The PPTs are important to plan a lecture well and have a lot of content. It is helpful in inserting good figs and diagrams which are difficult to drawn on the board.

But despite all that advantage, there is no substitute of a blackboard and chalk method. Solving the things in a class using the board (black or green or white) allows you to move with the class and give sufficient time for the students to absorb. You undergo what the students would undergo when the scribble on their notebooks even while solving the problem. You may add PPT for showing certain attractive phenomena or demonstrate an experiment, but I sure would endorse chalks. PPTs are useful when in a limited time like that in a research conference you are supposed to present a planned method and result to advanced audience. The level of audience is important. Flying over or traveling by a car from one destination to other allows you to reach the goal and cover distance quickly, but what you discover while on a cycle is wonderful. Those who have not seen and moved in the small streets during childhood miss it all through.

In my opinion, these tools make education easier but cannot guarantee quality education. The quality depends on the contents of the presentation and the depth of knowledge of the presenter.

These tools can save time to write many equations or solving a problem on the traditional black/white boards. They can make the presentation more attractive to the listener.

In my view definitely the modern teaching aids contribute much on the class room teaching. The concepts which was perceptualized earlier are now become more easy to show the visualization of the concept through graphics, so that a student can have thorough understanding than normal chalk-board teaching. In short i would like to say rather 2D, 3D view is possible & moreover at the end of the session it is quite easy to summarize by showing them in PPT's/Smart boards about what was discussed earlier.

May be in some cases as Prof. Girish pointed out (for simple arithmetic students depend on calc's) people are using it in the other way.

I would like to conclude that the modern teaching aids will definitely improve the interaction in teaching-learning process.

hi. in my opinion this methodes reduse the teaching ability because teacher have not to remind .

I will answer a big NO.

Not any guess, not any expectation its on basis on a straight forward observed fact.

I am from university system (Calcutta University) where teachers are like books, even more sometimes. Habituated in black board and chalk system for whom carrying a book or note or ppt is a shame. Its work like anything because, its very important for a student to observe HOW and WHAT TO LEARN.

During my PhD in IISER I found the ppt system dominating. Sorry to say though a number of outstanding researchers are produced from here but very few BS or MS students I found able to stand even up to the mark of the so called bad students trained in universities. Its an side effect of ppt system.

I have experience of 3 yrs teaching in a school as a chem faculty and in IISER as TA. During my teaching days I discover if you write by yourself when you teach takes 1/10 th time for a student to learn than to teach from ppt. The major psychology behind this may be

1. How a mechanism of an organic reaction need to be written, from which direction and how the arrows for electron, proton transfer flows and most importantly how to write a structure in a systematic and sophisticated way can be easy understandable when written step wise but not only shown in ppt.

2. For a mathematical solution or solving a equation it is very important to SEE how to write. Specially for science its the most important practice.

These observations are important for any student as it creates a impact on subconscious mind and helps him to execute the same in future in a proper way.

None of these are possible in ppt system. The visual impact of the intermediate steps are not generated in students mind, which creates a hell lot of problem for them. In future it appears that a student may verbally ans a question but cannot write in a proper way as he fails to get the intermediate information in ppt. Moreover its dangerous for faculties also as they try to complete their job in a easier way which always leads to wrong direction.

ppt system is good by business deals but the use of it should be banned within education system.

when a teacher uses some prepared files, the students are not able to follow him.

In my opinion, the ppt files should be used only to show the complicated formula and figures.

Like any other tool, the value of the tool depends on how you use it and whether you apply it to the situation appropriately. Now the question is...were our teachers really taught in how to apply these tools appropriately.

According to my teaching experiences it would be so hard to get the attention of students when their laptops are open. Even harder to get them to participate into the discussions.

We may study each tool differently; as study shows that interactive whiteboards have been so effective in improving the quality of teaching and also improving the quality of learning in high school students.

Good point Amir....but I thought the question was whether these were good tools for the teacher....it is effectively impossible to keep students (like anyone else) at task when instant messengers, twitters, friend chats and instagrams are popping up all the time. That however is a matter of study habits that need to be taught....focus and immerse :) Though we all remember the days when we tried to explain to our parents that we study a lot better with music and television white noise :)

The equipment opens up a world of possibilities, but many lecturers suffer from 'death by powerpoint'. It is tempting to prepare a bunch of slides and a story and forget all about building up a story and interacting with the students.

