With the changing pace of technology and market dynamics, non-stop learning is emerging as the mantra for success. Photo: Mint |
In
today’s fast-paced technology world, knowledge obsolescence is common.
Any knowledge becomes “half” as relevant in one-and-a-half to two years,
implying that if one doesn’t learn something substantially new, his or
her knowledge would contract to one-16th, or of virtually zero
relevance, within six to eight years after a few half-life periods.
Over the last three decades, the pace of change in technology has only accelerated. The size of personal computers has shrunk. Today, almost everyone owns a mobile. And, there has been a sea change in the way we communicate today, thanks to social media. All such changes are occurring mainly due to two reasons—products and services being driven by technological innovations and strong consumer focus at businesses.
These incessant changes raise a few questions: How are Indian learning institutions adapting to such change? Are teaching methods being transformed at the same pace? Is content being upgraded in line with the evolution in technology and industry? Are students the focal point of this learning process?
Do students have more choices than earlier? If so, are these being considered when deciding on what they will be taught in colleges and institutes?
Institutes need to think of these issues holistically and students need to adopt three key philosophies towards learning that could help them in meaningful career growth...
Students now just want professors to function as “facilitators” in their learning of world-class materials by presenting, summarizing and elaborating concepts. With these fast-evolving digital tools and technologies, traditional educational institutes must understand their present global standing and make requisite overhauls in strategies and implementation, which should include the four Cs of 21st century learning: Communication, Collaboration, Critical thinking and Creativity.
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Source: Livemint