For years now, the education system has been caught between the desire to do more and the inability to find time to accommodate these intensive changes. But online learning has truly catalysed an array of changes that experts believe will continue to thrive even post the pandemic. It is widely accepted now that the schooling system will not go back to its earlier way of functioning. The idea of a classroom is no longer restricted to the four walls of a building, struggling with constraints such as space, infrastructure, volume, and capacity.
Best of both worlds
If we are to believe the rumours, hybrid learning models are going to take over with schools conducting in class sessions in batches and reducing the number of hours students spend in classrooms. To pull this off, multidisciplinary teaching and learning will have to be the operational framework.
In multidisciplinary learning, one concept is explored through multiple mediums, viewpoints and channels. For instance, online learning is a multidisciplinary form of learning since a subject is taught by leveraging different kinds of technology. Students who learn online refine their technical skills and also learn to appreciate various technical components that go into making their classes a success.
So how do these two dynamic forces come together?
With hybrid models, much of rote learning will be replaced by skill development, which the earlier system did not incorporate as much. Students will be put in charge of their own learning, and teachers will be facilitators. Thus, students will be forced to develop a scientific temperament and improve their research and reasoning skills, conceptual abilities, and more.
Learning is an amalgamation of experiences, all of which are outside school textbooks. For an education that prepares students to be future ready, it is instrumental for them to have skills that are beyond their abilities to regurgitate their curriculum in exams.
Since hybrid models are being developed to refine skills, many multidisciplinary methods will be adopted, as they have already been over the pandemic. Students will be taught how to extract the best use of technology at their disposal, create unique methods of managing and monitoring their self study, and most importantly, do all these on their own. The greater accountability this system aims at establishing will push students to think outside-the-box.
It will be a while before we see tangible results, since these changes require a lot of time. Thus, the process alone is one that is a learning curve for both students and teachers alike. If implemented properly with a strong operational framework, the multidisciplinary approach is definitely where the future of education will lead students to.
The writer is Founder and CEO, TagHive
