Learning beyond the classroom

In every age, engineering has been the engine of transformation.

- V Ramgopal Rao

From steam engines to silicon chips, each wave of innovation has brought with it a shift in how we teach and how we learn. But the current shift we are witnessing is more than technological. It is philosophical. It is no longer about teaching students how to solve known problems. It is about preparing them to define problems that do not yet exist.

As emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, synthetic biology, space tech, and advanced materials blur the boundaries between disciplines, engineering education cannot remain confined to rigid specialisations or chalk-and-talk methods. A future-ready engineer will need not only disciplinary depth but also the agility to move across domains.

The traditional model of lecture-heavy instruction and end-term evaluation is being rapidly replaced by more dynamic, outcome-focused frameworks. Industry 4.0 demands Education 4.0.

The curriculum must move from theory-heavy to application-rich. Laboratories must evolve into innovation studios. Internships must grow into structured engagements with real-world outcomes. And assessments must reward problem-solving over rote memorisation.

Learning by doing

The one principle that cuts across all these changes is that of "learning by doing".