MODULE 4 - SKILL OF REINFORCEMENT

SKILL OF REINFORCEMENT

Prologue

          Reinforcement is strengthening the connection between a stimulus and a response. Positive reinforcement provides pleasant experience or a feeling of satisfaction which contributes towards strengthening of desirable responses or behaviours. The negative reinforcement results in unpleasant experiences, which help in weakening the occurrence of undesirable responses or behaviours. This module is discussed in detail about skill of reinforcement. Particularly this module deals about the skill of reinforcement and its components.  The skills of reinforcement involve the teacher to use more and more positive reinforcement and to decrease the use of negative reinforcement so that the pupils’ participation is maximized.

Objectives

          On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

Ø  Argue the meaning of skill of reinforcement;

Ø  Acquires the knowledge of skill of reinforcement;

Ø  Grasp the microteaching process and its significance.

Ø  explain the components of skill of reinforcement;

Ø  understand the meaning of skill of reinforcement;

SKILL OF REINFORCEMENT

            Reinforcement is strengthening the connection between a stimulus and a response. There are two types of reinforcement’s i.e. positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement provides pleasant experience or a feeling of satisfaction which contributes towards strengthening of desirable responses or behaviours. The negative reinforcement results in unpleasant experiences, which help in weakening the occurrence of undesirable responses or behaviours.

          The skill of reinforcement can increase the students’ involvement in learning in a number of ways. The skill is used when the teacher reinforces correct responses with a smile, when the teacher praises a good response or encourages a slow learner. Such positive reinforces strengthen desirable responses whereas negative reinforces such as scolding, punishing the students, sarcastic remarks etc. weaken the undesirable response. However, the use of more and more positive reinforcers maximizes pupils’ involvement of learning rather than the use of negative reinforcers. Therefore, the skills of reinforcement involve the teacher to use more and more positive reinforcers and to decrease the use of negative reinforcers so that the pupils’ participation is maximized.

Components and Description of Skill of Reinforcement

S.No.	Components	Description of Behaviour
1	Positive verbal reinforcement	Comments like ‘good’, ‘very good’, ‘excellent’ etc
2	Positive gestures	Facial expression; example; ‘smile’
3	Proximity	Teacher moving towards the responding student
4	Token reinforcement	merit card
5	Activity reinforcement	Giving a task, the student likes to perform
6	Negative verbal	Comments like ‘nonsense’
7	Negative gesture	Facial expression like ‘frowning’

Assignment

Ø  Make a PowerPoint presentation for skill of reinforcement and its components.

Ø  Write an episode for skill of reinforcement in teaching of mathematics.

FAQ

Ø  Describe the components of skill of reinforcement.

Ø  What are the components involved in skill of reinforcement?

Ø  List out the some of the terms of positive verbal reinforcement in skill of reinforcement.

Ø  What is the difference between token and activity reinforcement?

Ø  What do you mean by positive gestures?

Ø  What do you mean by proximity?

Quiz

Which are not the non verbal cues in the following?

a)  Facial expression                                b) Smile

c)  Nodding head                                     d) Giving Comments

Reinforcement is strengthening the connection between

a) Stimulus and response                          b) stimulus and experience

c) Experience and response                       d) stimulus and validity

The fourth step of micro teaching cycle is

a) Replan                                               b) Teaching

c)  Feedback                                          d) Planning    

In the below, which is not related to skill of reinforcement?

a) Positive Verbal                                    b) Positive gestures

c) Proximity                                           d) change in speech pattern

In the below, which is not related to skill of reinforcement?

a) Beginning statement                             b) Positive gestures

c) Proximity                                           d) Activity reinforcement

Glossary

Reinforcement         =       strengthening

Proximity                 =       closeness

Activity                   =       action

Gesture                  =       signal

Positive                   =       optimistic

Negative                  =       pessimistic

Verbal                    =       oral

Epilogue

          Technical skill is a set of related teaching behaviours which in specified types of classroom instruction situations tend to facilitate the achievement of specified types of classroom interaction situations tend to facilitate the achievement of specified type of objectives.  Teaching skill is a group of teaching acts/behaviours intended to facilitate pupils’ learning activity directly or indirectly. This module has attempted to throw some light on the skill of reinforcement and its components.