Engineering Education – Need Attention immediately
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 11:39 am
Engineering Education – Need Attention immediately
'Engineering Education', sure the word suggests to everyone's mind that we are going to tell some thing about the quality of Engineering Courses offered Or the number of Colleges Or to the mass number of seats available for the engineering study in the state.
But here we need to emphasis on the academic eligibility and intellectual quality of engineering students and the number of seats actually needed for the state per year with available demand and actual number of eligible candidates.
After completing the '+2' course, the students are determined to take up the Engineering courses very easily than any thing else. First priority of all people is still with Medical courses, and not at all considering other disciplines of Education stream. The credibility of students for merit 'MEDICAL' seats and then sure at least to some extends 'academic level' and 'BIG Money' is the guidelines for medical education. If the children are found not up to level and doesn’t have much fund in hand, it became passion for parents to make their wards join the engineering course than anything else, even without considering children’s eligibility at least for a pass in mathematics with 50%. It’s with the middle class explosion being happened in Kerala's Consumer oriented society and then arranging minimum fund for Engineering capitation fees is not at all a head ache for most of the parents. Compared even to lowest demanded disciplines in Medical stream like ‘Homeo’ or ‘Veterinary science’, the fund needed for Engineering course is from little as 1 lakh to 3 or 4 lakh. And sure with bank loans, even the low academic and below average students also happened to be engineering aspirants. Some 10-15 years back whoever went for buying the engineering seats even in other states, at least have minimum required academic and intellectual level. Parents used to otherwise make them for alternative courses available here.
Now it’s true that whoever doesn’t have gained a rank in the Entrance examination is not worthy for any other course (after attempting the entrance examination). That much huge number of seats is available in the state. But then also it is learned that students not passing the '30,000th ' rank here, running again to obtain a Engineering seat in neighbouring states with relaxed admission criteria!!.
Then to our subject 'the minimum eligibility and intellectual level' required for an engineering student , its worthy to note the statement from renowned Engineer turned Academician Dr. RVG Menon who had done lot of research in the issues and declining standards of engineering education.
In his opinion there are only 5000 (Average Number) students only eligible as per the track records of academic and intellectual level tests and performance to being an engineer student.
Extracts from his reports:
“A spot check of the results of the Common Entrance Examination conducted by the Entrance Commissioner for a particular year revealed that only about 5,000 candidates (in a field of about 25,000) had scored above 10 per cent in the mathematics paper of the test (top score was above 60 per cent). Only about 12,000 persons had scored at least 5 per cent.”
“Even granting that this is only a ranking test and absolute scores are not important, a student who cannot answer even 6 questions out of 120 correctly, will certainly find it very difficult, if not impossible, to pass the engineering course, which is highly mathematical. This situation resulted in a plea for setting some minimum performance standard in the common entrance test as an eligibility criterion, over and above the minimum marks specified for the qualifying examination. Thus the Government came up with a condition that the candidate should have secured a minimum mark of 10 (out of a possible maximum of 480) for every paper, in the test. But even this was later relaxed, under pressure from self-financing college managements” .
“Prescribing a solution to the worsening quality levels, engineering examinations should be conducted strictly and diligently. This has proved to be quite effective in Tamil Nadu, where the Anna University had earned quite a reputation for wielding this stick mercilessly. On the other hand, admitting students with insufficient academic capability and then seeing them fail is very cruel and wasteful.”
“A study done in Kerala had shown that even when there was only less than 5,000 seats for engineering, about 10 per cent of the students were unable to complete the course successfully. About 90 per cent of the incoming students used to turn out at the end of the fourth year, during the eighties. The intake in those days was of the order of 3,500. However, the out turn in 2003 was only 58 per cent of the intake of 1999, which was around 6,700. This problem is sure to be exacerbated in the coming years, in view of the phenomenal increase in the number of seats and the poorer quality of the candidates. “
“The human and social costs of this tragedy can not be ignored by any society. The only sensible option is to screen the candidates carefully, so that only those with the right academic credentials and aptitude are admitted into the course, in the first place. “
(Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/edu/20 ... 110100.htm)
Its then very clear that the most of the candidates gaining Engineering admission are of below standards needed, and this may be the reason for the mere 10% success rate specially in self finance colleges. Moreover due to the low profile intake, the colleges trying to make them pass with all sort of ways, which makes the engineering education do not impart the minimum training needed for being an engineer.
