Quality learning atmosphere definitely features in the list of expectations of many students when they join such a renowned educational institute like SRCC. The question of till what degree those anticipated standards are met, however, is never seriously considered within the working of our college’s system. In this piece, we therefore try to evaluate the effectiveness of classroom learning in our college using some very basic parameters of the same.
We have to understand that there are Three main factors contributing to a good learning atmosphere; good lectures, positive relationship with teachers and a healthy peer group.
While evaluation of individual elements in these factors is important, a common root cause for most of problems is the marks-based approach in our college. A narrow focus on marks corrupts the attitude of both teachers and students. Teachers are content as long as they finish the syllabus for examination purpose and students are content as long as they get decent score even if the understanding of the subject is abysmally low.
Keeping this in mind, we can now see how teaching standards fare according to those basic parameters:
Classroom environment
A constructive, healthy classroom environment is a basic prerequisite for successful learning. There are two dimensions to this amiable atmosphere- engagement, and inclusivity. While co-operation from students is certainly needed, the teacher is the one who is in a position to foster such a vibe in the class. He/she decides whether the lecture will be one-way or interactive, and then it is he/she who has the responsibility to make sure that no student of the class is hesitant in participating in the discussions. Though there are some teachers who master this ability, unfortunately many SRCC teachers do not make any effort to set the right tone in classroom learning. Many don’t create opportunities or chart out time for students to ask doubts, raise alternate viewpoints, or add to the lecture given in anyway. Students must feel comfortable to say if they don’t know or didn’t understand a concept. The best class room vibe is where students don’t hesitate in the fear of making mistakes. Some teachers verbally encourage doubts, but an overarching aura of intimidation that they wrap themselves in actually discourage student participation. Some teachers feel that occasional group discussion or forced conversations make for interactive teaching. What they fail to understand is that in an interactive classroom, communication should be a constant and effortless feature.
Teachers also have the responsibility to set an inclusive atmosphere for all students from different social and economic background. But at least in some lectures it is observed that teachers intensify the stratification already present in college. This makes classroom another unwelcoming space to be in. Also, certain practices like switching to Hindi mid-lecture in a class full of South Indians, or conversely, refusing to answer doubts raised in Hindi creates a sense of alienation amongst students of different backgrounds. Failing to establish a good classroom environment on both counts makes classrooms extremely boring or intimidating spaces.
Lecture Delivery
As already stated, lectures tend to become mundane monologues, where enthusiasm is a constant missing component, and focus is only on somehow completing the syllabus. Further, even within the framework of a monologue, quite a few teachers are not able to clearly articulate and deliver their knowledge. It is a widely held view that while SRCC teachers possess enough understanding of their own subject, they fail to make the students grasp the ideas and concepts with clarity. You cannot blame a student for showing no interest in class or subject if all what a teacher does is read a PPT in the name of lecture delivery. Some teachers can communicate better when smaller batches of students are present in tutes, but with regard to most other teachers, even tutes don’t spell any relief for students. Moreover, the lecture will be much more enriching for a student if there is an attempt to create comparisons and connections between what is written in the textbook, and what happens in the world at large. Teachers should also make an attempt to communicate about the objective of learning a particular concept. It will sustain the interest of students along with directing the focus of students in the right aspects.
Missing teachers:
Even more worrisome than sub-par lectures is the case of missing teachers, whereby high rates of absenteeism become the trademark teaching style of a few professors. Some teachers get to get away with even making absenteeism a habit, because the professors engaging in this are generally close to higher authorities and part of the permanent faculty. Sometimes it also happens that allocation of teachers to particular subjects are delayed so much that students are left grappling with the books of core subjects largely on their own. This, along with problematic lectures delivered by other professors, leads few students to join coaching centers. It is a matter of grave concern and dismay that students of a top institute have to resort to this.
Tutes:
Tutes have the potential to go a long way in strengthening the understanding of the subject, talking about relevant things that couldn't be covered in the syllabus oriented classroom, and helping the underconfident students express themselves because of the lesser number of peers present as compared to a full classroom. However, if the teacher carries his/her intimidating aura of the classroom into the tute also, and chooses to focus his energies on making tutes a trying and testing time for everyone, then this opportunity of getting individualized attention turns into a bane instead of a boon for the underconfident student. In most scenarios, however, the time allocated for tutes goes off as a complete waste, with neither the students nor the teachers taking any effort to utilize it effectively, except for occasional doubt clearing sessions.
