CHENNAI: In the backdrop of difficulties faced by students, particularly from rural Tamil Nadu, in transitioning from school education to engineering studies,
Anna University has decided to introduce a series of new academic initiatives, including Civil Services examination coaching, GATE-based internal assessments and project-oriented learning, from this academic year.
Under the new initiative, students interested in appearing for civil services examinations will be identified from the first year itself and provided coaching, training and guidance. The university will also create awareness among engineering students about career opportunities in central and state government departments, in addition to jobs in the private engineering sector.
Speaking to DT Next, Anna University Registrar Dr V Kumaresan said creating an understanding of and interest in engineering from the first year would help students develop into outstanding graduates by the end of their four-year programme.
He said the university would also continue to periodically update its curriculum in line with technological developments and take steps to improve the quality of engineering education.
As part of the GATE-oriented initiative, students will be asked to refer to question papers from the previous five years, identify questions relevant to the subjects they are studying and work out the answers with the help of textbooks. The exercise is intended to familiarise students with the pattern and nature of questions asked in the GATE examination.
Students, particularly those from rural backgrounds, often find it challenging to cope with college-level Mathematics and other technical subjects. Differences in exposure and learning environments can also affect their academic performance and placement prospects, sometimes resulting in arrears.
To bridge this transition gap, the new teaching and learning practices will be introduced at Anna University, its four campus colleges and 16 constituent colleges. Anna University has 419 engineering colleges under its jurisdiction,
The university will also introduce LEAP (Learn Engineering through Projects), under which students will receive practical, project-based training alongside the teaching of individual subjects.