Skillgogy is a learning model aligned with the delivery of executable skills and adding preparedness for the emerging demands in various employment sectors. It relates to the movement from Pedagogy, Andragogy and Heutagogy. The foundation of this idea is in the facilitative model of learning prescribed in Duishen and Divaswapna books.
It is mentioned with a responsible pride that the concept of Eklavyaism, mentioned in our earlier work on EklavyaParv gave us this lens of looking at the coining of 'Skill-gogy' from Peda, Andra and Heuta approaches. Mahatma Gandhi's NAI TALIM has been an identical methodology to craft lifelong learners. The limitation might be exposure to the modern demands of employability. Creativity and sense of innovation in NAI TALIM and other alternative education models are certainly high and sustainable. But the limitation of a globally-prescribed smartness put such wonderful learners on the backfoot. Train them in hard skills, and manual skills but do not forget to impart SOFT SKILLS. Our concept of Skillgogy aims at a significant preference to inculcate a 'learning attitude' towards soft skills, most particularly different Languages and other self-management skills, including the 4 skills of Communication, Creativity, Collaboration and Critical Thinking.
The natural way of learning by doing, documented as Nai Talim (Mahatma Gandhi) is also an influence on this concept. The teaching in Skillgogy is certainly learner-oriented because it does not put the teacher in the background labeling him as a facilitator. It is the role of a collaborator that the instructor has to take to realise the scope of Skillgogy. It has been a long time since we have modified Bloom's Taxonomy, evolved Andragogy and appreciated Heutagogy to deliver autonomy to the learners. The preference to commit autonomy and making learning 'child-centric' we forgot that teachers were required to be kept in the loop. It cannot be a business-driven model when it comes to giving sustainable education.
We cannot prepare students only for one examination and then abandon them to learn themselves. Similarly, career-focused education also needs to promise that education is not given only for the first job but for the last job as well. In this sense, the teaching-learning process needs to be accommodating for experiential learning as well as futuristic. The skills that we mention in the learning objectives listed in the lesson plans or on the chapter's opening page have to be the primary current in the design of a lesson. While there is a lot that has been done, there is a need to redefine the process followed and the realisation achieved by the participants - both the students and the teachers involved in the learning expedition.
Skillgogy in this sense adheres more to the idea of learning by H - Hand, Head, and Heart, - the principles of Nai Talim propagated by Mahatma Gandhi. As a freedom fighter, his insights on educational reforms are quite relevant in this age of experiment overload. We see a passive movement where books, activities and assessment is becoming more of a dead-wood template. The human element is getting weaker day by day as the rubrics are defined by objective assessment. There is a need to see 'What can the learner do' rather than what the learners know. Skillgogy advocates a '.exe' approach to teaching any concept.
As we develop Skillgogy based on Pedagogy, Heutagogy and Andragogy, there is no discovery but the evolution of a hybrid model of learning. We are adding the 'executable' components, that the learner can actually 'possess' after the learning process concludes. For example, Bloom's Taxonomy provides the learning and instruction process as;
- Remember - Understand - Apply - Analyse - Evaluate - Create
Skillgogy suggests a reversed - relevant and practical order of imparting skills:
- CREATE > ANALYSE > UNDERSTAND
The practitioners of Skillgogy need not be created from the beginning. We have already been using this 'gogy' but need to make it the driving force in planning, preparing and delivering our lessons to students of all ages. Unlike pedagogy, Andragogy and Heutagogy have been quite liberal in suggesting that self-driven learning is required. Keeping in mind the reality of the modern world we cannot treat 'age-based' adults as eligible but reject the growing children to learn with a liberal approach. In Skillgogy, we do not distinguish the learners based on their age but define the learning groups, requisites and techniques based on their comprehension. So, it ends up being a learner-driven - Teacher-designed methodology. The activities, methods and design of lessons remain dynamic to update them in the next moment when reasonable demand is raised.
This concept is under development and this beginning is being presented in various conferences and special workshops with teachers across the world. Practitioners of Skillgogy are everywhere, we are making a collaborative group to define our methods and content for specific age groups, interest groups, regions and subject areas.
Components
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Skill Orientation
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Learner Autonomy and Guidance Balance
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Adaptive Learning Framework
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Skill Assessment Metrics
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Technology Integration
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Feedback Ecosystem
Features
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Blended Learning Approach
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Scaffolded Learning
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Interdisciplinary Application
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Personalized Learning Pathways
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Collaboration-Centric Design
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Contextual Relevance
Process Components
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Skill Needs Analysis
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Customized Skill Modules
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Experiential Learning Cycle
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Mentorship and Facilitation
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Self-Reflection and Self-Evaluation
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Skill Integration
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Iterative Improvement
You can watch the Skillgogy and EduSoMedia concept presentation in the TESOL IS TechTalks held on 19 January 2025.
