Bridging the Gap: Addressing Classroom Challenges in Higher Education - A Perspective from Haryana

Introduction

Higher education is undergoing a transformation. While technology has opened up incredible opportunities, it has also created unique challenges, especially in traditional classrooms in government institutions. Over the past few months, we’ve had the chance to connect with faculty across Haryana through Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings. These sessions have been eye-opening, highlighting common hurdles and a shared passion for improvement.

How 'Learning' is Changing

Students today are approaching learning differently. The boundaries between in-person and online education are becoming blurred. Many faculty members shared that students find traditional classrooms too similar to online learning, which affects their engagement. This is no surprise, considering how the pandemic pushed everyone toward online platforms, offering flexibility and convenience. Research even shows that well-designed online courses can achieve similar results to in-person classes (at least in terms of course completion) (Means et al., 2010).

What Faculty Are Telling Us

Through our PLC meetings, we’ve gained insight into the real challenges educators at Higher educational institutions face daily. Here are some key takeaways:

• Struggling to Connect: Many students juggle part-time jobs with their studies, which affects their attendance. Even when they are in class, there’s hesitancy to participate, which is concerning.
• “Why Does This Matter?/ How does this relate to our career?" This is a question faculty hear often. Students want to understand how classroom learning connects to their future careers. Without that connection, they lose motivation.
• The Classroom Advantage: Faculty feel that in-person learning needs to stand out from online experiences. They’re searching for ways to make the classroom more interactive and engaging.
• Faculty Overload: Teachers are stretched thin with additional administrative duties, leaving them with less time to focus on teaching and mentoring students.

Stories of Hope and Innovation

Despite these challenges, we’ve seen inspiring examples of faculty finding creative solutions:

• Making Classes Engaging: Some faculty are using fresh ideas to capture students’ attention. Activities like student-led discussions, SWOT analyses, and energizers are making classrooms more interactive.
• Smart Use of Technology: Faculty are curious about how tools like AI can help create engaging and personalized assignments. There’s growing interest in blending technology into learning.
• Focusing on Well-being: A few educators are even incorporating mindfulness into their lessons, such as starting with a quick breathing exercise to help students focus.

How We Can Move Forward

To address these challenges, here are some steps the faculties believe can make a real difference:

1. Make Learning Relevant: Update curricula to align with industry needs and include practical skills that students can immediately see value in.
2. Support Educators: Train faculty in innovative teaching methods that work for both online and in-person settings. This includes helping them effectively use technology.
3. Reduce Faculty Workload: Free up teachers from excessive administrative tasks so they can focus on teaching and mentoring students.
4. Close the Digital Divide: Ensure that every student has access to devices and reliable internet. Without this, we can’t create equal learning opportunities.
5. Build a Stronger Community: Whether it’s online or in person, fostering a sense of belonging is essential for students to succeed. and what better than feeling like 'belonging to a college or classroom'.

The challenges in Haryana’s higher education system are real and identical to the other states, but so is the determination of faculties. By recognizing the changes in learning, supporting faculty efforts, and investing in meaningful resources, the ecosystem can create classrooms that are engaging, relevant, and impactful. The conversations we’re having with faculty are just the beginning.

References

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. U.S. Department of Education. Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., & Baki, M. (2013). The effectiveness of online and blended learning: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Teachers College Record, 115(3).