Faculty Retreat Gulmohar, IIT Bombay, Mumbai September 14-15, 2010

1. Teaching and Learning at Undergraduate Level at IIT BA Diagnostic StudyPresentation based on report prepared byAshish PandeVirendra SethiK Sudhakar Faculty Retreat Gulmohar, IIT Bombay, Mumbai September 14-15, 2010

2. Background • Informal discussions where various experienced faculty members shared their concerns over level of motivation, inspiration, ethical standards, subject knowledge, employability of students (UGs in particular) • No new revelations were expected • Formally capturing what most may know was the motivation

3. Methodology • List of “Diagnostic Questions” • Sessions with • Dean AP, Dean FA, Dean SA • PiC Placements, ARP, NSS • Student counsellor • Faculty • Less than 5 years @IITB • More than 15 years @IITB • Students • 1st and 2nd year • 4th and 5th year • Those who dipped in the performance

4. Key Findings - Faculty Student Motivation • 60% of students do not demonstrate interest in academics • Only 10% are highly motivated • 25% to 30% are focused on non-academic activities • A good %age of students are not even motivated by placement pulls Reasons • Students see a career in non-engineering sector • Failure to create enough interest in core branch

5. Key Findings - Faculty Student Performance • Most faculty feel ‘knowledge levels of passing out students is not high enough’ • Academic rigor at IITK and IITM is higher • Primary aim of UGs is a degree from IITB • PGs are more interested in academics Reasons • Lack of interest accentuated by large class rooms with poor infrastructure • Academic accomplishments are not adequately rewarded

6. Key Findings - Faculty Ethical Standards • Ethical standards of UG students – all concur • Copying in assignments, projects • Bloated CVs Reasons • Nowhere emphasised • Assignments not formulated with clear learning objectives and time availability

7. Key Findings - Faculty Generic Issues/Reasons • Increasing class size is a constant challenge • No explicit incentive for good teaching • Majority of new faculty focused on research and less on teaching • Students are not clear of their objectives

8. Key Suggestions - Faculty For Students • FacAd role to be rationalized • Message “knowledge is more important than grades” • Help them set their objectives For Faculty • Reduced administrative burden on new faculty • Faculty mentoring • Structured input to faculty on pedagogy, course design • Handbook on “What it is to be a Good Teacher”

9. Key Findings - Students Academics • First year kills it all : Class room environment not conducive for interaction. Large class rooms with poor infrastructure • No linking of ‘what is taught’ to ‘where applications lay’ for an engineer • No big picture of curriculum. Why HSS? • Poorly functioning labs, thoughtless experiments, untrained TAs • Inability to handle freedom • Lack of interest in allotted branch

10. Key Findings - Students Ethical Standards • Lopsided emphasis on grades Tentative action points: • Better planned students’ orientation in the beginning • Making the logic of sequence of the courses clear in students mind • Better connection between real life challenges and things being discussed in the class • Structured inputs on personal effectiveness and leadership

11. Survey at Registration

12. Survey at Registration • Ethical issues need addressing speedily Yes = 84 No = 4 No comments = 8 • There things that faculty can do to improve things Yes = 81 No = 5 No comments = 10