Need to Revamp College Course Curriculum

What is fundamental for effective learning is a well-organised and designed course curriculum, which conveys not only information but also cultivates necessary skills To begin with, I want to ask a few key questions about the college course curriculum (CCC) that is in vogue in the degree colleges. Is CCC mapped with societal needs? Is CCC in sync with local requirements? Is CCC in alignment with the institutional vision? Is CCC able to engage, motivate and fulfil the passion of a learner? Is the society and industry part of CCC development and revision? Is CCC relevant to the emerging societal and market changes? Is CCC able to inspire a learner to understand nature and natural principles? Does CCC recommend the course-specific assessment and examination? Is CCC able to generate knowledge creators or just rote learners? Is the CCC suitable as per the different learning styles of students?  Does CCC invite new ideas and innovations from a learner? Is CCC actually designed to meet what our students need to learn? Does CCC inculcate competence, problem solving, critical thinking and novel thinking? Is CCC designed to track the learner’s progress? Is CCC able to build values, ethics and generate opportunities? Does CCC suggest course-specific pedagogy to achieve the objectives and fulfil the outcomes? Are CCC outcomes achievable through the examination pattern system currently prevalent? Does CCC invite community feedback, and does CCC build community? Is CCC designed with strengths and weaknesses? Knowing weaknesses will actually invite suggestions and the need for a revamp and redesign. Is CCC suggesting the resources that should be available to support its achievements? Is CCC suggesting its timely revision? Isn’t the CCC outdated and more or less irrelevant? Is CCC institution-specific and relevant? Why are our graduates either non-competitive or not suitable for the job market? The answer is in these questions. The time is ripe to revise CCC in tune with the emerging and changing needs in the society. A poor student performance actually indicates a lack of effectiveness of CCC. What was most difficult for students to achieve or what was not feasible for a teacher to assess must form part of the CCC. A revamped CCC can enable the inclusion of updated and modern pedagogy and evaluation mechanisms. A mere unitisation and creditisation of the syllabus are not the only requirements. A curriculum should keep the academic team focused and suggest the course-specific training for the teachers to evolve with the changes and the need to adjust and re-adjust. Undoubtedly, the job market demands vary by area or region and the local industrial demands. What can be in demand in one country or region, the same may not be in demand in another region or country. Thus, the curriculum and design of the degrees must not be adopted but devised as per the local and regional needs. Unfortunately, we are more used to adopting and less focused on devising a design that suits us. The skills vs degrees are a big debate at present, because employers are not interested in the big nomenclature of degrees but are attracted towards the specific skills or practical experience a candidate has gained during a degree. Curriculum revision is a critical process, and it needs commitment and willingness by the faculty through a well-operationalised mechanism so as to adapt to changing demands at local and global levels. Education is absolutely redundant if not supplemented by a curriculum revision. Learning a similar thing for decades is meaningless. Overall quality, relevance and effectiveness of an educational program is a reflection of a curriculum revision process.  Continuous feedback from a learner is the best tool to edit or remove the outdated course content. Therefore, to address the issues of outdated or even obsolete course curriculum, it is important for key stakeholders, including the alumni, to be the part of the process to regularly review, revise and update the courses. In this regard, stakeholder mapping is essential to identify who can have the greatest impact on the revamp initiative. This will involve the setting of feedback loops to ensure mechanisms for gathering feedback from previous graduates, so that the fresh ones are well-prepared for the market demands. For this, engaging with industry experts as well as the faculty training and motivation to stay well connected and informed about the current trends in their fields is very essential. At the same time, it is the duty of a student/learner to choose and research for programs and courses that suit to their needs and career aspirations and not merely for the sake of a degree or for obtaining a degree through a particular institution. Therefore, what is fundamental for effective learning is a well-organised and designed course curriculum, which conveys not only information but also cultivates necessary skills. Recognising the challenges in student success, progression, and employability shall act as a driving force behind CCC design and structure. To end, CCC renewal with openness and flexibility should be a cyclical activity.   (The author is an Associate Professor of Zoology, Islamia College of Science and Commerce (Autonomous), Srinagar)