Pedagogical Innovations in Higher Education

Abstract

Higher Education plays a crucial role in the economic and social development of any nation. The participation level in higher education is indicative of the aspirations of the people for enhancing their quality life. It is also significant for national development as the skills, creativity and research developed through higher education provide for national prosperity. The emergent knowledge based economy has resulted in tremendous technological changes and liberalized competitive economies which have called the classroom activities into question. The fact that the young graduates are not employable has called into question the practices and proceedings of a classroom which has been the indisputable domain of a teacher. Why not the ‘formal education’ be customized to make our students employable? What is the relevance of a teacher in the changing face of technology aided learning practices that have emerged in the world today? Teacher can no more be an animal tethered to the peg called the textbook. ICT and Beyond-the-curriculum have taken the sheen out of the extempore lectures that teachers have always prided on. A teacher has no continuously innovate and make room for skills and student centric methods of teaching learning so to make the students employable and meaningful