BEST PRACTICE-I
Title: “PRERANA FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS“
This practice aims to foster the comprehensive development of students, particularly those from rural and Telugu medium backgrounds.
OBJECTIVES:
The primary objectives include imparting necessary knowledge, guiding students through mentoring systems to achieve short and long-term goals, assisting in finding the meaning of life and the purpose of education, and nurturing creative and artistic skills through mini-projects.
CONTEXT
The college emphasizes student-centric activities to prepare students for the global professional market. The practice involves several components to achieve its objectives
PRACTICE
- Student Induction Programs and Activities
- Conducting induction programs, seminars, and guest lectures to provide extended knowledge
- Organizing workshops, industrial field trips, and internship programs for practical knowledge
- Encouraging participation in various curriculum, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities
- Engaging students in social service activities
- National Service Scheme (NSS)
- Various social service activities conducted, including awareness campaigns on pollution control, plastic-free initiatives, road safety, and literacy
- Training and Placement
- Eleven companies visited the campus, offering nearly 300 vacancies, resulting in the selection of 210 students.
- Direct recruitment drives conducted by companies like Infinite Solutions, Boston IT Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Aditi Consulting, and CapGemini.
EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS:
- Student Induction Programs have been conducted, fostering a student-friendly environment and covering various aspects like socializing, associating, governing, and experiencing.
- Workshops, seminars, guest lectures, and personality development classes aim to enhance students’ confidence, stress management, positive attitude, leadership skills, and social skills.
- Successful completion of project work, fieldwork, and internships by 382 students.
- Celebration of festivals and special days to cultivate soft and hard skills, teamwork, multitasking, and leadership.
Problems Encountered and Resources Required
- All activities are self-financed, necessitating financial support.
- The need to motivate students for active participation.
- The district’s backward status, lacking industrial hubs and IT companies for employment.
- Students’ communication skills and self-confidence issues due to rural backgrounds
The presented evidence, including successful induction programs, workshops, social service activities, and placement achievements, showcases the positive impact of the practice on students’ holistic development. Addressing financial challenges, motivating student participation, and bridging communication gaps are identified as ongoing concerns for the program’s sustainability and effectiveness.
BEST PRACTICE-II
Title: 360 DEGREE FEEDBACK ANALYSIS: Enhancing Educational Excellence through Stakeholder Engagement
Objectives of the Practice
The 360 Degree Feedback Analysis practice aims to adapt to the evolving teaching-learning landscape by understanding the expectations and aspirations of various stakeholders, including students, teachers, alumni, parents, and employers. The key objectives are:
- Selecting effective strategies by monitoring the teaching and learning process.
- Collecting feedback on learning objectives and course outcomes for course modifications.
- Enhancing the performance of staff, faculty, and students to increase their future potential and provide value addition to the University.
Context:
This practice views 360° feedback analysis as a performance evaluation survey that gathers confidential, anonymous feedback from closely related stakeholders. The questionnaire addresses issues pertinent to teaching-learning processes, facilities, and other concerns specific to each stakeholder group. Challenges include diverse perspectives and concerns during the feedback process.
Practice Implementation:
The practice utilizes a feedback collection mechanism from various stakeholders
- Teachers: Annual feedback on curriculum aspects to improve syllabi, labs, and infrastructure.
- Students: Feedback on curriculum relevance, adequacy, and teaching performance, leading to remedial actions.
- Alumni: Structured feedback on curriculum relevance and adaptability to the workplace.
- Employers: Feedback on curricula and alumni performance, obtained during campus interviews and through suggestions.
- Parents: Structured feedback on various aspects during visits to the campus.
Feedback is collected through online or offline mechanisms, with stakeholders providing input through forms or links. Responses are analyzed using predefined parameters, and departments take appropriate actions based on the feedback.
Evidence of Success:
The 360-degree feedback analysis has led to substantial improvements
- Introduction of more elective subjects for increased flexibility in teaching and learning.
- Teachers self-reflecting and improving based on student feedback.
- Improved classroom and laboratory facilities, including the installation of smart boards and projectors.
- Infrastructure enhancements, such as additional staircases, lifts, bus facilities, and water coolers.
- Development of better labs and infrastructure based on stakeholder suggestions.
- Peer Group: External academic experts provide feedback on institutional aspects during various events.
Challenges and Resource Requirements:
Challenges encountered in the initial stages included low response rates and difficulties in analyzing hardcopy feedback forms. To overcome this, online feedback forms were developed for ease of analysis. Issues with anonymity and biased responses were addressed, and efforts were made to motivate stakeholders for feedback. The diversity of opinions within responses posed challenges in decision-making.
Resource requirements include computer programs for online feedback analysis. The continuous revision of questionnaires to align with regulatory requirements and designing concise, effective questions for various stakeholders remain ongoing challenges. Encouraging stakeholders to view feedback as valuable rather than a tedious task is an ongoing consideration.
In summary, the 360 Degree Feedback Analysis practice has proven effective in enhancing teaching and learning processes, with tangible improvements in curriculum, infrastructure, and overall stakeholder satisfaction. Ongoing efforts focus on addressing challenges and refining the feedback process for continuous enhancement.