, you make a statement that everyone takes for granted. This “take for granted” statement should also be related to a particular issue or problem that one is trying to fix. Once such a problem is created and it is taken the position of for granted statement, you can then come up with a provocative statement that direction that may counter it.

Moment-to-Moment Technique.

Again, once a provocation statement is made, the next step is to come up with a solution that is possible that address such a problem. At this stage too, there is a need to also examine the consequences and the benefits of that very statement that may bring a sensible solution. Within this process also, the need to include the consequences of changing the sequence of events is changed as well as differences between the provocation and a sensible solution. This according to scholars can be considered a moment-to-moment technique [3].

Extract Value

Keep in mind the position if your goal is not to prove that your provocation is useful or justified. Rather, your goal is to generate ideas and results that are separate from the provocation; value is usually extracted from the provocation by taking one of those ideas and turning it into a viable solution based on the identified problem. Therefore, having discussed creativity, brainstorming, and provocative operations briefly, it is pertinent to note that even though all the creativity enhancement techniques, brainstorming and provocative operations seem to be closely related, even though, paucity of local research about their efficacy in creative problem solving are recorded in terms of choosing the most effective duo by teachers is also becoming a major source of concern as studies investigating the efficacy of one over the other are utterly scarce.

Al-Mutair [13] insisted that brain-writing which involves a group of people silently writing and sharing their written ideas yields superior idea generation. The submission from the existing literature point to the fact that groups that follow Osborn’s guidelines do produce more ideas than those that do not, a postulation of over half of a century [9] that was found by this study as still relevant testifies to the efficacy of Brainstorming. As noted from the findings brainstorming proved more effective in stimulating creative problem solving, the findings corroborate the findings of Choon-keong et al. [14] as well as that of [13]. The finding of this research, therefore, in addition to these studies also is in line with the submission of many other empirical studies. It is in this note that [9] emphasizes the fact that people get pleasure from brainstorming; it gratifies the human drive for social interface and interpersonal relations [10].

As scholars and researchers noted from the previous findings, brainstorming proved more effective in stimulating creative problem-solving. Corroborating the findings of Choon-keong et al. [14] as well as that of [13], Oyelere et al. [10] emphasize that people get pleasure from brainstorming; they argued that it gratifies the human drive for social interface and interpersonal relations. As such, a cogent explanation for the viability of brainstorming is evidence-based especially participating in a brainstorming session usually provokes cognitive facilitation, whereby the ideas of other people trigger novel associations that would not have come to mind during a solitary idea-generation session with a sense of excitement and synergy which enhance creative idea generation during brainstorming [15].

Despite these submissions and findings on the effectiveness of brainstorming as rightly corroborated by this research, some scholars are of the view that brainstorming is more effective than “PO”, even though, it has some limitations which are mostly within the disadvantages attached to working in groups where introverts may be on defensive and may be unable to vocalize ideas [16]. Again, there is this assertion that teaming with other students may possibly have some kind of tendency of bringing immediate solutions that are considered as limitations to brainstorming [1]. It is based on this that the real limitations of brainstorming (individual inquiry or discovery method, which is learner-centered) are appreciated in this discussion.

Conclusion

The teaching methods examined in the paper can be found to be scientifically proven by a growing body of literature. Some of the identified teaching methods are significantly apt in terms of strengthening methodological and theoretical approaches using different pedagogical styles of teaching and learning. Within this context, it is safe to argue to nothing is more alluring in the teaching-learning process than teacher personality and adaptability of different teaching methods using the appropriate basic tools for scientific inquiry and knowledge transfer. Therefore, for any method to be so effective, the teacher should be able to maintain a strong affinity and excellent interpersonal relations with the learners. Additionally, there should be a level of reciprocal mutual respect with the learners and the teacher should personally maintain the attributes of self-efficacy, psychological adjustment, positive attitudes, values, interest, resilience, moral reasoning, and self-regulation or monitoring which are indicators for proper learning efficacy.

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