Rote learning and facts learning are now outdated concepts that were the main methodologies in the old days. The latest modern-day education systems focus more on making students aware of what they are learning, the applied knowledge. This can be achieved only if the basic concepts are clearer from the start of the course.

 

Classroom methods including institutional methodologies will move away from pure rote learning and will empower thoroughly preparing with conceptual understanding, the improvement of basic goals and atmospheres, analytical and hands-on activities, dialogues, what’s more, a feeling of energy about learning. 

 

This would require going past the conventional communication approach to utilize instructive methodologies that include student involvement and sharing, applicable hands-on work and hands-on exercises, and encouraging students to analyze learning experiences. Workshops, discussions, gathering and individual ventures are a few examples of educational techniques that can be received. Helpful and peer-upheld exercises can be of great support

 

The most recent educational strategy, conceptual learning, focuses on understanding vital concepts and arranging data. Unlike traditional learning models, which emphasize the ability to examine specific facts, conceptual learning emphasizes comprehending broader norms or ideas that may then be applied to a variety of explicit models in the real world.

In contrast to the bottom-up learning strategy used in traditional types of learning, conceptual learning takes a top-down approach. In simple terms, conceptual learning is a modern technique for swiftly understanding new concepts and subjects.

 Key Principles of National Education Policy 

·        RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY & LOCAL CONTENT in all curriculum, pedagogy and policy.

·         EQUITY &  INCLUSION as the cornerstone of all educational decisions

 ·         COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION encouragement and facilitation for philanthropic, private and community participation.

  ·         USE OF TECHNOLOGY in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, for Differently Abled Students, and in educational planning and management.

 ·         EMPHASIZE CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING rather than rote learning and learning for exams.

 ·         UNIQUE CAPABILITIES recognizing, identifying them in each student.

 ·         CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY to encourage logical decision making and innovation.

 ·         CONTINUOUS REVIEW based on sustained research and regular assessment by educational experts.

 

What is Conceptual Learning?

 

An integrated understanding of important concepts is referred to as conceptual learning. Students who have a conceptual understanding are more knowledgeable than those who only know theoretical facts and procedures. They grasp why a concept is significant and how it can be applied in various situations. They’ve put their information into a logical order that allows them to learn and understand new concepts by relating them to the concepts they already know. Retention is also aided by conceptual learning, as information and processes taught through comprehension are linked, they are easier to retain and use, and they may be recreated if forgotten.

An audio-visual tool is a terrific method to accomplish conceptual learning objectives. Although a simple audio-visual method is not the answer in and of itself, it can be a valuable tool in the teacher’s hands. They can utilize it to successfully communicate numerous mathematical and scientific concepts. Students who go on to higher education must be able to apply what they’ve learned. They can draw on what they’ve learned and apply it to new topics through conceptual learning. It assists teachers and students in developing a thorough grasp of how concepts interact with one another and creating an exemplar that will empower them throughout their careers.

When students and teachers conceptualize the concepts and their relation to one another, they begin to construct their exemplars, which will allow them to solve any problem throughout their careers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Conceptual Learning

The following are a few advantages of conceptual learning:

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  Encourages conceptual understanding and comprehension rather than memorization.
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• Knowledge is imparted, and learning is ensured through conceptual learning, which is flexible and allows for continuous improvement.
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• Helps concentrate on the outcome of the learning process
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• Helps relate fresh information to previous knowledge, and thus leads to better retention of information
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• As content changes all the time, but the concept does not, conceptual learning advances in terms of content but not the basic notion.

Following are a few disadvantages of conceptual learning:

* It is a lengthy and time-consuming process

* Involves customisation and personalization according to the abilities of the students

Types of Learning in Conceptual Learning

There are broad types of learning in conceptual learning:

1. Conceptual Learning of Early Childhood Education
2. Conceptual Learning of English
3. Conceptual Learning of Mathematics
4. Conceptual Learning of Science

Why Conceptual Learning Is Important?

 

Conceptual learning is the future of the education system. It is founded on a solid basis that fosters understanding among varied viewpoints. As a result, a learner must remember less and understand more to relate different concepts. For example, a student with a conceptual understanding of decimals may readily work with fractions, percentages, and ratios. Students who just have traditional knowledge, on the other hand, may struggle to cope because they will have to recollect the information as different concepts.

Conceptual learning encourages active participation since it requires students to participate actively in the process, whereas traditional types of learning require the teacher to explain information. The student is then expected to pay attention and practice the techniques while the dynamics remain unclear. However, when it comes to conceptual learning, both the student and teacher play a key role, with the teacher providing tasks or difficulties that help students fully develop an idea. Thus, encouraging active participation of students.

It is the era of new beginnings and innovations in the realm of education. As new innovations are stepping in, the education sector is leaving behind all the ineffective and inefficient methodologies of teaching and learning. As a result, a shift from rote learning methodologies is of prime importance.

Why concept-based learning?

Global Citizenship

There are four major ways to develop global citizenship within international schools. Through:

Curriculum Design which embraces themes of awareness, empathy and a more holistic educational approach;

The Use of Technology that fosters connections between classrooms and destinations around the world;

Social Action Projects that use service-based learning to create a deeper understanding of global issues;

Extra-Curricular Projects that offer a variety of tools to promote global citizenship.

Concept-based learning is a powerful vehicle for all four routes as we develop young people to be global citizens. After all, what is the purpose of education if it is not for the greater good where we can nurture the development of evidence-minded and open-minded young people who act with social responsibility, celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity?

 

There are many reasons why a concept-based model can be beneficial to young people.

