Academic Improvement-my understanding

Academic Improvement – my understanding

Submitted to:

The Commissioner, Dept. of Collegiate Education, Bengaluru

and also to:

The Director, Dept. of collegiate Education, Bengaluru

by A.Narayana Prasad, Associate Professor & Nodal Officer, Dept.of Collegiate Eduacation, Bengaluru 09th Oct, 2014

Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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Academic Improvement In early days, Academic means ‘pertaining to the development of the mind’. But in the present world of ‘Globalization’, it some-what means ‘anything that occurs in a School/College/University’. It is not only the development of mental power but ‘development of the whole individual’, which includes instilling social skills, teaching about good health practices, drug education, Aids awareness, Keeping fit, Dreaming about career, general socialization, removing stage fear, bringing leadership qualities etc., In the present context, the Academic Improvement should happen at both the ends i.e., at one end the Teaching Faculty’s up-gradation of knowledge and at the other end the holistic approach towards student’s Academic Excellence.

The monitoring of Academic achievements should be done by number of Male/Female and SC/ST, OBC, Gen Students. Apart from Specific Action Plan for improving the academic performance of students through innovative methods, it must be seen that the Action plan for improving employability of graduates is also implemented.

Every College must ensure that all students perform well academically and achieve their ‘post-college’ goals, securing good jobs or enter postgraduate courses, according to their choice, suited to their capabilities, and if possible in line with the education they have received.

Sl.No. Professors Students 01 Lectures – as per UGC norms Syllabus Covered 02 Seminars – to be conducted to all Every student either participates or the 1st, 2nd & 3rd year students in a presents his/her papers given Academic Year Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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03 04 05

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Tutorials - as per UGC norms Practical’s – as per UGC norms Special Classes(in excess of UGC norms) – not to rush-in to cover the syllabus, but to Revise of the Syllabus already covered

The weaker student gets benefits Students get virtual knowledge Students who needed one more hearing, or to those who were absent to class due to many reasons viz., participating in NCC, NSS, Sports, Cultural, ill-health…gets benefited Additional Resources to Students Students get better knowledge about – Guide the students to know the the lesson or syllabus. advancement happening in the particular subject or lesson, tips of the lesson, web address, etc., Participatory & Innovative Students can up-date their Teaching-Learning methods – knowledge before leaving the Instead of one-way teaching, classroom, also The visual approach involment of students in the class makes them to remember & and use of LCD projectors and understand the things better many more Student related Co-curricular Students will learn not only in the activities – Organising these particular subjects but also on activities under Subject-wise and leadership responsibilities.

Departmental-wise. Involment of Students in organizing the event etc., These activities should be to each year students.

Contribution to Corporate Life & Students should be shown the Career Management of the after Degree…He/She should be Department/Institution – Each made aware of the reality of the Professor should have headed a world after Degree Committee – performed activities wherein which, he had helped himself to gain knowledge of the Social Responsibities Professional Development Students will be at the receiving end Activities- Professor should have of the knowledge gain by the participated/Presented papers in professor who has as many State presented/participated papers in

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level/National/International level Seminars/conferences. And also should have attended Training Courses apart from mandatory Refresher Courses Paper Presented & Published in Journals may be circulated amongst the students and data may be kept The Proceedings of the all the papers presented at the conference/seminar may also be circulated amongst students Those Professors who are doing Major and Minor Research can explain the concept of their research to all the students if not in detail, but the outline of the area of research If any Professor is working as Guide for M.Phil., and PhD., Students, do share the titles and extent of research with students Apart from attending the Conferences/Seminars etc., do accept the lecturers or presentations else-where viz., Other Colleges, inter-disciplinary Programmes, Guiding PU or High School teachers etc., Do have a list of Reference Books and Magazines/Journals in your department and also try to visit the library very often Do help the First Year students on the Higher education after the present Degree

Seminars/Conferences and also in Special Training Courses.

Students will have an firsthand knowledge of the content of the articles but also, know how an research article is written.

Students will be added advantage of seeing other research article and the latest thought and development in that particular field.

Student will once again have an firsthand knowledge of the subject on which research is going-on in their own college, hope this gives more confidence amongst the students on their subject.

This will definitely encourages the students to move into higher education and into Research field.

The experience gained by interacting in these invited lectures or presentation is not only builds better understanding of the subject but also, to understand the students at Degree level.

This helps in advising the students to write better Assignment/Projects.

This Gives the students a better vision and dream about further education

Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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Do give information on Career This once again provides the students Opportunities after the present of what next after the present Degree Degree and they can plan accordingly.

Encourage the students to This brings greater adoptability participate in Extra-Curricular amongst the students.

Activities

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Identifying Weak Students: Weak students are those who had pass class, had failed more than 2 subjects in a given semester, and/or had lost a year or more. These students may have attended classes regularly or have not attended classes regularly has to be checked out.

