Engineering faculty to be on upskilled. Teachers will get training in AI Machine learning from May 2024

Engineering faculty to be on upskilled. Teachers will get training in AI Machine learning from May 2024 

From May 2024, faculty members of engineering colleges will be introduced to the latest trends in technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyber security and coding to improve their skill set as educators. National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR) is planning to design a comprehensive programme, enabling teachers to attain a certificate upon completing 15 training sessions. 

According to NITTTR, it is crucial to set up quality question papers and effectively use technology in classrooms. They are now conducting sessions in small batches. A trainee completing 30 hours of learning will earn a credit point. To earn a certificate, he/she will have to earn 90 credit points. Most of the modules will be virtual. Some offline discussions will be conducted for assessment and debriefing. During their visits to colleges for audits and interviews with teachers, they observed that the demanding nature of a teacher’s roles, which involves teaching, administrative duties, and extracurricular responsibilities, leaves little room for professional development.

Teachers are expected to make new test questions but because they also have to meet strict academic standards, many end up using old questions instead. While this is easier, it has downsides. Using the same old questions might make tests less fresh and relevant, said one of the trainers. “This can make it harder to see if students can adapt to new ideas, think critically, and understand what’s happening now,” professor G Janardhan of NITTTR said. 

AIl India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had, two years ago, allowed engineering colleges to offer degrees in emerging areas. After starting courses in artificial intelligence and data science, and machine learning, engineering colleges are struggling to train their faculty members due to a lack of experts in these fields. Faculty members said they mostly try to self-learn through online courses. “These courses will be useful to faculty members only if they are taught by industry experts. They need to bring industry experts for offering training programmes in emerging areas,” said B Chidambararajan, director of SRM Valliammai Engineering College.