 

Conceptual Understanding and Transfer

Learning needs to be meaningful and concept-based learning provides opportunities for personal meaning-making. A concept-based model supports young people to own their learning, to be able to inquire, look for patterns, make connections, use deep transferable understandings to solve problems and create new ideas, processes or products.

 

Thinking Cultures – Creative, Critical and Reflective Thinking

Learning is a consequence of thinking; therefore, it is essential that we focus on thinking skills as much as content. Concept-based learning helps students to develop the ability to think creatively, critically and reflectively – to think beyond the facts and think conceptually.

 

Developing Intellect and Dispositions

The need for schools to focus on intellectual dispositions under three main areas of thinking:

 

• Creative thinking (open minded, curious) – construction of meaning, solutions of problems, cultural expressions
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• Critical thinking (seeking truth, understanding, strategic, sceptical) – asking questions, making connections, evolving explanations, different perspectives, looking closely
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• Reflective thinking (metacognition) – ongoing reflections for clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, significance, fairness

These are essential for students to reach conceptual levels of thinking.

 

Future Society and the Global Good

 

Conceptual learning encourages future learning. It is built on a strong foundation that nurtures an understanding between various ideas. So, a student has to ‘remember’ less. For instance, a student who possesses a conceptual understanding of fractions can work easily on percentages, decimals, ratios, and so on.

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications have become prevalent in all walks of life, but efforts to promote AI literacy to educated citizens from diverse study backgrounds are limited. There is a research gap in refocussing AI literacy courses from combining conceptual learning with mathematical formulae and programming codes to emphasising conceptual building from the beginning.

 

Student Achievement and Learning Outcomes

 

Concept-based learning develops conceptual structures in the brain to relate new knowledge to prior knowledge, and to enable connections in knowledge. Concept-based learning can improve student cognition of aims and assessment objectives in application and higher-level understanding to support mastery, performance and achievement.

What is Rote Learning?

Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The method rests on the premise that the recall of repeated material becomes faster the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, spaced repetition and active learning.

When we discuss the transition from rote learning to hands-on learning, it is essential to understand what is rote learning. So, let us look at rote learning in detail.

Why Shift from Rote Learning?

The process of memorizing concepts by repetition is known as rote learning. It has been one of the key practices by which students learn new learning concepts. There are multiple reasons why NEP 2020 is emphasizing the shift from the rote learning pattern. Let us look into what those reasons are.

No Room for Creative Discussion

When we prioritize memorization of information over conceptual understanding, we are restricting the scope for healthy-creative discussions. The learning ought to be a two-way process in which students actively participate.  Students will be able to exhibit their innovative ideas when they are encouraged to speak up about their perspectives.

Moreover, these exercises are a great way to improve their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is a crucial soft skill that will enable your kids to succeed in all of their endeavors over the course of their lives.

Little Scope for Practical Application

The foundation of learning is conceptual understanding. The development of conceptual understanding is not aided by rote memory. Students cannot use the ideas in real-world settings unless and until they fully grasp them. They have to engage in meaningful learning to make the practical application to be possible.

A hands-on learning approach would enable students to learn by doing. Moreover, it seeks active participation from the students. Hence, the learning concepts get etched in the minds of students.

Memorization is Given Top Priority

In a rote learning environment, the regurgitation of facts is given prime importance. The biggest drawback of this is, once students finish their exams, they tend to forget everything they learn. This is where considering students’ score in exams as a yardstick to gauge the intelligence of students become the problem.

Studies have proven that a student’s score has nothing to do with his/her intelligence. Hence, education ought to be more about the holistic development of students rather than their scores in exams. This concern has been addressed by NEP 2020, which is trying to make changes in these ineffective strategies.

How NEP 2020 is Making a Difference

The new education policy is bringing in a number of changes to improve the quality of education. The shortcomings of rote learning are being addressed and also it is moving towards a much more comprehensive approach to education.

Conceptual Understanding is Prioritized

·         Better understanding leads to better student outcomes.

·         Effective teaching methodologies are adopted to ensure conceptual understanding.

·         Hands-on learning aids students in better learning outcomes.

Digital content like videos makes it easier for students to understand the learning concepts better. EISE PEDAGOGY has the best digital content that aids teachers in their lectures to make it easier for students to comprehend the concepts.

 Holistic Education is Adopted

·         In this way, students’ unique capabilities will be nurtured.

·         Academic and non-academic endeavours are given equal importance.

·        It aids in broadening the horizons of students which opens the door opportunities to for them.

·  It moves away from the one-size-fits-all approach and makes personalized learning possible.

 

 Examinations are Remodelled

·tStudents are tested based on their competencies and capabilities rather than memorization power.

·         Their performance in both curricular and co-curricular activities is reflected in their progress reports.

·         It will no longer be based on the memorization of concepts and will be more about competency-based questions.

 

Emphasis on Skill Development

·         National Education Policy 2020 recognizes the importance of skill development in making students employable.

·         It accentuates the importance of building 21st-century skills among students.

·         NEP emphasizes the importance of soft skills development in students.

 

New Pedagogical Methodologies are Encouraged

·         Teachers are encouraged to incorporate innovative pedagogical approaches to improve student outcomes.

·         Better pedagogical strategies would ensure conceptual understanding among students.

·         They should also focus on the socio-emotional development of students.

Along with upskilling students, it is also important that the students are updated about the new developments and teaching methodologies. Hence, it is important that the school organize time-to-time training programs to improve the skills of the teachers.

EISE PEDAGOGY makes it possible for the schools to conduct effective teacher training program for the teachers. It not only helps them to refine their skills but also aids them in their professional development.