State universities are set to initiate preparatory steps for the full-scale implementation of four-year undergraduate programmes in affiliated colleges next academic year onwards.
The Higher Education department has lined up a series of orientation sessions to assist the universities in accustoming to the new degree mode that would require fundamental changes in pedagogy, curriculum, course content and choices offered to the learners.
The university-level workshops led by Higher Education Minister R. Bindu will get under way at the Mahatma Gandhi University on Friday. Kannur University, Calicut University and Kerala University will organise the subsequent sessions on July 3, 4 and 6 respectively.
Members of the Syndicates, Senates, Academic Councils, Board of Studies and the principals of affiliated colleges will take part in the programmes. Kerala State Higher Education Council will impart training to master trainers who will be entrusted with conducting further training programmes in colleges and universities.
The State Curriculum Committee for Higher Education has been tasked with developing the foundation courses. Besides, a virtual network of Common Foundation Course Board of Studies will be created by combining the Boards of Studies of various teaching departments. The State Higher Education Reforms Implementation Cell has also commenced steps to frame the draft regulations required for the launch of four-year degree courses.
The syllabi of courses will be reformed in a manner that equips students with a robust knowledge base, intellectual abilities and flexible skill sets that could offer them multiple employment opportunities. The curriculum is expected to usher in a wide array of changes. These will include a greater weightage (40%) for internal assessment and separate examination and evaluation criteria for differently-abled learners.
While the Kerala University has declared its intention to commence four-year degree programmes in its teaching departments and a directly-managed University Institute of Technology, none of the colleges that are affiliated to the university has expressed willingness to launch courses this year.
