“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school”.
-Albert Einstein
Learning cannot be enforced; Learning must happen. So, we must begin from the ‘inside.’ Learning is a life-long phenomenon and must be offered, made to flow within, and not forced upon the mind.
If education is to meet the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century, we must recognize that learning takes place far beyond the formal education sector. Drawing on a wide-ranging review of educational innovation and contemporary analysis of economic, social, and technological change, an education revolution requires us to think far more radically about young people and the options for reform. It outlines a vision of education fit for the twenty-first century.
An excellent education teaches a youngster to observe, anticipate, comprehend, think critically and thoroughly, and then apply that knowledge to overcome obstacles and advance society. That is how we will raise a generation of problem-solvers out of Gen-Z. We won’t get there by relying too heavily on strategy but by using a balanced amalgamation of varied learning methods.
What is the meaning of learning beyond books?
Moving beyond the textbook means adopting a new way of thinking about learning materials. They integrate the best openly licensed text, images, multimedia, and interactive elements that enable practice and immediate feedback. It also means thinking beyond content to deliver information and as an educational tool that can promote new forms of pedagogy that involve students as participants.
“If creative methods are used and innovative ideas implemented, learning can become a celebration beyond boundaries.”
Different resources used for learning beyond books:
1] Electronic Media: e- library, Newspaper, Radio, Television
2] Internet: Documentaries, Biographies.
3] Fictional and non-fictional stories/novels, Holy books, Magazines, Journals, and Literature.
4] Lectures, maps, atlas, globe.
5] Computer Games, Sports, NCC.
6] Group Activities: Summer outdoor camps, exhibitions and models, drama {learning through storytelling and action}, museum, planetarium, participation in Social Responsibility Causes, engaging in community service, participating in fundraisers and volunteering with NGOs, and hobby clubs.
7] Family, Peer group, community resources.
8] Exploring and discovery: learning through real-time experimentation.
9] Learning through connecting with the environment.
10] Vocational training and workshops.
Gone are the days when depictions of education included a classroom, a teacher, and a group of pupils holding a stack of books for everyone. Education no longer takes place inside the four walls of a school but anywhere and whenever.
Top eLearning Resources:
· Google Digital Garage
· edX
· YouTube
· Lynda
· Udemy
· Alison
· Khan Academy
· MIT Open Courseware
Top documentaries for Learning
· Get Smart with Money
· The Future Of
· The Great hack
· The China Hustle
· The Mind Explained
· The Uber Story
· The Business of Drugs
· Abstract-The Art of Design
· How to Change your Mind
· The Social Dilemma
Top You-Tube Channels
· Vox
· Andrew Huberman
· Smarter Every day
· Big Think
· Bloomberg Technology
· The School of Life
· Bernard Marr
· Talks at Google
· Crash Course
Why learning beyond books is essential?
The open education movement was founded on going beyond the textbook. To mold the young minds with a holistic educational approach that emphasizes grooming and shaping the innate skills and potential of the young minds rather than just goading them with mainstream academic pressure, today’s society has a higher demand for self-awareness and more specialized skills.
However, students today need a much more solid foundation to handle the modern trends and paradigms of higher education and career platforms. This is only feasible when the emphasis is placed on developing young brains and not simply their academic advancement.
BENEFITS OF LEARNING BEYOND BOOKS:
● Development of critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, collaboration, teamwork, and leadership abilities and results in a more profound comprehension of complex ideas.
● Cognitive, Social, cultural, aesthetic, personality, and emotional development.
● Assists in developing fundamental abilities such as conceptualization, observation, listening, sharing, and questioning.
● Aids in improving pupils’ welfare, resilience, and confidence.
● Fostering inquisitiveness and analytical thinking.
● Fostering in children a strong sense of responsibility, delegation, negotiation, and cooperation through developing social skills, knowledge, and values.
● Developing in pupils a sense of perseverance and a readiness to face challenges.
● Creates an enthusiasm for learning, provides a real-world context, and exposes students to various STEM careers.
The nature of education and its approaches have drastically changed over time. The rigidity of textbooks and exams is gradually eroding in today’s academic environment. Learning beyond books has various benefits that both educators and students are now acknowledging.
Leading educational institutions are openly adopting new pedagogies and teaching methodologies to help students align themselves with the demands of the 21st-century world by implementing the following strategies:
Connecting knowledge to life outside of school, moving away from teacher- or textbook-centric learning to child-centric learning, flexibility in the examination system, and nurturing democratic values.
Preparing students to become responsible adults who value cultural variety and can contribute to the nation-building process through economic and social development activities is crucial.
Written by Mr. Vikram Soni – Jitin Chawla Team
