Experiential Learning, a key to quality education or a multi-dimensional pedagogy approach to higher education

• Share your views on the present landscape of the higher education space. What are the major gaps that you are currently witnessing?

India is the second-largest market for e-learning after the US. The future of education is focused on preparing students for leadership positions in a globalized world, but our country ranks as low as 72 among 132 countries in the latest Global Talent Competitive Index (2020), which gauges a country’s current ability to grow and attract talents.

Today's landscape of Higher Education demands high-speed internet, mobile technologies, social media platforms, and other crucial aspects that define the educational paradigm. These days, personalized learning anytime and anywhere transforms teachers into facilitators and mentors. Although India has one of the most excellent pools of workers, the quality of that manpower is a concern. Substandard educational institutions produce degree-seeking graduates who aren't professionals in the proper meaning of the word. The major challenge right in front of us is a paucity of skills required for varied domains and a lack of awareness among students regarding executive courses and their future economic prospects.

Our nation can learn from countries like UAE, China, and Singapore, who serve as the host countries for establishing joint ventures, contractual models, or wholly-owned International Branch Campuses and regulate our system ina manner that will lead the way to its goal of becoming the next big global education hub.

Contrary to popular belief, 91% of Indian students opt to study abroad during the post-pandemic era. However, brain drain is happening across the young student body. We can make arguments related to the high quality of education, ROI on degrees, precise work placements, and if you are after acquiring particular courses, you have many options compared to just one learning institution here in India.

• What is Experiential Learning, and how can it improve the quality of education?

Experiential Learning is learning through gaining experience. It is more prevalent in the western world, wherein students are given hands-on experience with their education. They move beyond the boundaries of theoretical learning and involve students more actively and closely in the learning process, which is an area of improvement in our Indian education system. We as a company are in a direction to modernize our existing system by inculcating Experiential Learning. It is the need of the hour, and with this, students are better able to apply ideas and knowledge taught in the classroom to real-world issues when they are engaged in hands-on experiences. We as a company are in a direction to modernize our existing system by inculcating Experiential Learning. Here learners will delve into their skills, interests, passions, and values, helping them become informed individuals. Additionally, it helps boost self-confidence and leadership skills in our students. Experiential Learning also offers opportunities to collaborate with diverse organizations and people with professional knowledge & experiences, and skill-sets.

Individuals often wonder what their purpose in life is, especially when it comes to long-term goals like pursuing higher education or working in a company. Unfortunately, many students worry that they may never discover their true Ikigai until they are well into their golden years. Everything jots down to one thing – lack of experience and practical learning.

• What major benefits students can draw from Experiential Learning? How will it impact their learning and career-building process?

Experiential Learning is synchronous with critical thinking and effective intelligence. Here, critical thinking is an intellectual process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information available. With experiential learning, students can come out of rote learning and could apply their minds to solve real-world problems. In short, experiential learning helps learners to awaken their minds and gives them the ability to think.

It is no longer the standard to have a student ready for college directly after high school and enrolled in full-time programs to obtain a degree. This learner's profile has evolved over time. The rise of the "non-traditional" student has been fueled by the shifting employment landscape in which the nature of future professions is always altering. By posing questions, examining, experimenting, and making meaning out of a situation, experiential learning keeps the learner actively involved. As a result, institutions are now requiring students to participate in internships and courses to prepare them for the difficult scenarios they may encounter in the workplace. In this way, the students are better positioned to know themselves and their interests. They are more informed about themselves and the demands in the industry to make intelligent decisions than before.

Once a student realizes their passion, it becomes much easier for their career to fall into place. They are working towards a goal and finding new ways to make it happen. There is no 'one' path that is the correct path, but the person gets there eventually by continuously learning and improving.

• How can multi-dimensional pedagogy address the current nuances of the higher education segment?

In my opinion, Edtech industries have a greater onus to develop an ecosystem that will provide a high-quality educational experience. Responding to the evolving student needs coupled with rapidly changing industry demands is extremely crucial for all-around development, and we at Jaro Education have a dedicated team that caters to learners' demands and gives them a personal experience.

Multi-dimensional pedagogy can help redefine the education system that caters to the diverse necessities of students and equips them with credentials needed to remain relevant in the industry and add value over time. These days, the career motives of students are choosing an online course that is most likely linked with earning a better salary or building a career better aligned to the student's interest area.

Technology continues to be the driving force behind the online learning environment in India and throughout the world. Many online learning companies, including Jaro Education, being one of them and global universities, are now innovating to develop online learning programs, pedagogies, and content that deliver on unique student expertise and support learners at every stage, whether they are entering the job market, changing fields, seeking a promotion, or exploring new interests. These online universities deliver courses for curious minds on topics of all paradigms ranging from computer science to leadership and communications.

Today, a knack for two more things other than your vital area is beneficial and creates an edge over others. This is where confidence comes into play; you're way ahead of those around you to adapt and learn in the environment.

• As digitization has emerged as the new norm of higher education, what more digitized innovations can we expect across the higher education segment?

In today’s digital era, higher education across the world has aligned itself with quality standards and forces of change. The rise of trends like AI, the fourth industrial revolution, and the future of work transform the system. We at Jaro Education, incorporate these developments into our programmes to provide quality and up to date skill-based education to our learners.

There has been a paradigm shift in the learners’ base from urban to suburban and rural. At Jaro, the future Edtech is flexible and customized, making personalized learning the preferred learning path to fulfilling this industry's changing needs and tech trends.

There has been an increase in traditional education costs and the rise of non-traditional learning methods in global education settings. Thus at Jaro, millions of students are selecting both short and long-term courses; accessing such high-quality executive education at any time and from any location is becoming the standard.

Traditional education is being transformed by online colleges and other learning organizations, reducing the obstacles of cost, location, and access. Jaro Education has continuously collaborated with some of the best institutes like SRM University (Directorate of Online Education), D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Centre of Online Learning (DPU COL), etc., to provide accessible and quality education.

Hence, Jaro will redefine education possibilities, giving the highest-quality, stackable learning experiences, including new-age and innovative programs, which are projected to grow in the future as tech trends evolve.

With the increasing use of data by corporate giants like Amazon, Facebook and even the mid and small scale companies, the future of Edtech seems to cater for every student in the utmost personalized way possible. From counselling to getting the perfect work in the industry, Edtech will earn the learner covered.