Teaching is always a two-way process
Higher Education is a huge business. The global higher education market size was estimated at US$736.80 billion in 2023. It is projected to reach US$1,569.37 billion by 2030, growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1% from 2024 to 2030.
Just like anything else in life, teaching is also a two-way process – a simple process of give and take. Can you clap with just one hand? Is there smoke without a fire? Then, how can you expect teaching to be a passive process? There should be involvement of both the teacher and the students. One cannot expect a passive response from either party involved.
This always reminds me of Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote – “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Emphasising active learning with a bang! Trust me, everything in life needs to be active. Otherwise, it is as good as dead. And you can’t be teaching dead students! Or, do you think a zombie can teach alive students?
Why am I talking about teaching?
Well, for starters, I have started teaching in a higher education set-up after a long time. It is another matter that I have been teaching students of all age groups in my academy. And imagine the shock of my life, when for the first time, I am teaching students in their local language apart from English! Ultimately, it is the subject that matters. And this should be understood by the students. Whatever language is being used to teach.
This article highlights innovative global teaching methods. Before embarking on this, let us examine the teaching methods in the USA and the UK, two countries whose universities top any rankings of global universities. Since my higher education was in the USA during my PhD, I will talk about the US first.
My US alma mater, Louisiana Tech University, is not a global top-notch university like Harvard, MIT or Stanford. But it is the number one public university in Louisiana according to Niche 2026. And among the top 7% of universities in the world according to the Center for World Universities Rankings 2024.
The US teaching method
Most Professors use PowerPoint presentations to deliver their lectures. And I think this is probably the most used way education is taught throughout the world. One mistake a teacher, or for that matter, everyone else commits is reading the PowerPoint presentations verbatim! But this was not the case in the US.
The teaching was highly professional, well understood by the students, and most importantly, lively. No lectures were boring or off the mark. Yes, a few foreign-born teachers had problems with their English, but their grasp of knowledge was unquestionable! They were absolute masters of their domains.
The Professors were free to decide the modes of assessment of the students. So, assignments, tests (closed book, open book, and in some cases even take-home!), projects, etc., were the different ways of testing the students. This made the subject more interesting. Instead of making it dull.
The UK teaching method vs the Indian teaching method
I am an Indian, and I want my country to be at the top in any ranking. However, due to the dominance of the UK universities in higher education, I am writing about the UK and comparing it with the Indian system. Actually, this has been done beautifully in this blog. But let me share a few salient points here.
The Indian education system is more theory-oriented and teacher-driven, whereas the UK emphasises a more hands-on learning approach. The latter’s emphasis on industry-trained and advanced degree-holding teachers results in creative and innovative teaching methods. Helping create a more application-oriented learning experience.
The Indian education system focuses on percentage-based grading, emphasising exam-oriented skills. While in the UK, students are assessed in several aspects – projects, research, and presentations. Creating a more holistic evaluation, testing a range of skills beyond just exam scores!
Also, technological adoption in education is well ahead in the UK. Leading to the deployment of advanced technologies offering online resources, educational software, and interactive tools. Whereas, especially in rural areas of India, there are challenges in providing basic facilities such as well-equipped laboratories and innovative classrooms.
There are other aspects in the UK, like a higher concentration of internationally top-ranked universities. Also, the research facilities and ethical standards surrounding UK research contribute to a well-developed and robust educational environment.
Other countries are fast closing in.
China, which is dominating nearly everything in the world today, is not far behind in terms of education and research. Countries like Canada, Germany, and France dominate the higher education system. High research funding and emphasis on patent generation, along with robust academia-industry interaction, seem to be the magic wand for the unquestionable domination of a few countries in higher education.
Final thoughts
Whenever I enter a classroom, I want the students to understand the subject I am teaching. I wish I had a way to break into their brains and hearts. Literally! However, for this to happen, the students have to let me in. Otherwise, it would be akin to banging my head against a mountain.
With all the advancements in AI, IoT, etc., this is not an insurmountable task. The need of the hour is innovation and entrepreneurship. Anyways, let great learning happen everywhere. And joy, peace, and prosperity prevail. Ameen.