 MATERIALS PRODUCTION AND FACULTY
 DEVELOPMENT

76. The two factors of significance, on which will depend, to a very substantial extent the success of the programme are:

- preparation of teaching-learning materials for use of teachers and students

- preparation of faculty of the identified institutions for the tasks that they will be called upon to perform

The Committee feels that these tasks are of very high priority and the intervening period - the period between the approval of the programme and its actual launching - should be used for making suitable arrangements to ensure that trained faculty and suitable teaching learning materials are available before teaching of vocational subjects begins in the academic session 1994. The modalities to accomplish these two tasks are discussed briefly. It needs to be recognized that a great deal of responsibility will rest on the institutions where the subjects are introduced and they will have to exercise considerable initiative to ensure that disruption of teaching-training activities does not take place for want of adequate preparation.

Materials Production

77. The teaching learning materials will be, broadly speaking, of two types.

- textual materials which students and teachers will refer to

- non textual material, particularly audio-visual materials which will be used to explain and reinforce class room teaching and workshop training and which can be used by students and teachers when not engaged in the assigned institutional tasks

Textual Materials

78. The contents of vocational subjects that the experts have proposed are,it will be noticed, different from what are at present taught in various first degree level courses. Although there might be a similarity in principles and concepts, the new subjects emphasize applicational aspects of the content. The objective is to develop among students the competence to apply the knowledge gained in jobs that they will enter into. Textual materials that are prepared will have to keep this aspect in view.

79. The expert groups which designed the syllabi have also indicated, for each paper, textbooks and referencematerials which teachers and students will need to consult. While the Committee Is appreciative of the experts' suggestions,it feels that students might find some of these materials difficult to comprehend because of their Inadequate proficiency in the English language. It would be necessary to simplify these materials, and in many cases to translate them In local languages. The services of competent experts and translators would need to be obtained for the purpose.

80. In the beginning notes and lesson plans that the faculty prepare for classroom teaching, laboratory and workshop practicals and on the job training can prove to be a useful source of reading material for students. It is therefore suggested that the faculty be asked to prepare detailed lesson notes and distribute them among students before commencing teaching/ training so that the latter can interact intelligently and meaningfully while classroom teaching and/or workshop training is taking place. In due course these notes and plans can become the nucleus for more detailed textbooks and reference materials for batches of students that will follow.

81. It would be necessary to identify and commission competent authors to write textbooks and reference materials which students and teachers can use. some of these authors could be drawn from the experts who helped the Committee in drawing up the syllabi for various subjects. Needless to mention that their effort will have to be suitably remunerated.

82. Another modality which has been-found useful for preparation of teaching learning materials for vocational subjects introduced under the + 2 stage vocationalization programme are the workshop of teachers, authors and representatives of employing establishments. This modality could be used for preparation of materials for the three years degree stage. These workshops could be organized in selected institutions which are engaged in technical and professional education and training, such as the national institutes of fisheries, centres for instrumentation, training institutions for travel and hotel management etc.

83. Many employing establishments bring out brochures on their products. These brochures often indicate the specification of the products and, in case of equipment their components, trouble shooting,repair and maintenance. Illustrative of these are generators, pump sets and electrical gadgets on the one hand and insectisides and fertilisers on the other. These brochures can provide excellent learning materials for students. In the memoranda of understanding that institutions will sign with employing establishments, procurement of materials available with the latter, might made an important component of support. The employing establishment could be requested and supported to bring out more materials on their products and processes.

84. As an institutionalised effort, It would be desirable to identify institutions for assuming the responsibility of preparation of materials for a paper or set of papers. Institutions selected will be those which have staff competencies in the subject. They can draw upon the resources of other institutions, employing establishment and competent authors for preparation of materials. It is suggested that in each institution selected for the purpose, two three faculty members be identified and given the responsibility of preparing textual materials. The UGC will

have to place at the disposal of identified institutions sufficient funds for remunerating authors and experts who will be called upon to assist in the preparation of materials.

Non-Textual Materials

85. As regards non-textual materials, the effort would have to be In three main directions

- obtaining educational and training materials from various sources/ institutions in India and abroad.

- identifying themes on which audio visual materials would need to be brought out by media centres for their preparation.

- commissioning teaching/training institutions, employing establishments and competent persons for the preparation of short training films.

Coordination

86. The preparation of teaching materials has to be undertaken on the basis of a rigidly followed time schedule. The materials that will be required for the two semesters of the academic session beginning July 1994 should be available latest by June 1994. Similarly, materials required by students and teachers in academic session of 1995 must be available by June of that year.

