FORMULATION OF PHILOSOPHY, OBJECTIVES ,SELECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

FORMULATION OF PHILOSOPHY

DEFINITION:
Philosophy is a search for a comprehensive view of nature, an attempt at a universal explanation of the
nature of things. -Henderson

PHILOSOPHICAL DETERMINANTS OF CURRICULUM

 Philosophy is not only a powerful determinant of aims of education, but is also equally a strong
deciding factor of contents and methods of education.
 The aims speak of ‘why of education’. The content speaks of ‘what of education’? The methods,
‘how of education’.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRICULUM THAT IS DETERMINED BY THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF

EDUCATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

 It aims at the all round development of the individual.

 It is based on the philosophy of the nation.
 It reflects the ideals and aspirations of the people.
 It inculcates the desired ideals of life in the youngsters.
 It helps in the development of proper philosophy of life.
 It is in accordance with the aspiration level of the individual.
 It enables the learners to learn the desirable cultural values, social norms, intellectual virtues
 It helps in the development of personal and national character.

THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION INCLUDES

1. Child-centeredness (Naturalistic philosophy)

2. Need-centeredness (Pragmatic philosophy)
3. Activity- centeredness (Project and basic curriculum)

FORMULATING THE STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

 The philosophy of the college/school or institution for education program originates from the board
of trustees and its members constituted by the government orany private trust, which are expected
to become acquainted with the interests and problems in the community.
 Philosophy serves as a framework within which the organization, school or college or educational
program can function with the purpose and objective.
 An educational philosophy states the values which are believed to be right, true and good by the
persons responsible for the school or college.

ESTABLISHING PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES

 ‘purposes’ refers to describe the overall goals of the total education program.
 ‘objective’ refers to breakdown of purposes into specific goals which can be used to pinpoint
content. The reason for formulating objectives is to indicate what changes in behavior it is hoped to
bring about in the students
 While determining the purposes and objectives, following factors should be considered:
o Statement of philosophy, school or college or university.
 o Social and health needs of the people.
o Kind of students to be expected in education program.
o Level of professional competence to be attained.
o Role of nurse (after qualifying) in society.
o Statutory minimum requirements.
o Teaching, physical and clinical resources availability.

 The objectives of the institution become the objectives of the curriculum of the educational
program. The curriculum designed by teachers and students should reflect their personal,
economical and educational philosophies as well as those of the institution or university. It includes
planned learning outcomes for which school or college is responsible for attainment of behavioral
objectives.

SELECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE

DEFINITION

LEARNING
Any relatively permanent change or modification of behavior that results as a result of practice or
experience” -Murthy, Gates and others

EXPERIENCE
It is the lesson one learns as a result of or from his/her interaction with people in various and varied
situations and/or with the environment.
The word, ‘experience’ comes from ‘experiri’ meaning “to try out” it means anything lived or undergone.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE
It is defined as deliberately planned experiences in selected situations where students actively participate,
interact and which result in desirable change of behavior in the students.

OBJECTIVES OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE

I. IMPARTING THE KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge, which has imparted in a way so as to facilitate effective learning on the part of the pupils.
Educational pedagogists have attempted to formulate some general procedure for the conduct of the
course.
a) Preparation: A child has to be prepared to receive new knowledge.
b) Presentation: The teacher has to select the subject matter according to the needs, abilities, and
mental level of the pupils has to be arranged in a logical sequence. Teacher has to introduce the
lesson and announces the aim clearly, proceeds to present the new knowledge marks the actual
commencement of the lesson.
c) Comparison of association: the facts or ideas presented should be compared or associated with
one another. It enhances the process of assimilation and sharpens the mental faculties of children
and involves high mental process than mere memorizing and recollecting.
d) Generalization: When mind has comprehended a new place of knowledge and compared it with
the old, arrive at a general idea underlying various ideas and formulating some laws or principles
especially in an inductive lesson. It develops the independent thinking of the pupils.
e) Application: when a rule, formula or principle has been evolved, it should be tested and verified by
applying it to new situation.
The ability to apply the knowledge in the form of generalizations to new problem situations
explicitly as well as implicitly. The individual can identify and explain the relevant principles.
 II. THE ACQUISITION OF SKILLS

Skill includes a wide range of activities like capabilities, physical habits, etc.For example, conduction of
labour, bed making.
Steps in Skills
a) Preparation
b) Presentation
c) Statement and formulation of rules
d) Practice- Demonstration and return demonstration
e) Correction and application

III. DEVELOPMENT OF AESTHETIC SENSE OR TASTE (APPRECIATION)

It aims at aesthetic development in the learners provide them with emotional experience and stability in
them. The teacher provides conducive environment for the success of an appreciation.

