Improving Quality of Indian Technical Education

1. Improving Quality of Indian Technical Education - Role of IITs and IIT alumni PAN IIT 2008 – Education Track – Session III Anup K Ray Visiting Faculty Centre for Educational Technology IIT Kharagpur

2. Content 1. Ranking of Institutions, Quality Assurance in Higher Education • Some samples • Indian scenario 2. Graduate Attributes & Professional Competencies (Washington Accord, Sydney Accord, Dublin Accord, Engineers Mobility Forum & Engineering Technologists Mobility Forum) • Deriving curricula from attributes & competencies • Implementing curricula with measurable outcomes 3. Some thoughts on the role of the IITs and IIT alumni 4. Experience of IIT KGP in increasing its reach Contd.

3. 2007 THES-QS World University Rankings Times Higher Education Supplement & Quacquarelli Symonds http://www.thes.co.uk/ Contd.

4. Academic Ranking of World Universities - Compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm • Numerousmagazines and newspaperspublish such rankings using a wide varietyof criteria with widely varying results. Ranking System in the UK • Quality control carried out by Quality Assurance Agencies for Higher Education (QAA) • Quality Assessment Exercise (QAE) takes place every 4 years at institution level. • At PG level Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) checks level of Research done in every department and is used to decide funding. • RAE ratings range is 1 to 5 * (5* is highest). Contd.

5. Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Europe • Initiated by the ministers of the Bologna Process signatory States in September 2003 • Parties involved (E 4 Group) • - European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) • - European University Association (EUA) • - European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) • - National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) • Covers European Higher Education Area (EHEA) with 40 States with diverse political, cultural, education systems, traditions, languages, aspirations etc. • Main outcomes • - standards and guidelines for internal quality assurance in higher education • - standards for external quality assurance • - standards for external quality assurance agencies Contd.

6. Report: “Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area” • - published by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education • - good attention to substantive issues as well as details • - clear focus on implementability and accountability. Indian Scenario Quality Assurance & Accreditation of Higher Education • NBA (MHRD/AICTE) • - concerned with technical education • - uses eight broad criteria each broken down into several parameters with weights assigned to each, which are different for diploma, UG, PG level programmes. • - Accreditation valid for a fixed period. Contd.

7. National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC) • - Established by UGC in 1994 • - Operates at institute level • - Methodology • Preparation and submission of self study report • On-site visit by peer team for validation of report and recommendation to NAAC • Final decision by the EC of NAAC “ ……. it is now a rare Indian university that makes it to the top 400 in the world. As a result, when Indian graduates are held up to the glare of global competition ….. One study deemed that 75% of our graduates were unemployed for the work, they were ostensibly trained to do” • None of the IITs or the IISc figure in the top 200 list of THES-QS survey • Delhi University figures in the list of top 500 university. Contd.

8. Graduate Attributes and Professional Competencies • Several accrediting bodies for engineering qualifications have developed outcomes based criteria for evaluating programmes. • A number of engineering regulatory bodies have developed / are in the process of developing competency – based standards for registration. • Educational and professional records have developed statements of graduate attributes and professional competency profiles for mutual recognition of qualification and registration. Contd.

9. Stages of professional development • Acquire accredited qualification ----- Graduate Stage • Acquire experience & training ----- Professional Registration • Meet additional competencies ----- International Registration • Principles of recognition: Substantial equivalence rather than exact correspondence of contents and outcomes. Contd.

10. Examples of Accords for mutual recognition of qualifications • Washington Accord (WA) : Graduate Engineers • Sydney Accord (SA) : Engineering Technologists • Dublin Accord (DA) : Engineering Technician • Mechanisms to support professional registration amongst signatory nations • Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF) • Engineering Technologists Mobility Forum (ETMF)

11. Graduate Attribute Profiles Contd.

12. Graduate Attribute Profiles Contd.

13. Role of IITs and IIT Alumni in improving quality • Develop / assist in the development of curricula in various engineering disciplines to match the WA, SA & DA accords. • Develop indicative problem sets / assignments / case studies / interactive learning materials. • Develop test items, student evaluation guidelines. • Conduct short term courses / workshops / seminars for engineering faculty / educators / policy planners to increase awareness of quality assurance on a continuous basis. • Conduct extensive training programmes for engineering faculty using advanced educational technology tools. • Establish / help establish Educational Technology as a discipline of study at M Tech level in all IITs, NITs and other top tier Institutions. • Establish a permanent body to formulate policies / conduct research / coordinate with all stake holders / initiate and monitor projects to improve technical education in India in a systematic way. Contd.

14. Experiences of IIT Kharagpur in reaching out • El Net-3L (96-01) reached out to 12000 + students • PGDIT (01-07) reached out to 700 + students in mixed mode. • VOD introduced in campus in 00 – 01, more than 5000 hrs of video available in KGP intranet. • Virtual Lab in Electrical Technology developed and tested (2003). • Virtual Classroom developed and tested on intranet (2004) • 96000 hrs of IIT KGP video in use in 167 institutions in VCD/DVD/VOD formats. • Contributed 22 video + 18 web courses to NPTEL + 47 video courses to Eklavya. • VC based interactive distance education programme (M Tech) for engineering college faculty planned in 2009. • Video recording may be raised to 3000 hrs/yr from 09-10 academic year.

15. Thank You