Out Bound Training: for a better teaching learning process

Teaching-learning process has evolved over time. In times immemorial, it was the gurukul system where the teacher was the omnipresent and the fountain of knowledge that prevailed and the student was a vidyarthi (a person seeking knowledge). As times evolved the teacher evolved too into a strict disciplinarian with a strong tendency to discipline, punish and an unwavering expectation of total submission from the student. Thou shall not talk unless talked to.

Nothing can be challenged and the student is expected to maintain silence. The teaching-learning process had turned passive. Madame Montessori thought differently but sadly her innovations were limited only to kindergarten education. It is said that the brightness and the spark in the student is inversely proportional to the time they spend in the system. That is more the time spent in formal education, less the brightness and spark. Students feel bored and jaded.

Now imagine teaching post graduate students! Most of them are tired, dispirited, and utterly disinterested. They are fed on a staple diet of Facebook, YouTube and other technology driven platforms. They expect instant gratification and think that all they need to know is on the internet. They are mentally active but not physically. Their attention span is limited and often tends to get distracted.

The teacher needs to change too. The emphasis now, is not as much as the how (easily available on the internet) but why. Why should it be done and how does it benefit us? Students don’t want to answer questions; they want to ask questions where the teachers should be able to furnish an imaginative answer, yes immediately and innovatively!

One such innovative teaching-learning tool is Out Bound Training (OBT). In outbound training the students are taken OUT of the classroom and into the open. It is a throwback to the Gurukul system. The students have to perform physical and sometimes challenging tasks and play games and conduct experiments. They learn the fun way and in groups.

Given below are some outbound exercises that can be conducted easily. These five activities are of one hour duration and students can be cycled through these activities. Five activities can be finished in a day with an hour for the inauguration, one hour for lunch and one hour for valedictory function and certificate distribution. Out Bound Training day would be one that the students will learn with a lot of fun.

The total time for each activity is one hour. Five minutes for the pre brief (the description of the activity, expectations, rules and regulations, penalties and safety precautions), the activity itself is for 40 minutes, and five minutes for the post brief (what happened, why it happened, what are the mistakes and what are the lessons). The last ten minutes are buffer and time for change over from one activity to another.

TOXIC WASTE/ LETHAL LIQUID

It is an activity that demonstrates group dynamics. It entails the group to coordinate their efforts to achieve a common objective. There has been an explosion and toxic waste has spread all around the city. The group has to save the city by removing the dangerous toxic waste or lethal liquid. They can do this by dumping the waste into the river without spilling.

If it spills then there will be large scale destruction. The toxic area is drawn as a circle and the toxic waste is placed in the centre of the circle in a container. The liquid or the container should not touch the ground once it is lifted since it emanates poisonous gases. The group is cautioned not to enter the circle. Any violation and the person who commits the mistake is eliminated.

The diffusion process begins again whenever a foul is committed. Participants cannot touch the line or the ground. The ropes cannot touch the ground. Rope can’t be tied or knotted. Once toxic waste is kept in the circle, no one can enter the field. Materials required: Small container in which one litre of water can be filled (which is the explosive toxic waste) placed in the center of the area.

Thinnylon ropes (easily twistable) which the team members can use to lift the container and defuse the toxic waste. You will need a bucket filled with water (representing the river) for defusing the toxic waste and white powder for the markings.

Evaluation: Every successful transfer gets 3 points. The group that gets the highest points is the winner. Debriefing: only one leader can lead coordination of efforts, concentration, creativity, team-work and dexterity of hand, idea generation, probing and conflict management. Participants’ should be encouraged to give their view points.

BLIND MAN BUFF

In this activity all the team members except one (the leader) are blind folded. All the blindfolded members are deaf and dumb (they can’t see, hear or talk). The leader can see but he too is deaf and dumb. He can only give non-verbal signals to the group members who have to form a chain and keep moving forward. The sighted leader has to encourage his team members through non-verbal communication to pick up the treasures kept in the area.

Expectation – This is a sales activity. The objective is to maximize sales! Total currency of treasures is Rs 10, 00,000. The students cannot step on the treasures. They can’t talk, can’t break the chain. Every foul will attract a penalty of Rs 25, 000.The currency value of the treasures; measuring scales (5 numbers, each worth 1, 00,000 rupees), dusters (10 numbers, each worth 10, 000 rupees each), sketch pen set (five sets, each worth one 50,000 rupees), scotch tapes (10 numbers, each worth 5, 000 rupees each), small cups (5 numbers, each worth 10, 000 rupees each), glasses (10 numbers, each worth 5,000 rupees each).

The materials required: Blind folds and cotton and all the material listed above. Evaluation: The team that collects the maximum currency value in the shortest time is the winner. Debriefing: Have you really made a strategy? How good was the team in non-verbal communication? How was the plan drawn up to pick up the treasures of the highest currency value? What was the strategy and planning? Did the team actually trust the leader? Participants’ should be encouraged to give their view points.

DRUMS & PLANKS

It is a physical activity that tests the participants’ skills of balancing the odds and emerging as winners. Students have to cross over from one part of the jungle to another safe spot using only drums and planks.There will be 6 drums and 2 planks. The group has to cross over from the starting point to the end. As they cross over, they have to take along the drums (rolling the drums along) and the planks (lifting the plank from one drum to another) to reach the goal. All the team members have to participate.

Maximum number that can participate in this exercise is ten. Care should be taken to use tough planks which can take around 600 kgs weight and at the same time are not too heavy as they have to be lifted from one drum to another. At any given point participants can be on a plank or on any two consecutive drums.

Any one falling off the drum or plank falling on the ground would mean the entire activity has to be repeated. The team that finishes the fastest is the winner. Debriefing: Concentration, group work, sense of balance, logical thinking, taking the team along, never losing sight of the goals and the concept of all for one and one for all.Participants’ should be encouraged to give their view points.

SHEPHERD AND PEN

The shepherd has sheep scattered in the grazing area. Unfortunately the sheep are blind. The shepherd has to guide the blind sheep into the pen before the storm strikes without physically touching or leading them by holding hands. The shepherd has a whistle, using the whistle or with the help of another way of communication he has to guide all the sheep into the pen.

The sheep should not touch each other or the fence while they are returning. Even if the last sheep touches the fenced area, all the sheep come back to the grazing area. The shepherd or the sheep can’t talk and the activity will have to be restarted if the students do so. The limbs of the sheep are tied at the back.Resources required: A small fenced area of 20 feet x 40 feet has to be created, one pen, marking powder, blind folds, cotton pads, a whistle and a rope for the fencing.