UNIT 10 SCHOOL -INDUSTRY INTERFACE

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Structure
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Objectives
10.3 Community-based Learning
10.3.1 Elements of Community-based Learning
10.3.2 Learning Strategies
10.3.3 Expected Outcomes of Community-based Learning
10.4 Barriers to Community-based Learning
10.5 Role of the Head Teacher
10.6 Let Us Sum Up
10.7 References and Suggested Readings

10.1 INTRODUCTION
Ravi was an uce student always getting marks above 90% in school. In class 12
exams he secured 93 %. Despite securing such a high percentage, he was confised
and disgruntled, he felt that he had studied a lot of things but had not learnt
anything. He was unable to decide what his future course of action should be,
should he go in for higher academic pursuits or take up a job where he can
apply his academic knowledge and observe its significance and gain clarity
about the career he wanted to pursue. Should he pursue a career in marketing,
in the IT industry as a software engineel; in HR as a trainer, specialist or generalist,
a finance consultant? These were just buzz words he had picked up from here
and there without having a clue of what these profession entailed for he never
had any exposure to any of these fields.
Having completed basic college or schooling~moststudents are still not focused on
their career goals and aspiration. Most of them are more concerned on making quick I
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money rather than building on their professional skills, which comes through learning, I
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work experience, dedication and systematic work. With the rising concepts of Call ,
Centers and BPOs most of to day's youth are running towards employment in these
field as Call executives and customer relationships executives because of quick money, 4
failing to align themselves to their long-term career aspirations. This primarily happens jI

when the youth is unaware of information of the market at a larger perspective and
helshe looks at it with a birds eye view. - I

From the above discussion we can see that the paramount need of the hour is to build
a "bridge" between school and industrylcommunity, i.e. to interface between the
theoretical world of the school and the productive industrial1 community, in order to
decrease the gap between these two domains. Ideally, school through its various
educational programmes, must prepare students to face the challenges of life. For
this, it needs to be intimately linked with different life-skills as per the demands of the
community. Leaders in education, business, community development and students,
feel that change is needed in education, not only in reforming what is taught but also in
how and where it is taught.
This change can be brought about by Community-based Learning as it facilitates
interface between school and industry I community. Let us, in the present unit, try to
understand the phenomena of community- based learning, and the skill required by the
40 leaders of the school to implement it in their schools. Answer q~estionslike, how
 should education reflect the practice of industry? Whbt is the nature of the existing School.Industry Interhce
links between industry and educational institutions? How lshould these links be developed
to the benefit of education?

10.2 OBJECTIVES I
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After studying this unit, you should be able to :

understand the concept of community-based learnbng;
identify the basic elements of community-based learning;
discuss various learning strategies associated;
appreciate the outcomes of community-based learhing;
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identify the barriers to community-based learning;

gain an insight into the expectations of the corpdrate world from educational
institutions; I
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list the role of the educational institution.

II Before we proceed ahead answer the questions given bhlow:

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What do you understand by the term communi#-based learning?
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List the benefits of such a programme. 1

10.3 COMMUNITY- BASED LEARN$NG

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Community-based learning is a broad set of teachingfledning strategies that enable

youth and adults to learn what they want to learn from any egment of the community.
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Learners of all ages can identify, what they wish to learn a d this framework opens up
an unlimited set of resources to support them. The tern community includes the
schools, formal and informal institutions like industries, YGO, service organizations
etc in one's neighborhood, and the entire world through resburces such as the Internet.
In this context,Information and Communication Technologk (ICT) can be summarized
as the convergence of telecommunications, television bnd computers. This new
technology has a tremendous potential to revolutionize co&unity-based learning. By
becoming an integialpart of schoolingprocess, it promotes dniversal computer literacy,
computer aided learning and finally computer-based learni g throughout the world.
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Principles of community-based learning are related to the dhanging nature of society,
the learner, the learning processes, and sources for lewing. The foundation of I
community-based learning include: I
Education must be viewed as a continuum from pjeschool through lifelong
education for adults. I

Learning is what we do for ourselves. It therefofe reqhires the full involvement

of the learner as well as the teacherlmentor. I
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Jobs require not only more education, but also a diffehnt type of education that
includes various soft skills like critical thinking, tearnw and the ability to apply
knowledge.
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Managing public Relations Adults need to be involved in community affairs and to balance work, family and
community responsibilities.
Problems affecting learners today are much broader than schools alone can
solve. Involvement of the family, business, labour, the community, and other
agencies is essential.
Resistance by some teachers, schools, and communities to the changes implied
by the above assumptions is to be expected. Helping these groups to see the
need for change and to feel empowered to guide these changes is an important
challenge facing the new leadership in education. Without this vision, supported
by adequate resources and staff development, these changes are unlikely to
occur.
In order to enable the student to align hisher goals, visions and mission in life with the
goals of the industry and foster holistic educations we need to have knowledge of
some of the element of community-based learning. In the next section we will try to
describe the various elements of community-based learning.