Tutes can also act as a space to personalize learning and foster personal connection between students and teachers. Tute time if properly utilized can create the best moments worth cherishing in the entire college life.
Mentorship
While there is a lack of engagement at the level of classroom, there is also a lack of engagement of teachers on a personal level with the students. A common concern expressed by students is inexistence of mentorship, or rather any sort of relationship between teacher and student. Showing personal interest in a student can be a major factor for motivation and consequently academic achievement, which makes showing interest in academically backward students even more important. However, hardly few teachers even take much interest in any type of students, and if they do, it is restricted to toppers. For most of the teachers, interest in students only extends till the class representatives, as they help in coordinating and communicating with the rest of the class. Given the over emphasis on placements, mentorship if any also tends to get restricted to how to build your CV.
Assesment strategies
The method of internal assessment employed by most professors is unnecessarily taxing and demoralizing. Questions are set to test memory power or are deliberately made too tough to be solved by even above-average students. Sometimes the number of tests is too much to even allow for breathing intervals in between, while sometimes enough opportunities for re-tests are not provided. The stressful nature of internals especially gains magnitude and momentum in the second year for Economics students.
Role in creating an overall campus culture:
In our college primary objective of everything is measured in terms of how much it equips you for a corporate placement. Subsequently teaching and learning become narrowly focused on marks and not the actual understanding of the subject. It is not only academics which is perverted by this objective, but even our space of extracurricular activities. Societies are considered valuable only as a means to decorate your CV, not to pursue your interests. Doing a research project or even working in an NGO is only for making your CV attractive. This culture is sustained when teachers also play a major role in encouraging students to be deeply, even unhealthily competitive and in putting a constant pressure on students to weigh the benefit of every activity according to the value it will add to their CV.
We can now consider the attitude among students, again using very basic parameters:
Amount of classroom interaction:
As already discussed, engagement initiated by teachers is not good enough. When we look at the engagement within peers themselves, we find that also woefully inadequate. While a healthy, spirited exchange of ideas is a far cry, space for developing companionship also seem severely restricted. Classrooms are characterized by closed groups where interaction among groups are limited. As discussed in a previous post, there are many layers of undercurrent leading to a segregated classroom. Consequently, an atmosphere of a friendly space where you can bond, discuss missed classes, solve mutual doubts, share notes and so on with everyone is absent.
Nature of classroom interaction:
Whatever little interaction is there, it is not positive or constructive. Our classrooms are best described by a bitter negative competition where no body achieves anything but stress. As if competing for academic and non-academic purposes was not enough, the silly system of giving marks for attendance leads to number of senseless fights within class groups regarding mass bunks.
All of these factors combine to make it difficult for the students to succeed academically, or even if they manage to score well, to enjoy and develop a love for their subject. It goes to the length of making students drop out of classes, or prioritise other aspects of college life, like societies, more than classes. Worse, it puts the students under tremendous stress, which eats away at their peace of mind.
This brings us back to the point we started with- lack of an evaluative/feedback mechanism for the teachers, and a lack of introspection regarding the quality of peer groups. It is not too tough to understand that if a teacher has the right oratory skillset, enthusiasm, and ability to create an engaging atmosphere while giving personal attention to students, students will have an excellent classroom experience and a good learning curve. It is not as if no professor in our college matches these qualifications. We have great respect and are extremely grateful towards those who strive to make teaching effective. However, the point is that such professors are in a severe minority, and the status quo will persist if we do not take steps to evaluate the situation and implement improvements. It is also not true that there is a complete absence of healthy peer groups, or that there is no friend circle in the college campus that does not transcend the restrictive boundaries that characterize the majority friend circles. Again, but, these phenomena are significantly outnumbered.
Before we close this article, we would also like to point to the role that semester system has in promoting atleast some of these inefficiencies. If we compare semester system to an annual system, the main drawback comes out to be less time, from which all other drawbacks stem. There is less time to complete the syllabus, because even if the syllabus as compared to annual system is reduced, for many subjects there still remains a lot to be covered. This increases the chances of teachers rushing through the syllabus. Less time also means fewer opportunities to create personal relations between teacher and student as their engagement is limited to a short time span. Lastly, less time also means that students never have the time to appreciate the subject because they are busy giving tests to meet the required quota of internal assessments as decided by the teacher.
While semester versus annual system merits a more detailed and sophisticated debate than this, and while it is more radical of a change to demand a shift back to annual system, the point remains that any change in the teaching standards and learning environment of our college can only come about if we make the effort to scrutinize the present situation.
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