IV. MOTIVATION

Motivation is the vital aspect in mastering the student as well as in teachers and administrators so that the
teaching will be effective and results fruitful learning.

CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES

 Learning experience selected should be consistent with the educational philosophy.

 Learning experience should be varied and flexible.
 Provide sufficient opportunity to practice or self-activity.
 Learning experience should provide opportunity for the development of independent thinking and
study, decision-making, good judgment, intellectual resourcefulness, self-discipline etc.
 Learning experience should be adapted to the needs and concern of the student.
 Learning experiences are arranged in a manner that provides continuity, sequential development,
logical manner, correlation and integration of theory, practice and clinical learning experience
which will facilitate effective learning.
 Learning experiences are selected and arranged to give the appropriate emphasis and weightage.
 Learning experience is consistent with the aims of democratic society.
 Learning experiences are structured so that the central and the contributory objectives of the unit
and the course will be attained.
 Encourage and promote motivation at appropriate times and in a manner that will stimulate the
curiosity of the students.
 Provide variety of learning experiences with selected content.
 Learning experience has to involve all the senses in the learning process to achieve maximum
learning.
 By learning experience maximize the responsibilities of the learner.
 Utilize the resources and media in organizing learning experience.
 Create interest and desire for more learning.
 Learning experience should be planned ahead of time.
 It will deeper and broader understanding and increased skill on the students.
 It should be in chronological order.
 Use maxims of teaching in planning learning experience, e.g. simple to complex, concrete to
abstract, etc.

COMPONENTS OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE

PRINCIPLES TO BE FOLLOWED IN SELECTING LEARNING EXPERIENCES

 Purposes and objectives in view.

 Learning activities related to life situations where the students are expected to practice after being
qualified.
 Integration of learning experience between theory and practice.
 Identified tasks and their expected jobs.
 Focus of selecting learning activities should be:
o Needs and demands of learners, community, national and world population.
o Community oriented and hospital oriented.
o Levels of prevention.
o Nursing care practices at all 3 levels of health care.
o Values in nursing.
 Development of student’s logical and analytical thinking.

PRINCIPLES TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE PROVIDING LEARNING EXPERIENCE

1. Proceed from: - Use Maxims of Teaching e.g. known to unknown, easy to difficult, simple to
complex.
2. Principle of aim: - It serves the goal for the teacher. It makes teaching and learning, interesting and
effective. For example, providing pediatric experience for the learner.
AIM: to develop the skills in rendering care to the children of different ages.
3. Learning by doing: - The learner is active by nature; he has certain urges which impel him to action.
E.g.: all the procedures will be learnt by student is learning by doing only.
4. Principle of linking: - With actual life and other subjects; theory and practicals should be integrated
and linked with each other.
5. Principle of planning: - Good teaching is always well-planned. Planning involves selection, division
and revision.
6. Principle of interest or motivation: -Interest is the petrol that derives the mental engine.
7. Principle of sympathy and kind atmosphere: - The teacher’s kindness and sympathy is a stimulating
dose for the slow learning children. Teachers should avoid scolding, nagging and rebuking. In this
way the teaching becomes a mother of pleasure for the teacher as well as for the student.
8. Principle of flexibility and cooperation: -The plan should have scope to make necessary changes.
Teaching should be flexible to meet the unexpected situations of any, in providing learning
experience.
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9. Principle of diagnostic and remedial teaching: - Good teaching should be diagnostic and remedial,
once the pupil difficulties have been diagnosed, they should not be felt as they are, the teacher
should suggest remedies and do follow-up to assess the outcome of her suggestions. Learning
difficulties should be discovered early, to avoid them taking root into the learning habits of the
pupils.
10. Principle of looking ahead: -Open-mind teacher is always forward looking. She is ever prepared to
discover new possibilities for widening pupil’s knowledge and range of experience. Good teaching is
over looking forward to their improvement in the light of new experiments in the field of pedagogy.
11. Principle of creativity: - The ideal teacher will make the pupil creative learner by introducing new
materials. Good teaching open up the fields of investigations and enables the pupils to make
original contribution to the existing store of knowledge.
12. Systematic exposition: - Subjects and curriculum must be sympathetically presented to the pupils.
13. Clear understanding: - Mechanically the teachers should not teach lessons. She has to make the
portions of the lessons taught become clear to the students. She should proceed with the next part,
only if the previous parts are clearly understood by them.
14. Principle of revision and fixation: - The careful teacher shall always serve the course or lesson/units
in hand before proceeding to the next unit. Teacher should assure herself that the pupils have
grasped and fixed in their mind.
15. Areas to be selected for learning experience: - To fulfill the educational objectives, learning
experiences in terms of theory and practice are to be selected. The selection of these areas is
dependent on statutory norms, type of programme, educational objectives, the health profile and
health needs of the country.

