Dr. Raj Shree Dhar
“O, Seeker! Open the chalice of your eye… Behold and drink from the stream of wine of bliss that flows from inner Wisdom, Knowledge and Light.”-Mata Rupa Bhawani
Two friends, Zero and Infinity, are conversing and discussing the changes in Education system in order to make this world a better place to live (while going for a morning walk). Zero exclaims, ah! How wonderful is the cloudy climate today and the strength of our connection and faith that help us to pull through difficult times and murmurs while singing: Earth had created the rivers and the rivers had created the canals…
Infinity with her beautiful smile starts the topic of her interest that whether emergence of Education 4.0 has some connection with the success of 4th Industrial Revolution?
The clouds with a strange combination of black and white over blue rolled ones getting nearer and nearer, Infinity began to dive deep into her being to produce knowledge about the global development and added that Industry 1.0 (1784) was based on mechanical production equipment driven by water and steam power. Industry 2.0 (1870) was based on mass production enabled by the division of labor and the use of electrical energy. Industry 3.0 (1969) was based on the use of electronics and IT to further automate production.
Industry 4.0 (today) is based on the use of cyber-physical systems and internet. Industry 4.0 can play a vital role in raising the global income levels and take our current stand of living to a next orbit. Technology has made it possible to make products and services that enable us to lead a better life. It harnesses the potential of digital technologies, from childhood teaching to life- long learning, in fact a new vision for learning. The innovations and advances are led by strong emergence of fields like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, 3-D Printing, Material Science, Quantum Computing and Energy Storage etc. The impact of such breakthroughs is so rapid that the fourth industrial revolution is evolving at an exponential pace, and disrupting almost every industry. Ordering a cab, booking a flight, buying a product, making a payment, listening to music, watching a film, or playing a game-any of these can now be done remotely. As the factual knowledge of a student can be measured during their learning process, the application of their knowledge is best tested when they work on projects in the field.
The need for Education 4.0, an extraordinary knowledge system, arose as soon as the fourth Industrial Revolution was announced formally in 2016 at Davos. It is high time that the institutions of learning embrace this revolution in education and put the Internet of things to good use, wherein learning has moved from hardware to software and is finally everywhere. Education 4.0 is about teaching expertise that is flexible enough to adapt to different learning styles and the needs of the contemporary world. Blended learning that uses both technology and face time between teacher and students will come into play as the dominant pedagogy. Learning will move from painful data dumping to the quest for creativity, collaboration, problem solving ability, higher order thinking and the sheer joy of discovery. Learning 4.0 is no longer just about cognition in a classroom; rather it is about total immersion of the learner in real life situations.
Students will have more opportunities to learn at different times in different places. E-Learning tools will facilitate opportunities for remote, self-paced learning. Classrooms will be flipped, which means the theoretical part is learned outside the classroom, whereas the practical part shall be taught face to face, interactively.
Education 4.0 will cease to promote narrow competitive instinct through marks and remarks. Students will be involved in forming their curricula. The need of the hour is Education 4.0, a reboot of higher education that balances the cost, quality and scale. Education 4.0 focuses on the way of teaching like virtual technologies, robotics etc. and will be an experiential continuum between our expanding self and the larger universe. Our educators have to be rooted in the conviction that they can shape the future of the world through their students. Teachers will begin to see the linkage between inner transformation of students, moral values and the broader societal change and building of confidence, motivation, connection with roots and values, innovation in students.
“To love and to be loved is the greatest gift in life,” added Zero.
Branding of education is also about imbibing the consistency of our perennial human values in an inconsistent world. Presently, Graded autonomy resolutions and Autonomous colleges resolution are the regulations that break away universities into 3 categories, Category I means those receiving more than 3.5 in NAAC scores, II category means those receiving 3.25 to 3.5 and Category III means less than 3.25. Category 1 also means among top 500 international universities ranked by Times Hr Edu or by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) world university rankings. Category I and II are granted considerable autonomy, they can start new courses, programmes, departments, schools while category III remain subject to existing rules. Category 1 and 2 can open constituent colleges within their geographical jurisdiction in self-financing mode, also can offer courses in open and distance mode and can engage in international collaborations including hiring foreign faculty. Decision making authority has been shifted from UGC to statuary bodies of these universities like finance committee, academic council and governing board. Category I universities will automatically come under section 12 B of UGC Act without a UGC inspection.
Zero looking intently at her face, added calmly, ”How the Fourth Industrial Revolution will transform the healthcare sector, financial services, mobile communications, education and many other industries. How mankind can leverage technology in ways to promote growth for the poor as well as the rich. How breakthroughs in science and technology help solve international public health crises and complex global issues like climate change. How public- and private-sector leaders can better prepare their communities and constituencies for our rapidly changing global security and geopolitical landscape. What does the latest global security picture truly look like in 2020 and beyond? And how can new technologies keep people safe from cyber attacks? How Government’s role in this complex, fast-moving world should be redefined to promote transparency in economic, social and environmental reform.”
The clouds began to disperse after being adorned with the luster of the Sun. They ended their conversation and reached their destinations. During the day, Zero took up his brush and began to paint his visions in the clouds.
(The author is Principal Govt College of Education, Jammu)
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