Indian students in Higher Education spend more time in classrooms than their EU and North American peers, especially post-NEP 2020, leaving less scope for self-study and critical thinking.
Contributing Factors
- Higher Proportion of Teaching Time in Course Credits: Under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a significant portion of course credits is allocated to classroom teaching.
- Larger Number of Courses per Semester: NEP 2020 mandates that Indian students take a greater number of courses each semester.
- This increased course load further limits the time available for self-study, reading, and other academic activities essential for deep learning and understanding.’
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Comparison:
- EU and North America: An average student in a university in the EU or North America takes around four courses per semester, with a maximum of three hours of lectures per course per week. This results in a total of 12 hours of classroom time per week.
- India (NEP 2020): Indian students enrolled in the new four-year undergraduate programs are required to take five courses per semester, with four hours of lectures per course per week.
- This adds up to 20 hours of classroom time per week, which is significantly higher than their global counterparts.
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Impact of Increased Classroom Hours
1. On Academic Activities: The increased classroom time significantly reduces opportunities for essential academic activities outside the classroom, such as:
- Self-study and reflection
- Reading
- Working on assignments and research projects
As a result, students are more likely to experience exhaustion and diminished learning effectiveness.
| Comparison: Faculty in the EU and North America typically have a total teaching load of nine hours a week across two to three courses, while Indian faculty members are expected to teach 14-16 hours per week. |
2. On Assessments and Learning Diversity
- Reduction in Assessments: The extended classroom hours limit time for diverse assessments. In the previous three-year program, students had more opportunities for continuous assessment.
- Currently, with only two assessments per course, assessment diversity is reduced, leading to a preference for easily graded multiple-choice questions over reflective tasks like essays or term papers.
- Shift Towards Rote Learning: Limited assessments and extended classroom time promote rote learning over critical thinking.
- Universities should foster active learning, reflection, and peer collaboration, which remain lacking in most higher education institutions (HEIs) in India.
3. On Faculty and Teaching Quality
- Faculty Workload: The additional eight hours of classroom time per week for Indian teachers reduces the time available for critical academic activities, including:
- Research
- Revising courses
- Developing new courses
- Engaging in cross-disciplinary collaborations
This heavier teaching load limits opportunities for professional development and impairs teaching quality.
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Way Forward
- Reconsider Classroom Time and Course Load: Reduce the number of courses per semester and the weekly classroom hours in the four-year undergraduate programs to provide more time for self-study and reflection.
- Shift the Focus from Rote Learning to Active Learning:
- Provide students with opportunities to reflect, explore, and collaborate outside the classroom.
- Encourage assignments and projects that foster critical thinking, cross-disciplinary problem-solving, analysis, and creativity.
- Promote Continuous Assessments: Introduce a variety of assessments throughout the semester, enabling students to build their final grades incrementally. This approach will encourage sustained learning, reduce the tendency for last-minute cramming.
December 18, 2024
