Which of these variants is more beneficial to undergraduate students?
The fundamental knowledge facilitates graduates to make their own decisions.
New information makes it easy for graduates to resolve standard issues quickly.
Unfortunately, there is not much time for both variants
Dear Salam Jassim,
Thanks for answer. It's a perspective with interesting openings.
My fear is that direct access to cutting-edge information, without fundamental knowledge, turns graduates into simple applicants of ready-made recipes
Hi, Daniela,
Personally, I don't see the conflict. Undergraduate education has to be focused on critical thinking and the skills and mindset required for lifelong learning. Content, whether fundamental or cutting edge, is not the point. Learning how to learn and learning how to think are the most important foci in higher education - or at least should be.
Hi, Peter,
I totally agree with you.
But this level is also where they lay the scientific foundation of their careers (in different fields).
In our education system, the freedom of students to choose courses outside the field of study is rather low. Students have some optional subjects (with two or three variants, but also from the field of study).
It is supposed that all that the students learn will be useful in their career.
This is a very pertinent Question for to decide our education system. I think there should be flexibility in our system of education. Both the way one can be motivated or interested to advance his knowledge further. Some one may be fascinated by a cutting-edge-technology and then he may be motivated to explore further and further onto it, and thus enhancing his knowledge and abilities on the subject. Equally, some others may be motivated or interested with any fundamental theoretical concept to explore further and further on the subject. For any education system, it is the motivation criteria that should be the main concern, rather than contents of the course.
The content must be availabe and be varied. I don't see the conflict either, seems to me that is more a subject of how much do I (teacher) control what the student does with content.
I think both fundamentals and cutting edge are needed, but in this digital age, the cutting edge may compete with the fundamental knowledge as it's promoted more aggressively and readily accessible than the latter.
Best regards,
Debra
Dear Daniella,
At the undergraduate level, learners must be previewed to both the fundamental and cutting-edge knowledge right from the first year when the High school 'fever' is still high. After that, the two streams of knowledge must be tailored in a critical thinking approach to coach learners to be more than takers of knowledge to seekers of knowledge and truth. Heightening research development training through individual and group projects (researching and teaching either fundamental or cutting-edge knowledge) would prove beneficial to these students in their higher education careers.
Also, assigning problem tasks where the fundamental and cutting-edge knowledge are put into fruition to face the world of work would groom the students to be practical-inclined learners and problem solvers for them to function more proficiently after their education when they are employed in the industries.
The new era of education that emphasizes on connective requires both fundamental knowledge, cutting-edge knowledge, and more importantly, critical thinking, innovation, and research which undergraduate students need to face the world of work and the higher burdens in the highest ladder of education.
Thanks
Dickson Adom
Thank you all, dear respondents.
The answers you have formulated have highlighted many interesting aspects of the educational process. Among these, two seem to me to be the most relevant: the importance of critical thinking and the importance for students to be motivated. I consider these aspects as arguments in favor of fundamental knowledge (critical thinking can not be exercised without a basis; it is more interesting / motivated to discover the route from fundamental knowledge to the newest procedures than to directly learn the new procedures
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