Recently we had this French course conducted at IIIT Hyderabad. The profs were from CIEFL. I have been posting a lot about the course in earlier posts. I thought I would share some conclusions I derive from the course.
In the beginning when I sent a mail asking for names I got around 120 replies. Yes I knew many of them just wanted to keep it as backup, so I estimated the number of serious students to be around 60. Unfortunately the course cudn't start at time and it could not have been made a regular course. It started at time when one mid semester exams were already over. (The course finally started on 28th Jan). So the course was clearly made a Non-Academic course taken by student only for interest as there won't be any mention of same in the gradesheet.
Dean based to his experience asked me to have a commitment fees from student so that they take it only if they are interested. We decided over an agreement which helped in getting approx 40% payment from students and rest by the institute (this was b'coz the course was not part of curriculum, thanks to Dean we were not required to pay all the money ourselves)
The course finally started with around 30 students paying fees on time and others asking to enter when the faculty finally started taking the classes. Since languages courses can´t have more than 30-35 student in one batch. I had to stop allowing ppl from registering for the course. What happened during the course left me amazed. Slowly students started bunking the classes. The number of student coming regularly was getting lower in every class. By the end of Feb the strength would have easily come down to 15-20, after Feb the attendence decrease was even more shocking. In the last few classes we had attendence like 5-4-3 and so on.
I was seriously shocked to see such a decline in interest of students over time. I can't help but conclude that attendence rule and grades are must to have the students come to class. Even things like Language courses which is totally started on basis of interested student and not a compulsion cannot maintain the strength over time then compulsory courses will surely have lots of problems in doing the same. Committment fees didn't seem to work out well either. May be its just my way of thinking....
(More about French Learning in later posts)
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Sunday, April 02, 2006
How IIIT is different
Dr. Abhijeet Mitra's speech during the Farewell, expressed something that has been in my mind for quite some time but never came on this blog. Its is in regards to How IIIT is a different institute. There have been some opposing thoughts shared by many ppl so I take the opportunity to clear some confussions.
His speech started with very basic thought that if anyone things makes lot of sense, I can't quote it totally but here is the gist : IIIT is not trying to be like any particular college in the country, We are trying to have something different here which has not been tried by anyone in the country. We are doing it in a kind of learning and doing mode rather than emulating some other college. IIIT is going to be brand in itself. (OT: During our Open House representative from a college in Delhi informed that they take IIIT Hyderbad as the role model for their new institute).
In his speech he didn't emphasize specifically the difference IIIT means in terms of education. I should try to add it from my point of view. IIIT's faculty are very determined to make the institute a leading research institute and fulfill the growing needs of researchers in the country, which other colleges have been ignoring all this while, which includes the IITs across the country.
Yesterday evening while talking to Dr. PJN we learnt that making a research institute is our institutes' goal but it does require lot of prework. It does require a solid UG course and curriculum so that the undergrads are ready for taking up research or even any other high end work in the industry. UG is also the right time to get the student interested in to research. This is why institute boast of research at UG level.
Isn't it very true that most of the students who do their UG studies in other good colleges do not get motivated for higher studies (whether within the college or outside). This is different from ppl who do their UG in not so good colleges(as in quality of education, infrastructure) who are kinda forced to do PG to get the good university brand name in their resumé. This includes ppl with big funds who go abroad joining any university (even rank > 100). Most ppl I knew in my town used to write GATE for the sole reason of either coming in to the CS field from some other field or getting a PG from IIT so they can get a good job. This is just a generalization. In exception there must be many truly motivated ppl who do PG in IIT too, infact I have met quite a few of such ppl in recent past (at ACCV and soon). Isn't it strange that almost no one takes a MTech or MS in IIT after doing a B.Tech there (unless ofcourse they are in dual degree from the beginning).
When I joined IIIT, I had no idea that I would be doing my Master's here. Not even that I wud be doing Honours. It just so happens that the curriculum gets you interested in to higher studies. I am now very positive about coming back and doing a Ph.D after 2-3 years of industry experience. Yesterday Sharat kumar from BTech 2k2 batch shared similar experience over his PhD admissions in to top notch colleges. "Sir (prof PJN), I never though in my second year that I would even consider doing a Ph.D ...". So is the situation of many ppl who are doing MS in India or abroad.
The important factor here is that the MS or PhD is not motivated by monitory benefits. After going through such highly motivating and interesting courses. You are tempted to try higher education instead of taking up a job very early. Sharath also shared how the flexibility in coming out of dual degree programme and going abroad for higher education helps ppl. Prof PJN remarked that flexibility is to ensure that students interested in higher education can remain motivated in that rather than getting distracted by the whole placement/campus bussiness, ..."by taking entering in to dual degree programme students are commiting to higher education not to higher education in IIIT"
When it comes to jobs, many ppl get it wrong that our college doesn't care about them. It is understood by faculty that everone has his own goals and needs. According to Prof PJN, Firstly monitory needs might require you to join a Job and secondly a proper Job which you like instead of research may be the right thing to do for you. In the first case you can anytime come back for higher education if that interests you., or you can take up part time courses like MS and PhD and in second case you can use your excellent skill to shine in the industry. (As a matter of fact many of my friends in jobs are comtemplating higher education).