10.3.1 Elements of Community-based Learning

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Activity - I !

As a head of an institution make a list of the elements of community-based

learning.

In your list some of the more common elements of community-based learning may
include, Service learning, Experience-Based Career Education, CooperativeEducation,
Technical Preparation, School-to-Work, and Youth Apprenticeship. Let us discuss the
meaning of these elements.
Service-Learning
Service learning is a method of teaching and learning where:
1. Students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized
service experiencesthat meet industry /community needs and that are coordinated
with the school and community
2. Integrates into the academic curriculum or provides structured time for a young
person to think, discuss, or write about what heishe did and saw during the activity
3. Provides young people with opportunities to use newly acquired academic skills
and knowledge in real-life situations in their own communities; and
4. Enhances what is taught in the school by extending student learning beyond the
classroom and into the field.
This represents a point of interface between school, community, industry and worksite
learning. It presents an opportunity for schools and post-secondary institutions to work
with employers and young people to provide meaningful opportunities to combine with
the academics,technical and decision making skills that employer's require. For children,
it offers exposure to the world of work and community and provides a context for
building academic and work readiness skills. For youth, it offers valuable explorations
into and experiences with real world.
Experience Based Career Education (EBCE)
According to Bucknam and Brand (1983), EBCE helps to bridge the gap between
study and experience and between the classroo~nand the industry. It takes the subject
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 matter students normally study, adds many new ingredients about people, jobs, self, school-~ndustryInterface
and the way communities work, and lets high school and post-secondary students
learn about them through direct interaction with adults in all walks of life. In the
process students earn academic credit, explore the real dimensions of many careers,
learn about who they are and what they want to becbme, and master many of the
skills they will need to succeed as adults. I

Internship Programme ~
Internship programme is probably the most common form of learning programme
used by the schools. In most cases, it is a paid expqrience in which students are
employed in jobs directly related to the vocational cowses they are studying in high
school or college. Students receive school credit for this supervised work. The level of
coordination between the school staff and the employeqs varies widely from program
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to program.

Technical Preparations I

Some educationalist view this as a specific program fodused primarily on the average
student and others as an educational reform measure intedded for all secondary students.
The key elements like career counseling, preparing an individual student plan, and
identifying career clusters or pathways for secondary students are programs which
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are intended for all students. I
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School-to-Work I
There are three major elements in this: 1) school-based( learning should be related to
each student's interests, it should include broad-based dcademics, career exploration
and counseling; 2) work-based learning that provides a planned program of job training
experiences, paid work experience, workplace mentoribg, and instruction in general
workplace competencies and in a broad variety of elehnents of an industry; and 3)
activities to connect the two through training of teachersb counselors, and mentors and
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through involvement of schools and employers. I

I Youth Apprenticeship
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Youth apprenticeship has been described as involving workplaces as learning

environments, creating opportunities for mentor relatiipnships to provide adult role
models, and developing the high levels of academic and vocational skills being sought
by employ&s.According to Hamilton (1990 p. 40) y o u 4 apprenticeshipsinclude "the
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Job Corporations, Summer Training and Education Pro ramme, Community Service,
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Experience-Based Career Education, Cooperative Education, and Informal
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Apprenticeships." I

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In the next section we will attempt to explain the critical learning strategies /processes
of such holistic learning. ,
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10.3.2 Learning Strategies I

