It is commonly said that tough times don’t last, only tough people do. A statement that needs to be persistently repeated in the unusual time that we have found ourselves in. The global pandemic has shuffled the pieces of our puzzling lives in a way that the pieces seem to be almost broken. However, if you look closely and deeply you will notice that in this incredibly rare situation humanity, as a whole, needs to collectively participate in putting the pieces back together. 

We have found ourselves in the midst of, what scholars like Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens call, the Risk Society. The struggles in Risk Societies are democratic by their very nature. They do not discriminate based on class, caste, gender, or any other primordial categories that the human race has come to attach incredible importance to. Consequently, the Covid-19 Virus is as dangerous for you as it is for me, and, unless we all come together in a collective effort to dispel this demon, it will linger in corners that will eventually create a path all the way to you. But enough on the gloomy knowledge about the virus and its dire consequences. The internet and media have bombarded us with information and images that have added to the feeling of anxiety that the Pandemic brought with it. Let’s discuss a very essential matter that some may claim has been over-emphasized in the past few months – Mental Health. 

Social Media feeds, instant messages, celebrity interviews and almost every other channel where you receive your source of connection to the world in these times is flushed with conversations around Mental Health. While I do not belong to the school of thought which believes that social media’s echo chambers are creating problems that don’t even exist, it is time to pause and think why has the world turned to this sudden public display of something so personal – their mental and emotional well-being. Yes, there would be multiple hypothesis surrounding this topic as well – mine, being just one among them. My belief is that most people, today, are suffering from some kind of mental health condition – and this is not to belittle those who do suffer chronic conditions that are incredibly difficult to deal with. Not everyone may be at the same end of the spectrum of mental health conditions. But, most people are somewhere on it. Having been relatively familiar with both psychology and sociology as academic fields, I would stand by the belief that mental health is most definitely a very individual and personal experience, but it is not devoid of the circumstances and the societal condition we find ourselves in. 

The Pandemic has definitely left us in the middle of a maze that is a very alien environment. The unpredictability of the virus – the way it is affecting different people in absolutely unexpected ways – along with the uncertainty of the changing norms and rules of society, has left us overwhelmed. There is an often unspoken-anxiety that resides within us. The present condition has let some of us lend a voice to that hidden anxiety. Yes, the bizarre conditions have aggravated our mental and emotional vulnerability, but it has not, in general, caused it. Rather, it has revealed it. So, here’s what I think. We are so used to distracting ourselves from ourselves, that it’s almost a refined skill that most of us can boast of today. With the coming of the global pandemic, we have been compelled to take a pause, and take some “time off” – from the usual routine that wouldn’t give us the time to think, the daily tasks that kept us distracted, the work we tend to use to define our worth, and the people whose gaze we use on a daily basis to see ourselves. Suddenly, we were given that one ghost that none of us seem to ever have – Time. The lack of time is a condition that is used to boast, albeit subtly, the importance of a person’s existence. “I don’t have the time to do anything. I am too busy.”  

An idle mind is a devil’s workshop, they say. I never seemed to like this idiom. Why should we feed into our subconscious mind that it can never be at rest? That, it has to constantly be “busy” to be non-demonic. Consequently, as we got less busy than we have been used to being, with Time by our side, we were left confused and anxious. We didn’t know what to do when faced with uncertainty of this measure. We’ve been academically trained in our fields of expertise, we’ve mastered the art of time management and multitasking, we’ve learnt how to sustain under extreme work stress. We have even learnt how to ignore all our problems, put our blinders on, and focus on the utilitarian tasks of achieving what society defines as valuable. What we haven’t learnt is to take care of our emotional and mental health. This may have been sustainable in a world that was suddenly hit by waves of modernity crashing into every aspect of life - with the work-play binary, the rising individualism, the language of utilitarian materialistic desires, the focus on planned pathways, unreal expectations, over-competitive environment hyper-real existence on social media, constant noise of information explosion and celebrated cynicism. 

Going to school became about subject learning, going to college became about getting the degree to land a good job, and getting a job became the way to get enough money to fulfill our material desires constructed by the media and advertising houses that are feeding on middle-class aspirations and conspicuous consumption. And, despite the exceptionally talented and workaholic citizens we have surrounded ourselves with, we were dropped into the middle of a maze that no expertise knew how to get out of. We have to accept that this existence, devoid of the value of spiritual silence, will not be sustainable anymore.

So, it’s time to rethink if the premier institutions and organisations of our times are only here to feed our desires to be something/someone else, or can we re-orient their goals and purpose to help us to be able to aware of ourselves, and learn the art of self-content and mindful existence with fellow humans. While school is a great place to learn mathematics, can it also be a place where we learn to sit quietly and understand the rhythm of music? While college is an unrivalled springboard to land a high-paying job, can it also be a space where we learn the art of community service? While the workplace is an unmatchable space to learn the value of multi-tasking, can it also be a place where we learn the value of fellow workers? 

