NST,Thursday 23 September 2010
I wish to share an effective method which can help raise our nation’s human capital and make us more competitive globally.
It has been successfully used in training new staff with little or no related job experience and equally effective for undergraduates in tertiary institutions, and working adults attending short courses.
Full day training begins with a brainstorming session and participants are given blank notepads on which to write down questions they want to ask.
They are required to make a short speech on a related topic, and its application, towards the end of the day.
This makes them pay more attention in class and make an extra effort to understand what is being taught.
Articulating what is in their mind is the best method to gauge their grasp of the subject. It is a great learning opportunity for all when mistakes are pointed out, explained and corrected on the spot.
The quality of questions asked is a good indicator of a person’s potential as it is necessary to continue learning and discover what lies beyond.
They are also the seeds of creation and innovation.
However, if notes are handed out, as happens in schools today, students naturally tend to relax during class as they can always refer to them later when needed.
These notes are often put aside and even forgotten unless needed for an exam. Being spoon-fed, there is no necessity to think or look for better answers.
This is one of the main reasons why students in our tertiary institutions and working adults who attended short training courses have learned or picked up less skills.
Most trainers try to unload their expertise and experience acquired over the years within a few hours, with the participants trying hard to understand and remember what is being taught.
As a result, the focus is studying the course to pass an exam instead of improving and developing actual skills applicable in their daily work.
As for assignments, it is more of an exercise in compiling information from one or several sources. Again, the litmus test is for the students to speak on the topic in front of the class for at least five minutes and to be followed by a Q&A session.
Students will then realise that having access to or gathering huge amounts of information does not equate to quality learning.
To be knowledgeable, they will first have to master the basics such as language and communication skills, which are crucial for work.
Remembering what they have learned can help them to think on their feet. However, memorising alone without understanding is useless by itself, other than for passing exams.
Surprisingly, after spending so much money and time on education, many Malaysians are not even able to do the basics properly. Their parents and educators are equally to be blamed.
Sadly, only a small number of school leavers or fresh graduates have acquired social skills and the right attitude and willingness to learn.
Our success in education has been limited to producing degree mills churning out large number of graduates with a disturbing number remaining unemployed.
Employers desperate for quality staff often lament the fact that the average product emerging from our education pipeline is too crude and needs to be refined before it can be used in the job market.
Unfortunately, the challenge is too daunting to train them for the positions they seek.
Having completed their education at the tertiary level does not necessarily mean that they have been truly educated.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
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