Technique for the development basic skills in commerce

Skill is defined as, “The ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance; technical expertness; a power or habit of doing anything”.

According to Prof. M. S. Khan, “Leaning a skill includes the necessity of acquiring knowledge and understanding, but there is also the necessity usually, of much effort and time developed to purposeful and controlled practice. Behind all this practice usually lies the necessity of filling many previously learnt complex knowledge and understanding into what appears to be a simple skill that once high skill is obtained in something, the act can be performed automatically without any ‘interference’ from the highest brain centre”.

Learning skills in practical commerce subjects is quite essential, particularly in type-writing and short-hand, book-keeping, operating business machines, taking dictation etc.

Mastery of basic skill

The mastery of basic skill is considered to have been achieved when the skill can be performed sub-consciously. Sub-conscious a skill can be performed even if something else is in mind. For example, in typing when a particular level of skill is achieved the typing can be done without booking at the keys of the type machine. The fingers move correctly without any effort.

Mastery is essential before a skill can function. Following steps are considered essential to attain mastery in a skill.

1. The pre-test step.

2. The teaching step.

3. The test the result step.

4. Adopt the procedure step.

5. The Reteach step.

6. The Restest step.

In teaching these steps are repeated till the attainment of mastery.

Teaching for Mastery

In skill subjects the students should thoroughly master whatever is presented before them so that it remains with the students even after the lapse of some time. Following illustration makes the point clear.

In case a student learn only to the horizon of minimal learning (indicated by horizontal line), he is likely to forget soon. If his learning is above this level of minimum learning, he is likely to forget but will definitely retain some thing in his mind. If he repeats constantly he learns maximum and in such a case he retains maximum.

Pre-test is essential to know the background of students. In skill subjects demonstration is considered as the best form of teaching. To teach skill subjects, the teacher will do better if he keeps following concepts in mind, “Before problems requiring the application of a skill can be solved, the learner must acquire a certain facility in the skill.”

Following two things are important for acquiring the skills.

(i) Mastery formula

(ii) Order of emphasis.

Order of Emphasis

Teacher should emphasis on that skill which he feels have not been acquired by the students correctly. Some teachers concentrate on accuracy, speed and technique in that order, however, in true sense of the term this order of emphasis should be reversed i.e. the correct order would be technique, speed, accuracy or briefly ‘TAS’.

Next thing is the motion pattern of experts. For this the students may observe the motion pattern of teacher. Striking key on the type­writing machine, the learner should observe how only one sound is being produced at a strike. Similarly, short hand the learner observes how the expert (teacher) holds his pen moves his hand and writes and turns the pages. These correct patterns must be correctly imitated by the learners.

On the basis of scientific studies it has been found that the main features of expert performance are as follows:

(a) Establishment and maintenance of a steady even flow of motion.

(b) Imbibe easy and economical movements.

(c) Practice relaxed performance unhampered by nervous tension and hurry.

(d) Concentrate upon the task at hand.

(e) Use the senses intelligently. The expert sees, hears and feels correct techniques simultaneously.

There is a particular technique of teaching expert pattern. Some essential and proper techniques which must be mastered by anyone who wants to master skill are given below:

1. Recognise factors that comprise the pattern.

2. Demonstrate factors comprising the pattern.

3. Appeal to as many senses as possible.

4. Group drills are useful only to establish the desired patterns. Individual drill is more beneficial after the learner understands what he is working to attain.

5. Students should work at the speed just below that at which confusion begins to appear and just above that which is characterised by laboured and detailed movements.

6. Repetition without conscious direction is of little value.

8. Drill period should be a shorter and not a longer one.

9. More attention should be paid towards emotional stability.

10. Goals should be attainable.

11. Skills should be automat zed and not intellectualised.

12. Positive approach and not the negative approach should be adopted by the teacher.

13. Drills must be varied before the law of diminishing returns starts to operate.

14. Lack of proper technique causes errors and adoption of correct techniques causes skill learning.

15. Too much formal testing is a hindrance to the effective building of skill.