Unit – 5

Activity Method
 Activity
 An activity is something you do, or just the state of
doing. You might plan some indoor activities for a rainy day,
or you might just rely on watching your gerbils' activity in
their cage. Usually, when you use an article like an or the in
front of activity, you are referring to a specific event.
 Activity method
 Activity method is a technique adopted by a teacher to emphasize
his or her method of teaching through activity in which the
students participate rigorously and bring about efficient learning
experiences. It is a child-centered approach.
 Historical background
 Activity based learning started sometime in 1944 around World War
II .
 David Horsburgh is considered as the pioneer of ABL.
 He opened a school called Neel Bagh in Kolar.
 School has diverse curriculum, which included music, carpentry,
sewing, gardening along with school subjects.
 TLMs were systematically planned with different learning activities.
 Importance
 It enhances creative aspect of experience.
 It gives reality for learning.
 Uses all available resources.
 Provides varied experiences to the students to facilitate the acquisition of
knowledge, experience, skills and values.
 Builds the students self confidence and develops understanding through
work in his/her group.
 Types of Activities
 Activities can be of three types:
1. Exploratory – Knowledge getting
2. Constructive – Experience getting
3. Expressional – Presentation
 Characteristics of an effective activity
• Active involvement
• Confronting misconception
• Multiple representation
• Iteration
• Appropriate use of teaching
 How to organize an activity
 Decide instructional goal.
 Understand the learners’ cognitive level
 Consider the nature of the subject.
 Know the time available and availability of resources
for achieving the instructional goals.
 Design suitable activity and implement that in the class.
 Provide link between previous knowledge and activity.
 Guide the students during activity work and follow up it to bring required
changes for better use .
 Different types of activities
• Dramatization
• Quizzes
• Role pay
• Educational games
• Brainstorming
• Debates, etc.
 Benefits of Activity Based Learning Approach
 The learners are actively involved as the environment is democratic.
 The activities are interactive and student-centered.
 The teacher facilitates a process of learning in which students are
encouraged to be responsible and autonomous.
 Children learn on their own pace.
 Provision of more time for self-directed learning and teacher directed
learning is reduced considerably.
 Limitations of Activity Method
 Careful consideration of emotionalized controls may be overlooked during
classroom activities.
 Apparently some teachers forget that all classroom activities
contribute directly or indirectly to the formation of attitudes, favorable or
unfavorable.
 Some classroom activities become contradictory with values of and culture of the
students.
 This method is time consuming and does not cover the course/subject matter
timely.
 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
The individual project is by far the most important single piece of work in
activity method.
It provides the opportunity for individual or student to demonstrate
independence and originality, to plan and organize a project for prescribed
period, and to put in to practice some of the techniques to be taught.
During individual project student can show his/her individuality and
inspiration in this project.
 Steps Involved in Individual Project
 Following steps are focused during individual project:
1. Project Outline
2. Preliminary Assessment
3. Application / Implementation
4. Appraisal
5. Decision
 Cont.
 Project Outline:- Keeping in view the purpose of given task or activity
student will prepare project outline. This outline comprises on propose
targets, resources, methodology and time schedule.
 Preliminary Assessment:- Before execution of project student will assess
the requirements of task or activity which are prerequisite, for it. For
example to analyze the physical, human and financial resources which are
required for the fulfillment of given task.
 Application/Implementation:- On this stage project will be implemented
or executed practically for the accomplishment of given task or assigned
activity.
Cont.
 Appraisal:- At this stage student will organize the appraisal of
project through which it will be analyzed to what extent given task or
assigned activity has been achieved.
 Decision:- Finally the success or failure of the task or activity will be
determined.

 In all steps teacher’s role will be a guide and facilitator to assist the
student regarding the accomplishment of project.
 GROUP PROJECTS
 Learning and working in groups involves shared and learned values,
resources and ways of doing things. Effective groups learn to succeed
by combining these factors. Your group, and each individual within it
will only be as effective as they are willing to respect differences
within the group. The aim of group work is to produce better (more
effective, more detailed, more comprehensive) presentations reports.
This achieved through the combined talents of group members,
contributing knowledge and ideas.
 Role of instructors/teachers/professors
 Out comes depend on the clarity of the objective (s) given by teachers.
 The group’s challenge is to interpret these objectives, and then determine
how to meet them.
 Group work is only as effective as teachers or instructors manage and
guide the process.
 Group projects promote the cooperative and collaborative attitude among
the students.
 Students must be aware of, and should be prepared for this group process.
 Cooperative group projects should be structured so that no individual can
coast on the efforts of his/her team-mates.
 RESEARCH PROJECTS
 Generally, a research is a quest for knowledge through experimentation,
investigation and thorough search. It is aimed at discovery and
interpretation of new knowledge or at resolving debatable existing
knowledge. There are systematic procedures and methods for
explorations, targeted at obtaining new knowledge. The starting point of
a research is to think of a good idea. Your research is good as your idea.
 Types & Kinds of Research Projects
 Research projects can be broadly categorized into the following types:
a) Academic Research Projects
– Social research project
– Scientific research project
b) Commercial Research Projects
– Sales Project
– Grant Project
– Business Project
– Funding Project
– Marketing Research Project