Hands-on learning for undergraduates
In 2013, we, at the University of Delhi, were visited by the distinguished French biologist Jules Hoffman. Hoffman had won the Nobel prize in Medicine in 2011. I must confess that though I had heard of him I was not very familiar with his precise area of research. In a private and extended conversation with him, I discovered some fascinating things about his research. His Nobel prize-winning work was accomplished by working on the common fruit fly whose scientific name is Drosophila melanogaster.
This insect is found in almost every household in India. Its study has played a significant role in helping us understand embryonic development in many organisms, including humans. Instinctively, I felt that given the easy accessibility of the fruit fly and the shortness of its life cycle, this could be used in undergraduate programmes of study. Hoffman agreed with me at once.
A few months later I mentioned to some colleagues from the life sciences my suggestion to use the fruit fly for undergraduate projects as a part of their learning programmes. Some of them responded by expressing opinions somewhat to the effect that there was not much to learn in that area and it was almost a dead area. It was evident that they had not heard of Hoffman’s work. However, after several meetings and discussions they were willing to consider my suggestion. Unfortunately, for various reasons beyond my control, I could not get this area of study included in the curriculum at the level that I had intended.
I firmly believe that in the realm of undergraduate education the humble fruit fly can be an exciting area of transdisciplinary study through project work. It can also be used to demonstrate with ease and value the derivation of Mendel’s laws of genetics. Students of mathematics can study the various permutations and combinations of the segments of DNA that make up its genes and students of computer science can write codes for various simulation-based experiments.
Of course, students of the life sciences shall hold all of this work together as they would be at the nucleus of the project work. However, I find to my utter dismay that though we teach Mendel’s Laws, I have not come across any teaching institution where these laws have been demonstrated through action. The fruit fly can easily help all students understand Mendel’s Laws and most likely much more.
The example of the fruit is as much an illustration of how undergraduate education must proceed as anything else. This becomes even more clear given how AI and data are beginning to play a major role in our lives. The sooner India begins to pay attention to implementing these two vital and intimately connected areas, the better for the wellbeing of our nation. If we expect to build a strong and vibrant economy then the most rewarding way is to pay strong attention to improving undergraduate education.
This is best achieved by reducing the content and by connecting it to the world around us. In addition, we must adopt the pedagogy of project-based transdisciplinary learning as endorsed by the National Education Policy. This requires reorienting and retraining our teachers so that they become more mentors. I firmly believe that India will then march ahead as a knowledge economy.
Dinesh Singh
Former Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University; Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, University of Houston, US
Posts on X: @DineshSinghEDU