To handle the increase in classsize andengage students from diverse backgrounds,
the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) on Tuesday
To handle the increase in classsize andengage students from
diverse backgrounds, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) on Tuesday
set up a centre for teachers to refresh views on teaching and learn best practices
from each other.
Some of the measures taken include feedback from students on classes daily and video-graphing
themselves lecturing to learn their own strong and weak points.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Teaching Learning Centre on campus, dean of
academic courses K Ramamurthy said such a centre was important at IIT where 500faculty
members teach 600 courses, where some courses are also handled by several faculties.
Officiating director of IIT-M, V G Idichandy, said, excellent lectures are delivered
by our faculty but student-faculty interaction needs to be improved and teachers
must make an effort to connect.
Chairman of the Centre for Continuing Education in IIT-M, Ajit Kumar Kolar, said
this was the first such centre among IITs, while there were hundreds in the US and
a few in China. He said that while many of the ideas were discussed informally at
IITs, this was the first time a formal centre was set up. He expressed the hope
that it would increase the focus, adding that these eds for the centre were sown
15 years ago by (former director) professor M S Ananth. Various workshops were conducted
and around 70 faculty underwent various sessions. Now there are 15 young faculty
and five senior lecturers in the centre. I retire in three years. If I had known
about some of these concepts 30 years ago I would have been a much better teacher,
professor Kolar said.
Jeffrey E Froyd, director of academic development at Texas A&M University who has
conducted a few workshops with IIT-M faculty and suggested various measures, said
the IIT-M faculty had specifically asked for help on the above issues because the
situation was different from what prevailed 10 years ago.
They have tried out a method called minute paper in which students are asked to
jot down a point that was clear in the lecture and another that was fuzzy. The teacher
would clarify the doubts before starting the lecture the next day. Many faculty
told me that this has been very effective, professor Jeffrey said.
LEARN TO TEACH
First such centre among IITs, while there were many in the US and a few
in China They will video-graph themselves lecturing to learn their strong & weak
points Centre will improve student-faculty interaction Teachers will also get feedback
from students on classes every day
Courtesy: Times of India
