The Future of Education is Skill-Based 

MOVING away from the conventional pattern of teaching and learning, the present age is witnessing a paradigm shift in the way teachers are teaching and students are assimilating information. This change in educational patterns is all set to open up newer avenues for the teaching and learning groups, paving the way for a modern school of thought. If you are curious to know about the futuristic trends in education that will shape the lives of the global student fraternity, here are the driving forces that you should watch out for:

Learning by rote is a thing of the past. Now is the age when students are prompted to demonstrate their learnings by following a practical approach. Laying the foundation for personalized learning strategies, the future presents umpteen opportunities to unleash the creative skills of students. It is only when students show what they learnt that they will better understand the concepts of the topic, before they step into learning the next topic as an extension to the earlier one. This strategy of practically demonstrating their knowledge can help students master their subjects.

The future of education is all about strengthening and incorporating student-centric learning. In this endeavor, the onus is on teachers to adopt personalized learning and teaching patterns. Flexibility in learning is the keyword that governs the forthcoming tendency of imparting quality education to students. Given the fact that every student is unique with a different set of choices and strengths, it is through flexible learning patterns that students will benefit a great deal in future.

All thanks to umpteen technological innovations, education is witnessing a sea of change. Learning and teaching are no longer restricted to the use of textbooks and blackboards. Education has surpassed the geographical boundaries coming in the form of online training courses that can help students to enroll and complete them from any part of the globe. A host of open-source educative sites are now available to students to educate them about any topic under the sun. They can simply browse the topic that interests them the most and exchange information through social media circles.

Active participation in the online social world will set the stage for a collaborative form of learning when students of one school or country can effortlessly reach out to their peers located in other regions; whenever they want. Hence, working together paves way for better communication between students alongside improving their competencies and skills for the world to acknowledge and appreciate.

An amalgamation of education and entertainment is opening the doors to think ahead. It can mean the use of technology to concentrate on online videos or slide shows. Grabbing the attention of students, the latest technological innovations in the sphere of Augmented Reality (AR) have already replaced the pens and chalk pieces needed to learn and teach.

Relying on media as an instrument to impart education has its own benefits, brightening the future of students by honing their creative skills. While providing them with a platform to express themselves better, media learning helps students to stay in constant touch with global educational events that are happening at different venues across the globe. Educative podcasts, videos and recorded audio-video lessons are the latest educational trends that will promise a beautiful makeover to the traditional classroom-type of teaching and learning.

It should be kept in mind that the relationship between students and teachers is constantly changing and evolving with the passage of every single day. Gone are the days when teachers were tagged as the only source of learning. Now is the age when students are able to educate teachers through classroom discussions and presentations. While teachers are looking for other means to educate students, online learning comes as a handy tool to excite the participation of introverted students.

As a class enjoys the luxury of learning from different approaches, knowledge-seekers can make the most of such teaching methods. Permitting students to get introduced to global educational patterns, exchange of facts becomes a breeze when teachers assign interactive quizzes as class and home assignments along with the novel flipped classroom sessions.

Education is all about preparing students towards employment. While bookish knowledge helps them understand the topic, it is only when they apply that knowledge to a specific trade that they will shine in their jobs. Skill-based training, also called as vocational training not only enhances employability but also drives the competencies in students to try their hand in various disciplines.

Skill-based training through its modular pattern can be introduced at the secondary and higher secondary stages. Once this is done, our economy will witness a boost coming in the form of competitive professionals who are equipped with on-the-job-training. This skill-centric education allows students to stay in good stead with the advancements in their chosen field of work. Tagged as an essential pillar of education, skill-based training is one of the ways to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of trained professionals; a scenario that is rampant in many countries.

This is the generation of smartphones which are not only omnipresent but also omnipotent. Capable of simplifying our lives in a number of ways, students will be empowered to learn anywhere and anytime that is convenient to them through their internet-connected smartphones. Offering them the best learning experiences, mobile learning can further narrow the boundaries of learning.

Feedback is another tool that will see the light of the day in imparting holistic education. Positive feedback coming in the form of awards and credits will encourage students to perform better and develop a keen sense of healthy competition amongst peer groups. Departing from the traditional A to F grading of students, it is through academic credits that teachers and schools can handhold students of varying IQ levels to demonstrate their innate strengths. This mind shift of compartmentalizing students to grades will develop the positive mindset that will work in favor of the learning communities.

Students will be better prepared to identify and grab job opportunities provided they are exposed to real world experiences. Since the underlying purpose of education is to make a mark for yourself in your chosen field of work, internships offer a close-up to the corporate environment or job culture.

Internships are promising since they extend their classroom learnings to familiarize themselves with the workplace environment. While helping students gain technical knowledge about the working of organizations, in-house training workshops can hone their social skills. It is when students begin to actively participate in campus organizations that they will land up in better organizations which ultimately result in satisfying and lucrative careers. Thus, internships are important to provide the much-needed “hire experience” that translates into a permanent job with a handsome salary.

Teachers are now being trained to bring in an adaptive learning curriculum which is in the best interest of the learning fraternity. It is through such innovative platforms that teachers can improve student engagement when they begin to impart education using adaptive courseware. It is a personalized learning which helps students work on instant feedback given out by their faculty.

Coming in the form of formative assessments, students will be differentiated based on their innate strengths and capabilities. Creating enough room for improvement, appropriate learning tools can be recommended so that the nascent talents of students are unveiled and brought to the fore. This competency-based educational pattern will thus lay the foundation of a curriculum that will keep in mind the fundamental interests and individual needs of students.

Transitioning from the traditional to the modern style of imparting education did take a long time. And now that this change is wide-spread, students across the globe will be at the receiving end of multiple benefits that will not only strengthen their knowledge-base but will also pave the way for lucrative and high-paying careers they are dreaming of.

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The author is a retired Principal