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Activity ,
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What according to you should be the key learningiprocesses/ strategies that

would facilitate community-based learning?
Managing public Relations Learning processes, which serve as a foundation for community-based learning, are
grounded in cognitive research (Refer to appendix.)
According to Zeke Zellerman there are three critical steps-framing (planning), the
activity itself, and reflection (Dukehart 1994).
8 Framing (planning): If the framing has been done clearly, the learner will benefit
greatly from the experience. The objectives for the learning should be developed
jointly by the student and the teacherlmentor.
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8 The activity itself: it can be simple or complex with many steps.
Reflection or a debriefing: on what was learned. This can be done alone (in the
form of a journal, for example) or with a group. These discussions often include
an analysis of what went right, what went wrong, and what was unexpected.
(Zeke Zellerman of the Association for Experiential Learning stated, at the 1994 Work
Now and in the Future conference in Portland, Oregon)
Collins, Brown and Newlnan (1989) identified characteristics of ideal learning
environments that are helpful to consider as we design effective community-based
learning. Their model has four building blocks: content, methods, sequence, and
sociology.
8 Content: this involves the domain knowledge such as geography or architecture,
tricks of the trade used by experts in solving problems, cognitive management
strategies such as thinking and planning skills, and learning strategies such as
those needed in exploring a new domain.
8 Teaching methods: Various methods like modeling, coaching, scaffolding and fading
(suggestions or support initially given by the teacher), articulation are adopted to
get students to identify the knowledge and problem-solving strategies they use,
reflect to compare one's problem-solving strategies with those of experts, and
exploration to solve problems and raise new questions. The above strategies are
used to help students observe, engage in, invent, or discover expert strategies in
context.
8 Sequencing: this allows learning to be staged and involves increasing the complexity
of tasks and concepts needed, increasing diversity of strategies or. skills used,
and developing an overview before attending to details.
8 The sociology of learning: it involves active communication with expert
practitioners, intrinsic motivation for learning, cooperativelearning, and competitive
learning to compare the processes developed by various learners to cfeate a
product. Thereby reproducing the real-world environment for learning.
Druian, Owens, and Owen (1995) in a study identified that there are five important
aspects of the common learning strategies. These 1) should be based on an explicit
theory of learning; 2) encourage learners to perform tasks normally given to adults in
our society; 3) emphasize a balance of action, reflection, and application; 4) provide
learning experiences that are individualized, sequential, and developmental; and 5)
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provide opportunities for unplanned learning from new experiences.
The question that comes to mind is that knowledge, skills, and attitudes are needed by
the student to be an effective citizen, worker, and lifelong learner? What are the major
outcomes of such an interface?
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10.3.3 Expected Outcomes of Community-based Learning
Community-based learning makes school relevant to students by connecting academic
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concepts to real-life applications and makes students active learners who are responsible
for their own learning. The student becomes an active and self-directed learner,
demonstrates leadership, and personal and social responsibility.
 According to Zeldin (1995) students require opportu@ties and support to achieve School-Industry Interface
desirable outcomes. Interface with the industry and co+unity will provide a platform
for students to hone the necessary skills and compete/ncies. Such an endeavor will
enable them to develop:
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Competencies of effective workers: facilitates pkoductive use of resources,

interpersonal'skills,information, systems, and technolo .
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Basic skills: teaches reading, writing, mathematics, s#aking, and listening
Thinking skills: thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, visualizing,
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knowing how to learn, and reasoning,
Personal qualities: individual responsibility,managenpent and integrity.
In another study Conrad and Hedin (1989) identified where they expected such
programs to have a positive effect on youth. They these outcomes under
three headings: personal growth and development and
academic learning, and social growth specific outcomes
expected are listed below:

Personal Growth and Development 1

Self-esteem i
Personal efficacy (sense of worth and competenbe)
Ego and moral development
Exploration of new roles, identities, and interests
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Willingness to take risks, accept new challenges ~
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Taking responsibility for, accepting consequence of own actions

Intellectual Development and Academic Learning

I Higher-level thinking skills ~
1 Content and skills directly related to service ex
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Motivation to learn and retention of knowledge

I Insight, judgment, and understanding i
. Social Growth and Development
Political efficacy
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I, Knowledge and exploration of service-related c4eers
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Understanding and appreciation of, and ability td relate to, people from a wide
range of backgrounds and life situations
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As the principal head of the institution you need to
~ knowledge not only of the
expected benefits but also of the resistance you are to encounter from faculty
members and educators. The knowledge of the help to take cognizance
of the situation and take steps to alleviate resistors and motivate
everyone to participant and committed to it .
Managing Public Relations
10.4 BARRIERS TO COMMLTNITY-BASED
LEARNING

Despite many benefits of community-based learning, why has it affected

relatively few educators and students? Think about these barriers and make
a list.