Although these may seem far-fetched ideas to our modern cynically trained mechanical brains, if we just give our minds the rest it needs to clear the clouds of pessimism out, you will see that seeking for a world that is more peaceful and less selfish, is not an impossible dream. As part of the human race, we have seen miracles and life-changing events of unparalleled measure. We have established successful democracies, reached the moon, learnt to swim like a fish, fly to places across the globe and survive pandemics. The human mind, as we know it, is capable of so much more than we can imagine - and so is the human soul. We can collectively build a society that values emotions as much as it values skills; values hope as much as it values desires; values sympathy as much as it values ambition; values silence as much as it values information; and most importantly, we can create a society that teaches us to value solace as much as it values time. Maybe, then, we won’t be left off-guard when we are abruptly faced with too much of any unpleasant, unexpected, over or under-valued visitors – be it a Virus, or be it Time.

‘’Education provides you with a kind of freedom that is unmatched with any other experience.”

When we talk about education, our minds rush back to the school days because that is where we first became educated. This is the place where we have learned most of the things, the things that have helped us develop our mind and personality. My mother says that you never cried when going to school while most of the children do that in the beginning and some of them throughout their school life. I think the reason behind it was that I was always happy going there.

Maybe even at that time somehow, I knew the importance of education, and how it can change my life. Initially it was all about studying, scoring good marks, getting into a good college, and eventually landing a job that pays well. But now that it all has been done and dusted, I am becoming aware of the fact that it can do more than that, it can give you the freedom to think and broaden your horizon. 

I realized that the independence that comes with being educated, be it financial or emotional, is unparallel. It gives the control of your life in your hands. It is true that we need people to help us go through this journey of life but education and the knowledge that comes with it makes sure that we do it in the best possible way. I have seen people being unable to do things and completely depending on others simply because they cannot read or write. I remember people asking me at bus stops to let them know when this number bus or that number bus would come being totally dependent on others. But what if someone does not bother to do it or tell them the wrong one just for the fun of it. I know for a fact that one of the reasons I can go to places alone is because I can read the bus numbers, train schedules and charts.

Similarly, I have seen people struggling in the banks and asking others to fill-out their forms because they could not do it on their own. These are the small things that reminds that why education is more than just a need; it is a tool to empower oneself.

Learning can be a lifelong endeavour if you love the process of learning itself. The excitement of discovering a new topic, the deep-diving into the concepts, making mistakes and feeling distraught and uncomfortable with your learning, and still persevering, so that one day, you can achieve what is referred to as mastery. 

This may seem like an abstract concept. However, we can learn something about learning from a rather unlikely source - movies. Let’s look at a movie that was released in 2009 - 3 Idiots. 
There are several memorable moments in this movie. But from a learning perspective, you can clearly observe two schools of thought. 

Extrinsic Motivation to Learning

The first method of approaching learning was the ‘Chatur Ramalingam’ way. Memorise, memorise, understand whatever is necessary, and memorise some more. Although, there are instances where this method may work, but in the long run, the effects can be catastrophic. Remember when we laughed out loud when Chatur gave a disastrous speech in Hindi without understanding the essence of it? 

In my mind, Chatur’s character can be thought of as the poster boy for extrinsically motivated learning. In general, extrinsic motivation represents the drive to achieve external rewards, such as money or social status. We often think of learning as a stepping stone to going higher in the ladder of success. Our goals are usually related to the next big competitive examination, the next big assessment that would get you the best grade, and the next big job that would make your life a roaring success.
Is there another way of looking at learning? Of falling in love with learning? 

Intrinsic Motivation to Learning

Let’s look at the protagonist of 3 Idiots - Ranchoddas Chanchad or Chote or Phhunsuk Wangdu.



You can never forget the monologue ‘gyaan’ that he gives to his friends. He says that the reason why he does so well in the course is because he genuinely enjoys it. And that’s the main characteristic of an intrinsically motivated learner. Intrinsic motivation represents the inner drive or passion people have to excel in a particular pursuit.  
 
Think about any activity that you excel at. It could be a recipe that you have perfected over time, or a kind of puzzle that you solve everyday in the newspaper. You do it simply because the activity gives you joy. And you continue doing it, because with all the practice, you’re pretty good at it too!

Now, what if we think of tying this back to learning in our classrooms. When teaching students, there are instances when we cannot do away with extrinsically motivated learning. When trying to learn and understand the basic concepts in any subject, the first step would very often be memorising some topics. It is easier to build on our existing knowledge if we do not have to hunt for definitions and terms, right? 

So, in such cases, consider assessments and questions to test definitions, spellings, grammar, theory, and so on. And rewards for these tests can be titles like ‘Genius of the Week’ or small tokens of appreciation like ribbons or certificates. You can even ask some of these students to talk in front of the whole class about how they learnt the concepts. Recognition is key!

Now comes the slightly more complex part. Getting students to be intrinsically motivated to learn, to make them fall in love with the process of learning. But, there’s another hurdle to be crossed - fear. 

This brings me to another character from 3 Idiots - Raju Rastogi. He is interested in the course, and yet is unable to score well.

 

Why? Because he’s weighed down by expectations and is so scared to make mistakes, that he loses sight of how much he actually likes learning. 
Many students may have mental blocks about subjects because they are afraid to fail. Removing fear is the first step to be taken when aiming to instill love for a subject. 