The ways of short cut to pass the examination includes
• Giving guide type condensed text books, ‘assignment kits’ and ‘question banks’ with a low library fees ranging from 800 to 1000 per semester for full set of subjects papers. The students are not known to standard or approved text books not even in final year. Some engineering colleges even forward one step printing their own 'Study Kit' for each semester and renting out to students.
• Relaxations in Lab trainings schemes and lab examinations. Fort example in one engineering college it is found (in electrical machine lab) the synchronising schemes (dark lamp method) already wired behind the panel board with lamps fixed like any Power House synchronisation panel. Students need only to connect output of the Synchronous machine to the panel board.
• Final year Project capsules running by Colleges themselves or with the help of external agency.
Then the experience of lectures and professors also sure one another factor to the declining level standards, but if the quality of students are falling below the normally expected standards, what could be the role of them even with their experience. But it is also being noted the level of designated Professors, Asst. Professors of each self financing colleges including from Each University sponsored self financing colleges. Persons with mere M.Tech and two or three years experience also designated as Professors and Asst. Professors in departments. Sure there comes the role of Remuneration package needed for an Actual Professor which the self finance colleges are reluctant to pay, and if so also management need to wait for retirement from Govt. Colleges. There, they are in queue.! And including self finance colleges run by Universities make use of just passed out students to teach their juniors even in final year with daily or hourly package! What a sad plight of our Engineering students. Recently some of KSEB Substation operators in HR (contract Shift Engineers) are found with making notes in their duty time (Shift) for their next day class in nearby University Run Engineering college !
Next, we shall give an abstract of minimum qualities of an Engineering student which shall be supposed to be improved more with his four year course. It may be different with different academicians & researchers, but this is only an abstract for easy reference.
A graduate Engineer should be able to demonstrate:
1. Knowledge and Understanding
Specialised (Discipline) Knowledge
Understanding of external constraints
Business & management techniques
Understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities.
Understanding of the impact of engineering solutions on society
Awareness of relevant contemporary issues
2. Intellectual Abilities
The ability to solve engineering problems, design systems etc through creative and innovative thinking
The ability of apply mathematical , scientific and technological tools
The ability to analyse and interpret data and , when necessary , design experiments top gain new data.
The ability to maintain a sound theoritcal approach in enabling the introduction of new technology.
The ability to apply professional judgement ,balancing issues of costs,
benefits, safety, quality etc.
The ability to assess and manage risks.
3. Practical Skills
Use a wide range of tools , techniques and equipment (including software) appropriate to their specific disciplines.
Use laboratory and workshop equipments to generate valuable data.
Develop , promote and apply safe systems of work.
4. General Transferable Skills
Communicate effectively, using both written and orals methods
Use Information Technology effectively.
Manage resource and time
Work in multi disciplinary team
Undertake lifelong learning for continuing professional developments.
5. Qualities.
Creative particularly in design process
Analytical in the formation and solutions of the problems
Innovative in the solutions of the problems
Self motivated
independent of mind , with intellectual integrity, particularly in respect of ethical issues
Enthusiastic , in the application of their knowledge, understanding and skills in pursuit of the practice of engineering
We shall conclude with the hope to have much better understanding the issue and timely intervention in the matter by academic and intellectual community.
The statistics are very sadly poor and specially to be noted that failure rate among the supplementary examination students are very low, which means the failure is permanent and shows their inability. It all shall be compared with the recent success rate of Private Medical colleges in the last examination. Most of the private medical colleges outperformed than their colleagues in Government medical colleges. It may be with reasons pointed out earlier as such the low performers even with BIG (Donation) money in Medical Stream are less. The engineering finance colleges are sanctioned in large number without a plan in the state like anything, only with simple logic of stopping the flow of huge Money of KERALITE's to other neighbouring states as capitation and tuition fees.
And to finish, it’s interesting to check what is going with International level about Engineering Education. Earlier it was ‘Engineering Drawing’ paper received much importance to test the Engineering aptitude of a student even after his graduation. He was asked whether he passed Engineer Graphics paper in first attempt or not during most of the job interviews. It gave his/her engineering visualisation ability. But as time passes those ideas gone and now a days some academics even questioning the relevance of Classic / Theoretical Mathematics in the Engineering Curriculum. Something unimaginable now.( (Ref: IEEE Spectrum ,March 2012- “Is Math Still Relevant” )
'Engineering Education', sure the word suggests to everyone's mind that we are going to tell some thing about the quality of Engineering Courses offered Or the number of Colleges Or to the mass number of seats available for the engineering study in the state.
