I am pretty sure each of has a lot of things to say about the teaching methodologies followed in our department. I think it's time we voice our opinion in this concern and bring about a change for the better. I have enlisted some of the major problems that we all face, please comment on the blog and give your valuable suggestions about the same and about any other issues if I have missed out any.
- Grading system:
20-20-60 or 25-25-50, means that every single exam directly affects your grade, this becomes pretty unfair.
- Assignments:
- Projects/Presentations:
- Attendance:
It is observed that the attendance in our departmental courses is generally low. I am pretty sure all of us would accept that what is learnt in a 1hr lecture takes much more than an hour when one reads on his own. So what is to be done about this issue?
I humbly accept that my personal opinions and biases have been reflected in this post to a certain extent. Please forgive me for that. Please feel free to express your opinions frankly.
For those who want to know what will be the result of this blog discussion, after we reach a consensus on what is to be done, or generate a lot of ideas about the issues, I as the DUGC student representative will take these ideas to the HOD and present them before him. We can also have an open house on the same in the near future to have a more in-depth discussion in which more faculty can be involved.
For those who want to know what will be the result of this blog discussion, after we reach a consensus on what is to be done, or generate a lot of ideas about the issues, I as the DUGC student representative will take these ideas to the HOD and present them before him. We can also have an open house on the same in the near future to have a more in-depth discussion in which more faculty can be involved.
PS: Please dont post as an anonymous user.
hey bt wht purpose wud it serve unless our voice is heard by ths who make all decisions??????
ReplyDeleteThat is the 100% truth which u r talking about Karthik. U have done a great job introducing this blog, let's not only keep this to ourselves but go and question these in the dept. too. Hope, u will make that happen as soon as possible. My support is always available in this thing.
ReplyDeleteVery good point raised my friend, please go through the last paragraph of the updated post.
ReplyDeleteI wish this step was taken a bit earlier by you.Anyways,still a great initiative.In the past 3 years,I have seen some horrible sides of our department.My views in the above discussed matter are that of an extremist.
ReplyDeleteAlso I think that this co-operative measure of starting a blog won't reduce the apathy caused by our department.Serious radical steps have become necessary.
If possible please make this meeting in this semester.
I think poor attendance is the major reason of not getting good grades.We generally bunk most of the classes and try to finish whole syllabus at 11th hour.I think we should focus more on how to improve the attendance in class.As we know Mathematics is all about practice .You cant learn everything just studying 2-3 days before exam.So its better if there is some weightage for attendance in every course .And of course as Kartik mentioned Instructors need to focus more on giving assignments and tutorials.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to comment on Anirudh's first statement.It's not the poor attendance that leads to poor grades. There are many people who write correct solutions in exam and still don't get marks.The reason professors claim is that we don't know about the topic as we don't attend classes. My claim is if you think attendance is so important,assign weightage to it. There is no need of parenting us about attendance.
ReplyDeleteAnd regarding Anirudh's point of 'focus on attendance',I think improving the course structure and grading pattern will automatically improve the attendance.There are reasons why students don't attend classes. Making attendance compulsory is no solution.
The present scenario is the worst possible. Except Maths No department under the name of IITK has been so ignorant towards their own students. I am not saying that its one sided blunder, highly irregular students are as much or even a lot more culprit than what the faculty or teaching methodology is but in which department you see even the tutorials carrying significant percentages with less than 50% attendance? It clearly states the boringness with which even the tutorials(or course structure as a whole) are organised or in better words the insignificance of tutorials without any assignments, printed material, Bacha quizzes, etc. Without properly organised tutorials not even the absentees but many of the regular students find it hard to score decently in the mid sems. And with no other back up grades do suffer a lot. Its still our early days in the department effectively 1st year and we have seen lots of horrible sides of it already. Hope a better structure doesn't awaits us long.
ReplyDeleteSurely attending classes would give an edge for anyone at the time of exams.But the monotonous teaching cannot create sufficient interest even for those attending classes regularly.I personally feel there should be quizzes and assignment submissions rather than weightage for attendance so that one would not panic after looking at the course content for the first time before exams and end up not doing the course properly.
ReplyDeleteFirst,I would like to thank karthik for this initiative on this special day :) This will definitely change the scenario of our department.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with anirudh and I tried to elaborate more what he said.
I think motive of any course is value addition in our knowledge nothing else. At least it is true from faculty's point of view and we should keep this in mind that they are here only to teach us. Now it depends on us how we use them. I feel teaching is best noble work if you can do!!!
I don't feel that there should be any weightage for attendance. First reason it that it's like giving free marks. Second reason is sometimes (should say rarely) it becomes really unbearable to attend someone's lectures. It should be left to student whether he wants to attend classes or not. But in general attendance always helps and I believe in this principal from my school days that attending lectures always help. So there should be something that motivates students to attend the classes. What I think that there are always few students who only cares about knowledge and not the grades too much. They always go to class. But most of the students want knowledge as well as good grades and that is absolutely fine. They will always come to class if there is something that will affect their grades or help them in getting good grades. They also want to gain knowledge but sometimes it happens initially they come to classes but when they find that attending classes is not helping them in getting good grades then they stop coming classes. I like the way electrical department do in there most of the courses. They do not have compulsory attendance but they have weekly ANNOUNCED quizzes. I am not in the favour of surprise quizzes but I am in the favour of weekly ANNOUNCED quizzes and graded assignments. These things will definitely increase the load on student but also gives him the motivation to do good to reduce impact of midsems on grades. Our institute always followed the rule of continuous evaluation but somehow our department is lacking in it. We have got more freedom and frankly we are not still so mature to handle that freedom. We got freedom of optional attendance but in general I don't think it is having any positive impact but some are good enough that without attending they can do well so there is not point of keeping attendance compulsory.
Finally I want to say that attendance should not have weightage but marks should be distributed in assignments, projects( if possible), paper writing, announced quizzes (Not in favour of surprise quiz because it leads to attend classes forcefully and this will hamper those who are able to do well without attending classes).Even having one or two bonus quizzes is good idea.
The sole reason of this apathy is students' lack of passion and dedication for the course.
ReplyDeleteProfessors give more than 1 hour of the day to prepare the lecture and teach.
We know what happens after giving assingments,
we wait for professors to give the solution.
We have to realise that Maths is different from other subjects.It requires lot familiarity with the concepts and every new topic has new concepts.It would be wise not to jump into course at the last moment .This would work for other subjects.But "This is naat da way maths(even analysis) is done ".
@ravi
ReplyDeleteYour point that 'Professors give more than 1 hour of the day to prepare the lecture and teach',I somehow find irrelevant.Its their profession to prepare lectures and teach student.
In abstract algebra (MTH204),we were given regular assignments.Though some of us waited for the solution from professor,we were aware what was going on.
Also solving the given questions in assignment is far more simpler than reading the textbook assigned by professor.
On a different note,does anybody feel that some of our profs are biased?
In some or other courses we feel that something wrong is going on like weightage is going to be assigned to attendance or assignment is not being given or professor bore hai whatever.Why don't we say to professor himself to correct the current situation of course to help prof and us to get benefitted from course or at least enjoy the course ?
ReplyDeleteIn some or other courses I felt that assignment should be given,so I told the professor stating the scenario,and without hesitating he said,"fine, i'll do it." Believe me talking does solve matter not blaming.