Innovation, creativity and out-of-the-box-thinking are terms usually associated with entrepreneurs, scientists and inventors. But what about teachers? Does innovation play a role in a teacher’s work? In an interview, eminent scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Dr Raghunath Mashelkar described how his journey of learning was triggered by a teacher.
While teaching the concept of focal point the teacher showed the students how a convex lens could be used to concentrate the energies of the sun to burn paper. Turning to a young Mashelkar the teacher said: “Similarly, if you focus and concentrate your energies you can achieve anything.” This simple statement left a profound impression in the mind of the young child.
Why innovate?
Teachers need to recognise the real utility of what is taught by connecting concepts with real-life applications. They need to ask themselves: How do I demonstrate the “magic” of the concept or subject that I plan to teach? And, in this age of technology and quick boredom, how do I engage the students for 60, 90 or 180 minutes and instil in them a spirit of enquiry?
A teacher becomes an innovator when he/she begins to facilitate thelearning process, rather than merely feeding students with facts. They need to evoke curiosity by using creative methods to teach.
By linking theories to actual events and happenings in the students’ lives, teachers can command the attention of their class.
Self-examination
Three key questions that a teacher at a B-school can ask are:
1. How do I best help the student connect the dots and understand the implications of grasping this concept?
2. How do I bring in multiple and cross-functional perspectives so that the student is able to view situations in their totality and not only as per their areas of specialisations?
3. What would be the most effective on-campus and off-campus approach for ensuring that there is true learning that goes beyond the usual routine syllabus-books-exams-marks-degree?
Some approaches
There can be numerous ways in which the above questions are answered. Some of the usual approaches for the third question include role plays, case studies, use of audio-video inputs, simulation games, industry site visits, quizzes, and so on.
Teachers willing to go to the next level of engagement could use “live” projects that involve the implementation of ideas rather than mere presentation of ideas. Such activities need to be carefully guided so that the student can interact with companies, NGOs and other entities.
Another innovative approach is to combine the rigour of a case study with the subjective and emotion-rich elements of a role-play or debate. This method allows the student to experience (rather than merely read about) the multiple and conflicting demands on a person or organisation. Eventually, through discussion of relevant concepts, a convergence can be reached.
Some other innovative approaches include: theatre; introspection-related tools such as personal journals; student-led exercises such as a “cricket-quiz” where groups alternately choose roles of questioning (bowling) and answering (batting); and process-oriented guided interactive learning (POGIL).
An even higher level of engagement comes with flipped-classroom techniques, where the student first studies the concepts, often from a pre-delivered lecture, and then uses the classroom for debate and discussion on those concepts.
Caution
Innovation for its own sake has limited use. Teachers need to periodically re-orient themselves to ensure that the focus of any such process is the student and there is a value-add that the student receives.
As Sir George Bernard Shaw said: “Some people see things the way they are and ask ‘Why?’ I see things that never were, and ask: ‘Why not?’”
It is these “Why not’s?” that are sometimes the most useful allies for B-school teachers.