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Heuristic Method of Teaching

What is Heuristic Method of Teaching?

The term heuristic refers to problem-solving. The heuristic method of teaching is based on the psychological principles of trial and error theory. Logical thinking and imagination are prerequisites for the heuristic method of teaching type of teaching strategy. The heuristic method of teaching is an economic and fast strategy. In the Heuristic method, the student must be an independent discoverer. So there is no teacher help or guidance in this method. In this method, the teacher poses a problem to the students, then stands aside while they discover the answer. It develops the habit of inquiring and investigating. among students. 

This develops the habit of self-study and self-direction. It develops a scientific attitude in students by making them honest as they learn to come to decisions through real experiments. This is a psychologically healthy learning system, as it is based on maximum learning by doing. It forms in students the habit of diligence. In this method, most of the work is done at school and so teachers don’t have to worry about giving them tasks to do at home. It allows individual attention by establishing cordial relationships between teachers and learners. It helps to achieve cognitive, emotional, and psychological goals, i.e. it helps in overall development. Students are put in a situation to learn for themselves. It develops learners’ confidence and self-control. Teachers are always available to give personal advice regarding the solution to the problem. Thus, the interaction between the teacher and the learner takes place in a cooperative and supportive environment.

Advantages

  1. It helps in the overall development of students as this teaching methodology focuses on the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor objectives.
  2. It enhances self-learning and helps students delve deeper into new concepts.
  3. It enhances scientific thinking in learners.
  4. Lets the learner explore their surrounding to find a solution to the problem.
  5. Provision of individual guidance for students.
  6. Heuristics involve mental shortcuts or simplifications that help individuals make decisions or judgments with limited information.
  7. It is based on rules of thumb or general guidelines that have proven to be effective in certain situations.
  8. Heuristics often provide approximate solutions rather than precise ones. It aims to find satisfactory or “good enough” solutions that are acceptable in practice, even if they may not be optimal.

Type of Heuristic Method of Teaching

  • Availability Heuristic- These types of heuristic techniques refer to making judgments based on the ease with which examples or instances come to mind. For example, assuming that rare events are more common because they receive more media coverage.
  • Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic- In this type of heuristic teaching method starting with an initial value (anchor) and adjusting it incrementally to reach a final solution is important. This approach is often used in negotiations or estimation tasks.
  • Representativeness Heuristic- Such type of heuristic method of teaching assessing the likelihood of an event based on its similarity to a prototype or existing mental model is crucial. This can lead to stereotyping or overlooking important statistical information. 
  • Satisficing Heuristic- In this heuristic technique choosing the first solution that meets a specific set of criteria is important, even if it may not be the best solution overall. This approach emphasizes finding a solution that is “good enough.”

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