Sorry for the huge post :)
His speech started with very basic thought that if anyone things makes lot of sense, I can't quote it totally but here is the gist : IIIT is not trying to be like any particular college in the country, We are trying to have something different here which has not been tried by anyone in the country. We are doing it in a kind of learning and doing mode rather than emulating some other college. IIIT is going to be brand in itself. (OT: During our Open House representative from a college in Delhi informed that they take IIIT Hyderbad as the role model for their new institute).
In his speech he didn't emphasize specifically the difference IIIT means in terms of education. I should try to add it from my point of view. IIIT's faculty are very determined to make the institute a leading research institute and fulfill the growing needs of researchers in the country, which other colleges have been ignoring all this while, which includes the IITs across the country.
Yesterday evening while talking to Dr. PJN we learnt that making a research institute is our institutes' goal but it does require lot of prework. It does require a solid UG course and curriculum so that the undergrads are ready for taking up research or even any other high end work in the industry. UG is also the right time to get the student interested in to research. This is why institute boast of research at UG level.
Isn't it very true that most of the students who do their UG studies in other good colleges do not get motivated for higher studies (whether within the college or outside). This is different from ppl who do their UG in not so good colleges(as in quality of education, infrastructure) who are kinda forced to do PG to get the good university brand name in their resumé. This includes ppl with big funds who go abroad joining any university (even rank > 100). Most ppl I knew in my town used to write GATE for the sole reason of either coming in to the CS field from some other field or getting a PG from IIT so they can get a good job. This is just a generalization. In exception there must be many truly motivated ppl who do PG in IIT too, infact I have met quite a few of such ppl in recent past (at ACCV and soon). Isn't it strange that almost no one takes a MTech or MS in IIT after doing a B.Tech there (unless ofcourse they are in dual degree from the beginning).
When I joined IIIT, I had no idea that I would be doing my Master's here. Not even that I wud be doing Honours. It just so happens that the curriculum gets you interested in to higher studies. I am now very positive about coming back and doing a Ph.D after 2-3 years of industry experience. Yesterday Sharat kumar from BTech 2k2 batch shared similar experience over his PhD admissions in to top notch colleges. "Sir (prof PJN), I never though in my second year that I would even consider doing a Ph.D ...". So is the situation of many ppl who are doing MS in India or abroad.
The important factor here is that the MS or PhD is not motivated by monitory benefits. After going through such highly motivating and interesting courses. You are tempted to try higher education instead of taking up a job very early. Sharath also shared how the flexibility in coming out of dual degree programme and going abroad for higher education helps ppl. Prof PJN remarked that flexibility is to ensure that students interested in higher education can remain motivated in that rather than getting distracted by the whole placement/campus bussiness, ..."by taking entering in to dual degree programme students are commiting to higher education not to higher education in IIIT"
When it comes to jobs, many ppl get it wrong that our college doesn't care about them. It is understood by faculty that everone has his own goals and needs. According to Prof PJN, Firstly monitory needs might require you to join a Job and secondly a proper Job which you like instead of research may be the right thing to do for you. In the first case you can anytime come back for higher education if that interests you., or you can take up part time courses like MS and PhD and in second case you can use your excellent skill to shine in the industry. (As a matter of fact many of my friends in jobs are comtemplating higher education).
Sorry for the huge post :)
Saturday, April 01, 2006
April fools traps...
Over years April fools day has been becoming more and more uninteresting. Today it was not so. We had lots of funny news articles and so on.Google did launch a interesting Beta product on this day. Its Google Romance. Those unaware of the date might have tried it for once. Since the product may get removed from the site soon. Here is a screenshot. Should go thru the quick tour of the product its funny :)
Slashdot on the other hand totally fooled me. I didn't remember the April fools day and on my first visit to slashdot today, I truly thought that slashdot was Hijacked. Oh my God. Slashdot guys are truly creative and humourous.
The funniest post from slashdot read
" Our marketing department has done extensive research over the last 3 quarters and discovered that our audience is strangely disproportionately skewed towards males. Like, 98.3% males to be precise. To correct this oversight, we have decided to subtly tweak Slashdot's design and content to widen our appeal to these less active demographics. Don't worry! We'll still continue to serve our core audience, but we hope you'll work with us as we try to find a balance that will work for all.In the evening the top news on slashdot was Bill gates buying open office. :)
Any interesting article you came up across ?
