Draft Proposal for Discussions

TEACHING MODULES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:

Issues of Parity and Regional Knowledge

Introduction:

Andhra Pradesh in specific and India in general the higher education is passing
through a time of neglect for the last few years, which has resulted in quality deterioration.
The political, parental and administrative trio-sectors are pointing fingers on one another
but never realised their interplay and multi-dimensional nature of higher education. These
three systems of operation cumulatively effected the upcoming generations. During this
‘lean period’ industry and corporate sectors have contextualised the opportunity on par
globalization processes and extended IT and ITES opportunities. This phenomenon has
directed the companies in search of quality human resources cutting across geo-political
boundaries, sex, age and ethnicity. Creamy and talented human resource is migrating out of
motherland (brain-drain) leaving residue behind at homeland. In spite of hue and cry of
national bodies like UGC, AICTE etc the education models are not commensuration with
regional and local demands. Several studies have pointed out the necessity of realignment
and revamping of higher education models in tuning with local, regional as well as national
needs. Keeping in view the coordination lapses among higher education functionaries,
research outcome and employable opportunities in the contemporary market economy,
laxity of deliverance (teaching), archaic content (syllabi), and acceptability and expectations
at receiving end (learning), a note is prepared in the interest of higher education. The UGC
stipulation of 20% flexibility in national syllabi may be contextualised for local/regional
knowledge for CBCS model.

A preliminary interaction with faculties of a few degree colleges of the state had
brought out some critical issues related to both student and teaching communities. The low
levels of aptitude and career motivation during course period seem to be root causes for
disinterest and absenteeism among students. In addition, the relative comparison of marks
awarded to regular-irregular, performer-nonperformer, and such related issues are
frustrating the student community. The curriculum design, content, revision of syllabi,
examination pattern and evaluation systems at university levels seem to be causing some
confusion and propensity among teachers. The issue of parity due to tribal, rural and urban
background, and slow and fast learners in a cohort show performance variation among
students besides gender. In order to address these intricate issues and particularly in the
context of AP Government’s initiative of revamping higher education the present note is
prepared, which needs research and debates for the cause of relevant education.

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Backdrop:

Due to various geo-historical reasons and processes our society is segmented and
hierarchically ordered. The society at large and individual at specific tries to imitate the
upper and the best in order to gain social mobility, which M.N. Srinivasan called the process
as ‘sanskritization’. So also in primary and secondary socialization processes individuals try
to move upward by following the best or successful examples in a given context and
background. Family is the basic unit of the society. Succession of layering commences at
family level and continues to show variation within. In such context, in most of the cases,
the lower tries to imitate or compete with the best. At primary socialization, Individual
mobility depends on behaviour, thereby layering starts at family, a micro environment of
mega social structure.

School is another micro environment where secondary socialization takes place. The
teacher and curriculum are critical resources in the process of socialization. Due to various
socio-economic and personal reasons some of the teachers are not in a position to
concentrate on moulding students as emerging citizens. In addition, the teaching modules
and pedagogy are adding fuel to the teaching-learning processes. Our curriculum is loaded
with examples of far distant characters and materials than the near ones and related to the
content. Information and knowledge related to local or regional resources and practices had
not been part of the present syllabus. Content cites examples of unrelated and farthest
symbolizing only iconic ones than the practical and general thereby remain as characters to
‘look at than to imitate’. If the examples are nearby in geographical distance and
community related there is likely chance that student imbibes and inculcates a sense of
pride and esteem and these are missing in recent decades of socialization, which is acquired
by imitation. Local issues are paramount along with national and international issues in
socialization process and as well in education. Local issues are slowly replaced by global
thereby created illusion in the processes of imitation, adoption and learning, which are far
from reality. Young minds of present generation are suffering from want of primary
socialization through parental care and secondary socialization from teachers, an
environment conducive for character building. Curriculum loaded with impracticable
content and examples, route learning and robotic teaching, driving the student away from
innovation, creativity, experimentation and expression. These contemporary issues need to
be debated critically to develop a model that can solve ongoing ‘socialization’, which in
current usage called as ‘skill gap’. The imparted knowledge shall be sufficient enough to
meet local and regional needs and necessities to extend solutions to the problems of the
people and ecosystems. Empowering local and regional ecosystem shall be the philosophy
of higher education to gain overall development of the state as well as nation.