87. It is suggested that the effort be coordinated by an organization such as EDCIL or the Central Institute of Vocational Education, since they are likely to have the necessary operational flexibility. The institution will have to develop norms for supporting the effort to prepare materials which will be undertaken by using diverse modalities. It will also have to establish contacts with printing establishments to bring out materials in printed versions according to scheduled dates.

Faculty Development

88. Five categories of staff will be involved in teaching training and administration of the programme:

- Departmental coordinators who will be responsible for administrative aspects

- Teaching faculty

- Guest lecturers drawn from other institutions and employing establishment

- Instructors, drawn largely from employing establishments for supervised on the job training of students.

- Laboratory/Workshop staff for arranging institution based practical training for students

The modes of training, while to some extent providing orientation in some components, will differ in the light of the different tasks to be performed by different Categories.

Departmental Coordinators

89. It has been suggested elsewhere in the report that for each vocational subject a department be made responsible. The responsibility for organizing teaching and training of students will rest with the head of the department who will function as the coordinator for the subject. Apart from preparing time table he will arrange for support from other departments, obtain the services of guest faculty, maintain liaison with employing establishments for on the job training of students etc. In the case of coordinators; it would be necessary to acquaint them with the objectives and nature of the programmes and with the various tasks that have to be accomplished. This acquaintance can be promoted through their participation in two to three weeks workshops to be organised in institutions to be identified for the purpose in different part of the country. It would be preferable to select those institutions which provide teaching and training closely related to actual work situation and the requirements of the work places where students will be trained on the job.

Teaching Faculty

90. The competencies of teaching faculty would be required in four main directions:

- delivery of a new subject matter which is applied in, nature

- practical training to students in institutions

- promoting skill development among students which, although carried out with the assistance of personnel of employing establishments will require collaboration of the teaching faculty

- entreneurship development

91. It has been visualised that bulk of teaching of new subjects will be undertaken by the existing faculty of institutions and only where their competence is limited, services of guest faculty drawn from professional institutions and/or employing establishments will be requisitioned. For the teaching faculty of the selected institutions the need will be to update and refresh their knowledge of the subjects with emphasis on practical aspects. This would have to be attempted through their secondment to professional institutions and productive concerns. Institutions, like the National institutes of Fisheries, could be identified and given the responsibility for training of teaching faculty. These Institutions can provide to them orientation for the teaching of new subjects and institution-based practical training, Teachers will also have to be placed in employing establishments for observation of and participation in skill training.

92. Since the faculty identified for teaching of new subjects will have to undergo training for substantial periods and move to a different institution, there must be provision for payment of remuneration to them and meeting their travel costs. The scope of the academic staff college scheme of the University Grants Commission needs to be widened to incorporate skill training of teaching faculty. It would be advisable to assign control and organization of some academic staff colleges to executive and supervisory personnel of employing establishments as far as skill training aspects of the subjects are concerned.

Guest Faculty

93. In view of the contents of the proposed subjects being different from what is generally available in universities and colleges, much of the content of new subjects will have to be taught by guest faculty. They could be drawn from training and professional institutions and from production related establishments, the latter particularly for skill training of students. In case of this faculty the need will be to inform them of the objectives and nature of the scheme and what it aim at, particularly its emphasis on transmission of employable skills to students. They might also need exposure to principles and practices of pedagogy. For purposes of acquainting them with the scheme, short orientation workshops could be organised in institutions where new courses are introduced or in professional institutions identified for training of teaching faculty.

Laboratory/Workshop Staff

94. They will be drawn largely from institutions where new subjects are introduced. They will be assisting the teaching faculty in organising practical training of students to be carried out in the institutions. Since the content of practical training to be given to students will be different from practicals normally prescribed in colleges and universities for same subjects this category of staff will require training of a sufficiently longer duration. This training can be given in professional institutions and employing establishments where students will have to go for long term on the job training.

Skill Trainers

95. These will be the persons already available in employing establishments. They will be competent in providing training in skills that they will be called upon to impart to students. What they need is an orientation as how to deal with a clientele which is different from those with whom they are familiar and come Into daily contact. A short orientation will be needed for them.

Modality

96. It would be necessary to identify lead institutions where training and orientation courses will be organised right in the beginning. The faculty of these institutions should, in consultation with experts drawn from different institutions and employing establishments, design suitable training and orientation courses. Orientation and training of various categories of staff should begin soon so that competency to train and teach is available in institutions when teaching of vocational subjects is launched in them.

MATERIALS PRODUCTION AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT