Traditional Education System.

 

Present condition of Education.

Problem 1: Prevalence of a one-size-fits-all approach to education.

In actuality, the traditional education method lacks personalized learning due to the "one-size-fits-all" teaching approach that has been utilized for decades despite being a relic of the past. Simply put, this type of education presupposes that all students will learn in the same way and at the same pace. 

In this regard, if certain students prefer alternative learning styles and curriculum, they will have no other option but to devote more time and effort to studying something they are not interested in and forego their own interests in a bid to pass the subjects. 

And because they are so ingrained to be the same as others and have never been given the opportunity to choose what they want under the same education system since they were children, there is a trend of a plethora of students being dubious of their future career choices. Therefore, it stands to reason that a cookie-cutter approach to education will not be effective and appropriate for all learners as every child is born unique and should never be presumed to be a clone of another. Yet, due to the scarcity of our resources, such as qualified instructors, time, and space, one-size-fits-all education has been the preferred option in the education sector since it could divide students into groups to expedite the teaching process.

Problem 2: Overemphasis on examination.

In addition, the overemphasis on examinations in our educational system has presented another hurdle for students in the present day. Indeed, everyone is born with a natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Nevertheless, as people today take examinations and their results with excessive zeal, as if they are the most important thing in their lives, they are more inclined to merely memorize all the information without comprehending the underlying concepts for the sake of achieving outstanding scores. 

Ergo, students find learning tedious and become reluctant to learn. In addition, although the widespread use of memorization as a study method aids students in achieving the grades desired by universities, it is still myopic because it deprives them of many skill sets required in real-world situations. As a result, the education system yields a generation with strong memorization skills but deficient capabilities in creativity, problem-solving, and critical reasoning.

Future: Ideal state of Education System.

Idealistically, I envision a world of education in 30 or 40 years where the emphasis has shifted from superficially using grades as the universal determinant of students' capabilities to a more comprehensive method of examining their actual capabilities and potential as well as encouraging more students to unleash their potential in their areas of interest by advocating personalized learning in a widespread manner. At that time, students are not concerned with short-term outcomes, but rather regard education as a process of lifelong learning.

How to bridge the present with the ideal state.

Solution 1: Universalize hybrid education using Deepfake technology.

To begin, hybrid education has the potential to be one of the most efficient means of advancing personalized learning in the modern world. As stated in my previous blog post about the Deepfake technology, it has enormous potential in a variety of industries, including the education sector. While the concept of online learning is not new given that it is widely utilized in pandemic-stricken nations – its development is hampered by the fact that some individuals still prefer face-to-face instruction, and combining the two may reveal yet another yoke around the necks of instructors. 

Nevertheless, with the aid of Deepfake technology, we can promote hybrid learning, which allows for more flexibility and individualization of the educational experience for each student. For its reason, since Deepfake enables us to effortlessly create videos of people discussing specific topics, we can use it to our advantage by rapidly producing numerous individualized educational lectures and tutorials for each student. Ergo, students who are uninterested in subjects taught in conventional school curricula can virtually attend their lectures at their own pace via Deepfake-generated videos. Yet, this does not imply that all students must be ostracized from social interactions; they can continue to attend physical classes as usual according to their own preferences.

Solution 2: Replace conventional examination with alternative competency-based assessment methods.

It is unrealistic and counterproductive to have a single way of grading kids from wildly different backgrounds. Therefore, it's necessary to devise various assessment methods for different students to replace the antiquated tests in measuring students' capacities, which extinguish students' enthusiasm in learning. In turn, we should focus more on the perennial impact that the education system will cause, because the students will eventually have to steer their own boats into the professional world. Therefore, the education sector should be something that guides and leads students to acquire what they require, rather than confounding them with an education system that trains them to become information-storing machines without imparting the necessary skill sets. 

As a result, we may replace the conventional examination with more competency-based assessment methods such as practical assessment, passion project assessment, authentic assessment, problem-solving assessment, and numerous others.  As such, the educational system will transition from emphasizing rote memorization to fostering a passion for learning by allowing students to explore their own interests receiving constructive criticism on their performance, all while equipping them with multifaceted skill sets that will serve them well in the competitive global labor market.

Solution 3: Implementation of flipped classroom.

Lastly, flipped classroom model could be used in contemporary education to solve the aforementioned drawbacks. In a flipped classroom, students are obligated to have a foundational grasp with the course content prior to class, and then to utilize in-class time to build upon that understanding under the guidance of the teacher. Instead of depending on limited amount of classroom hours to manage and steer a varied group of students, teachers may devote more time to each student and personalize teachings to their unique requirements. 

For its reason, as classroom time is used to develop students' comprehension of the topic after they have accessed the materials, it is simpler to determine which students have completely grasped the lesson and which may require additional instruction. Furthermore, the flipped classroom transforms the existing teacher-centered approach into a student-centered approach, wherein the former requires teachers to continuously generate output and the latter enables students to engage in activities that may contribute to their capacity in generating their own content and acquiring additional skill sets beyond sole lesson materials.

Reflection.

Since we were all nurtured in a certain educational system, I feel that education is a subject near and dear to every one of our hearts, which is why I bring it up. Although our educational system has numerous shortcomings, it provides many of us with a means of improving our lot in life. Because of this, we should have more incentive than ever to keep updating it to keep it relevant, and to make sure that our efforts lead to the kind of educated citizens who will help our nation thrive. The educational shortcomings should not be inflicted on any of our younger generation.

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