Latest news with #Bloom'sTaxonomy
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
T.N. trains college teachers to set question papers testing students' analytical, problem-solving skills
Numbers, often, do not reflect the reality. Masked behind Tamil Nadu's high gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 52% in higher education are serious deficiencies in curriculum transaction and assessment, as highlighted by a State Planning Commission's evaluation of university question papers that was released in December 2023. The report was an indictment of the rot that had set in in Tamil Nadu's higher education realm. Question papers for semester-end exams for Engineering and Arts and Science subjects barely challenged the students to use analytical or problem-solving methods; rather, they had questions that involved mere recall of concepts, which promoted rote learning. These deficiencies in pedagogical methods directly affected learning outcomes that are reflected by placement performance of institutions. So, how did the State respond? After twiddling its fingers for about a year, the government launched a training programme in December 2024 for the faculty of all State universities and government colleges. The revised Bloom's Taxonomy, a framework to classify learning outcomes based on six cognitive levels — namely remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate, and create — forms the core of the training programme. While the first two levels largely pertain to recall of the concepts, the next four levels require higher order thinking and problem solving skills. Improving quality of education 'In these training programmes, which are conducted in workshop mode, the teachers are being taught to write the course outcomes to align with the larger programme outcomes,' said M.P. Vijayakumar, Vice Chairman, Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE), the agency with the mandate to improve the quality of higher education in the State. 'We want to build their capacity to frame analytical and problem-solving questions for evaluating students.' This change, he cautions, needs to be brought in gradually so as not to inconvenience learning. Giving an example, Mr. Vijayakumar said that for science subjects, investigation, which is a K4-level attribute in revised Bloom's Taxonomy, can happen essentially in a laboratory, but focus on laboratory curriculum has been lagging. So far, nearly 2,000 faculty members have been trained in about 20 sessions, but extending the programme to cover all 50,000 faculty members across the State appears a tall order. The Council has already trained 180 master trainers who would then train other faculty members. 'We would like to cover as much ground as possible within this academic year,' Mr. Vijayakumar added. Registrars and controllers of examination of all State universities have undergone this training. At the day-long workshops, the faculty members are given a rundown on Learning Outcome-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) formulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Outcome-Based Education (OBE) adopted by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). They are then required to write their course outcomes to reflect the final programme outcomes. This is followed by a group discussion and feedback on the outcomes. As a follow-up to this, the Council plans to audit all question papers of State universities and autonomous colleges on the percentage of questions based on higher order thinking skills once the new form of evaluation is rolled out. It would take a while, years perhaps, to notice any tangible result, but these initial steps need to be taken and pursued doggedly.
India Today
21-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
A buffet of choices School of Hospitality & Tourism, Galgotias University, Greater Noida
Students at SOHT Galagotias thrive in a multidisciplinary learning environment that helps cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY & TOURISM, GALGOTIAS UNIVERSITY, GREATER NOIDA No. 24 (2025) up from No. 49 (2020) The School of Hospitality and Tourism (SOHT) at Galgotias University stands out as a premier institute due to its progressive, interdisciplinary and student-centric approach. 'Beyond traditional academics, we foster a multidisciplinary learning environment by integrating inputs from business, design, information technology and communication, ensuring students develop the holistic skills necessary for today's global hospitality industry,' says Prof. Rajiv Mishra, Dean, School of Hospitality and Tourism, Galgotias University, Greater Noida. One of the school's defining features is its commitment to experiential learning. Students engage in real-world projects such as local, community-based tourism development near Jewar Airport, Greater Noida, and live consultancy assignments for logistics and service sectors like the Indian Railways. The faculty contributes to industry knowledge through high-impact research on topics such as guest satisfaction technologies, sustainability in hospitality and digital innovation, with several works published in the abstract and citation database, Scopus, and other internationally indexed journals. Another hallmark of SOHT is its practical exposure through executive development workshops, culinary masterclasses and simulation-based training sessions. The school regularly organises hospitality hackathons and collaborative coursework co-designed with partners from the hotel industry. In terms of pedagogy, SOHT has implemented advanced evaluation systems based on Bloom's Taxonomy, a hierarchical framework of educational goals that encourage analytical thinking and deep learning. 'The school emphasises entrepreneurial development, providing incubation support and mentorship to students who wish to launch their own ventures. This has led to the successful establishment of hospitality enterprises like Urban Mirchi, Caf Mocha and Caf The Downtown by alumni,' adds Prof. Mishra. SOHT currently offers undergraduate programmes such as the Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM) and BSc in Hospitality Management. Aligned with NEP 2020, these programmes are structured around outcome-based learning (OBL) and project-based learning (PBL) models. With over 286 students currently enrolled, and hundreds of graduates successfully placed in leading hotel brands worldwide, SOHT consistently demonstrates exceptional academic and professional outcomes. A recent and notable development is the rise of a student-led governance ecosystem, where students actively contribute to quality assurance cells, feedback committees, event planning, and academic review panels. This participative model has enhanced accountability, strengthened student engagement, and significantly improved satisfaction levels.
Sharjah 24
31-05-2025
- General
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah Police Academy launches workshop on assessment tools
The workshop aims to raise educational quality by enhancing participants' skills in designing and evaluating assessment tools in line with best practices and academic standards. Attendees include academic faculty and administrative specialists. Day one: From theory to practice The first day opened with an overview of the workshop's objectives. This was followed by a lecture titled 'Transitioning to an Outcome-Based Assessment Model and Key Performance Indicators,' which explored the shift in academic standards and philosophies. Participants then engaged in a detailed session on student assessment tools, with a focus on Bloom's Taxonomy and practical exercises in creating assessment questions. They also analyzed flawed question models to identify and understand common mistakes. The day concluded with a lecture on external audits of assessment tools, specifically examining the official Assessment Model and its four key evaluation criteria. Day two: Developing and applying rubrics The second day focused on building effective assessment rubrics. A step-by-step session guided participants in developing rubrics and integrating key elements such as feedback, documentation, and application—all linked to the fourth standard of the assessment rubric. Participants took part in hands-on exercises, including creating a hypothetical assessment task, analysing question-outcome alignment, reformulating flawed questions, and linking assessment items to rubric criteria. A simulation exercise involved marking an assignment using the Academic Accreditation Commission's Assessment Rubric and evaluating score alignment with performance levels. Closing session and group discussion The workshop concluded with a group discussion on the real-world challenges in designing assessment tools and strategies to address them. Participants then shared feedback, ideas, and recommendations in the final evaluation and closing session.
