The Wiley Handbook of Sustainability in Higher Education Learning and Teaching - Группа авторов

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believe that the set POs are achievable, then we will modify our best practices so that we can achieve the goals associated with the POs.

      4 Rubrics: Mapping in a true sense between PEOs and POs requires a mechanism, metrics, or rubrics as important approaches that can quantify the impact of education in transforming the students into employable graduates. The rubrics play a very important role because scoring is evaluated in terms of suitable rubrics which can have three main components: rating scale, performance criteria, and indicators. The ability of rubrics lies in their determination of actual outcomes in students in the institute or in workplace.

      5 Focus on research and industry interaction: A research culture and project‐based learning have to be essential parts of the curriculum at all levels to help develop competence and a set of skills in students.

      6 Inclusion of independent studies and special projects in the curriculum: Independent studies (IS) and special projects (SP) of three and four credits respectively can be offered to help develop a specific skill set in students. IS is actually a focused study on a certain topic that exposes students to the complete description, review, analysis, survey, and research about the topic assigned. This is a very important component in developing analytical skills, survey skills, critical thinking, judgment ability, reasoning, and critical review skills; if they study IS seriously, students demonstrate measurable changes in their skill set. Similarly, the SP is also offered, involving some kind of research, which is not very extensive, and other subcomponents of IS, aimed at developing a skill set beyond conventional academic components.

      3.4.1 Strategies for Meeting SDG 4

      “Every child learns” is the strategic statement of the 2019–2030 UNICEF plan. UNICEF has been trying its best to make sure that every child in the world is literate and formally educated so that they can stand on their own. In a broad statement of sustainable development for the planet, SDG 4 is dedicated to higher education and was set with a very specific 2030 agenda. Important points were included in the agenda, keeping some essential factors in mind. The main aim of the agenda is to provide education and access to it to all equally. So, our recommendation or strategic thoughts toward meeting SDG 4, are as follows:

      1 Primary and secondary education completely free to all: This is an important agenda in visualizing SDG 4 so that absolute poorest can access education, since primary and secondary education are important ladders to higher education for employment and sustainable growth in personal and professional life. As far as OBE is concerned, it has not much to do with primary and secondary education. However, if the OBE type of pedagogy is adopted right from the start, then that would greatly help in getting goals achieved well in time. In fact, many practices are used in schools and institutes that actually help teachers to assess the changes in their students, but a formal or procedural means assessment can help this sector to ensure that we can meet the agenda in time for 2030.

      2 Equal access to quality education: Access not only to education but to quality education has to be ensured; only then can we think about achieving this part of the SDG 4 agenda.

      3 Affordable technical, higher, and vocational education: Access to all levels of education, including technical and vocational, is envisaged in SDG 4. In fact, better assessment of OBE and SLOs can be ensured in vocational and technical education. This chapter has discussed this with the help of some case studies. As far as vocational education is concerned, it involves lot of practical experiences that help students to attain the SLOs efficiently. Moreover, the assessment is visible and measurable in this system of education. So, while aiming at achieving goals articulated under SDG 4, continuous evaluation, mapping, feedback, and remedial measures can be taken adaptively.

      4 Skilled people for financial success: The focus on skills development in young students and adults has to be relentless, as a skilled workforce is very much required to achieve sustainable goals in education as well as other sectors. The relevant set of skills must be inculcated and developed with practical knowledge, in addition to accessibility to an education system that not only caters for conventional education but also delivers skills enhancement and development. A student's skills play a major role in their career growth and make graduates competent professionals able to work against all odds and hardships and enjoy continuous growth that in the end helps the sustainable growth of the organization where they are working. Universal growth is determined by growth for all and growth of all. As we know, OBE is mainly based on assessment and it becomes much easier to evaluate if a set of skills is present in graduates; relevant skills are essential factors in the overall growth of students as well as the workforce. Another point to be noted here is that financial gain or freedom is achievable by skilled persons. With formal education, a skilled candidate can always have financial independence and can contribute toward family, organization, and the universe.

      5 No discrimination in education: Discrimination is the biggest obstacle in education at any level and thus there should be a drive toward appropriate awareness and motivation so that there is no discrimination at all in terms of race, gender, etc. OBE and SDG 4 both aim at holistic growth for all, which demands inclusive education and growth for all through equal access to education and equal opportunities for all.

      6 Universal literacy: This is another point of the agenda that ensures literacy for all. In fact, there is a philosophy in India for a holistic way of education, growth, health and society. The vasudhaiv kutumbkam is the philosophy which means that the entire universe is a family. This can be a guiding principle in teaching pedagogy so that everyone in the world becomes literate, as education or proper literacy is the key to all growth and the eradication of all problems.

      7 Global citizenship: The guiding philosophy also encourages everyone to be a global citizen, which makes candidates globally responsible for all.

      8 Safe schools and scholarships for developing nations: This is also an important initiative for which the developed nations should come forward and help under‐developed and developing countries through scholarship assistance so that their students can also have opportunities for quality and higher education in reputed educational institutions.

      9 Quality teachers in developing countries: The true impact of education lies in its quality and hence teachers imparting education at all levels need to deliver quality teaching. This again requires assistance and support from elite educational institutes and countries that should come forward and help others in providing appropriate quality education techniques, assessment measures, and a 360° feedback mechanism to check if quality education is being received by all.

      3.4.2 Knowledge Economy Through OBE

      It is said that the world will be dominated or ruled by a knowledge economy, rather than the traditional economy indicated by gross domestic product (GDP). OBE has all potential to transform the youth of any nation into a competent workforce or knowledge agents that would be responsible for driving the major components of growth and indicators of the world. Therefore, OBE empowers the nation indirectly to become a knowledge economy, which becomes a further major reason for all‐round growth in a professional and national sense. The salient characteristics of a knowledge economy nation are:

       Skilled workforce

       Demonstrable learning outcomes in graduates

       Lifelong learning attitude

       Self‐awareness and improvement

       Learning from experience and revisiting the goals

       Competency development

      If an organization or a nation has the OBE system satisfying all the above attributes, then the knowledge economy will not be very far from the SDG 4. Thus, OBE, through pragmatic examples and best practices shows how an individual or an organization can incorporate sustainability in their growth by gaining the attributes with the help of this outcome‐based mechanism.

      3.4.3 Concluding Remarks

      We have presented the theoretical background, introduction, samples of case studies, and recommendation

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