A Move From Grading Orientation To Learning Orientation

<p>There's such a profound emphasis placed on achieving good grades that students always only bother to learn the material in order to see the grades they want on a report card. There's a difference between learning something and then being tested, and learning something because you're being tested. Whether they are parents at home or teachers at institutes, people are ruthlessly following the norms of past putting a lot of pressure on students towards good percentage in the exams.<br><br>Today, the highly demanding corporate world demands multi-facet development from the student community. For this it has become very necessary to develop in students the love for learning.&nbsp; Helping students to achieve and grow at a subject is a key part of the effort, as people enjoy what they are good at, but test scores alone do not fully capture a teacher's success at inspiring lasting interest. It is very important to focus on imparting education and training along with preparing a resilient and treasured human resource, who not only shine as stars but pave the path of prosper future like many suns.<br><br>Preparing students for tests is entirely different from getting them prepared for life. The main aim of learning should be setting the students up for a world where a lot of students will grow up to be obsolete in the way they think and what they do. Students who wish to move towards learning orientation are more focused towards learning and observing the knowledge being imparted in the classrooms. The rest view the classroom as a place where they are being tested.<br><br>In recent past, it has been witnessed that the grades tend to diminish students' interest in whatever they're learning.&nbsp; A "grading orientation" and a "learning orientation" have been shown to be inversely related. Grades create a preference for the easiest possible task. More strikingly, through frequent studies, it has been witnessed that students are less interested in learning as a result of grading. This process is being followed from elementary schools to grading schools and across cross cultures. As a result, anyone who wants to see students get obsessed on words and numbers and ideas already has reason to look for other ways of assessing and defining their accomplishment.<br><br>For instance, if the students are asked that what they are doing will count towards their grades will likely result in students avoiding unnecessary intellectual risks. The schools/ institutes are required to create real life engineers and managers by giving them a platform where they can implement their learning towards practical innovations and not just writing for marks. Through books we believe what we read but reality can only be depicted by practice. It has also been observed that students given numerical grades are significantly less creative than the students who just receive few good remarks. In fact, sometimes grading worsens the creativity of students who know that they would be graded. Achievement is when comments and compliments are given to your work instead of numeric marks.Students should take up assignments as a sign of showing their creativity through their projects and not to just satisfy the demands of their teachers<br><br>A move from grading orientation to learning orientation is the need of the hour. INDIA being a country with huge population still lacks a conducive environment for research. There is a vital call for students and professionals who have a better understanding of research instead of being just technically sound. As a society we are inculcating in our young generation, the values that are necessary to grab a dream job in big organization with high pay packets. No one is actually guiding young ones to first learn and then gradually step up on the success ladder. INDIA is in dire need of the young generation joining research and innovates. We are still looking at outside world for new technology, new research and new innovations due to lack of R&amp;D opportunities in our own land. Here where is the major revamp in delivery and role of technical institutes is required to prepare an environment of research among students.<br><br>Another important aspect is how to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Today, the industry expects to recruit fresher's who are productive and less effort in terms of time and cost is spent on specific training programs to make them industry ready.<br><br>In current scenario, Industry is forced to put efforts to first train to make them employable and then put them on projects. This gap can only be filled by developing curriculum in collaboration with industry and academia. For the same, known corporate are now focusing on skill building by providing a workable demo model in the institutes that will facilitate collaboration between teachers and students through learning activities. This will help the students in showcasing there aggression to do something and in becoming more interactive in the classrooms. In the IT and core sectors Industry leaders are contributing towards creating Centre for Excellence in the institutes. In current scenario, Industry is forced to put efforts to first train to make them employable and then put them on projects. This gap can only be filled by developing curriculum in collaboration with industry and academia.<br><br>It costs a lot if companies spend on training the students and as a result of which students leave after being trained. Hence there is a dire requirement for the students to be more productive for which centre for excellences will add another pillar to their teaching module wherein students may give an insight to the surrounding problems and come up with ideas that would help in innovating industry viable products. This will help in establishing a self-sustaining ecosystem that promotes creativity and the spirit of innovation amongst the students.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>On the end of the professional institutes, it should be ensured that students undergo rigorous all round training by highly qualified teachers so that after graduation, they are ready to face a tough and competitive world and can take the challenges head-on.<br><br><em>The author, Neeraj Goel, is general secreatary, ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad</em></p>