UGC adds more subjects to its outcome-based curriculum

UGC adds more subjects to its outcome-based curriculum

Pune: In a bid to make the education system more efficient and learning outcome-based, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been taking steps to bring reforms in evaluation and curriculum.

Subjects like Psychology, English, Botany, Physics, Criminology, Library Science, Human Rights, Defence Studies, Mathematics and Anthropology will be some of the subjects to be included in learning outcomes-based curriculum framework. 

The UGC has published drafts subject-specific curriculum templates for aforementioned subjects on their website.
“The quality mandate of the UGC has given thrust on curriculum reforms on learning outcome-based approach with an aim to equip students with knowledge, skill, values and attitude,” stated the UGC. The commission had constituted various subject expert committees for drafting these frameworks in various disciplines and has also sought comments on them.

Sakal Times had previously reported that UGC had released a committee report on evaluation reforms which had mentioned that examination in its current form are moments of stress and anxiety for students, both pre-examination and post-examination. Therefore, the commission intends to transform the education system into learning outcome-based curriculum.

The drafts for mathematics included a number of elective papers along with compulsory papers. The papers should be taught using various Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) software such as Mathematica, MATLAB, Maxima and R to strengthen the conceptual understanding and to widen up the horizon of students’ self-experience, mentioned the draft of ‘Learning Outcome-based Curriculum Framework’ (LOCF) final mathematics report.
 
While for anthropology, it aims to provide students’ with a rigorous and integrated academic study of human rights law, principles and practices recognising the strong interrelationship and dependencies of the elements. Similar drafts have been published for the rest of the subjects based on their specifications.

“Students of undergraduate and post-graduate courses will definitely benefit from this kind of curriculum framework. It will develop subject understanding among students and increase the competency of each subject,” said Vijay Khare, Dean of Faculty at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Khare, who is also the head of defence and strategic studies said, “The credits for BA in defence studies has increased from 120 credits to 132 credits. While MA in Defence Studies has been increased from 64 credits to 80 credits now.”

“There are two components which have been added in the new framework. One is the ability enhancement courses like environment science and language courses and ability skill enhancement courses which include value education and practical-based courses. Another component is elective and core courses,” Khare told Sakal Times. “Under this, currently, we are trying to blend courses from faculty law, social sciences etc. For example, in defence students need to understand the working of defence organisation, media reporting, security issues etc. By opting for elective courses, students will get an exposure of all this from these departments. The implementation of this framework is underway,” he said.

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