Learning 221TM is the expression I have adopted to describe the disruptive changes in the education landscape as a result of the rapid developments
in information, communication and allied technologies in the immediate past and continuing in the foreseeable future.
As we observe the global scene in the 2nd year of the 2nd decade of the 21st century and the ubiquitousness of computing, we can’t but help thinking how education would change to respond to the new learning needs of the Society.
These conversations would be around such concerns. One set of people are more comfortable with these discussions being initiated on a regular basis through an e-mail in their inbox every Monday or every other Monday or the first or last Monday of the month. Some others feel that this should be entirely on Facebook, which is the place for conversations. Do let me have your opinion on this as well as on the threads you would prefer to
have in these conversations. This is not a newsletter on education, reporting to you all current educational events. That is for newspapers and television channels. This is about building a community interested in matters educational. And it will have learners, educators, parents, working people among us. With the emergence of life-long learning, the same person may be wearing more than one of these caps.
Some of the issues that I propose to be taking up in the forthcoming conversations would be:
Attributes of an educated person in 2050?
What is the role of the educator in creating such educated persons?
21st Century Giftedness in school children and adults;
Awakening the Learner within?
Overcoming Maths Phobia and enhancing Mathematical Competence.
English language learning;
Asking the right questions?
Ideonomy: the Science of ideas;
Enjoying being innovative and creative;
Information Skills;
What makes a good Educational App for hand-held learning?
Dharma: The right thing to do: Insights from western and Eastern Philosophy;
Learning Analytics: Measuring Quality in Massively large educational contexts.
The common philosophical thought in all these discussions would be how our perspectives on these matters change in the modern information society which is a post WTO, post Internet, post PC, Tablet and Smart phone world.
Earlier in history, the invention and development of language, writing and printing were critical information handling techniques, and each of these caused a revolution, major transition, paradigm shift in the overall structure of human society.
In the 2nd decade of the 21st century we are at a ‘critical point’ when the computing and allied technologies are causing a ‘phase transition’ in the future of education. A decade from now, the new teaching-learning eco-system may be almost not recognisable as having evolved from the past.
Just as a pre-cursor, for example, must teaching of Mathematics result in the ability to calculate by hand text-book problems that simplify the real world or should it be the ability to view the real world mathematically and if needed use software and computational tools?
Do share your views on how we should develop this community.
Like this:
Like Loading...
About mmpant
Prof. M.M.Pant has a Ph.D in Computational Physics, along with a Professional Law Degree, and has been a practitioner in the fields of Law, IT enabled education and IT implementation.
Drawing upon his experience in world class international institutions and having taught in various modes of Face-to-Face, Distance Learning and Technology Enhanced Training, Prof. Pant is now exploring the nature of institutions which will be successors to the IITs, which represented the 1960s, IIMs, which represented the 1970 and Open Universities which were the rage of 1980s & 90s.
He believes that the convergence between various media and technologies would fundamentally alter the way learning would be created, packaged, and delivered to learners. His current activities are all directed toward actual implementation of these new age educational initiatives that transform education in the post Internet post WTO era..
Prof. Pant, has been a Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and has been on the faculty of IIT – Kanpur (the premier Engineering institution in India), MLNR Engineering College and Faculty & Visiting Professor - University of Western Ontario-Canada.
He has been visiting scientist to research centers in Italy, England, Germany & Sweden and has delivered international lectures with about 80 papers published.
During his association of almost 15 years with the IGNOU, Prof. Pant has served as the Director Computing and has been the Member of All Bodies (i.e. School boards, Academic council, Planning board, Finance committee and the Board of management).
With his interest in Law, backed with practice of Law in a High Court, and his basic training in Science and IT, Prof. Pant has been particularly interested in the Cyber Law, Patent & trade mark issues, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues etc. and has been involved with many activities, conferences on “Law & IT”
Prof. Pant is presently;
• Advisor to Media Lab Asia - Chairman of working group on ICT for Education, chairman of PRSG handling projects on ICT for education.
• Lead Consultant for an ADB funded project for ICT in Basic Education in Uzbekistan
• Member of the drafting Group for India’s National Policy on ICT in education
• Chairman of the group creating books for class 11 and 12 students on ‘Computers and Communication Technology’ appointed by the NCERT
• Preparing a ‘Theme Paper” for the NCTE in the area of ICT and Teacher Training
• Advisor and mentor to several leading Indian and Multi-national Companies in the area of education.
Prof. Pant has in the recent past been ;
• Member – Board of Management – I I T, Delhi for 6 years (two consecutive terms)
• One-man committee to create the Project Report & Legislation for Delhi IT-enabled Open University
• Advisor to the Delhi Government on Asian Network of Major Cities Project (ANMC-21) distance learning project in association with Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
• Chairman Board of Studies, All India Management Association
With his mission to create and implement new business opportunities in the area of e-learning & learning facilitation, Prof. Pant has promoted Planet EDU Pvt. Ltd., as its Founder & Chairman, along with a team of highly experienced and skilled professionals from Education & Training, Operations, IT and Finance.