In your list, you may have named several barriers which the face in industry - school
collaboration. There is a mutual mistrust between the two. Industry often considers
school education inefficient as the school products joining the industrial workforce
does not meet the skill requirements of the industry. On their part, educators worry
about the profit oriented industry to make meaningful contributions to the school system.
Many educators still maintain an older paradigm of education, in which its purpose is
to impart to students the content knowledge possessed by the teacher. In such a
paradigm there is no need for input from students about what is to be learned, when,
where, or how. The teacher maintains control in directing education, and students are
tested to determine the extent to which they have understood what was taught. Under
the new paradigm, teachers need to function more in the role of coach and mentor.
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Many school and community people perceive that the subject matter /content they
learned in school should serve as the driving force in what is taught today. Failing to
recognize or acknowledge the importance of applying knowledge to real-world issues,
they see community-based learning as drawing students' time and attention away
from the traditional curriculum content.
It requires time, effort, and expense. Time is needed to allow teachers to work
individually with students in identifying and planning learning objectives, in arranging
for involvement of community sites, and in helping studentsreflect on their experiences.
Other practical considerations include Liability coverage for times when students are
outside the school building, transportation issues, and the need to schedule blocks of
time so as to allow students sufficient time to get to and from their learning sites as
well as to become active there. Orientation and training of both educators and ,
community mentors are also essential.
A final problem is the difficulty of effectively evaluating what is learned from student's
experiences. This assessment is complicated by the fact that different students may
be at the same learning site for different purposes, and that some outcomes are difficult
to measure. I

Thus we can conclude that the need of the hour is to break away from the traditional
mind set of teaching learning and evaluation, take risks, work not in isolation but realize
that schools are part of the larger community and work in sync with community and
industry personnel to fulfill each others expectations.

10.5 ROLE OF THE HEAD TEACHEX

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Head teacher /leader of school will need to network with community members,
university professors and industry personnels to exchange ideas and bring about policy
changc;. I
Prior to venturing into collaboration and partnership with iindustries, the head teacher School-Industry Interface
must conduct need analysis. There are two aspects to need analysis. First, a survey of

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the business/industry services available in the locality. Sec nd, in what area the school
needs innovation and improvement. Decision on areas of c llaboration and partnership
is taken in consultation with the students, teachers, prentb and the service providers.
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There are some factors that contribute to a successful $artnership. The following
diagram shows four key considerations: , I
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Drivers Direction
Key Factors for a Communication
Successful I

Benefits 1 Buy-in
Partnership
1 1 Aims 1 ; Agreement 1
(Source: www.moe.gov.sg/~dum~projects/s
jc/factors.htm)

This is about defining partnership, clearly stating objectivhs acceptable to all parties
involved and defining expected outcomes. This is an agreemhnt by partners on common
set of goals and outcomes.

Benefits I
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Here, partners identify benefits for all stakeholders so that @lparties work towards a
win-win relationship. ,

Change
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Head teachers help teachers and students in managing chan$ by providing sufficient
support and creating conducive environment. Cornrnunicatioh channel is open between
school leadership and industry partners.

Drivers I

It is important for headteachers to set clear direction and1 drive the partnership to
success. There are several programmes educational institutds can initiate to facilitate
community-based learning and fulfill the expectations of thd industry. These include:
I. Sharing of their practical knowledge: Executives1 hdanagerst Vice presidents
can meet student and share their experiences in the iodustry. Talk to students
about the hardships they faced, about their accomplishment, their vision, key
incidences in their life etc. For example, when Infodys chief Narayan Murti
wanted to start his own business along with his friendsihe had a difficult time in
getting Rs I 0,000 for the start up venture.
2. Guidance to students for the future trends in Induftry: The trend of social
development, which started with agriculture, progressed to industrialization to
the current phase informational technology and biotechnblogy. Changes in policy,
competition, technological advancement, demanding cusdomers, shareholders have

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brought about changes in the key competenciesof thee ployees. Students should
be guided about the emerging trends, for example, the i portance of mathematics
for a successful career in IT.
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3. Industry Mentor system: Mentoring is critical. A dentor gives advice and

encouragement, sharing the knowledge and wisdom of experiencein arelationship
that is personal and enduring. Students can learn a number of skills like leadership,
team building, budgeting, crisis management, negotiahion skills etc from wise
experienced industry personnel. 47
 Managing Public Relations 4. Projects, Research and Case studies: Research on contextual learning and
focused research on student outcomes can help develop and operate learning
efforts that are of high quality and likely to produce significant results in students.
Research needs to be implemented on a multi-year basis since the outcomes
expected seldom occur in a single year.
5. Faculty development programmes: Teachers need greater in-service and
pre-service training to identify specific ways their subject content is being used
in community settings or what new content should be infused into their
courses to make them more relevant to the real world. There are a number of
organizations like WIPRO -EDUCOMP, GLOBARENALearningUnlimited that
work in close association with industries and schools to bridge the gap between
the two. They train teacher on how to align their teactling, with the skills industry
requires.
6. Industrial Visits: Students' will get opportunities to observe various work
environments and explore different options available in the job market.
Through these visits, they would be able to relate skills learnt in school to the
world of work. School principals should network with companies to organize
such programs. @

