My Learning Experiences; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Over the years, I have experienced the traditional educational systems, as are the norm in the developing world and now 30 plus years later as I look back, it is shocking and disappointing how little we have progressed from the selective educational methods with a single minded objective of passing the standardized tests and exams. 

I have had a fairly successful and decorated academic journey as a student. Starting from Grade 1, I was always top of the class and sort of ending it on a high note as I finished my MBA with distinction and securing one of the top 3 spots in the batch. One would assume that such a journey must mean a thrilling ride with the academic successes leading to high-self esteem and feeling of accomplishment. Yet, I feel that the entire focus of my education has been to get good grades instead of internalizing the learning and applying the acquired knowledge in a meaningful way to make any difference. My criticism of the current system stems from my own educational experiences; we learn to secure better grades instead of learning driven only by the love and excitement of learning something new alone. 

The Good

I have always been a Math enthusiast and love crunching numbers, following processes that lead to perfect answers every single time. There is a certain comfort and joy in the certainty of the numbers. It makes you feel in control, and if you get the answer wrong, it is always possible to retrace your steps and find the mistake and correct it and establish the harmonious balance again. My most enjoyable learning experience is learning Mathematics at the secondary and the higher secondary levels. I would pick up old journals and practice the math problems. Some times, it would be hours before I would take a break from the numbers, such was the magic and enchantment of the learning process. 

Looking back, I believe that I learnt better when I picked up a pen and started writing; be it math problems or making notes for the theory of evolution for the Biology or writing a detailed essay on an Urdu poem. For rote-learning, I would talk to myself out loud and walk to and fro till I memorized the topic, a combination of techniques employed by Kinesthetic and auditory Learners. 

For all things complicated, I had another tried and tested methodology; Group Studies. I would call over my nearest friends who'd be grappling with a particularly difficult concept and I would assume the role of the tutor. This always helped me in understanding the concept more in depth and the further explanation of the same to the other members of the group would always ensure that the lesson is etched in my long term memory for good. The surrounding conditions that helped making this method the most effective were basically the calm, friendly home environment and the flexibility of the pace of learning in good company. It made everyone way more comfortable as compared to the stressful environment of our authoritarian classrooms, and aided in our learning. Sometimes just hearing yourself voicing out the ideas and discussing it with peers can help you overcome the mental blocks and the focus on the task help you acquire the skill required to master it.  

The Bad and The Ugly

However, unfortunately, the journey was not all play and fun. In fact, the school life was highly stressful and at times plain torture owing to the constant pressure to perform in the standard tests and always be in the top three of the class. 

As a young girl, I always dreamed of becoming a medical doctor, and earning an MBBS degree. However, after the matriculation, when I had to make a choice between choosing Biology or Mathematics, I could not make up my mind because I dearly loved both the subjects, but studying both at the same time was not a choice. Not having the autonomy to map my own academic path and choose the subjects I was passionate about, was the first big disappointing learning experience I ever had. The new Cambridge system has changed that to some extent. 

Secondly, most of the subjects in my Matriculation and FSc, were followed up with assessments that by definition necessitated a By Rote-learning  methodology as it required that all concepts were retrievable from the long term memory at a fraction of a second notice in a word for word format. To master the sheer volume of the course material in itself was no mean feat; volumes after volumes of books and a truckload of photocopies of referenced notes, that all required to be memorized. It pretty much killed the joy of learning then and there, and replaced it with a formidable sense of anxiety, fear and depression. 

Apart from the overload of information, the attitude of the teachers leaned towards authoritarianism thereby inhibiting active dialogue, discussion and queries. Most of the times, the students were left to their own accord to understand, digest and absorb the knowledge from the text, resort to after-school paid tutors or if lucky enough find themselves a group study setting equipped with the required resources.

The Lesson Learnt

My own education journey has been fascinating yet punctuated with bouts of anxiety, panic attacks and overwhelming stress. I truly believe that the wrong structure and the obsolete assessments prevented me from reaching my full potential and made the process of learning a chore rather than a fun and enjoyable experience. 

It highlights that my personal learning style is based on the following key factors;

1. Clear goals and expectations of the outcomes
2. Group studies; Discussions, collaboration, active engagement
3. Application and on hands learning projects that challenge the mental boundaries 

In my opinion, learning happened with I was genuinely interested in a subject, and motivated to know more about it. It happened whenever I was comfortable and I had the flexibility of authoring it according to my own needs and how well it gelled with my personal growth goals. 

#wef1

Disclaimer

This article has been authored as a journal entry required for the course What Future of Education? by University of London.