Bridging Theory and Practice: Driving Hands-On Learning Impact

Amey Karkare, Professor and Dean of Resources and Alumni, IIT Kanpur, in an interaction with Grena, Correspondent, Higher Education Review magazine, shared his views on the importance of practical, experiential learning in modern higher education. He stresses that the academic success comes when the theory and practice are in sync and students are able to work with the real world problems instead of relying solely on textbook knowledge.

Prof. Amey Karkare has extensive experience in compiler optimization and program analysis. He has served as Head of CSE (2023-2024) and held key roles in digital infrastructure and online education at IIT Kanpur. He is recognized for innovations in programming pedagogy, notably developing the Prutor platform and leading large-scale programming courses impacting tens of thousands of students.

How can academic institutions redesign curricula to integrate hands-on learning without compromising theoretical foundations?

Practical learning is a necessary component of any educational institution and more impactful than learning by observation or hearing. Curriculum redesign must be rooted in the philosophy that theory and practice are not adversaries but complementary. Many advanced courses at IIT Kanpur incorporate the practical aspects such as laboratory activities, mini-projects, case studies and exercises that address real world problems. These components ensure that the theoretical integrity is upheld while students also acquire significant hands-on experience. Across the curriculum, we strive to ensure that students engage deeply with hands-on, experiential learning.

What innovative teaching methods best help students apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios?

One of the important approaches is a project-based learning, where students are presented with open-ended tasks and must create tangible outcomes. Case studies help the students in refining decision making skills through solving the real-world challenges. New teaching methods have emerged in the recent years. One is the flip classroom method where students learn specific concepts by reading books or watching videos and classroom hours are dedicated to engaging discussions. This will ensure that the lectures remain interesting and the students can answer any questions that may arise as a result of their self-directed learning. In general, these approaches motivate students to learn independently, try out new things, encounter challenges, and subsequently consult an expert to understand why a particular method failed. The core idea is learning by doing.

How can partnerships with industry enhance experiential learning opportunities for students?

Industries serve as a significant source of meaningful and relevant problem statements. In the case of industries collaborating with educational institutions, the curriculum is given credibility and better fitment to practical needs. Such partnerships can also help students to work on real-world projects and gain access to the latest developments and innovative technologies. Furthermore, internships and apprenticeship programs also provide students with an opportunity to apply classroom learning in practice, thereby improving practical skills, project management skills, and overall career readiness.

The courses and laboratories should be developed in collaboration with the industry, and the problem statements used in the laboratories are often offered by the industry directly. Such problem statements put students in touch with the real-world problems, practical constraints, and the reasons why ideal solutions are not always applicable, and what kind of engineering approximations are required in practice.

What are the biggest challenges that students face when applying theoretical knowledge in practical settings?

One of the major challenges in the application of the theoretical knowledge is the fact that theory is normally taught in an ideal environment. In practice, these ideal conditions are rarely exist and requiring the use of engineering approximations. Real-world problem-solving is not a one-step action; it has to be iterative, refined and constantly adjusted.

There are also psychological barriers. When students step into real-life situations, they often experience a fear of failure and a fear of the unfamiliar. These issues can be overcome with practical training, internship, and even environment simulation. Providing safe spaces for experimentation such a tinkering labs, maker spaces, VR labs, or active campus clubs such as the Science and Technology Council allows students to engage with real-world problems.

How does hands-on learning improve employability and career readiness compared to traditional learning?

Employers no longer require textbook knowledge; they demand flexibility, problem solving skills and confidence - all of which can be most effectively acquired by practical education. Most of the alumnus acknowledge that classroom learning was the least effective when compared to the outside of the classroom experiences in the form of clubs, lab work, industry internships, or professor research experiences during the summer terms. Rote learning mainly results in basic recall of knowledge. Experiential learning fosters the ability to apply knowledge effectively. This capacity for application is what truly prepares students to be job-ready in the modern workforce.

In what ways can students proactively seek real-world exposure when such opportunities are limited?

Technology is a great equalizer these days and the lack of resources should not limit the curiosity of a student anymore. Massive open online courses offer useful learning opportunities. YouTube, Kaggle, and GitHub are some of the platforms that provide a significant amount of knowledge and allow the students to enhance their hands-on skills. Students can network with alumni. Moreover, the one-on-one Alumni Inspired Mentorship Program offers a chance to an alumnus to mentor students, with matching based on areas of interest.

How can industries support academia in building labs, internships, and apprenticeships that drive real-world learning?

The industry can be transformative through co-investing in infrastructure, expertise and exposure of real-life issues into academic settings. The joint laboratories developed in cooperation with industry offer the accessibility to equipment and problems statements that are aligned with the existing professional requirements. Academic structures can also be integrated with the industry internships and apprenticeships to make them credit-bearing courses or modules, ensuring they meet academic requirements.

How can impact of hands-on learning be measured - both for students and industries?

Hands-on learning can only be measured using both qualitative and quantitative measures and the indicators differ among the various stakeholders. In the case of students, such measures include the rate of employment, entrepreneurship, and objective results such as patents or other achievements. In the case of industry, it revolves around optimized productivity, lowered training expenses, and the robustness of their innovation streams. The wider community impact is also to be evaluated. This can be measured using surveys, longitudinal studies and performance analytics. The general idea is to measure the way practical training changes people, organizations and sectors.

Is there anything else you'd like to share that you think students should know?

For students, the most critical thing to do is to get to know their own interests and inclinations. The trend today is to go in one direction in the field of AI and machine learning just because they seem profitable. But not everybody fits in the same field and every person has unique strengths and weaknesses. Students should understand what actually matters to them. Any profession can be successful when followed with proper preparation and interest.  Thus, the main advice is not to be guided by the trends but to choose the path that has one's own passion and skills. Success will come automatically with the dedication and determination.