The continuum Saga!

I understand the main key take away from the concept of TCL and SCL is that the combinations of the two is important. Also TCL and SCL should not be looked as two different ways , but as a continuum. One is not better than the other.

One should decide what to use based on students needs and teaching philosophy of the facilitator. I think when I reflect on my practice keeping in mind my learning, I wasn’t really aware of this continuum and its existence. I use a lot of the student centred learning approaches and used to believe that those are better and lead to better engagement in the class. But for most of those method that I use like Role plays, small group exercise , I used to believe that they are only SCL , but they are actually the combination and I always discounted the trainers role in those.

However, now when I reflect and think, I feel some times the TCL can be really powerful too provided the facilitator is really good and has the ability to hold the class. Rajdeep Manwani is a great example of the TCL. The whole time went without us realising because he was so gripping.

The methods that I have used and have worked well for me are:

I have used role plays when I want the trainers to step into a different persona and think about themselves as a different person. This method helps them to step into someone else’s shoes and think of things with that perspective. This method has worked very well for me in the past as the participants really start thinking about the persona they are taking on and relate to it.

Small group exercises have been used when there is less time and also when the students need to work on something together. This method I have used when I feel something is tricky and needs multiple people to think together. Also this method works well in the starting sessions when the students are still getting comfortable with the learning process. Small group exercises do not threaten them or put them in a spot and works well. I have used this for sessions like discuss the challenges that the trainer faces in an institute.  In a small group they take collective responsibility of what has been shared and works well.