Mnemonics in ancient India

1. (Pronounced "ne-mon'-ics")
The art of assisting the memory,
by using a system of artificial aids

2. USE OF MNEMONICS FOR EFFECTIVE
TEACHING
A.S.Nene & V.S.Landge

3. Artificial aids
• Rhymes,
• Rules,
• Phrases
• Diagrams,
• Acronyms
• Other devices

4. From childhood to old age
one uses this technique knowingly or unknowingly.
Government also uses this technique

5. Abstract concepts, principles and ideas.
Hard for students to comprehend.

6. Remove a misconception that
Geotechnical engineering subjects
are descriptive and less scoring

7. Teaching-learning is a two way process
Unless every student learns,
the process is incomplete.

8. One picture is worth thousand words
a Chinese proverb.

9. MAIN LEARNING STYLES
Visual
Auditory
Kinesthetic

10. Visual Learners
Visual learners relate most effectively to
written information, notes, diagrams and
pictures.
Visual learners make up around 65% of the
population.
You will find such learners sitting on first
5 to 6 benches

11. Auditory Learners
Auditory learners relate most effectively
to the spoken word.
Auditory learners make up about
30% of the population.
You will find such learners sitting on Middle
three benches

12. Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic Learners learn effectively
through touch and movement and space,
and learn skills by imitation and practice
Kinesthetic learners make up around
5% of the population.
You will find such learners sitting on
Last benches

13. Senses of Perception
Use all the senses to code information or
dress up an image.
Ask the students to use all senses
of perceptions to learn new things,
Plasticity of fine grained soils
Knead and roll a wet soil mass
Use clay and fly-ash samples

14. Innovative Questions
Use humor, Funny or peculiar things
Name the curve which is plotted as a
straight line!
Flow curve

15. Enigmatic questions
Enigmatic questions are very difficult to forget!
What is common / uncommon between
Foot & Footing?
Both transfer loads to earth but
one is above and
other is below the ground

16. Rude Rhymes
Rude rhymes are very difficult to forget.
A for Atterberg,
B for Boussinesq,
C for Coulomb and
D for Darcy

17. Models
Bringing three dimensions & movement to an image
makes it more vivid.
Show models in the class room itself.
Arrange model competitions with subjects such as
• Plate/pile load test,
• Dewatering techniques,
• Construction with Geosynthetics etc.

18. Positive, Pleasant Images.
The brain often blocks out unpleasant ones.
Vivid, colorful images are easier to remember
than drab ones.
Use well drawn colored charts.. Use cartoons

19. Exaggeration
Exaggerate the size of important parts of
the image
Use Appropriate Symbols

20. Three Dimensions and Movement
Three dimensions and movement
to an image makes it more vivid.

21. Mnemonics of Ancient India
Vedic literature (Veda, Puranas & Upnishadas)
could be preserved as it is in poetic form with
strict grammatical rules.
Things were named to indicate its quality
Copper Sulphate - Mayurgriva- Green as neck of a
peacock
Each of Digits 0 to 9 has hundreds of alternate
names 1- Sun, Moon, 2 Hands, eyes etc

22. CONCLUSION
Mnemonics is a very useful tool
for educators and students

23. For any suggestions
Contact
Dr.A.S.Nene
M4 Laxmi Nagar,
Nagpur (India) 440022
Email: nene_ashok@yahoo.com