With the policy of liberalization in the field of higher technical education all over the world in general and in India in particular there has been mushroom growth of private technical institutions which has been widely welcomed. The ever rising demand of technical manpower has adequately been met by these institutions. But the scenario does not look all that bright. Shortage of competent teaching staff, both in terms of quality and quantity, has begun to cast its shadow on the quality of instructions imparted at these institutions.
This problem looks grimmer especially with the intake of engineering students posed to grow threefold in five years. By 2012, annual engineering intake is projected to grow 300% with corresponding increase in requirement of competent faculty. As a result of huge spurt in demand of faculty engineering colleges all over world are projected to face acute shortage of quality faculty.
The main reasons as to why engineering education world over has not been able to attract quality manpower can be summarized as follows:-
o The Technical education globally is experiencing an unprecedented demand outstripping the supply of good faculty members.
o The quality institutes offering masters and doctoral programs are limited and produce only a fraction of what this sector requires.
o There is a huge demand for the industry for well qualified engineers, which is considered better option by students passing out from these institutions.
o Teaching as career is considered a last option since it is not as rewarding financially as industry.
o Teaching is considered less challenging than professional career.
o Teaching also associate with lower social status.
In the teaching-learning process three aspects are very important. These are:
1. Assimilation of Knowledge by faculty (Depth of knowledge)
2. Transmission of Knowledge to next generation (Teaching)
3. Ascertaining learning by students.
The huge paucity of quality manpower in academics is resulting in recruitment of recently passed out engineering students without any prior experience as faculty members. More often than not these colleges put fresh graduates straightway on the job of teaching. They have little or no experience in handling the teaching process nor college have enough number of senior teachers to guide them resulting into the poor quality of teaching.
The author, having rich in experience of working in a distinguished institution for over a decade, has visualized this growing problem and have come with an innovative solution to develop a Faculty Training Initiative designed to groom the newly recruited faculty, utilizing its rich human resource of senior faculty which consists of professors from the top Institutions like IITs and NITs, Scientists from research institutions and laboratories and professionals from industry. The main objectives of using such resources are to develop new ideas and make innovations in teaching-learning process. The expertise of the Sr. professors and ex-corporate professionals can be clubbed to transform the learning process from knowing of subject to understanding the subject. The Institute will conduct biannual 15 days programs for newly recruited faculty keeping following objective in mind.
Objectives
Development of following skills in newly recruited faculty:
o Teaching learning methodology
o Teaching content development
o Development of requisite Communication skills
o Development of effective and progressive teaching plan
o Effective time management
o Leadership and motivation to excel in teaching
o Application of knowledge to real life problems
o Developing sense of belongingness for the organization
Scope of FDI
FDI focus is on development of faculty for achieving excellence in teaching learning process. It is proposed as a short term skill up-gradation programs for those who have made a choice of teaching as a career at Institutes imparting Higher Technical Education. The institutes should form a core team of the competent teachers, which can be supplemented with persons of imminence from industry, to carryout these courses fro the newly recruited faculty.
Focus Areas of FTP
FTP is recommended to concentrate on following aspects of teaching learning process.
1. Effective use of training aids
2. Motivating Students
3. Innovations in technical teaching
4. How to conduct lab sessions
5. How to conduct tutorials
6. Preparing lecture notes
7. Tackling mischievous students
8. Preparing web Notes
9. Imposing and maintaining discipline in class
10. Need for going beyond curriculum
11. Tackling gaps in syllabus
12. Communication skills
13. How to write in examinations
14. Improving concentration
15. Time management
16. Body language
17. Need for documentation
18. Procrastination
19. Proactive approach
20. ISO certification
21. Student's assessment
22. Conducting seminar and presentations
23. How to take timely and effective Feedback
24. Industrial visits
25. Summer training
26. Paradigm shift from teaching to learning
27. Value added classes
28. Designing Tutorial sheets
29. What we can do for assisting in final placement
30. Personality development
31. Mentoring
32. Role of Project guides
33. Inculcating self discipline
34. Standard procedures followed in the Institute and documentation
35. Code of conduct for teachers
36. Institute vision, mission, objectives, rules and policies
37. Motivating of acquiring Higher education
38. Leading from front
39. Lab development
40. Goal fixation for the semester
Conduct
The training should preferably be conducted after the vacation period in summer and during winter vacation. Senior faculty from each department of the rank of Associate Professor and above can be assigned one/two topic each for preparation 15 days prior to commencement of training. The detailed time table can be prepared by the institute FDI coordinator in consultation with the Principal and HODs. The proposed standing draft time table is as per appendix 'A' attached.
As a token of appreciation of the hard work done by the Faculty conducting training and in order to motivate them further, each faculty member conducting classes can be given some rewards which can be cash incentive, certificates of achievement or may be in the form of books worth certain amount decided by the institution.
Appendix A
Suggested Time Table
D Day Inauguration Effective use of training aids
Motivating Students
Innovatio-ns in technical teaching
How to conduct lab sessions
How to conduct tutorials
D+1 Preparing lecture notes
Tackling mischievous students
Preparing web Notes
Imposing and maintaining discipline in class
Need for going beyond curriculum
Tackling gaps in syllabus
D+2 Communication skills
How to write in examinations
Improving concentration
Time management
Body language
Need for documentation
D+3 Procrastination
Proactive approach
ISO certification
Student's assessment
Conducting seminar and presentations
How to take timely and effective Feedback
D+4 Industrial visits
Summer training
Paradigm shift from teaching to learning
Value added classes
Designing Tutorial sheets
What we can do for assisting in final placement
D+5 Personality development
Mentoring
Role of Project guides
Inculcating self discipline
Standard procedures followed in the Institute and documentation Code of conduct for teachers
D+6 Institute vision, mission, objectives, rules and policies
Motivating of acquiring Higher education
Leading from front
Lab development
Goal fixation for the semester
D+7 to D+10 Presentations by New Faculty With recording and SWOT
D+11 to D+14 Reserved for Guest/Invited speakers
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