The document discusses the assignment method of teaching. It defines assignment method as allotting students theoretical or practical activities to complete individually or in small groups. The key points are: - Assignments are divided into topics and allotted weekly/fortnightly/monthly depending on syllabus and time. Students must finish one before moving to the next. - Assignments aim to realize teaching objectives while providing guidance for students. They develop skills like self-learning, writing, and report preparation. - Benefits include recognizing individual differences, developing responsible habits, and giving students freedom in their work. However, it may not be suitable for all students and can promote cheating.

1. Instructional Technology
Dr. Shabir Ahmad Bhat
Faculty of Education
University of Kashmir South Campus

2. ASSIGNMENT METHOD
 Meaning of Assignment is allotment, therefore the term assignment
method of teaching stands for method in which students are
assigned or allotted some special duties for carrying out theoretical
or practical activities on individual or small group basis.
 The Assignment method is the most common method of teaching.
 It is an instructional technique comprises the guided information,
self learning, writing skills and report preparation among the
learners.
 The Assignment method is an important step in teaching and
learning process aimed at realizing the stipulated teaching learning
objectives.

3. Procedure for adopting
 The prescribed course is divided into suitable parts according to
topics, so that it is successfully finished within the available time.
They may be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly depends on syllabus &
time availability.
 Students have to finish it in stipulated time, and no students is
allowed to move on to next assignment unless he finished previous
one.
 While allotting teacher provides through insight (in writing) of
procedures and precautions to be adopted by the students to
complete it. However it serves a mere guidance, the responsibility
of completion of the assignments lies with students.

4.  They are well graded and systematized, the initial assignments are
preparatory in nature and the one leads to the next and so on.
Theory is taught first and practical work is given later so that a child
will be able to utilize what he has learned.
 Assignments in practical work include the necessary suggestions
and guidelines for handling the apparatus and performing various
experimental activities.
 For adoption of assignment method the time spent in teaching
may be divided into 2 parts, in first part theoretical assignment,
discussion, reading & observing demonstration should be carried
out under leadership of teachers and in second part practical
application or experimentation based on theoretical part should
be allowed.

5.  The students are required to keep a written record of their
assignments. This helps teacher as well as students in the
evaluation of the progress of teaching-learning process.

6. OBJECTIVES
 It provides good training for information seeking and retrieval
behaviour.
 It inculcates the self learning attitude among the
students.
 It provides information analysis and research attitude to the
learners.
 It develops the learning experiences from various sources.

7. FEATURES OF GOOD ASSIGNMENT
 Assignment must be relevant to the subject taught to the student.
 This should reflect the affinities with the subject contents in the text
book concerned.
 Assignment must be simple and enable the students to complete it
within the stipulated time.
 Assignment must avoid ambiguous, complex information and
instructional structure.
 Objectives of the assignments must be clear and definite.

8. MERITS
 Recognition of individual differences: Assignments are allotted on
the basis of mental abilities, capacities, interests, aptitudes and
pace, e.g. brighter ones don’t have to wait for slower ones as they can take
next higher assignment and slow learners need not to get disappointed for their
inability to race.
 Development of useful habits:
Sense of responsibility of finishing task in hand.
Habit of self-studying and self-confidence in ones abilities.
Self-dependency in action and thought.

9. Merits cont…
 Provides freedom of work: no restriction in terms of time starting &
finishing. Duration of execution depends on upon mental and
physical stamina, students may go to library or work in laboratory
acc. to their convenience. They are also free to get instructions
when needed and such freedom proves asset to bring efficiency in
teaching- learning process.
 Good relationship between teacher and taught: giving suitable
assignments and rendering timely guidance on individual basis a
teacher draws closer to student. Similarly while working students
also need to be in close touch with teacher for seeking help. This
mutual necessity builds a good relationship and proper learning
environment.

10.  Advantage of keeping progress report: proper recording of
progress on individual level helps to assess capacity, progress,
shortcomings, and comparison with other students or class. This
provides incentives of guidance, a sprit of healthy competition,
and helps in evaluating performance to grade them, to promote
them accordingly.
 Getting rid of problems of indiscipline: In this method students are
on complete freedom to work at own pace and are made
responsible for completion. The work involves their initiatives,
interests and they are motivated to pick up next assignments which
make them absorbed, regular, sincere, & self-disciplined.
 Due importance to principle of activity: This method involves
principle of ‘self activity and learning by doing’ which makes task
of teaching more effective, impressive and lasting.

11. Demerits
 Not Suitable for all types of students: Doesn’t suit students with low
intelligence, or average capacity. Also doesn’t work with
irresponsible or careless students. It suits limited number of learners
who possesses a reasonable sense of initiative, responsibilities,
ability, capacity to work.
 Provides stimulation for cheating: it may provide temptation or
compulsion for copying the answers of questions and results of
experiments from readily available sources or notebooks of
classmates.
 Strain on teacher: Teacher is expected to work hard in this method
for preparing, assigning, guiding to individuals and groups in proper
time and way.

12.  Uneconomical Method: It proves to be expensive method as
assignment on every topic should get printed or cyclostyled by
teacher. Involves extra expenditure which is beyond capacity of
most schools of our country.
 Unpractical in existing conditions: Many practical problems
Non-availability of proper text books
 Paucity of proper trained teachers.
Providing individual attention in existing crowded classes.
Difficulty in covering syllabus.
Non conformity with present examination system of teaching and
evaluation.