IN THIS rapidly transforming landscape of the 21st century, the traditional means and modes of education are failing to make our students ready for the challenges of the new world. The current era demands that students equip themselves with all-inclusive expertise, superior knowledge and abilities boosted through market-driven education. This is a must to thrive in today鈥檚 increasingly complex and interconnected ecosystem of workspaces and academia. This shift towards a more holistic approach to learning, steered predominantly by information technology, is referred to as Education 4.0.
Over the past decades, we have witnessed the education sector go through a significant evolutionary phase, drifting further and further away from, for example, the chalk-and-slates to online classrooms, automated exam evaluations and more. This evolving journey has been categorised into four distinct stages: Education 1.0, Education 2.0, Education 3.0, and finally Education 4.0. Each of the stages represents a notable shift in teaching and learning practices, fuelled by changes in social norms, technological positioning, and the needs of the contemporary world.
The teaching pedagogy neatly followed by everyone in the early days was that teachers had absolute control over the classroom through an authoritarian approach. Students were passive recipients of knowledge, having minimal space for personalised input and independent engagement. The concept of student-centred learning gradually gained attention, yet it took some time before open communication and collaboration in the classrooms became common. Students eventually began to engage more in research and inquiry-based learning, as they also now noticed better clarity in terms of setting career objectives and analysing market demands. With Education 4.0, technology became ubiquitous in the process, eliminating the confinement of four walls and opening up the whole world as one enormous classroom.
Education 4.0 remarks a paradigm shift in education, emphasising the development of skills that are essential for becoming successful in an ecosystem driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The 4IR, characterised by the fusion of technologies, is continuously blurring the boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. To navigate this next, it is essential for the youth to be well-equipped and prepared. Because of the expansion of broadband and mobile internet, students now mostly have easy access to a wealth of knowledge sources. This allows students in Education 4.0 to learn at their own pace and explore topics that interest them without any direct mentorship. Advanced technology also enables students to collaborate with peers, share ideas and access resources from around the world, creating a more dynamic and interactive learning environment. This is ultimately helping us shape the youth in the right ways, as we eye to position ourselves aptly with the demands of the 4IR.
In Bangladesh, we now see a growing recognition of the importance of adopting Education 4.0 from academicians, guardians and educational institutions. The government鈥檚 鈥榮mart Bangladesh鈥� vision aims at promoting the use of technology in education and improve access to digital resources for all students across the country. Local schools and universities are progressively incorporating technology into their curriculum, with many launching online courses and resources to supplement traditional classroom learning. By embracing Education 4.0, we can ensure that the Bangladeshi workforce remains competitive and adaptable in the face of altering trends. This will help us drive economic growth as well as inspire innovation in the country, creating fresh opportunities for prospective individuals and businesses.
We must not forget that technology has the potential to democratise education. Information technology, as the very foundation of Education 4.0, makes education more accessible and affordable for people living in the most remote corners of the world. For a country like Bangladesh, adequate adoption of Education 4.0 can lead to a reduced digital divide and improved social mobility, allowing more citizens to access the education and training they need to thrive in post-4IR societies. Future-focused educational institutions in Bangladesh are striving to lay the grounds and present the nation with skilled resources by offering the world鈥檚 top-ranked programmes.
There is still a lot for us to do to ensure that all Bangladeshi students have access to the resources they need to step into future markets and compete globally. As we opt to redefine our learning approaches and embrace Education 4.0, we need an approach that accommodates the skills and knowledge in sync with the 4IR. It is high time to say goodbye to rote memorisation and standardised tests. Furthermore, educational institutions should introduce degrees and courses in the most modern fields of IT, namely data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, interactive media, etc. This will surely help our youth to focus on real-world problems and come up with solutions through collaborative efforts.
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Professor Muhammad Ismail Hossain is the dean of academic affairs at Universal College Bangladesh.