Answer

India’s exam-centric education emphasizes rote learning, limiting critical thinking and higher-order cognitive skills. This model stifles creativity and practical knowledge. Experiential learning offers a solution by fostering analytical and real-world competencies.

How India’s exam-centric education model hampers higher-order cognitive skills

• Overemphasis on rote learning: High-stakes tests encourage memorization rather than understanding.
  Example: About 25% of this age group(14-18 years)  still cannot read a Std II level text fluently in their regional language.
• Narrow assessment focus: Exams test recall and basic understanding, sidelining analysis, evaluation and creation.
• One-size-fits-all approach: Uniform tests ignore different learning styles and intelligences, stifling creative and practical talents.
  Example: Visual-spatial or kinesthetic learners often underperform in text-based board exams despite strengths elsewhere.
• Teaching to the test: Classroom time is spent on exam techniques and question practice instead of open-ended inquiry.
  Example: NEP 2020 notes “excessive curriculum load and exam pressure” leave little room for critical-thinking exercises.
• Limited real-world application: Students rarely engage in projects or problem solving, so they cannot transfer knowledge to new contexts.
  

Ways in which experiential learning addresses these gaps

• Promotes critical thinking and problem solving: Hands-on tasks require students to analyze, evaluate and create.
  Example: Classrooms with experiential modules saw a gain in higher-order thinking test scores.
• Caters to diverse intelligences: Learning by doing through art, labs and simulations engages visual, kinesthetic and interpersonal learners.
• Encourages reflective practice: The cycle of experience, reflection, conceptualization, experimentation builds metacognitive skills.
  Example: Schools using Kolb’s cycle saw more students articulate learning strategies in reflective journals.
• Promotes collaboration and communication: Group projects and role-plays develop teamwork, negotiation and leadership abilities.
• Bridges theory and real world: Field visits, labs and simulations help students apply abstract concepts in concrete situations.
  Example: Delhi DoE will launch vocational courses this year in 257 government schools for grades IX and XI, covering IT, retail, healthcare and beauty & wellness.

Experiential learning bridges gaps in traditional education by promoting critical thinking and practical skills. Hands-on approaches and real-world problem-solving better prepare students for future challenges. Embracing this shift ensures a more holistic and adaptable education system.

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