‘Participatory teaching can enhance quality of edn’
| Date :09-May-2019 |
By Vikas Vaidya:
Dr Mrunalini Fadnavis, a Nagpurian, who held post of Principal at Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Nandanvan for several years. She is known for adopting creative techniques to make alround development of students. Now, she is Vice-Chancellor of Punyashlok Ahalyadevi Holkar Solapur University. Finding out time from her busy schedule she spoke to ‘The Hitavada’. Here are the excerpts:
Q: Can you brief about your achievements?
A: I started new departments which were not in the University since long. All the departments are of languages which include -- Hindi, Marathi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit. Pali and Kannada will start from this year. Five years integrated course on Cosmetic Technology also started this year. Various cultural activities-- Yuva Spandan for campus students, school of performing arts, separate cultural activities for girl students staying in hostel. Considering the importance of health, several new courses related to health sciences have begun. They include School of Allied Health Sciences, PG Diploma in Dietetics and Nutrition, PG Diploma in Clinical Psychology, PG Diploma in Biostatics, Master of Public Health, Acupressure course of six months of duration have been started. Since our country is agriculture-dominated so we have started a course on Agro-tourism. A lot of students responded to it by admitting themselves to the course. In my tenure, the university got new name after great woman Ahalyadevi Holkar. Q: You must have planned some things while taking over the charge of V-C.
What are those plans and how much success you got?
A: Yes. I had planned to concentrate on development of students and faculties by enhancing capacity building programmes on the basis of norms prescribed by University Grants Commission (UGC) and Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD). Teaching-learning methodology, too, I am changing. For example, for the first time in the history of University we started refresher courses for teachers to update their knowledge.
Q: Universities are under criticism for the dwindling quality of education. Do you agree with it?
A: Yes. I agree.
Q: Have you identified the reason for the decrease in quality?
A: There is a big gap between students’ needs, their digital approach and the teachers having traditional knowledge with less digital approach. Quality enhancement is needed through participatory teaching which is not being done in the universities. Teachers’ participation, involvement in teaching is very important then he or she starts attracting students towards academics. Teacher should also work like a facilitator not mere like a teacher.
Q: What efforts you took to enhance quality in education in your university?
A: Approach for curriculum design has been changed. More focus on the local needs is encouraged. One compulsory skill development course along with PG degree like communication course mandatory. I asked teachers to apply out of box teaching methods, evaluate students by introducing projects, practical working lifestyle management. We have Archaelogical Department. They take students for excavation project for two months. Students work on it for full two months. My idea behind it is they should be able to focus. Right now our students are working on the site where fossil of ‘Saatvahan’ period have found. The area is located at Narkhed, near Solapur. Secondly, we are imparting teaching in more practical way. We have Ujani dam and face problem of water pollution. With an interdisciplinary approach, I asked my students of Science, economics, statistics to collect water, do its testing, analyse it, find out the reasons for pollution and write the suggestions also. We will submit it to the civic authorities. This way students get practical knowledge and expansion of thinking also takes place.
Q: It is usual scenario that the students have lost academic connect in universities. Number 2. Universities are merely playing the role of administrator. Have you tried to establish connect of students with university as far as academics is concerned.
A: Yuva Fest, we brought with the view to develop connect with students. We have 28 departments and we divided them into seven schools. We got over 200 students together. Competition on cultural activities, sports, science etc, all are conducted. Competition, cultural, academic, sports. This is connectivity. We are holding so many such activities to have students connected to university. Secondly, we have not kept role of teachers, administration staff confined to their areas. Their work area is expanded without disturbing their routine. Here they started enjoying. Everything is decentralised, so every person is empowered by some or the other authority. Participation of students in sports activities has been increased. This year they bagged 15 prizes in various games. In 2019 University will host Krida Mahotsav. So we are endeavoring and it will start bearing fruits.
Q: Research in universities has come to an halt. Have you taken any step that would encourage research?
A: We are encouraging multidisciplinary research. Like I told you participation of students from all departments in data collection regarding Ujani dam. Our students are conducting research on plastic ban and other public issues. We granted different projects at department level. Satwahan archeological excavation is underway. During Pandharpur wari our students did work of cleaning of railway station where they learned management of crowd and related issues.
Q: In most of the universities, issue of curriculum is not addressed properly. What steps have to you taken to keep syllabi of all subjects updated in your university?
A: We have three industrial areas namely Akkalkot, Chicholi and Tembhurni. We connected our Incubation centre to these industrial areas. We involved industry persons into our designing of curriculum. We requested them to suggest changes in the syllabus based on the needs of industry. Changes suggested by them have been incorporated in the syllabus. Results of these changes will not be visible soon.
Q: Students always cry for problems in valuation. How will you rate your university on the 10-point scale for valuation aspect?
A: I rate my university on 10 point scale for valuation aspect at 9. We made complete digitalisation. We have incorporated the recommendations made by Rajesh Aggarwal Committee who was Secretary of Information Technology. We have set up question bank, we have started on-screen valuation. Examinations of first year B.A, B.Com, B.Sc are conducted by colleges. Complete work including admit card, marksheet, degree certificate, transcript application, migration everything has been digitalised. Students and all have expressed satisfaction over the quality of valuation.
Q: Lot of things are being talked about skill development, employability. What have you done in your universities to make maximum students become employable after attaining graduation?
A: We started 40 courses that would help students to develop skill. Job-oriented courses like Acupressure, Agro-tourism and therapeutic nutrition are much on demand. Basic courses like communication skills, life skill management have provided confidence to students. Yoga, meditation and martial arts have successfully started. The course covers aspects like understanding research and its different components. There are special courses for women like capacity building programmes for women managers. Innovative courses like Textronics (combination of Textile and Electronics), handloom design, allied health sciences are in pipeline. As I told you due to the involvement of industry persons our courses will become employable. Efforts are there to develop employability thinking in students.