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Statement:

A study need to be conducted on the above mentioned issues or at least debated

among teaching practitioners to identify teaching-learning and skill gaps, prepare modules
and pedagogy focussing to generate passion for teaching among faculties and inspiring
interest among students for the well being of teacher-student-society nexus, an essential
paradigm in the process of globalization, where pride of knowledge and culture is honoured
by global society.

A few issues to be addressed to develop content of teaching

A. At personal Level
1. Cleanliness (self-imposed discipline)
2. Punctuality (self-imposed time sense)
3. Service (rendering with passion)
4. Greeting (with compassion)
5. Creativity (innovative and independent thinking)
6. Wealth (material as well as non-material)

B. At Public Level
7. Patriotic Spirit (honouring history and culture)
8. Resources (respecting natural resources for sustainability and conservation)
9. Happiness (nature induced culture-blend recreation)
10. Mobility (tourism and pilgrimage)
11. Socialization (secondary and tertiary socialization in the context of modernity)

C. At Private Level
12. Service first-Profit next shall be the philosophy of Private Organizations in addition to
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
13. Pay salaries in accordance with services and profit
14. Environment concern shall be integral and self-imposed of practices of nature
conservation

Objectives:

1. Identification of issues related to absenteeism, teaching-learning gaps, performance

and career guidance independent of arts, science, commerce and management
courses of under graduation,
2. Preparation of modules addressing parity, issues of students (culturescapes and
learner variations) and knowledge on local/regional resources and production,
3. Identification of module writers from academia and industry,
4. Conduct of training programmes with timelines to test the modules,
5. Ascertain feedback both from delivery and receiving ends to improve the quality of
modules for wider use among undergraduate courses.

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Areas to be covered (Region Specific) to generate teaching information:

1. Natural Resources and Local Traditional Knowledge.

2. Agrarian Practices, Fairs and Festivals.
3. Artisanal Technologies and Practices.
4. Industries (production, manufacturing and service sectors)- Their establishment,
goals, raw materials, imports, skills, technology, manpower, products, exports,
expansion, budget, employment opportunities, socio-economic impacts, CSR, etc).
5. Government Establishments- Execution of Development and Welfare Programmes
and their Impact.
6. Vulnerability of Natural Disasters and Calamities of the Region- Mitigation Strategies.
7. Human Development Indices- Health and Education status and needs.
8. Heritage Structures, Monuments Conservation: Tourism Services and Pilgrimage.
9. Prominent Personalities and Historical Events of the Region and People.

Methodology:

 Course-wise groups need to be formulated by involving teachers and industry

personnel (Arts/Science/Commerce/Management) to sort out the units to be
studied.
 Review of literature on each of the identified units (nine areas mentioned above) to
classify the contents in accordance with branches of courses.
 Preparation of teaching pattern and questioning formats for examination/
evaluation.
 Preparation of schedule / questionnaire for collection of data at various sources, and
to formulate lead questions to interview experienced personnel and education
administrators in the domain of inclusiveness and participatory perceptions.
 Drafting the content by considering ‘distance education’ model.
 Introducing parity addressing modules at introductory classes of 1 st semester in all
four courses.
 Introducing the prepared modules all over five semesters in accordance with
relevant units.
 Ascertaining feedback both from students and teachers on relevance, usefulness and
improvement, if any.
 Preparation of final report in the form of academic syllabi to be submitted to
University for approval and adoption in the successive academic year.

Outcome:

 The proposed and prepared modules shall inculcate interest among students, who
are hitherto lethargic in studies, and enhance passion among faculties.
 Introductory Module/Bridging Module: Two Units, One each of Parity and Pride
(Parity addresses the divisive contexts and Pride inculcates being part of the system.

-Prof. P. Vijaya Prakash

Senior Fellow-ICSSR, Professor of Anthropology (Retd.)
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530003.

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