Courses for teachers are important as courses for students. Teaching is arguably one of the greatest professions that directly influences the development of a nation. And teachers have been great contributors to these developments by creating intellectual leaders. Therefore it is of high importance that teachers updated with the latest happenings in the world to make their courses and teaching efficient. Moreover, there is heavy competition in the ed-tech sector, thanks to the surge of online education and e-learning. To survive in such a competitive sector, teachers need to constantly update their knowledge to gain a competitive advantage. This is where teachers need refresher training.

In this blog, we will discuss what refresher training is and why you should embrace one for your benefit.

Also read: 7 Best Google Chrome Extensions for Teachers

What is Refresher Training?

Refresher training, as the name suggests, is training offered to refresh our memory. It is a well-structured course curriculum specially designed for training the teachers so that it adds more value to the course as well as credibility to the profession. Learners’ mindsets and their requirements keep on changing with respect to the environment and their surroundings. Therefore, a teacher must always be equipped with adequate knowledge and resources to meet the learners’ requirements consistently.

Why Refresher Training?

Refresher training is usually given to the teachers after a fixed duration. It involves pre-assessments and post-assessments to get an idea about their areas of improvement. Here are some reasons why refresher training is an essential factor in a teacher’s life.

•  Refresher training helps to increase retention capability. It is common nature to forget things if you don’t think about it for a long time. For a firm grasp of the subject-related matters, refresher training is the best option available.
• Refresher training is a kind of drill where the teachers undergo rigorous practice sessions. This reduces errors thereby increasing productivity.
• Sometimes, there might be a need for the teacher to take a break due to some unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, when they have to resume their profession, refresher training is a good option to consider since they can refresh their teaching skills and get updated with the latest developments in the subject.
• Never restrict teaching just to the textbooks. It should go beyond it. The teachers should have updated information in their hands so that they can pass it on the correct information to the students. A refresher training is the only way to achieve this.
• You can identify knowledge gaps and alter the training methods accordingly. When you notice that your course does not have the desired impact on the students’ performance, then it is an indication that you need refresher training.
• You might have learned some nuances of teaching during your initial teacher training program, but might have forgotten to use them in your courses. The refresher training helps revive those techniques to life and enhance your teaching abilities.

Also read: Best online teaching platforms for teachers in 2021

Popular Refresher Training Courses

Now that we have an idea about refresher training and its benefits, let us find out some of the popular refresher training programs in India. Typically, these are online programs and have the benefit of attending from anywhere. The Government of India offers most of these programs to improve the education sector.

Swayam

Swayam is a Government of India initiative with a motive to achieve the three key aspects of education – access, equity, and quality. It offers courses covering different levels such as school, engineering, under-graduate and postgraduate courses, to the students. In addition to this, teacher training and refresher training courses are also available. These courses are free of cost and SWAYAM offers certificates after a proctored assessment.

The main objective of the SWAYAM refresher training program is to make the teachers competent so that they can contribute towards building a fully digital India. The refresher training course offered by SWAYAM is particularly useful in higher education institutes. During this activity-based course, the teacher develops new teaching skills, methods, and models that they can use in their courses. The participants receive hardcopy of the course materials beforehand to make the course more participative.

DIKSHA/NTP

Diksha is another initiative by the Indian Government. It primarily focuses on providing digital infrastructure to the teachers. Inaugurated under the “Digital India” banner, the Diksha app serves as a solution provider for teachers. In India, many teachers have started using innovative technologies and tech-based solutions in their classrooms. This laid the foundation for Diksha. It was built after considering the entire life cycle of a teacher from the time they register for teacher training till they retire as an experienced professional. The app facilitates self-learning and self-assessment for teachers by helping them to create training content, profile, resources, assessment patterns, and building a connection with the teacher community.

You can implement the Diksha app in every institution as part of the teacher refresher training course.

DIKSHA or the NTP serves as a pathway to effective teaching and is applicable for all teachers including pre-primary, primary, secondary, and higher secondary. The National Teacher Platform (NTP) intends to provide training based on the following aspects – 

• Teacher training courses
• Teaching materials such as course content, concept videos, and worksheets
• Assessments for teachers to identify the areas of improvement

The NTP comes with the following features that add tremendous value to the teacher training program.

• Courses for teachers to empower continuous learning
•  Classroom resources to ensure quality teaching protocol
• Dashboard to view their progress and self-improve
• Peer discussion communities – a kind of blended learning
• Important announcements and notifications

Apart from the above programs, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had set up 66 Academic Staff Colleges (ASCs) across the nation as part of the National Policy on Education 1986. The ASCs are designed specially to conduct tailor-made orientation programmes for new lecturers as well as refresher courses for in-service teachers. The refresher course creates opportunities for teachers to learn from experiences through interaction with their peers. The UGC also provides financial assistance and other benefits as well. To know about the financial benefits and eligibility criteria, click here.

Further Reading: Open Educational Resources in India

About Learnyst

Learnyst is an LMS that offers excellent facilities to create and sell online courses. In the Learnyst platform, you can take classes through synchronous or asynchronous modes and also view learner progress simultaneously. You can even conduct online assessments with on-screen evaluation technology. 

Visit Teach online to know about the different features of Learnyst.

So, what are the next steps? 

At Learnyst, we help you with the entire process of course creation to marketing, creating your own branded online academy.