Indian Education - Towards Growth, Learning and Success
Learning is not limited to a formal setting and is picking up pace in the virtual world. Most countries are adapting to online education from offline education while finding ways to keep sessions and classes as interactive as possible. However, the process of teaching, learning, and gaining knowledge via formal education is crucial to everyone’s personal and professional growth. Real-life experiences play a vital role in the learning processes of a person. Formal education at a tertiary level in a country abroad unfolds horizons different from a more local and familiar environment you have been raised in. Most times we learn new things without even consciously realising it!
An investment in knowledge pays you the best interest.
- Benjamin Franklin
The education system across the world has evolved with time, adapting traditional methods of teaching with increased reliance on technology to suit modern times. Currently, a large part of the world has moved from traditional study material like physical notes and paperback books to digital notes and credible online texts or sources. India’s education system too has hopped onto this bandwagon and is becoming tech-savvy. Constantly learning from its own experiences, the system is finding better ways to impart knowledge. Over time, ways of imparting knowledge has evolved wherein class participation is valued, students are encouraged to build their all-around personality and explore their interests outside the classroom as well.
Here’s how the Indian education system facilitates growth.
Interactive & Enquiry-based Learning
Everyone, including students and teachers, has valid opinions worthy of consideration. From being an education system where teachers had the final say, it has now transformed into one where everyone in the classroom bounces ideas off each other. This is especially true for higher education. The skills of the students are also tested through fun pop quizzes, among other forms of testing. Occasional debates, group projects, and brainstorming sessions allow students to freely express their ideas. This is a massive step towards progress, quickly moving away from the traditional methods of teaching and learning.
Group Learning
The popular saying “two heads are better than one” has never been more true to a situation than it is to learning. While some students may choose to study individually, learning in groups proves to be highly advantageous too. Multiple times over an academic year, students are split into groups to work on projects and assignments together. Doing this helps students understand perspectives, allowing them to learn from their peers. This further builds their confidence and improves their communication skills, and work as a team. Along with scoring a good grade, this form of learning also allows students to grow personally and develop skills that will come in handy.
Practical Learning
The traditional education system would put too much emphasis on theoretical learning, and not enough on practicals. However, many fields of learning require the students to look beyond the textbook and get some hands-on knowledge to fully grasp concepts. Most schools and universities are fully equipped with science and computer laboratories. Teachers include practical lessons in their curriculum, to help students achieve an all-around understanding. In colleges and universities, labs are more advanced, allowing students to use equipment suitable for their projects. For instance, film schools allow students to shoot and edit films, using the institution’s cameras and editing software. With this, students truly understand how to put their theoretical knowledge into practice.
NEXT IMAGE
Technological Advancements
Originally students in India gained most of their knowledge from textbooks and ancient scriptures used by teachers. Over time, India has progressed along with the rest of the world, using technology as a new medium to teach. Higher education especially makes the most use of this method, with teachers preparing presentations and using projectors to teach, and uploading course material and taking quizzes over online portals. This makes learning more convenient and materials more accessible, as students can take their laptops wherever they go, and stay up-to-date with their studies.
Periodic Evaluation
Educational institutions in many countries including the UK and the USA evaluate students once every semester, on the curriculum they have been taught over the period of 4-6 months. Final assessments are usually the only examination or form of evaluation conducted once every semester across the world. However, in the Indian education system, students are evaluated on a regular basis every semester, making learning constant and efficient.
Approachable Faculty
Faculty anywhere is meant to be a support system for students, readily available to help them learn and clear doubts. Some foreign countries allow students to speak to their teachers only on an appointment basis, outside the classroom. While professors in such systems are more than willing to help students, they require formal booking of time slots for meetings. Indian teachers have set office hours between which students have permission to approach them, but most institutes do not ask them to fix a time much in advance. Here an open door policy is practised, where students can go up to their teachers at any point during work hours. This helps build a better rapport between both parties, lets students acquaint themselves with their teachers, and facilitates smoother communication and learning.
Many organizations around the country are tirelessly working on new ways to improve the system every day. India, through the decades, has greatly evolved in this sphere. Indian education has transformed into something that allows room for ideas, opinions, technological advancements, and abundant opportunities. It breeds forward-thinking, a willingness to learn, and eager students who are ready to step into the real world and make their professional dreams come true.