As teachers and educators, we need to make students understand that even though tests are important, they are not the end of the world. Open dialogue with the students, talking to them to understand pain points and helping them figure out their most comfortable way of learning is paramount. Feedback is key!

Finally, how do we ensure our classrooms - physical or online, support more intrinsically motivated learning? 

Before we bombard our students with a lot of information, we should allow them to think about what they have learnt. What does a concept mean to them, how did they learn it, what examples helped them learn better, and so on. These can be done online through asynchronous sessions, where the teacher is available to clear doubts, and the students are free to read and discuss learnings through forums.

In my mind, a lot of the intrinsically motivated learning can be achieved through creative assignments. The assignments should typically contain application, evaluation, and creation-based work. For instance, if it’s a Mathematics class, the application-based problems could include a combination of a few previously learnt concepts in the same assignment. For evaluation, students could ask doubts in class, that can be cleared out by students themselves in the presence of the instructor. Students can also review each others’ essays or assignments and give suggestions/ feedback to one another. 

Finally, creation-based assignments could include making charts, presentations or even allowing groups of students to teach a chapter or parts of a chapter to the rest of the class. This would help students revise their concepts, and also help them structure their learning in a better manner. 

As we make learners more intrinsically motivated, it is believed that they would fall in love with the process of learning itself. They would not be afraid to ask pertinent questions and would not doubt themselves before exploring the depths of a subject.

Teachers have the amazing opportunity and arguably the most difficult responsibility of shaping young minds. By striking a balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to learning, we may be able to help students take control of their learning even when they have stepped out of the classrooms and into the world.  

As we all know that classroom learning is the term which has been derived from classroom. Here we need to highlight a few more points to justify the definition of classroom learning. Physical set up of the classroom, physical presence of certain number of students or learners and physical presence of teachers. If any component is missing that won’t be termed as classroom learning. 

When we go back in time and try to find out the traditional methods of learning; we come to the conclusion that it was more or less the same methods as we have nowadays in traditional classroom learning. Few changes we find and that is in terms of having a proper room, tables and chairs, good quality writing boards, smart classes set up, etc.

Classroom learning is not just learning academic subjects such as English, Science or Mathematics but it is more of learning discipline and etiquettes. When I saw parents filling up admission forms for their kids who are just 3 ½ Years old or say 4 Years old, I was forced to give a thought that was it the right age to start schooling whereas most of the kids are still in their diapers. Or were the parents just wanted to run away with their responsibilities of upbringing. I couldn’t get any appropriate conclusion. I decided to talk to the parents and wanted to know the exact reason for admitting their kids at such a small age. I talked to around 100 random parents and found that around 90% of parents had the same answer: at least our kids would learn basic etiquettes, manners and would get social attachments which was not possible at home. So we find that values can only be learnt in classroom learning.

Over the past few years it had become a matter of debate; if online learning was better than the classroom learning. And suddenly there was an outburst of Covid-19 which resulted in shutdown of schools with immediate effect, and it gave more voice to online learning. Schools and colleges were forced to accept and implement online teaching irrespective of any form be it using whatsapp messenger, telegram messenger or zoom app. But again when we talked about the outcome of online learning, we had mixed responses. Around 64% parents were happy with the online learning, just because of the safety concerns and it was not based on the comparison of learning outcomes.

Now let’s have a look at some of the many benefits of classroom learning:


Social Interaction: This is an important factor in learning. Students can learn from each other and also learn to adjust with students from different religious, cultural and social backgrounds. This would help them to live with each other in harmony and peace. And learning capabilities also increase when learning in groups and also helps them in performing tasks together which results in working as a team.

Like Minded Learners: In classroom learning, we find students with like minded and with the same learning objective. This helps in learning as students can question each other, solve their queries and also come up with different solutions which would automatically enhance their critical thinking abilities.

Instant Guidance: In classroom learning, students have a moving, live and instant guide in the form of teachers. They can ask their queries at any moment during the learning and instant guidance, support and solutions are provided to students. It also motivates students to come up with more and more doubts and queries. And all their queries are taken.

Classroom Management: Physical classroom allows teacher to move and make groups in a manner according to the needs of the subject. Physical movements and re-grouping of students helps in better learning. Small physical activities can also be performed to enhance learning.

Practical Learning: Practical learning is very important. Practical learning becomes easy when we are part of classroom learning. Students can be shown practical experiments which would enhance the learning of students.

Varied Learning Styles: Teachers can teach students in different teaching methods and styles. Sometimes, students learn with different teaching styles and methods. This can only be possible when we are part of classroom learning.

Discipline and Moral Values: Students learn moral values and discipline during classroom learning. Discipline is something which can not be taught by other forms of learning.

Feedback: Teachers get the instant feedback, whether the students have learnt or not. Students can be asked questions and the status of their learning outcomes could be easily found. Mistakes can be identified and corrected instantly.

Above were the few benefits of classroom learning. We all know that every system has their pros and cons. But, as far as classroom learning is concerned, I am with the view that it has more pros than cons.