LEVELS OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE

DIRECT EXPERIENCE: Immediate sensory contact with the actual object. It is useful educative experience
where the learner will have the opportunity to see, handle, taste, touch, felt, smelled. It gives first hand
information.
Eg: lab practice and demonstration.

VICARIOUS EXPERIENCE: Create the actual situation through rearrangement of the reality. We can bring
the world to the classroom.
Eg: model, specimen, film, television, radio, pictures, records and photographs.

SYMBOLIC EXPERIENCE: These are offered through verbal symbols (oral or written). These experiences
occur at the conceptual level.

ROLE OF INSTRUCTOR IN SELECTION OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE


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The teacher has to prepare relevant instructional objectives for the tasks.
Principles of learning have to kept in mind while planning learning experience.
  Arrange content in accordance with the planning.
 List teaching points, student’s abilities to be developed, decide on teaching method.
 Analyze and organize the elements of topics skills into effective learning experience.
 From specific objectives identify the abilities to be developed.
 Choose learning aids based on student abilities and the specific objectives.
 Suitable references have to be referred.
 Provide learning experience, evaluate, verify the achievements of the objectives.
 Interpret results of evaluation for medical work.
 Provide guidance and counselling for the learner.
 Estimate the time to be taken to teach the topic i.e. number of hours for theory and practicals.

ORGANIZATION OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE

 Organization of learning experiences has to be done carefully, systematically, and sequentially.

 Organizing involves identification and grouping of activities to be performed along with
establishment of authority responsibility relationships.
In organizing learning experience two aspect are necessary:
1. Grouping learning experience under subject headings.
2. Placement of the selected learning experience.

GROUPING LEARNING EXPERIENCE UNDER SUBJECT HEADINGS

Select the learning experience according to criteria, organize the learning experience, so that the student
will receive maximum benefit. The individual school of nursing can make their own choice based on their
philosophy and objectives of the organization. The practice of grouping them under subject methods is a
method of organization.
For example, basic sciences applied to nursing, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, physics, chemistry.
Behavioural sciences applied to nursing: psychology, sociology.
Community health nursing: nutrition, personal and environmental hygiene, health education and
communication skills.
Nursing specialties:
 Fundamentals of nursing
 Medical-surgical nursing
 Paediatric nursing
 Maternal and child health nursing
 Psychiatric nursing
 Obstetric and gynaecologic nursing

PLACEMENT OF THE SELECTED LEARNING EXPERIENCE COVERING SEQUENCING AND INTEGRATION

Placement of learning experience in the total curriculum is 2 nd step in organization of learning experience.
All the elements of the curriculum should be related to one another. The learning experience should be so
organized that they continuously reinforce each other and broader and deepen the understanding and
skills of the learners. Vertical organization of learning experience refers to the relationship existing
between different levels of the same subjects and skills.

Criteria which can serve as guide for effective organization of the subject matter and the learning
experience in the curriculum:
 Sequence in the placement of learning experience content for gradual progress from simple to
complex, concrete to abstract, normal to abnormal. For example, in 1 st year the student learns
about nutrition, this knowledge will help the student in 2nd year to understand dietary
 modifications, planning of therapeutic diets according to disease conditions and meet the
nutritional needs of different clients.
 The development of the ability to shoulder accountability. It will start early with the student’s
accountability for looking after his own health by following sound health habits and hygiene and
maintaining a personal record.
 Thereafter being accountable for health maintenance and providing basic nursing care to two-third
patients during 1st year programme.
 Being accountable to render comprehensive nursing care for several patients in subsequent years
of his educational programme.
 In the final year of the programme he is made accountable for the management of an entire
nursing unit.
Integration
A state of wholeness, harmony, and relatedness. To behind things into a harmonious whole. The
integration process takes place only in the student. Hence, teacher has to provide the opportunity to
learner to integrate his various learning experience with new ones. Learner has to analyse nursing care
situations and problems, apply the principles learned to provide qualitative nursing care. Integration of
theory into practice is essential.
For example:
1. Learning about microbiology in 1st year will make the learner for better understanding of
communicable diseases in further years. They have to integrate earlier learning to the later
learning.
2. Learning about ‘blood chemistry’ involves integrated learning to the later learning.

Relatedness
Theory has to be related to practicals, e.g. the student whatever he has learnt in classroom has to correlate
that knowledge into clinical practice. Then only learning will be comprehensive.