Pioneering pilot project encourages school kids to think like researchers

Nacharam: US-based CREA Learning Academy, a collaboration of educators, researchers and professionals, and Delhi Public School (DPS), Nacharam celebrated the successful completion of a pioneering pilot project in India called Research Basics for Young Achievers (RBYA) at Hyderabad on Saturday.

At a meeting organised to mark the occasion, eight 13-year-old students of Class VIII showcased their research proposals, which addressed critical challenges facing India and the world.

DPS students participating in the pilot project designed innovative solutions to issues such as space debris, natural disaster detection, smart waste management and ozone replenishment using their newly acquired research thinking skills. An audience of more than 200 scientists, educators, researchers and research enthusiasts listened with rapt attention as the young student researchers presented their research work.

“Classroom learning has become a matter of test preparation,” said Sanjoy Roy of CREA Learning Academy. “There is a race to frantically try to memorise or understand things without context. The drive to kindle kids’ thinking skills and imagination is missing.

” To convey the need for CREA’s RBYA program, Roy explains, “The outcome of this is that we have students whose academic performance dips when they go for higher education in their later years and who often lag behind in research even though they are knowledgeable.” Through their RBYA initiative, CREA aims to develop systematic research thinking skills at the school level and get students excited about the process of problem-solving instead of rushing to an answer.

Dr Sudha Turaga, Academic Director at DPS, eagerly testified to the success of the RBYA pilot program: “We at Delhi Public School took up the RBYA initiative for our students as we are committed to new educational ideas and to nurturing different strengths in students.

Through the program, our students learned to construct their own knowledge base, zero in on research questions, and work on innovative solutions to their own questions. This was an enriching educational experience.” Turaga added, “We are delighted to see the change in our students’ approach to research. It’s all thanks to the supportive CREA team and the RBYA program.”

During the program, a select group of DPS students worked with US-based CREA faculty to develop research proposals and address critical challenges facing India and the world using imagination and systematic research thinking. The participants learned to cull information from various sources and formulate meaningful questions. During the pilot program, US-based researchers and educators trained students in the research process during live, online conferences.

After each session, students completed thought-provoking homework assignments to apply and extend their new knowledge. Today’s event showcased students’ progress through the RBYA pilot program.

The students addressed issues ranging from cleaning up orbital debris to replenishing Earth’s ozone layer to managing waste more efficiently. Krishan Dev of CREA Learning India, reiterated the importance of imagination in education: “Children are intrinsically creative and have good imagination, but they lose it somewhere along the way” he said.