siliconindia | | July 20178LEARNING IN THE ERA OF DIGITIZATION: EDUCATION UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATIONBy Venguswamy Ramaswamy, Global Head, TCS iONA strategic unit of Tata Consultancy Services, TCS iON provides technology by means of a unique IT-as-a-Service model, offering end-to-end business solutions mainly to Manufacturing Industries (SMBs), Educational Institutions, and Examination Boards.I f you take a look at people absorbed in their screens around you, can you tell who is doing what? You may assume that most of them are watching a mov-ie, playing a game, and yes, tagging the latest post on Facebook. But what if you found out that one of them could be learning how to solve a Mathematics theorem, one of them could be learning a new trend in embroidery, one of them completely engrossed in a hectic code-thon and so on.As unreal as it may sound, that, in all probability, is actually what people and screens are up to. The Gen Y may be missing in the classrooms, the dedicated employ-ee of yours may be skipping an office party, your own spouse may be assigning you a grocery trip ­because, they all are busy, learning. Where? Not inside a concrete wall struc-ture but on and around their devices. They are using the power of push-button revo-lution to study, learn, unlearn, re-learn, share, practise, and experience education like never before.Just a few years back, the concept of peer-based learning may have sounded out-rageous or silly, but not anymore. Today, the very aspect of tapping a peer for amplifying fundamentals, seeking out clarifica-tions, practicing examples, discussing and debating to get her has given an action flavor to an otherwise dull classroom.Blogs, online forums, and communities have replaced libraries. Peers and self-assessments have taken over con-ventional pedagogy. Videos, demos, real-world simula-tions and other digital wonders have wiped out orthodox and obsolete modes. This new Gen Y wants to go to a flipped classroom where using peers is more powerful than hierarchal system, where campus is not for teach-ing but for discussion, where they can find something that is convenient but at the same time cost/time friendly, and effective enough to show visible results and not just report cards.A flipped classroom turns the traditional format of a class upside down in many ways. Here, a learner gets the content lined up in advance, the material is not a surprise element that will be revealed during a class but something the learner is pre-equipped with and all that remains is to actually under-stand and apply what the material teaches. This is a big transition towards outcome-oriented learning. Infact, the new generation of learners won't be content with just the syllabus unless it leads them to a purpose-led outcome.The job market has undergone a drastic change. People are also changing what they learn, how they learn based on why they want to learn ­ the kind of work they will sink their teeth into, no wonder, digi-tal learning or cloud-based tools are now dominant waves.IN MY OPINIONVenguswamy Ramaswamy
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