Training at the higher level, such as MBA and other professional courses, should be done like a fisherman trains his kids for swimming. He does not teach them the basics of swimming, but throws them directly into the water to learn swimming on their own, instinctively. And the fisherman makes sure that the kid does not drown. A person trained like that is more likely to become a great swimmer than one who undergoes routine coaching. What is the difference… the former was `trained' while the latter was `taught'.
The same approach can be adopted for training the students who are pursuing professional studies using the MTL (Make Them Learn) model. After all, it is to be kept in mind… we are training them to run and not to walk. Teaching methodology has been changing since time immemorial with the changing needs and objectives. Training at higher levels, where students are prepared to join some industry or initiating some enterprise of their own, should be imparted in a different way. In most of the cases, it is at the postgraduation level and students have already gone through almost 15 years of education based on conventional teaching.
The revolution in communication and information technology has turned the world into a global village and requirements of this era include innovative ideas in all the spheres of knowledge. In this context, the responsibility of a teacher has increased manifold. The teachers have to be more practical in their approach, especially in professional education. The corporate sector has presented great demands for managerial skills. This need cannot be fulfilled only by classroom lectures and bookish knowledge. The students should have to be made more creative, analytical and decisive in their outlook. For this purpose the students will have to be made to work and learn on their own under the guidance of teachers instead of being spoon-fed. |
