JULY 20218NEP 2020 And The Online Platforms For Interdisciplinary Learninguch has been written and said about the ideal kind of education. Of late, we have begun to hear the words multidisciplinary learning, and interdisciplinary learning. This has become current all the more so as the NEP 2020 (National Education Policy 2020) brought these up. But what really is meant by interdisciplinary learning?Let's begin with the first step. A discipline. A discipline is not a subject like calculus or history. An academic discipline refers to an entire branch of knowledge like social sciences. Under the main discipline, we study subjects like anthropology, political science, sociology, geography, and law. As and when a learner begins to explore subjects under various disciplines, he begins to create new connections, understandings, and inferences. This is the beginning of interdisciplinary learning, a learning across disciplines which complement each other. Studying mathematics and statistics, along with geology, creates a specialist who can predict earthquakes, specifically: seismology. Did you know that the colour blue doesn't really exist naturally? Except for a few stones that create the hue, hue is usually an effect of physics. A student who studies this idea, across the two disciplines of art and physics, begins to understand how and why the colour blue is used in solar cells and solar technology. Looking at it another way: when your education covers one topic, or idea, from various angles, across various disciplines, it integrates various subjects.The current education system does not allow multiple interests to develop. Most of the time students study subjects in siloes. The National Education Policy 2020, has suggested multiple entry and exit points during the learning curve. According to it, "Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study, particularly in secondary school". This is another step that will help them "design their own paths of study and life plans". Additionally, there is a greater stress on vocational learning, and not just theoretical knowledge. These three suggestions will help learners to create a learning environment for themselves according to their internal and circumstantial requirements. STEM subjects will connect to humanities and art in this new system. All of this however, in NEP 2020, is still in the planning stages. As of today, the policy needs to be worked out as schools have not yet begun to implement any big changes in their courses.And so, going forward, it still remains to be seen how interdisciplinary learning will be implemented in a digital, or even a physical, environment. The biggest strength that anyone can prepare for this program to be successful is a team of facilitators. A facilitator, or a mentor, is essential for the success of an interdisciplinary education so that he may guide the learners on their journey. The learning is dependent on the interests of the learner, thus making it learner-driven. In such a scenario, the facilitator is not someone who needs to have an expert knowledge of one topic. In fact, it should be someone who has a wider knowledge of many different disciplines and can mentor the learner to make better choices. The one field which would begin to shine here is the Liberal Arts as it encompasses learning across many disciplines and can produce facilitators best suited for this education system. The learning journey itself can happen on a digital platform, or even physically, but what is critical is to have a well-versed mentor guidance. The next most important aspect of this education system is the content. A narrow, single pointed interest or subject cannot help the student move forward. The internet is definitely a rich trove of knowledge that IN MY OPINIONBy Kamini Vidisha, Co-Founder, ACadruShe leads the business operations which includes program development, vendor management, business model testing and business scaling.MKamini Vidisha, Co-Founder
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