PANAJI: An IIT-Goa question paper which asked students to frame their own questions and then answer them has gone viral online, eliciting a vast array of wisecracks from netizens across the globe, as well as serious debate in professional circles.
The unique, 70-mark paper was split into just two questions тАФ the first, for 30 marks, asked students to set questions based on lecture materials provided, reflecting the studentтАЩs understanding of the course, to be answered in two hours. The second question, for 40 marks, instructed the students to answer the questions they just prepared.
тАЬAvoid discussing with your friends. It may reduce your score if similarities are found,тАЭ the May 11 question paper, for second-year electrical engineering students, stated.
The paper drew diverse comments, from some praising it to others criticising it. тАЬEven the IIT in Goa loves to chill out,тАЭ remarked a user on Subtle Curry Traits, an Indian student diaspora group with almost a million members. The post got over 6,500 likes, with some believing the test was тАЬa great way to understand a studentтАЩs capacityтАЭ. Another user Rajan Karna posted, тАЬitтАЩs going to be a test of integrity too.тАЭ
However, following objections from some quarters internally, the IIT has referred the paper to its senate committee for undergraduate programmes. The committee will review the question paper and present its report to the director shortly, based on which action, if any, will be decided. IIT-Goa director B K Mishra said the matter would be dealt with internally once he receives the report.
Mishra, however, said that he personally found the question paper тАЬnovelтАЭ. тАЬOnly thing is, one needs to see what system the faculty member has in place to grade students, because it is going to be tough to grade them on such a question paper. I found it novel at a time when students are struggling, we need new ways of evaluating them in an online teaching-learning scenario.тАЭ
The unique, 70-mark paper was split into just two questions тАФ the first, for 30 marks, asked students to set questions based on lecture materials provided, reflecting the studentтАЩs understanding of the course, to be answered in two hours. The second question, for 40 marks, instructed the students to answer the questions they just prepared.
тАЬAvoid discussing with your friends. It may reduce your score if similarities are found,тАЭ the May 11 question paper, for second-year electrical engineering students, stated.
The paper drew diverse comments, from some praising it to others criticising it. тАЬEven the IIT in Goa loves to chill out,тАЭ remarked a user on Subtle Curry Traits, an Indian student diaspora group with almost a million members. The post got over 6,500 likes, with some believing the test was тАЬa great way to understand a studentтАЩs capacityтАЭ. Another user Rajan Karna posted, тАЬitтАЩs going to be a test of integrity too.тАЭ
However, following objections from some quarters internally, the IIT has referred the paper to its senate committee for undergraduate programmes. The committee will review the question paper and present its report to the director shortly, based on which action, if any, will be decided. IIT-Goa director B K Mishra said the matter would be dealt with internally once he receives the report.
Mishra, however, said that he personally found the question paper тАЬnovelтАЭ. тАЬOnly thing is, one needs to see what system the faculty member has in place to grade students, because it is going to be tough to grade them on such a question paper. I found it novel at a time when students are struggling, we need new ways of evaluating them in an online teaching-learning scenario.тАЭ
