IMPROVING THE SYNERGY BETWEEN INFORMAL AND FORMAL EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM / INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN: THE BROAD- BASED APPROACH FOR LIFE- LONG LEARNING

Abstract

Education devoid of life-long learning and development is tantamount to half - baked utilization of human resources. To this extent the paper, Improving the synergy between informal and formal education in curriculum/ instructional design: The Broad-Based approach for life-long learning,delves into integrating wide range extensive and comprehensive curriculum of formal and informal environment with the intent of producing enabled learners of critical thinking with suitable features for social, economic, political, environmental and moral life. By Broad-Based Education contents of formal and informal education are integrated to endear a balanced curriculum for a whole learning experience, skill building and relevant knowledge for the 21st century. Broadbased Education enables learning with emphasis, experimentation and experience wherein students are able to critically engagein projects to prove themselves. The paper enumerates benefits of Broad-Based Education to include, providing relationship between subjects by integrating several subjects to a single course, prepares learners’ for the outside world, enable learners'critical thinking and skill building, offers greater opportunity for learners' believing in themselves, provides flexibility and accommodates all kinds of learners’, thereby giving room for inclusiveness. The paper concludes that learners’ need a wide range of knowledge to successfully adapt to the changing world, applying innovation in sustainable development. There is need for paradigm shift in pedagogy. From teacher centered to learner centered, rote learning to critical thinking, passive teaching to holistic, and active informal teaching which builds up ones daily life, for active life-long activities in social, economic, political, and moral life.