Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Sunday 29 April 2018

EDUCATION REFORMS ? HERE IS ONE SUGGESTION


Open  Book  Exams  ?

-----------------------

Hindustan Times ( 29 April ) carries following news :






Excerpts :

Open book exams would allow students to take notes, text book and resource materials into an exam hall.


Students would be able to consult the material when answering questions, which are structured to test their understanding of concepts rather than merely the ability to memorise facts and figures.


Exam reforms cannot be done in isolation; it has to go with teaching reforms,” said Pradipta Banerji,a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. “Unless we do that we cannot achieve much...”


According to the report, such exams are particularly useful in testing skills in application, analysis and evaluation. 


“A wide range of assessment methods ( example; term papers, open ended problem solving assignments, course / lab project rubrics, portfolios ) need to be employed to ensure that assessment methods match with learning outcomes,” it said.



Some 60 years ago , when I pursued my post-graduate studies ( Mechanical Engineering ) in USA in 1957 , open book exams were common


Since then, thousands of Indians must have returned from USA after getting higher degrees in engineering from US Universities


In these 60 years , US education system must have undergone many changes , of which , I am unaware


I would be the last person to suggest that we, in India , blindly “ copy “ the entire US education system , along with its “ open book “ exam format


But , there is one aspect ( of the US system ) that I strongly feel we must “ copy “ , viz:


EMPHASIS ON “ SELF LEARNING “ THROUGH “ SEARCHING AND RESEARCHING “ , RATHER THAN ON PASSING AN EXAM


Following of my experiences of that system ( albeit 60 years old ) will explain what I mean



*  In the very first lecture ( Advanced Theory of Machines ) , Professor walked into the class room and wrote down on the black-board ( there were no white boards ) :


The only education worth its name , is self – education


He refused to teach / lecture !


He just announced the “ topic / subject “ for the next session and asked students to consult / read any book on that subject and come prepared to the class

The session was only devoted for the students to ask questions re what they did not understand from those books which they read


Professor was there only to answer those questions / solve student’s problems


No teaching !




*  In those days, all professors were very fond of , what was called , “ Shot Gun Exams


In any random lecture session , as soon as you walked into the class room , professor will announce :


“ Keep aside your books . On a piece of paper , write down answers to the questions which I write on the black board . Before you leave the class room , place your answer sheets on my table “


Then , he would just walk out , leaving the students alone / unsupervised !


On one occasion , I attempted only 6 questions , out of the 8

Next day he called me and asked :

Hemen , how come you did not answer all the 8 questions ?


I said :

Sir , I ran out of time before the session got over



Prof :

But , do you know the answers to the remaining 2 questions ?


Me :

Yes . of course



Prof :

OK , in that case , here is a piece of paper . Just sit down here in my cabin and write down those answers , and leave the paper on my table when done . Take all the time you need




*   One of the most un-nerving feature of the US education system was , “ home assignments “ ( - to which , I was not accustomed in my engineering college , back home )


There were plenty of such assignments to keep the students busy in the evenings and even over the week-ends ! No excuse was acceptable for not turning in home assignments before start of lecture

Only concession that I managed to get from my professors was that I could hand-write my assignments since I did not have a typewriter ( there were no computers )




*  And consider the following example of one such home assignment :

                        -----------------------------------

“   A Boing 707 airplane takes off from a concrete runway

    After climbing for 1 minute, its nose wheel falls off , hits the runway and rolls along
    the runway, before coming to a stop

    What distance would the tyre roll after hitting the ground, before coming to a stop ?  “

                            ---------------------------------


Stumped ?  Of course , there were no DATA to solve this VECTOR problem !


Here is what a student was expected to “ search / research / find “ ( - without any help from Google ), by looking up relevant info from the news-papers / books / catalogues of manufacturers etc , available in the University Library ( or by writing to the manufacturers ) :


#   Take off length / speed / angle of climb / acceleration , of Boing 707


#   Size of its nose wheel / weight of tyre / elasticity of the rubber raw material used

#   Tyre’s rotational speed ( sfm ) after 1 minute of flight


#   Force with which it hits the ground ( based on height reached after 1 minute )


#   Coefficient of friction of the concrete runway



I do not remember ( or can figure out today , being an out-dated engineer ) , what other DATA needed to be found out , in order to solve this problem !


But , clearly this was an example of,  “ testing skills in application, analysis and evaluation. 



*  And then there were these questions which “ external faculty members “ asked me during my final oral exam :


“  If you are stranded on a desolate / uninhabited island , all by yourself and want to re-start a CIVILIZATION, how would you make a beginning ? “


My answer :

First thing to start civilization that I need , is a STRAIGHT LINE

I would take a leaf, puncture a tiny hole in it with a thorn , hold it against sun and let a BEAM of sun-light , fall along a straight line



Next question :

Do you believe that human body is a kind of Internal Combustion Engine ?



Me :
 
Yes



Examiner :
 
Can any IC engine work where the inside body temperature and the ambient temperature is nearly the same ?



Me :
 
No Sir ! I am afraid I don’t have an answer to this riddle !



Examiner :

Don’t fret !  No one has figured it out , as yet !



And talking about the DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY of the examiners , I was asked to wait outside the cabin after the exam was over


After 5 minutes , my Guide came out and said :


Congrats, Hemen !  You have passed  !



*  Then there was this professor of “ Managerial Economics “ who would suddenly
    announce :

“ Hey guys ! It is too stuffy in the class room


  Let’s drive down to my house and continue our session there, in my front porch

  My wife would be happy to serve us with some coffee and cookies “


  Not having a car of my own , I would ride in Professor’s car !



*  And the world authority on “ Metal Cutting “ , Prof K J Trigger had the habit of walking into the class room ( of just 6 students ) , pull out 7 ash-trays from the pocket of his workshop overall ( white uniform ) , and place one in front of each student ( all of whom smoked )


At the end of the session , he would go around , one by one , pick up each ash tray , empty it in a waste paper basket , wipe it clean on his uniform and put back in his pocket before walking out !



*  Last , but not the least :

    If any Professor was not satisfied with the academic performance of any student , he
    was the final authority to decide if that student shall stop attending his class – and
    with immediate effect ! All he had to do was to send a note to the concerned college
    authority about his decision and saying why !

    No one can over rule his decision !



Dear Educationists  /  Professors  /  Students  /  Education Ministers :



Please do not look upon “ Open Book Exam “ as some kind of an “ Educational Reform “ , in isolation


What we need is a “  CHANGE  OF  ATTITUDE “ towards the entire process of LEARNING


Before attempting any such “ Gimmick “ , please carry out the following :


*  “ YES / NO “ type of  “ Online “ questionnaire surveys among all stake-holders

*   Publish the findings on many web sites

*   Debate the findings on many campuses / TV Channels



29  April  2018








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