Learners – The Heart Of Contemporary Curriculum

A contemporary curriculum is best defined as the implementation of learning activities that are learner-centric and are drawn upon the learners’ experiences, inside as well as outside the classroom. The need for this anthropocene era is not knowledge but action, application not information, and LIFE SKILLS, not just academic skills. The core of the contemporary curriculum is the development of specific skills which teachers, students, parents, community and society at large perceive to be significant for the world outside of school as they see it.

Focus on skill learning rather than mere concept learning

Let’s think for a while, what are a general teenager’s experiences related to? It could be friends, peers, internet, social media platforms, television, rock music, junk food, school, coaching centers, online games, chats, etc. School, studies and home activities are often perceived by most of the students as necessary but unimportant. Why so? This is so because teachers are teaching well but learning isn’t happening. Teachers invest time and resources, plan a lesson well and teach it effectively but what about learning? Are the students cramming and rewriting the concepts they have been taught or are they imbibing and learning the skills as well? The answer will be clear with the help of a few examples cited below:

• Example One: Road Safety

The lesson on Road safety is very delivered in primary grades where the students are made aware about safety rules on road, while driving, traffic signals, etc. using all the colourful charts and audio-visual aids, recitations etc. Do the children imbibe the same? The same has been well taught but is it well learned? The students take their hand out of the bus/car window, they grow up and break traffic rules and they don’t drive safely. Did the lesson on Road Safety give them the life skills, the real learning? No. Why did we not succeed in that lesson as we succeeded in teaching students that they need to take permission ‘May I come in, madam?’ before entering the classroom?

• Example Two: Water Conversation

A class presented a beautiful assembly on ‘Water Conservation.’ It was a themed assembly. The students made placards to share various ways to save water and showcased how quintessential this natural resource is. Also, one of the students personified as water and presented a mesmerizing role play. The audience gave a huge round of applause. The teacher also taught in Science the meaning, significance, and ways to conserve water. But, the learning will not happen till the time the students will use bucket and mug instead of a shower; will turn off the water while brushing the teeth; not run the hose every time for cleaning their cars, etc.

The core of contemporary curriculum is the development of specific skills which teachers, students, parents, community and society at large perceive to be significant for the world outside of school as they see it.

The above discernable examples pronounce the fact that the focus of contemporary curriculum should be on learning and learners, rather than mere teaching and teachers. Learning result in the above two examples that are expected to be implemented in real life can definitely happen if the same is reinforced by teachers as well as family and other community members at regular intervals. It’s high time that the contents of the curriculum are perceived as a means to an end than an end in itself.

How will contemporary learning happen?

Contemporary learning intends to bring together a wide variety of teaching elements in order to bring the modern world into the classroom. There are 4I’s that are involved in the process. These are:

• Integrated Skill Learning – This happens when we allow the students to use various skills in one single activity. The students’ own experiences and prior knowledge together with exploration, curiosity-building, and refinement help scaffold the learning.
• Involvement Of Learners – When students participate in a process more than merely listening, they are actively involved in it. Active involvement of students happens when a class begins with a light mind warm up, when students learn how to collaborate before they expect success, when activities are purposeful and require minimum supervision, and when the learning shifts from teacher-centered to student-centered.
• Individual Attention And Personalization – Individual attention could be in the form of setting individual learning goals, conductive frequent formative assessments, offering alternative learning pathways and involving parents in the same. Further, personalization boosts the engagement of the learner and helps both the facilitator as well as the learner to align and optimize their efforts.
• Immediate Feedback – Constructive feedback is always best because growth happens when a learner gets perspective that pushes him or her to reconsider his/ her current stance. There are several studies that suggest that feedback is the most effective when it is given immediately. One needs to be sensitive to individual needs and specific to skill or context when giving immediate feedback.

To conclude, no curriculum will be perfect, a finished product cast in stone, or free from criticism, but to be effective it must be accepted by teachers, should be centered around the needs of learners and must be deemed educationally valid by parents and the community at large. A contemporary curriculum can prove to be an effective change agent in the educational process, only when it is compliant to changes in the educational community and in society in general.

A perseverant leader by profession and keen learner by attitude, Priya Handa is an educationist par excellence. She has over 14 years of experience in various domains of education.

A post graduate in English and a B.El.Ed, B.Ed., she has trained herself as a teacher-trainer and a resource person. She had been associated with Quality Education Asia as a Content Developer and Editor. Presently, she is heading as the Vice-Principal of Bosco Public School, New Delhi. As a committed and inspirational leader, she encourages experiential learning, is open to new pedagogical skills and experiments with the latest innovations in teaching strategies. For her invaluable services in the field of education, Priya had been conferred with Dr. S. Radhakrishnan National Award in 2012. She has played a pivotal role in school’s growth as the school has bagged International School Award by British Council, Brainfeed School Excellence Award 2018-19 as one of Best Schools of India, and Plastic Free School of the Year Award at National Environment Convention etc. under her mentorship.