Tracing the link between learning outcomes and academic success
India is a young country and parents today are far younger in their outlooks too. Their approach to parenting has also changed with them being more open to experiential learning and their child’s choices. Online learning has democratized education, making it more affordable and accessible to most students. With its growing adoption in India, parents and students are showing more trust and confidence in Edtech platforms as well as rely on virtual classes to continue their academic progress. It is now up to learning platforms to take up more responsibility in a student’s learning process. This implies that students are no longer solely responsible for their academic results; the responsibility now lies with many stakeholders – the teacher and the platform.
What are learning outcomes & why is it critical for students?
Learning outcomes are the measurable skills, capabilities, aptitude, or values that a student is able to demonstrate post-completion of a given academic course, lesson, or class. Growth in these outcomes provides a clear picture of the progress achieved by a student as a result of a particular course or program.
An effectively defined learning outcome is student-centric and encompasses topics learnt as well as the skill level in the topic. (. Before designing any course for students, online learning platforms need to identify the learning outcomes that they aim to achieve through the course. The activities, teaching programs, and assessment plans are then designed with the central objective of enabling students to achieve these predefined outcomes.
Two pillars of learning
There are two pillars to measure the success of any course: learning experience and outcomes. If the learning experience is good, the child gets interested in the lesson and learning outcomes improve, which further stimulates the child to spend more time and engage with the set pedagogy. The more engaged the student is, the better the learning outcome. Every educational platform should be committed to making a learning experience that ignites interest and makes the study more associated with the entire learning cycle. The input behind creating something knowledgeable is as important as the output, which is a practical skill that students can demonstrate in the long run.
Data-driven & personalized learning outcomes for students
Personalized learning algorithms need to be built to measure and quantify the learning process and predictability in learning outcome improvement. Every student’s learning progression or growth is mapped at different levels. Standardized benchmark assessment enables students to understand their progress which further helps them improve academically. The data from these benchmark tests are also used to understand learning gaps and design remediation
programs for students. This means that every student is at a different point in their learning curve, and the progress will differ from person to person. Students are aligned based on their current learning levels and target in-class teaching and learning activities by differentiating learning paths.
Future of learning
Thus, learning needs to be experiential and outcome based. It should nurture a sense of purpose and individuality in a child. This means that the era of rote learning is over and it’s time to bring back the focus on the actual understanding of concepts. Learning is a collaborative process, and as much as it belongs to the student, it is equally the responsibility of teachers to help achieve an effective learning outcome. Teachers need to adopt a more engaging way of teaching and make kids understand the various important aspects of every subject. Such superior pedagogy stresses the need to assess student achievement, including conceptual understanding, critical thinking, analysis, and reallife application.
The ultimate indicator of a child’s learning journey is the learning outcome ensuring that no child is left behind with unrealized potential.