F E v/s I L

A few months ago , during one of my free  lecture slots in DDUMC (ddumc.in) , I happened to scan through an interesting YouTube discussion on the captioned topic. It made me think of penning my ideas and thoughts on similar lines for the benefit of my students in IIMT , Mall Rd. Campus, Meerut.

For the student community , the fact that  formal education is very  beneficial for success  cannot be denied in toto !!Education is a time tested  weapon against poverty. It allows students to gain employment and to maintain healthier lifestyles. However ,I have seen that many a modern day students do not respond well to education delivered in a traditional or formal style. This could be because they have issues with accepting authority, are not confident in speaking up in class or can’t find a course or programme that adequately addresses their skill -sets or interests. To assume that these students  are less able than others would be wrong – since some students  respond better to different learning environments. Even when students  have a well-designed formal education, they may find that the learning they have received in other areas of life, perhaps through knowledge passed down from older generations or through socialising with friends, has been more beneficial than anything they picked up from  school. Does this mean that one could   think loud that informal learning has more benefits than a formal education ?

Formal Education v/s Informal Learning

To succeed in life, a formal education has always been considered  important . What a student has studied in  school / college  impacts opportunities for employment and career choices ( Example : An employer wanting  to hire a journalist would not  look out  for someone who has a background in mathematics.) So, formal qualifications do provide definite proof of someone’s knowledge and skills.However , advantages of  skills developed through Informal learning may  be harder to prove, but even within the job market they often form an important part of the interview process. Interviewers these days – moving away from formal  education-   ask questions about a person’s personal interests, the greatest challenges he has  overcome or who has been the most influential person in an interviewee’s life. The answers to such questions come from life  experiences gained from an informal learning process!!

These days, why do most employers  focus more on informal education by looking at soft skills rather than formal qualifications?

Employers normally  start off the interview process by making the candidate comfortable by asking  about  formal qualifications but very soon the focus shifts to looking out  for soft skills, such as communication skills, people-management skills, logical thinking, perception, positive attitude , emotional intelligence and other contemporary personality traits.

So, the loud thinking here would be about  the question as to whether educational institutions should start focusing more on informal learning objectives and outcomes  rather  than spending more time and resources on   mere traditional  formal education . Of course a contemporary formal education setting  does enable a student-  to a certain extent-  to hone his  soft skills, but to say they are better at building them than informal learning experiences would be naïve. We often learn about and develop skills related to positive thinking, team spirit,  emotional intelligence and good communication when socialising outside of college/ school .For example ,teamwork can be learned by helping our families and our friends whereas compassion and emotional intelligence  gets polished by visiting old age homes and destitute centres !!

...... the argument could go on and  on !!!

However,  whereas formal education at school level and at the undergraduate level too is a must for a strong  foundation and a sound base , Informal learning out of life experiences of the seasoned senior teachers  and corporate drawn fraternity is a MUST for all round success in life .

Informal learning teaches one that......

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way “

Always remember and apply  lessons learned in informal ways.

Never undermine the power of informal learning and how it positively impacts a student's life.