The oldfashioned chalkboard more or less forces to have a logical built story.In the end I think the electronic stuff offers more, but needs more preparation compared to a powerpoint slideshow.

I'm really interested in this topic as I wondered the same thing working as TA this year.

I think that all those tools can improve teaching if used well as Achim said it earlier. I'll take the example of a PPT presentation. All the advantages were presented earlier but they are advantages only if it's a good presentation. Indeed, the use of those presentation usually come with an increase of distraction as, for example, the 30 types of transitions available in Office. And after speaking with other people, this PPT problem appears to be a problem in conferences where really interesting research are presented with bad PPT. I assisted a seminar by JL Doumont, explaining all those problem of presentation, I recommend it. He wrote a book too, take a look it worth it.

For calculation, like the case of sin 30, I think it could be that students are used to use it too early during their career where those basis are taught. Indeed, it's not used as a way to save time for the resolution of simple equations or calculations, but used as a way to replace this knowledge. And they claim that it's useless to know how to do it because we have the tool to do it... and faster... The real drawback of this is that sometimes they miss things about the interpretation of results, and I think this is worst... Perhaps, a solution would be to restrain the sophistication of calculators to force them manipulate more equations, simplification etc

http://www.treesmapsandtheorems.com/

It's all about blended learning....blending modern technologies and tools in and outside the classroom with traditional teaching and learning techniques to maximize the outcome for the student.....a discipline we still need to master ourselves....

We should not use modern teaching aids too much. Only in the cases of complicated diagrams and equations these aids are helpful.

There is no any substitute for chalk board teaching till now for a student as well as for the teacher.

i definitely would like to go with Abhigyan sengupta experience. Me as a research student and involve in teaching on some occasions had some similar experiences. If we use chalk board practice, we can effectively get the students involve in the discussion and make them come up to the board and work out the science studies very elegantly. Not only that but the student gets prepare to face the audience also, which is remotely not possible if a teacher is using a modern tools as mentioned above.

It all has to do with the modern approach to learning in classrooms where teachers now deliver information instead of knowledge, and it has to do with the definition of learning where students are at the center and they should be much more oriented to independent study in order to achieve the required level of knowledge. But I am not sure about the quality of studies.

I would say an optimum combination of both .... ppt helps in presenting complicated diagrams like flow sheets etc.. but the final explanation should be done by chalk and board... also any derivations should be done on the board.. the satisfaction of solving things on the board has no bounds.. presenting equations on ppt is not really a good idea.. for the teacher i think it is a must to do all mathematics on the board...

I believe,job of a teacher is none less than that of a theater artist (performing Drama on a stage) , Teaching should be considered a part of performing arts.

*Teachers have a stage on which he/she performs in front of students.

*he/she should have a good oratory skills so that it can grab the attention of the students

*he/she should have good command on language so that the communication is effective

*he/she should have good knowledge of the subject so that when required he can give extempore performance

*he/she should be presentable so that students remain interested in the subject

* His/her presentation should not be flat. i.e. he/she should be able to connect to the audience. Remember most of the times the we have 'teenager audience'. Both these terms are contradictory terms. They say, "teenagers never listen to any body" ! Hence the task is very challenging

All presentation tools and related technologies make very dumb teaching tools. Spare few cases (complicated figures etc), they kill spontaneity and hamper the performance. Chalk and talk is the best.

I think the important point should not be whether these modern teaching supports are used or not but it is whether the lesson has been planned in the first place in a way that promotes students' engagement. I agree with Adrie that it is all too easy to forget interacting the students. If used effectively, these modern tools can help in promoting this engagement and can also serve in breaking the potential monotony in a lesson. In particular, in the case of a lecture, Biggs and Tang (Teaching for Quality Learning at University - 2007) report that student learning diminishes significantly after the initial 10-15 minutes and a bit of technology can help changing the way the lesson is delivered at particular points.

I have been deeply influenced by this demo from MIT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZNTgglPbUA. Interactive tools make this possible I am surprised that there are not may exploratory tools for students which may be made possible by tablets. I am assuming that the smart boards will get smarter and the teacher and students can explore subjects together (through simulations).

Dear sir, This has improved the teaching perception up to some extent. Students' point of view it is not a good idea to use these aids for each topic.