But here we need to emphasis on the academic eligibility and intellectual quality of engineering students and the number of seats actually needed for the state per year with available demand and actual number of eligible candidates.
After completing the '+2' course, the students are determined to take up the Engineering courses very easily than any thing else. First priority of all people is still with Medical courses, and not at all considering other disciplines of Education stream. The credibility of students for merit 'MEDICAL' seats and then sure at least to some extends 'academic level' and 'BIG Money' is the guidelines for medical education. If the children are found not up to level and doesn’t have much fund in hand, it became passion for parents to make their wards join the engineering course than anything else, even without considering children’s eligibility at least for a pass in mathematics with 50%. It’s with the middle class explosion being happened in Kerala's Consumer oriented society and then arranging minimum fund for Engineering capitation fees is not at all a head ache for most of the parents. Compared even to lowest demanded disciplines in Medical stream like ‘Homeo’ or ‘Veterinary science’, the fund needed for Engineering course is from little as 1 lakh to 3 or 4 lakh. And sure with bank loans, even the low academic and below average students also happened to be engineering aspirants. Some 10-15 years back whoever went for buying the engineering seats even in other states, at least have minimum required academic and intellectual level. Parents used to otherwise make them for alternative courses available here.
Now it’s true that whoever doesn’t have gained a rank in the Entrance examination is not worthy for any other course (after attempting the entrance examination). That much huge number of seats is available in the state. But then also it is learned that students not passing the '30,000th ' rank here, running again to obtain a Engineering seat in neighbouring states with relaxed admission criteria!!.
Then to our subject 'the minimum eligibility and intellectual level' required for an engineering student , its worthy to note the statement from renowned Engineer turned Academician Dr. RVG Menon who had done lot of research in the issues and declining standards of engineering education.
In his opinion there are only 5000 (Average Number) students only eligible as per the track records of academic and intellectual level tests and performance to being an engineer student.
Extracts from his reports:
“A spot check of the results of the Common Entrance Examination conducted by the Entrance Commissioner for a particular year revealed that only about 5,000 candidates (in a field of about 25,000) had scored above 10 per cent in the mathematics paper of the test (top score was above 60 per cent). Only about 12,000 persons had scored at least 5 per cent.”
“Even granting that this is only a ranking test and absolute scores are not important, a student who cannot answer even 6 questions out of 120 correctly, will certainly find it very difficult, if not impossible, to pass the engineering course, which is highly mathematical. This situation resulted in a plea for setting some minimum performance standard in the common entrance test as an eligibility criterion, over and above the minimum marks specified for the qualifying examination. Thus the Government came up with a condition that the candidate should have secured a minimum mark of 10 (out of a possible maximum of 480) for every paper, in the test. But even this was later relaxed, under pressure from self-financing college managements” .
“Prescribing a solution to the worsening quality levels, engineering examinations should be conducted strictly and diligently. This has proved to be quite effective in Tamil Nadu, where the Anna University had earned quite a reputation for wielding this stick mercilessly. On the other hand, admitting students with insufficient academic capability and then seeing them fail is very cruel and wasteful.”
“A study done in Kerala had shown that even when there was only less than 5,000 seats for engineering, about 10 per cent of the students were unable to complete the course successfully. About 90 per cent of the incoming students used to turn out at the end of the fourth year, during the eighties. The intake in those days was of the order of 3,500. However, the out turn in 2003 was only 58 per cent of the intake of 1999, which was around 6,700. This problem is sure to be exacerbated in the coming years, in view of the phenomenal increase in the number of seats and the poorer quality of the candidates. “
“The human and social costs of this tragedy can not be ignored by any society. The only sensible option is to screen the candidates carefully, so that only those with the right academic credentials and aptitude are admitted into the course, in the first place. “
(Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/edu/20 ... 110100.htm)
Its then very clear that the most of the candidates gaining Engineering admission are of below standards needed, and this may be the reason for the mere 10% success rate specially in self finance colleges. Moreover due to the low profile intake, the colleges trying to make them pass with all sort of ways, which makes the engineering education do not impart the minimum training needed for being an engineer.
