IIT plans intensive programme for slow starters

Around five per cent of newly-enrolled undergraduate students about 45 in a batch of approximately 900 at the Indian Institute of Technology,Bombay,perform poorly in the initial semesters in basic science subjects such as physics and chemistry,as well as maths,show estimates.

Helping freshers; Move aimed at making sure new students unable to keep up with classes avoid backlog

Around five per cent of newly-enrolled undergraduate students about 45 in a batch of approximately 900 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),Bombay,perform poorly in the initial semesters in basic science subjects such as physics and chemistry,as well as maths,show estimates.

Also,there are many students who do not understand English properly and are subsequently unable to grasp what is taught in the classes. Both factors contribute to the students performance falling below the acceptable level and many are unable to cope with the pace of study.

Accordingly,the institute is planning to create an intensive programme for the new students by ascertaining whether they suffer from such academic/language weaknesses immediately after they join the institute. The idea is that such students will be behind the batch in two-three courses as the total number of courses to be completed in the first semester will be spread over two or more semesters. We intend to introduce the programme this year and it will be announced in the counseling brochure. Such students will have a backlog of around three courses, said IIT-B director Devang Khakhar. A similar programme is conducted by IIT Kanpur,called the slow pace programme.

Prof S Biswas,who is part of the three-member committee that is drawing up the programme,said for English,a simple test would be conducted and those who perform poorly would be asked to join the intensive programme for English. Similarly,to ascertain whether a student is weak in science subjects or maths and needs to undergo an intensive programme in these,his/her scores in exams such as JEE and XII and performance in the first quiz at IITB,which is conducted three weeks after students join the institute,may be used, he said.

Some of the students who face either subject-related or language problems tend to get frustrated and stop attending classes. They end up having heavy backlogs. We are in the process of finalising the details of the programme and its mode of implementation, said Biswas. Last year,as a pilot test,IIT-B had conducted English classes for first-year students who were detected as weak in the language. The group included 90 out of a batch of 887. However,once the intensive programme is finalised,it will be part of the admission process at IIT-B and will be formally mentioned in its counseling brochure to inform students and parents well before they are selected.

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IIT Bombay

IIT plans intensive programme for slow starters

Around five per cent of newly-enrolled undergraduate students about 45 in a batch of approximately 900  at the Indian Institute of Technology,Bombay,perform poorly in the initial semesters in basic science subjects such as physics and chemistry,as well as maths,show estimates.

Around five per cent of newly-enrolled undergraduate students about 45 in a batch of approximately 900 at the Indian Institute of Technology,Bombay,perform poorly in the initial semesters in basic science subjects such as physics and chemistry,as well as maths,show estimates.