Teachers burden is less if they are lazy to update new slides each year. once they made with students' help will be continue in use till get retired!!!! I am sorry to say like what old profs. used to do with their old class notes. Only the advantage and update in technology is no yellow colored,teared papers with old wooden cupboard!!!Replacement is Laptop with LCD..........

Absolutely. They make the classroom experience more interesting. Audio-visuals have more impact than drone of a person rattling off.

yes sir,Teaching add really improved class room teaching.They help to students for virtual feeling about the matter or topic.

Students can learn more by the visual and practicals then just the theory approach. It was researched so later on university feel the need of practical ex poser and they integrated the filed visit and internship in their program. Audio visual and ppts and all also plays vital role as they are also assumed to be one of the medium which can drag the student mind to the practical field staying the the classes. They can imagine and put them-self in those situation which can upgrade the education system. Its more applicable for technical students. Knowing what is being taught is more important than just mugging up. For instant unless student do not visualize what is being taught they can't think and when they can't think its waste of time because no innovation can be explore. So new mythology in teaching such as ppt and all can add visualization power and also can add up excitement to student which is very essential in modern learning and teaching. So it is no doubt that those system are crucial and every institution need to integrate it..

I retired this year, but in the last fifteen years I taught hydraulics with one computer per student

To employ more advanced textbooks, as I did in these fifteen, you need to modify not only how to teach, but the content of it.

Heedless students, these are often the ones who understand matters faster Once they are not encouraged to use their computers for useful things, they will use for useless things

Always encouraged the research network of the subject that he was being teaching

I also think that we should not transfer to students, ppt slides or presentation material in the classroom Should encourage them to use more complete bibliography

In short, I spent 22 years teaching without these resources, then when I started to use a classroom with computers had to relearn to teach again!

Absolutely NOT, Imperial College London (ICL), MIT, Boston, USA, University of Toronto(UoT), Canada, there professors still LIKE Green Boards with Chalks in hand OR just a lead pencil with white paper. They are transforming world with conventional methods. From my personal experience, professors are not handing over printed slides to students. They just refer text books/ reading material and rest is the job of student to read, understand, correlate and research about the topic of interest. Regards

New tools for teaching, like LCD projectors and Internet, are very well welcome. New methods in teaching, like Just-in-Time, permits to obtain very good results using new and old technologies. Today, is possible, and necessary, the use of all avaliable tools in order to obtain the best results.

The PPTs are important to plan a lecture well and have a lot of content. It is helpful in inserting good figs and diagrams which are difficult to drawn on the board.

But despite all that advantage, there is no substitute of a blackboard and chalk method. Solving the things in a class using the board (black or green or white) allows you to move with the class and give sufficient time for the students to absorb. You undergo what the students would undergo when the scribble on their notebooks even while solving the problem. You may add PPT for showing certain attractive phenomena or demonstrate an experiment, but I sure would endorse chalks. PPTs are useful when in a limited time like that in a research conference you are supposed to present a planned method and result to advanced audience. The level of audience is important. Flying over or traveling by a car from one destination to other allows you to reach the goal and cover distance quickly, but what you discover while on a cycle is wonderful. Those who have not seen and moved in the small streets during childhood miss it all through.

The last two sentences of Professor V.K. Jindal are very interesting and communicate succinctly that the chalk and board are indispensable despite all modern teaching aids.

I think it is the best way to save time and money and give more time to students to invetigate by themselfs other fields deeply.

Teaching should be done based on previous knowledge of the student and must be interesting to the student. Those aids blocks the use of the real time feedback from students to change the course of the class; the course with those aids are normally already preset breaking the dynamics of the class and making it really boring. Sometimes the use of humor helps to improve the quality of the class. The use of this equipment fails miserably when it is focused only to helps the teacher on his "job" instead of make the content more interesting to students. Some good use of modern teaching aids like educational games helps indeed to improve the teaching. The modern aids that you can use after class time are generally better than the ones that are available during class time.

Using PPT, Laptops, Smart Boards, LCD projectors certainly improves the classroom teaching process, but not enough. I believe that the combination of modern teaching aids and traditional methods (solving the things using the classic board) is a very good and helpful. The quality of teaching depends mostly on how the teacher is competent for content that have to present and the interest and interaction of students for that presentation.

The new instruments can be helpful, but "passion" remain the best instrument for teaching and helping students to learn.