“What makes a child gifted and
talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of
looking at the world and learning.” Chuck Grassley
What are your thoughts about the traditional teaching-learning methods?
Do you think these methods are helpful in any way or do they prove to be detrimental to the student’s progress?
There are times when you must have wondered that the percentage or marks-based evaluation system that has been pursued by most of the universities and schools is not ideal.
The reason lies in the fact that this educational system often poses an obstacle when a particular student wants to move from one institute to another to study their chosen course or subject. For the longest time, this structure of evaluation has been in place in the education sector of India, most teachers and educationalists felt that there is an urgent need to alter this rigid methodology.
Following elaborate and
detailed discussions concerning the issue amongst industry experts and
academicians, a solution was provided. The most prominent organization -
University Grant Commission (UGC) sought to provide a rather flexible system of
education wherein a Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) is to be implemented as a necessary measure in all the
undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Education plays a crucial role in building the future of a child hence until and unless there is a wholesome process involved, it is inconsequential and lackluster. It has been long overdue to transform a system that strictly follows a conventional system by taking a different approach in terms of redesigning the structural setup of education. Opting for a learner-centric approach was unanimously seen as a way to empower students as well as inculcate skills and prepare them for employment opportunities in the future.
What is a choice-based credit education system (CBCS)?
The choice-based credit system or CBCS is a concept developed by the University Grants Commission of India to provide the learners an ideal educational platform wherein they will have the freedom to choose a course from the prescribed, elective foundational subjects. Rather than following the age-old method of percentage-grading system, it follows a standardized credit-based assessment procedure.
Objectives of choice based credit system
● Despite having a desire to pursue some other
course, at times the students have to unwillingly study what they don't want
to. But thanks to the choice-based credit system (CBCS) the scholastic needs
and aspirations are matched with ease.
● Contributing considerably to bring excellence and innovation to the educational system.
● To provide a sense of quality education, flexibility, and academic freedom to the students to complete the course.
It is essential to
assess the merits and demerits of anything to understand the applicability and
long-term impact. Hence let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages
of CBCS :
Advantages of choice based credit system
A progressive shift
It is an established fact that the central feature of the educational system has been teacher-centric for as long as we can remember. The teachers often determined what needs to be taught following the conventional approach of just sticking to the syllabus without giving any importance to outer or general knowledge. But with CBCS there has been a gradual shift towards student-centric learning wherein the students can choose courses as per their interest and preferences.
Migrating with assurance
When students are transferring to other institutes to pursue other courses, they can easily transfer the credits to the new institutes.
Opportunity to pursue two or more courses of interest simultaneously.
How often have you come across a student who is interested in pursuing an additional course apart from the core subject?
The students can easily pursue other soft courses of different departments, apart from the core subjects. You may ask how would that be beneficial? The answer lies in the fact that it would eventually open up a lot of different avenues for the learner apart from polishing his skills.
● Broadening
the educational system
An organizational structure of any format can be detrimental to a system if it continues for a long time without any essential innovation and reassessment. The initiative launched by the UGC commission of India has sought to broaden the educational system by providing a holistic approach.
● Equality
for all learners
How often do you think a certain student feels being discriminated against in terms of marks or scoring, despite doing their best?
The grading system administered under the new system ensures equality among all students depending solely on their performance.
● Healthy
learning
As opposed to stressful and anxiety-ridden learning involved in the conventional system, the flexibility aspect of the new system has ensured a healthy learning process for the students. Those learners who are a little slow can opt for the courses which would fit their capability and competency. The credit system in education in India can be especially beneficial for those who want to learn at their own pace.
There are multiple advantages of CBCS but still, some
disadvantages prevail, let us take a look at them.
● Regular teaching gets affected inevitably, resulting in increased workload on the teachers.
● Mobility or transferring of students from one institute to another could lead to many uncertain occurrences of additional problems.
● Increased emphasis and weightage are given to the internal assessments and evaluation which could cause a lack of seriousness in many students.
● Limited resources in the case of many subjects or courses can lead to inefficient learning.
However, these
disadvantages can be minimized to a vast extent with the help of an educational
ERP software with CBCS system!
An ERP can simplify the
load of teachers and help them map the progress of students - year-wise,
class-wise, subject-wise! Along with that, it makes sure that the educational
quality is up to the mark.
All you need to do is implement an ERP solution that could simplify the journey.
In conclusion
They say - “change is necessary for progress”.
And I totally agree!
UGC has taken a decisive measure to bring forth a change and innovation in the educational system in India to elevate it on par with the international system. So far different educational institutes have been integrating varied methods in terms of examinations, assessments, evaluation, and grading systems.
With the implementation
of CBCS, the overall performance of the students can be assessed quite easily.
The problem that persists can be gauged in terms of differences existing among
the Central, State universities and colleges.
Lack of uniformity in
the academic environment, infrastructure, efficient teachers, and instructors
are the major causes.
Want to learn more about the CBCS system?
Get in touch with us!
We will help you understand everything about it - right from it's effectiveness to implementation!
