chandigarh colleges to have smart classrooms

INVC,,,

Chandigarh,

If the vision of the UT Administration is turned into reality, college students in Chandigarh will have smart class-rooms laced with audio-visual aids; digital libraries stockpiled with master CDs of eminent scholars; learning by way of exposure to real-life situations; and classroom teaching going beyond the confines of text-books. Better still, they can look forward to widening of their awareness canvas.

These and many more innovative plans have been scripted and enshrined by the Directorate of Higher Education of the UT Administration in its Vision 2010 Document which has been circularized to all colleges, both government and private, in Chandigarh. Sealed with the objective of making learning an enjoyable experience, integrating students with society, and transforming Chandigarh into a knowledge city, the Vision Document is in sync with UNESCO’s World Declaration on Higher Education.

Disclosing this here today, Mr. Ajoy Sharma, Director, Higher Education, UT Administration, said: “Aimed at widening of their awareness canvas and exposing students to real-life situations, the Vision 2010 Document rolls out a road map for big-ticket reforms in the education system by effecting changes in various fields. These include: infrastructure, industry-community-based interaction; curriculum; skill development; governance; teaching-learning and evaluation; research and consultancy; and student support.”

Favouring inter-disciplinary approach and espousing the cause of integrating students with society, the document proposes setting up of student societies in colleges for promotion of environment awareness; preservation of heritage; community hygience and sanitation; drug de-addiction, AIDS awareness, public health, gender equality; and best-from-waste societies on college campuses.

Detailing other features, Mr. Sharma said it had been proposed to give the use of audio-visual aids in classrooms a major boost, and encourage teaching with the support of movies, documentaries and other audio-visual sources. Projects will be formulated for having smart class-rooms for getting assistance from the UGC. It is also proposed to procure master CDs of eminent scholars in various disciplines. A digital library segment will be created in each department of the college for the benefit of students.

In order to make education more meaningful, surprise quizzes, group discussions and oral presentations will be held. “Feedback mechanism becomes a must these days. Getting feedback from the students will be institutionalized for self-introspection of a teacher and find out any future training need of the faculty,” Mr. Sharma said.

“Our aim is to impart value-based education and empower the students with requisite skills to meet the changing requirements of the present-day job market; make them aware of global issues like gender equality, environment preservation, democracy and world peace keeping; and provide facilities, infrastructure, inspiration and resources to facilitate meaningful socially relevant research”, Mr. Sharma added.