The ways of short cut to pass the examination includes
• Giving guide type condensed text books, ‘assignment kits’ and ‘question banks’ with a low library fees ranging from 800 to 1000 per semester for full set of subjects papers. The students are not known to standard or approved text books not even in final year. Some engineering colleges even forward one step printing their own 'Study Kit' for each semester and renting out to students.
• Relaxations in Lab trainings schemes and lab examinations. Fort example in one engineering college it is found (in electrical machine lab) the synchronising schemes (dark lamp method) already wired behind the panel board with lamps fixed like any Power House synchronisation panel. Students need only to connect output of the Synchronous machine to the panel board.
• Final year Project capsules running by Colleges themselves or with the help of external agency.
Then the experience of lectures and professors also sure one another factor to the declining level standards, but if the quality of students are falling below the normally expected standards, what could be the role of them even with their experience. But it is also being noted the level of designated Professors, Asst. Professors of each self financing colleges including from Each University sponsored self financing colleges. Persons with mere M.Tech and two or three years experience also designated as Professors and Asst. Professors in departments. Sure there comes the role of Remuneration package needed for an Actual Professor which the self finance colleges are reluctant to pay, and if so also management need to wait for retirement from Govt. Colleges. There, they are in queue.! And including self finance colleges run by Universities make use of just passed out students to teach their juniors even in final year with daily or hourly package! What a sad plight of our Engineering students. Recently some of KSEB Substation operators in HR (contract Shift Engineers) are found with making notes in their duty time (Shift) for their next day class in nearby University Run Engineering college !
Next, we shall give an abstract of minimum qualities of an Engineering student which shall be supposed to be improved more with his four year course. It may be different with different academicians & researchers, but this is only an abstract for easy reference.
A graduate Engineer should be able to demonstrate:
1. Knowledge and Understanding
Specialised (Discipline) Knowledge
Understanding of external constraints
Business & management techniques
Understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities.
Understanding of the impact of engineering solutions on society
Awareness of relevant contemporary issues
2. Intellectual Abilities
The ability to solve engineering problems, design systems etc through creative and innovative thinking
The ability of apply mathematical , scientific and technological tools
The ability to analyse and interpret data and , when necessary , design experiments top gain new data.
The ability to maintain a sound theoritcal approach in enabling the introduction of new technology.
The ability to apply professional judgement ,balancing issues of costs,
benefits, safety, quality etc.
The ability to assess and manage risks.
3. Practical Skills
Use a wide range of tools , techniques and equipment (including software) appropriate to their specific disciplines.
Use laboratory and workshop equipments to generate valuable data.
Develop , promote and apply safe systems of work.
4. General Transferable Skills
Communicate effectively, using both written and orals methods
Use Information Technology effectively.
Manage resource and time
Work in multi disciplinary team
Undertake lifelong learning for continuing professional developments.
5. Qualities.
Creative particularly in design process
Analytical in the formation and solutions of the problems
Innovative in the solutions of the problems
Self motivated
independent of mind , with intellectual integrity, particularly in respect of ethical issues
Enthusiastic , in the application of their knowledge, understanding and skills in pursuit of the practice of engineering
We shall conclude with the hope to have much better understanding the issue and timely intervention in the matter by academic and intellectual community.
The statistics are very sadly poor and specially to be noted that failure rate among the supplementary examination students are very low, which means the failure is permanent and shows their inability. It all shall be compared with the recent success rate of Private Medical colleges in the last examination. Most of the private medical colleges outperformed than their colleagues in Government medical colleges. It may be with reasons pointed out earlier as such the low performers even with BIG (Donation) money in Medical Stream are less. The engineering finance colleges are sanctioned in large number without a plan in the state like anything, only with simple logic of stopping the flow of huge Money of KERALITE's to other neighbouring states as capitation and tuition fees.
And to finish, it’s interesting to check what is going with International level about Engineering Education. Earlier it was ‘Engineering Drawing’ paper received much importance to test the Engineering aptitude of a student even after his graduation. He was asked whether he passed Engineer Graphics paper in first attempt or not during most of the job interviews. It gave his/her engineering visualisation ability. But as time passes those ideas gone and now a days some academics even questioning the relevance of Classic / Theoretical Mathematics in the Engineering Curriculum. Something unimaginable now.( (Ref: IEEE Spectrum ,March 2012- “Is Math Still Relevant” )