Role of Internal Evaluation in Engineering

Role of Internal Evaluation in Engineering By Sakshi Education Technical education plays a vital role in transforming the socio economic development of our nation and it contributes a major share to the overall education system. In India, technical education is imparted at various levels such as: craftsmanship, diploma, and degree, post-graduate and research in specialized fields, catering to various aspects of technological development and economic progress. Engineering practice today has changed dramatically and irreversibly, due to: growing global competition, and the subsequent restructuring of industry; shift from defense work to private enterprise as the major source of engineering employment; explosion of information; developments in IT. Engineering success today requires more than up-to-the-minute technical capability: ability to communicate; ability to work in teams; ability to think creatively; ability to learn quickly; ability to value diversity. We need a new instructional paradigm with new standards, and new ways of assessing those standards. It is widely reported that graduates from an accredited course should have the following attributes: Ability to apply knowledge of basic sciences and engineering fundamentals Ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large In depth technical competence in at least one engineering discipline. Ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution. Ability to utilize a systems approach to design and operational performance. Ability to function effectively as an individual and in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member. Understanding of the social, cultural, global, environmental and business responsibilities (including an understanding of entrepreneurship and the process of innovation) of the professional engineer, and the need for and principles of sustainable development. Understanding of and a commitment to professional and ethical responsibilities. Capacity to undertake lifelong learning. While quality assurance has always been a matter of concern and significance in education, in general, and in professional education such as technical education in particular, the recent quantitative expansion of an unprecedented nature, in India, has caused educators to devote careful attention to the quality aspect. There already exist several regulatory mechanisms for ensuring minimum standards before an institution is started. However quality assurance entails an assessment of the performance of the institution in delivering Education of the prescribed quality. Improve quality in existing colleges through: Governance reforms Mechanism for frequent curricula revisions Greater reliance on internal assessment Shift to a course credit system Encouraging research Up gradation of infrastructure Salary differentials to attract and retain talented faculty Peer evaluation of faculty The universities have recognized the ever changing scenario of the industrial needs and corresponding attributes of engineering graduates so as to suit to the corporate and professional demands. Most of the universities have introduced choice based credit system which envisages wide range of choice of the subjects to the student in order to acquire prescribed number of credits stipulated to be qualified to obtain the engineering degree, as per the aptitude of the students in selecting the elective courses from across different specializations. The curriculum and syllabi are frequently reviewed and updated as per the needs that arise from time to time. The educationalists are of the opinion that the fear of examination should be removed from the minds of students so that real talent of the student can be extracted with sense of innovation. The examination should be considered as a part of the teaching process and that should be entirely left to the teachers. Internal evaluation should be continuous and comprehensive and it will reduce the burden of rote-memory. Accordingly, the universities have introduced internal examination system to facilitate continuous assessment of the student during the course of the study. The internal evaluation system should take in to account performance of the students in assignments, quiz programs, seminars, viva-voce and written examinations involving objective and subjective questions. The internal evaluation system has the advantages of bringing out the inherent talent on continuous basis giving the student a chance to obtain marks incessantly without having the burden of being dependent on one time performance. Further it provides a chance to students to improve their writing and communication skills. However, the internal evaluation system coupled with a petite component of external evaluation would surpass some of the obvious weaknesses of total internal evaluation. This approach would comprehensively bring out the innate talent of the students in project preparation, communication and the technical aspects needed for overall development of the personality. This article is exclusively for Sakshi Education readers. If you like this, say thanks to sakshieducation.info by writing comments.