7. Work Experience Programme: This should be a planned school programme

where pupils are attached to a variety of actual work situations for a period of
1-2 10 weeks during the holidays so that they can learn about the world of
work by direct participation and observation. It is not part-time employment.
It is an educational strategy to help pupils make a smooth transition from school
to work. School principals should network with companies to organize such
programs.
8. Teachers-In-Industry Programme: Teachers need accurate, up-to-date
information about various industries to enable them to better guide their students
in their choice of jobs. They also need to identify qualities and skills that are
needed in various jobs in an organisation and gain insights on the applications of
their teaching subjects in different industry. So school teachers can be deputed to
organizations from different industries for a short period of time
9. Contribution in updating the syllabus: The syllabus should be updated
periodically and inputs from industry personnel should be taken especially for
commerce stream, science and technology and so on. This will help to overcome
the lacuna between the knowledgel skills honed by the students and those needed
by the industry.
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10. Organize focused sector wise monthly programme jointly by Academia
and Industry. Industries like FMCG, Automo6ile, Banking, Textile along with
educational institutions can come together and organize monthly conferences,
seminars, cultural programmes and other events that are enriching and great
learning experience for both the parties.
We have highlighted upon the programs educational institutes can undertake. As the
headteacher you have a very important; key position and will have to take initiatives,
network with people, incorporate changes etc.
There are five advantages of organizing community based learning: 1) It's principle-
centered - it enables you to see your time in the context of what's important and
what's effective. 2) It's conscience directed - it enables you to organize your life
around your deepest values. 3) It defines your unique mission, including values and
long-term goals. 4) It helps you balance your life by identifying roles. 5) It gives
greater perspective through weekly organizing.
The practical thread is a focus on relationships and a secondary focus on
time, because people are more important than things.
I 10.6 LET US SUM UP
School-Industry Interface '

1 There is a constant need for schools to constantly enlarge and enrich their curriculum
according to the needs of the industry. Enhance, the employability of students by
training them on various skills that the industry/community requires. This can be done
i by developing systematic contacts with personnel in the community and industry all
over the world and engagiag in consultancy relationships with them. To acquire a wide
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knowledge of the community and it various domain, different programs, the job profile
of different professions, the core competencies required for each of these domains
and align their study courses, teaching and training methods as well design advanced
procedures, to the changing trends in the world of work.
Skill development and learning takes place in areas like: I), academic, 2) career and
vocational, 3) personal-social development, 4) service and work values and 5)
Ir understanding and use of community resources
In order to engage in consultation,network with personnel's from the industry, school
i leaders need to develop the following skills: being proactive, think win-win,
interdependence, time management
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10.7 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Berryman, S., and Bailey, T. (1992): The Double &elix of Education and the
Economy. New York: The Institute on Education and thd Economy, Teachers College,
Columbia University.
Blum, R. E. (May 10, 1995): Learning and Teaching: Our Work Together. Draft
Concept Paper. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Carnevale, A.; Gainer, L.; and A. Meltzer. (1990): Workplace Basics: The Essential
Skills Employers Want. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Collins, A., Brown, J.S. and S. Newman. "Cognitive Apprenticeship: Teaching the
Craft of Reading, Writing and Mathematics", in L.B. Renick (ed.) Knowing Learning
and Instruction: Essays in honour of Robert Glaser. Hillsdale, Erlbaum.
Druian, G., Owens, J. and S. Owen. "Experiential Education: Search for Common
Roots". in R. Kraft and Y. Kielomeier (eds.) Experiential Learning in Schools and
Higher EducationJ'.Dubuque, IAI KendalVHunt Publishing Co. (1995), pp. 17-25.
Dukehart, L. (1994). Community as Classroom: A Report Based on Presentations
at the Work Now and in the Future 11 Conference". 7th Portland, OR Northwest
Regional Educational Laboratory.
Hamilton, S.F. (1990). Apprenticeship for Adulthoad: Preparing Youth for the
Future. New York: Free Press.
Zelldin, S. (1995). School to Work and Youth Development: Identifying Common
Ground. Boston, M;A. High.
NOTES