With the integration of technological tools, students can now engage in self-learning and assessments can be conducted via open-book and take-home exams, says DR PAWAN KUMAR SINGH
Due to the coronavirus induced lockdown across India, all educational institutions were closed. As a learning institution, we believed no crisis should change the trajectory of teaching and learning. We have responded to the ongoing pandemic and made technological advancements to make sure learning continues. The institute seamlessly shifted from offline to online pedagogy using technological devices to train faculty as well as non-faculty members and conduct online classes for students.
Changes B-schools will witness
In the future, B-schools must focus on creating interactive and immersive teaching-learning ecosystems, which are flexible as well as accessible. These approaches can be made robust with greater implementation of technology. With the integration of technological tools, students will engage in self-learning.
Assessments can be conducted via open-book, take-home exams designed to assess higher-order thinking skills that will help inculcate entrepreneurial skills. Cloud-based admissions and enrollment of students may take place in the future. With the entire pedagogy moving online, it will open avenues for business schools to collaborate deeply and conduct joint programs with other educational institutes via online methods.
Inculcating entrepreneurial skills
Management education acts as a fertile ground to develop entrepreneurial skills in budding managers. In addition to that, independent thinking, ability to spot the opportunities, and risk-taking ability, etc. are all important skill development practice that takes place in a B-school. For students driven to be entrepreneurs, a good blend of theoretical grounding and practical exposure and interaction with entrepreneurs is a boon.
At MDI, the entrepreneurial cell is also quite active and indulges in a lot of activities to ignite the fertile brains to follow their latent entrepreneurial skills by exposing them to not only skill and tactics but also making them listen to great entrepreneurs from different sectors, instilling confidence in their ideas. At MDI, classroom education and attitudinal training in entrepreneurship goes hand-in-hand.
The future
We have envisioned scalability by its research-driven activities of a consistently higher international standard. Our goal is to provide a world-class education to students who emerge as future leaders of the country. We are integrating our curriculum with new-age skills such as Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Capital to train our students on the same. We are also looking ahead to bring infrastructural developments to establish state-of-the-art labs in collaboration with industries. As per NIRF India Rankings 2020 announced by MHRD (GoI), MDI Gurgaon is currently on 10th position amongst the top private B-schools in India. In years to come, we hope to achieve newer heights by adapting to the technological shift and exceling in new age learning.
Research is an important constituent and we encourages research activities and expects its academic community to be research-active to carry out research work of a consistently higher international standard.