Low Self-Confidence or Interest: Some students exhibit Low Self-Confidence prior to entry into College and some during the College days. This may be lack of interest in the course or due to family background or due to lack of communication ability or due to language English or due to Caste or due to student’s sex or tribe status or due to religion or due to financial problem or due to friends circle or may be something else. These students do not seek help. They may lack discipline or may think college is for Fun. This may happen even if the teacher is of poor domain knowledge or poor pedagogy including a lack of interaction and creativity in the classroom. Inadequacy exposure of students to ‘real world’ situations before graduation, such as visits to industries, Corporate Companies, Post Graduation Centre’s may also lead to this problem.

Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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Discussion on their performances, Counseling and mentoring may be necessary to bring-in self-confidence in them.

Here one should carefully understand that Weak student need not be a Girl, or from SC/ST category or from rural background or from poor family or has studied in Kannada medium till 10th Std., etc., The Weak student may be anyone. He/She has to be identified and monitored.

Understanding Remedial Courses: Remedial courses are to be conducted to those who are failing repeatedly in each semester. By the time, the student reach the final semester, if he/she has more than two subjects pending to be cleared from the previous semester, then it is better to arrange Remedial Classes to these students during the beginning part of the Final Semester itself. By the end of the final semester, the students will have a heavy load as they must take all exams simultaneously, both the new semester’s subjects as well as for the subjects they have failed. Even Professors will have less time, as they will be busy in completing the syllabus, conducted and evaluating internal exams and assignments, supporting BOE and BOS (if they are members), and other college related programmes and administrative assistance. Hence, the remedial classes if implemented with right sense of helping these Weak students, hope majority of them do clear all the subjects in the final semester and move out of the college without burdensome backlog.

To see success in improving weak students, the class teachers may have to meet their respective class students atleast once in a month, if they can meet them once in every 15 days is most appreciable, and take note of all factors of the weak students. The same information may be Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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passed on the Principal, who in-turn has to inform the respective Departments onto conduct Remedial Courses.

Enhancing Communication and Presentation Skills: An honest attempt may be made to allow each and every student to present their assignments of the subject on the platform in-front of all the class members’ atleast once before they finish their college days.

They may be taught on how to prepare the paper and on how to present the same using new technologies. The subject professor should monitor this carefully and encourage the students to present the same in both Local Language and in English.

This helps the student to come out of the ‘stage fear’ as well as the experience gained by this will help the student to gain self-confidence.

Never this be related as ‘exam-oriented’ or ‘job-oriented’ or something else. This is done with sole intention to bring ‘Self-Confidence’ in each and every student.

Enhancing Classroom Teaching: Student whether weak or good, appreciates good teaching skills and domain knowledge of any faculty. The teaching should not be one-way.

All through the hour, and some if the students have continuous 3 to 4 hours of theory, if all the Professors adopt one-way teaching, even the best may feel the tiredness of continuous listening. Hence, the teaching should more of two-way. This helps the students, sometimes even the weak students also, to clear their doubt on the particular subject then and their itself. # Start the class from familiarity to a new or difficult topic Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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# Topic and its relevance to the ‘real world’, industry, society etc., must be told. # Some students need more time at lab, just help them to understand. # Respect their original projects, give enough propaganda to it. # Subject related industry visits or a PPT presentation on the industry. # Bring in external experts on the subject and let the students speak to them. # Give as many latest examples as possible, use materials beyond textbook. # Move around the classroom once and interact with students. # Let Your voice be clear and audible. # Let the classrooms go beyond ‘Chalk and Board’. Let the classrooms be equipped with projectors, charts, etc., and make it move visual based. # Along with teaching the students have to be trained in the particular subject. # Always get feedback.

Student Centric: # after every 30 minutes of teaching, ask one of the students to summarise the main points. # invite the students to solve problems on the board, or in groups.

Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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# Give more chance to weak students to ask questions and encourage them to do so. # in the present world, students can be encouraged to present on-line assignments. # Try to shuffle the students, like, bringing back-benchers to front every now and then.

Finally, # Try to ensure ‘no failures’. # e-enable the materials, manuals, syllabus, questions from old Question Papers and possible answers. # Have Departmental Library as well as help to improve the library of the college, labs and other teaching facilities. # Help students get placement # Help the students to use the Departmental facility even after their course is completed. # Acknowledge new discoveries and inventions happening in the world.

Before leaving the College Life, the students should have reached Academic Goals, they should have got enough Achievement motivation, they should move out of the college with Academic Self-confidence and with Academic related skills viz., Time management Skill, Study skill and study habits (taking notes, meeting deadlines, using information resources).

Academic Improvement – my understuanding by Prof.A,.Narayana Prasad, Nodal Officer, DCE

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