Knowledge is Indispensable: But only some students act effectively - owing to a lack of clarity on what matters?

"The definition of knowledge is a matter of ongoing debate among philosopher in the field of epistemology. The classical definition, described but not ultimately endorsed by Plato, specifies that a statement must meet three criteria in order to be considered knowledge: it must be Justified, True, and Believed." (Source: favorite knowledge bank of students - Wikipedia)

This article is not about Theoretical Knowledge versus Practical Knowledge.

It's quite well understood and accepted that there are different kinds of knowledge and different ways to gain as well. This article is not aimed at discussion of Theoretical Knowledge versus Practical Knowledge. Those who succeed in life are those who acquire knowledge of both ends of this spectrum, the composition might vary depending on the exposure to educational practices, academic disciplines and professional world.

What students are told about Skill Development and how it affects their efforts to gain knowledge?

These days, students are often bombarded with the information that emphasizes significance of skills. However, it's probably not underlined that skill development essentially includes knowledge gain. It's unfortunate that there is rush to jump to skill building without adequate attention to foundational knowledge. Else such individuals are good at some tricks and techniques that produce amazing result only for a while.

Hatred for theories and theoretical knowledge is a serious concern of the era

Perhaps we need more efforts to help students understand that the source of theories is practical work - be it experiment, observation, or experience. The scientific theories, evolved frameworks, and tested models are not just some ideas and random thoughts. Apart from elaborations and guidelines which are handy, theoretical work helps one better understand context in which things operate.

How do we tell them what they need to know? And yes, may be most of us were told about it the same way.

Lack of balance in knowledge dimensions seems to be a serious issue. Hence, some students are street-smart, some are bookworms, while others are just relying on knowledge of some industry jargon.

What do students frequently hear from the teachers, speakers and parents while emphasizing on the role of knowledge in their careers and life?

Group I: "Read as much as you can". "Knowledge in everything". "Read regularly". "Read as many books as possible". "This is the best time to learn / read / acquire knowledge". "You won't get time to read when you start working".

Group II: "Have you read today's newspaper". "Know what's happening in the world". "Be aware of what's happening around". "General knowledge helps". "Spend some time watching news".

Group III: "Have practical knowledge". "Theoretical knowledge and marks are fine but that's not enough". "You should know what's going on in the industry". "Syllabus is not enough, know industry trends and tools".

How about some framework around this - "Balanced Knowledge Card"?

It would be great to have a separate framework or model for each of the academic disciplines, specialization, and some would say, even for super-specialization. However, some generic model would be more relevant for universities and large campuses shaping lives of students representing different academic disciplines and heading towards different professional worlds. The following "Knowledge Dimensions" can be identified;

1. Domain Knowledge: This consists of both fundamental and applied knowledge. It is knowledge of a specific, specialized discipline or field, in contrast to general knowledge. The sub-dimensions here would be - core subjects, popular theories, key concepts, widely used models, leading authors, subject history, etc.
2. Interdisciplinary Knowledge: In reality, none of the disciplines of study works in isolation. One needs to identify these disciplines depending on the career preferences and intended job roles. The sub-dimensions here would be - originating field of study, complementary disciplines, and value adding disciplines.
3. Industry Knowledge: The next dimension is knowledge of business world related to ones chosen field of study. The candidate should be relevant to industry and the workplace. The sub-dimensions here would be - economy, sectors, industries, leading organizations, best practices, trends, flow, jargon, etc.
4. General Knowledge: The outcome of our actions is determined by larger forces beyond our control. The quantum of events and happenings in the world could be overwhelming at times. The sub-dimensions here would be - political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental issues.

This framework shall be helpful in employability enhancement as well as entrepreneurship development.

Some considerations for the effective use of this framework

• Begin with self-assessment
• Prioritize learning goals
• Use multiple sources
• Global and Local
• Continuity

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