In totally unrelated stuff, we MSbR students were called up last in the list of students to be given Farewell and all the time before being called we kept wondering if we were again made April fools. (You know MSbRs date of leaving is not a very well planned :)) Well we did get farewell at the end, photos in next post probably.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Indian Politicians: They can even sell their country
That was a popular joke about Indian politicians kept on the basis of their performance in field of Corruption. In recent past some defence deals scams proved that the joke can actually turn in to reality. This post is not regarding scams but related to our politicians...
Today I was shocked to see the news regarding reservation in the paper. They say that our government is planing to introduce upto 49.5% reservation in educational institutes like IITs and IIMs. Won't you call out politicians Stupid and Insane. Well most of them are uneducated too. Some have criminal records too. When such ppl are leading our country, the future can only be bleak.
It was not a surprize when government wanted to pass a LAW forcing private offices (companies) to have reservations, thankfully the supreme court denied it. (Otherwise we would have been strugling for our jobs twice as hard).
I generally tend to avoid politics but these morons are making this country a shit place. A politician was once asked "If there are two Doctors' one who got the degree on basis of merit and other who was put there on basis of reservation, which one would you get ur treatement done by?" The politician was obviously dumb. (He was quite sure he wont go to such a hospital where you get SC/ST grads, he can easily afford a better hostpital with highly qualified doctors).
It doesn't even make sense to have ppl enter the top notch colleges on the basis of Caste rather then performance. What is the use of such engineers and doctors who don't have the basic knowledge to take up these courses. Why should the ppl in general category who are much more capable be deprived of the justice ? The ppl from classes getting reservation might be happy when they have the benefits due to reservation but would they we happy when given second class service by unqualified ppl ?
I was imagining how nice it would be if Political parties had some kind of entrance exam or recruitment. Where there was a limit on number of seats and then there was this quota stuff. Then only they can realise the effect of quota on us.
Why can't these ppl from SC/ST/OBC compete fairly against ppl from general category ? Who stops thems. They can be given monitory consideration for their education, they can be given better conditions to study but what justifies giving them easier entry to good colleges compared to actual merititous student ?
Our government has shown lots of interest in protecting rights of the so called backward classes in the country, they want every second student in the schools, colleges and government job to be from these ppl. Thats the max we can expect do be done by an army of uneducated fools who only care for getting votes in next election.
The bigger problem is every political party is afraid of lossing votes and doesn't dare to come against such unjustice to the general castes. Its probably a right time for ppl from NON backward classes to have some protests against the current reservation laws else they will see themselves entering in to minority in schools, colleges and even public offices.
Today I was shocked to see the news regarding reservation in the paper. They say that our government is planing to introduce upto 49.5% reservation in educational institutes like IITs and IIMs. Won't you call out politicians Stupid and Insane. Well most of them are uneducated too. Some have criminal records too. When such ppl are leading our country, the future can only be bleak.
It was not a surprize when government wanted to pass a LAW forcing private offices (companies) to have reservations, thankfully the supreme court denied it. (Otherwise we would have been strugling for our jobs twice as hard).
I generally tend to avoid politics but these morons are making this country a shit place. A politician was once asked "If there are two Doctors' one who got the degree on basis of merit and other who was put there on basis of reservation, which one would you get ur treatement done by?" The politician was obviously dumb. (He was quite sure he wont go to such a hospital where you get SC/ST grads, he can easily afford a better hostpital with highly qualified doctors).
It doesn't even make sense to have ppl enter the top notch colleges on the basis of Caste rather then performance. What is the use of such engineers and doctors who don't have the basic knowledge to take up these courses. Why should the ppl in general category who are much more capable be deprived of the justice ? The ppl from classes getting reservation might be happy when they have the benefits due to reservation but would they we happy when given second class service by unqualified ppl ?
I was imagining how nice it would be if Political parties had some kind of entrance exam or recruitment. Where there was a limit on number of seats and then there was this quota stuff. Then only they can realise the effect of quota on us.
Why can't these ppl from SC/ST/OBC compete fairly against ppl from general category ? Who stops thems. They can be given monitory consideration for their education, they can be given better conditions to study but what justifies giving them easier entry to good colleges compared to actual merititous student ?
Our government has shown lots of interest in protecting rights of the so called backward classes in the country, they want every second student in the schools, colleges and government job to be from these ppl. Thats the max we can expect do be done by an army of uneducated fools who only care for getting votes in next election.
The bigger problem is every political party is afraid of lossing votes and doesn't dare to come against such unjustice to the general castes. Its probably a right time for ppl from NON backward classes to have some protests against the current reservation laws else they will see themselves entering in to minority in schools, colleges and even public offices.
Amélie once again
Watched this movie once again. This time with little french knowledge. The english subtitles and the French speech together made it a wonderful watch. The movie is simply awesome, it certainly deserves the rating (8.7/10 in IMDB) and appreciation it has achieved.
In totally unrelated news I heard the same actress Audrey Tautou is playing the role of Sophie in the movie "Da Vinci Code".
In totally unrelated news I heard the same actress Audrey Tautou is playing the role of Sophie in the movie "Da Vinci Code".
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