Page No.101-109
V. Job Kuruvilla
Toc H Institute of Science and Technology, Arakkunnam, Ernakulam, Kerala
and
B. Mukhopadhyay
National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research, Chennai
To provide the means of obtaining knowledge is the greatest gift that can be
given to mankind. In professions like engineering “the meaning of knowing has
shifted from being able to remember, to find and use it.” For the past century,
education system all over the world served merely as a selective function. It
was founded on scoring marks by memorizing concepts, missing a world filled
with inspiration, creativity, vision and the full spectrum of human drives and
desires. This paper summarizes the outcome of a research work, for evolving a
Creative Learning Process (CLP) for engineering studies. The model was aimed
at eliminating the limitations of Bloom’s taxonomy and Revised Bloom’s
taxonomy in fostering creative thinking and problem solving skills among students.
The new paradigm evolved was represented as a three dimensional sphere,
containing 14 peripheral elements, with motivation as an additional initiating
central element. Four epistemological theories, metaphysical, skeptical, critical
and naturalized epistemology were used as an analytical frame work for the
study. Vignettes were used as a means of implementing the concept in
classrooms. This paper presents one element ‘Diagnostic learning’ and one
vignette in detail, for explaining the difficult concept of “mass” to the students.
The CLP model was tried out in an engineering college in South India and the
results were extremely encouraging.