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The
Central Institute of Indian languages (CIIL) with its expertise both in research
and teaching languages may be termed as an ideal centre for preparing audio-visual
programmes for Ault Education. The CIIL with its well equipped hardware set-up
was able to make a beginning in preparing language teaching programmes for Neo-literates.
Special mention may be made of the new concept of grouping the alphabets according
to shape similarity and using contract of shapes in teaching a language. With
programmes developed by Dr. D. P. Pattanayak, the CIIL produced language script
teaching programmes in different media such as filmstrip, 16 mm film, television
and also simple animated captions. This experiment helped CIIL to evaluate the
effective use of different media, and to bring down the cost of production by
choosing simple methods and thus making low-cost technology accessible to the
potential users.
The latest
experiment by the CIIL is the preparation of animated cartoon pictures in the
form of continious strip with mask which can be used directly in the classroom
and also transffered to the video medium for adult literacy purposes. This is
a novel experiment which is simple to produce ad cuts down the cost of producing
TV porgrammes enormously. The CIIL is working in developing this technique with
simple motorized mechanism in which the pictures can be moved at a particular
speed which can be varied according to the need of the students or TV production.
It has also developed animated cards for teaching language scripts which reveal
the common shape of the scripts initially, and the contrast by animation. These
cards along with other materials can be used in a classroom for Neo-literates.
This system is different from conventional teaching of scripts and the students'
participation in learning would be more. Added advantages of this system is that
after learning the first group, the students can straight away learn few words
formed by the letters of the same group.
For teaching the language script the following programmes were produced by CIIL
in different media.
(1) Filmstrips : This is an inexpensive medium and the equipment is available
indigenously. The cost of each filmstrip is expected to be around Rs. 30/-. By
recording the appropriate commentary in a cassette, the complete set may be around
the cost of Rs. 55/-. The advantage of a filmstrip is that it can be stopped at
any required point and it can also be reversed according to the requirements of
the class. The CIIL has already produced Bengali and Urdu filmstrips. Production
of all other Indian language scripts is in its final stage. The complete script
is divided inot 10 to 15 groups on the basis of the shape similarity and contrast.
The contrast is shown in a different colour so that it becomes significant. Later
on, the letters are written with arrow marks showing the direction of hand movement.
Simple words are formed to show the letters in combination. Further self explanatory
figures are given with the words are formed to show the letters in combination.
Further self explanatory figures are given with the words written at the bottom.
(2) 16 mm Film : CIIL has produced two types of 16 mm films, The ;Learn Devanagari'
is a script-teaching programme. The adult education programes are : 1) Anki Kali
and (2) Enike kali (on numeracy in Kannada) which are useful for adults as well
as children was found useful for adults and the one meant for adults was considered
good for children. The Learn Devanagari is a lengthy 45-minute film but it is
a comprehensive script teaching film. The technique of film animation is bets
utilized for showing how to write the script of a language. The advantage of the
script film is that the teaching is well planned and can be shown any number of
times. This is specially useful as a review film and meant more for trainers rather
than for the primary learners.
(3) TV Modules : The CIIL has produced TV modules both for Neo=-literates and
for formal education. The script modules produced until now are Learn Kannada
Script' and 'Learn Bengali Script'. More script programmes are under production.
The adult education programmes are: 'Energy Crisis', 'Time' 'Buying Vegetables',
'Tamilnadu', 'Follk Dances of Karnataka' and 'Adult Education : A Profile'. Animated
caption cards are prepared for producing language script programmes. The common
shape of the letters are revealed initially and the contrast is shown in animation.
This is a simple technique and the cost of TV production is reduced to a great
extent. Again the advantages of TV cassettes is that it can be stopped at any
desired point and can be rewinded. Experiments were conducted by video taping
the classroom teaching directly and showing the same lessons for repetition and
for reviewing. Once a standard classroom performance is video taped it can be
shown any number of times at different places.
It is not necessary that we require sophisticated equipment for adult education
or formal education. Simple technique and innovations could be experimented to
solve the teaching problems. One such technique 'Using Magazine Pictures' for
languages teaching is being used by the English Language Teaching Department of
the British Council, London. The teacher collects a variety of pictures and advertisements
in old magazines and indexes them in a library of magazines pictures. He selects
the required pictures before going to the class. He plans in advance where to
use them. If he is teaching numbers, he might select pictures of one car, two
scooters, three cycles, four persons and so on. Then he introduces pictures one
by one and asks the students how many cycles were there in the picture and so
on. If the students cannot tell the correct number in that language the teacher
would explain. Proper indexing, selection and planning would give a teacher best
medium for utilizing with almost no cost.
The institute has also developed a slide-cum-cassette programme on plant disease
with special emphasis on millet diseases. The healthy and disease plants as well
as seeds and the treatment have been shown with about 25 slides.
It will thus be seen that the focus of research of the Institute is to develop
relevant low-cost technology, establish effectiveness criteria and build up evaluation
procedures for content, media and audio-visual programmes as a whole.1
1.
The author is grateful to Dr. D. P. Pattanayak for his valuable suggestions in
preparing this paper.