Knowledge
Gains over grades: Prioritizing Learning Gains in Education
Comparing a student who studies for only the grades to a student who studies the material for the love of it is erroneous in the first place.
From being a country where we had world-class universities and a system of education wherein the Guru- Shishya culture was nothing short of divine, where education was meant to be a way of life, we have come to a point where the schools are like factories, churning out stereotype students, not very much different from each other. Our education system is often said to have gone awry due to the British Raj wherein an attempt was made to curb originality and freedom to question. Seven decades down the line, the Government of India is still struggling to get things back on track- devising methods to not only develop cognitive capacities like critical thinking and problem-solving attitude- but also social, ethical, and emotional capabilities and dispositions.
Our obsession with grades puts us in a mad frenzy
The race to outdo each other in the mad quest for more marks and grander grades has rotted the very essence of education. The students are made to believe that if they just studied hard enough, and got the best grades, they would somehow have the best career graph. The constant need for high grades leads to an immense amount of stress emotionally, physically, and even psychologically.
Can we allow grades to be touted as the be-all and end-all of education? What about the thrill of gaining invaluable knowledge and understanding a new subject matter?
Grades can never be a foolproof metric for predicting success. They may not always be able to gauge the ability to identify problems, critically evaluate alternatives and suggest appropriate solutions. If anything, they are an effective yardstick to measure one’s ability and willingness to memorize and reiterate information. An engineering student who aces all the exams does not by virtue of the marks become fit to apply this bookish knowledge in a meaningful and effective way in society. It just means that the student is an excellent test taker, or has a photographic memory.
Who you are is more important
Once we are through with academia, life stops being ruled by our grades. We are known by how much value we can add to our company, to our vocation- business, art, education, or health care – and to the lives of others, and has little to nothing to do with our academic accolades.
In the long run, one is required to consistently demonstrate the ability to apply conceptual knowledge to various situations. Often, one is required to work in diverse groups to resolve complex issues affecting various stakeholders. Here again, I shall reiterate the fact that the Government is toying with the idea of concept-based learning and we are moving in the right direction.
The rules of the game are changing.
The New Approach of giving more cognizance to gains than grades has reasons embedded in the system itself. There is an all-new perspective being reflected in the choices of new-age employers. An employer trying to meet the new age demands of a growing global economy today focuses less on grades, sometimes not at all when he hires. In the new setup, the employer wants to see if the candidate is adaptable or not. How quickly one can learn a new skill, unlearn it if required, and learn a brand new one when needed. Being able to work under pressure and in a team are the new demands. For the new-age employees who are constantly being threatened by automation, it is imperative to come to terms with the new challenges. Schools and colleges need to work on the development of Emotional Quotient (EQ) and 21st-century skills-creativity, flexibility, and initiative.
Modern Alternatives
Just as it must have been in the days of the Renaissance, there is once again a spirit of questioning. A millennial or Gen Z child has access to a sea of knowledge at the touch of a button and all for free. Technology has dramatically changed the way we learn, the way we are educated, and the way we may educate ourselves. The CHAT GPT revolution which is staring at our faces is further going to strengthen the fact that memorization of facts and rote learning is not important.
The size fits all approach to education doesn’t work; not everyone learns the same way. There is a demand that education be tailored to suit the individual and not the other way around. Grades are destined to lose their sheen.
In India, the NEP now makes allowances for dropouts to go back and revive their learning. This is a welcome change. The pursuit of knowledge should never end.
We need to fundamentally change our education system. Some of the jobs universities are preparing us for may not even exist in the next 10 to 20 years; at least not in the same way. It’s a naive idea to think that everyone should do 12 years of schooling and get a college degree. Technology has the ability to automate 45 percent of the activities workers are paid to perform. The least susceptible of the jobs shall be those of managing human resources, decision making, planning, and creative tasks – skills which grades cannot easily measure.
Today, more than at any time earlier, we have an access to an incredible resource of knowledge via online education. There are free online courses from some of the most prestigious universities in the world. The focus is now on real-world experience through internships, volunteering, or taking on projects that challenge me to solve real-world problems.
Can a grade be an actual representation of one’s effort?
Grades are based less on learning and more on students being able to steer their way cleverly within a system where they have to take in information and present it in a certain way that meets the expectations of the grading authority.
On one hand, there may be a student who goes for ‘genuine’ learning, sifting through a large amount of information at a deep and meaningful level, learning for knowledge’s sake, with the grade not necessarily reflecting that learning. On the other hand, there may be another that interacts with the material on a surface level but is still able to walk away with an impressive score due to a photographic memory.
The question is how do we develop a grading system which bridges the gap here? It all begins with the educators. Comparing a student who studies for only the grades to a student who studies the material for the love of it is erroneous in the first place. A student must be a blend of both. While the importance of grades cannot be completely ruled out, it is perhaps inappropriate to focus too much on them. Students should be encouraged to fully assimilate and integrate the knowledge across various courses and develop the ability to apply knowledge gained in a real-life context.
Marks don’t measure one’s real worth
It is our duty as educators to make the students realize their true worth.
- Stop focusing on the grades. Enjoy learning with open-mindedness.
- Though knowledge is power yet the knowledge gained is useful only when it can be applied appropriately to resolve issues.
- Skills such as – Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity are more important than grades.
Author – Arshdeep Mangat, Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, Punjab
