We have been conducting Workshops, Teachers’ Training Programs for several years. It has been playing a vital role in the development of education. In fact, this is a unique activity to develop quality and updated education to inculcate innovative techniques in pedagogy. Now a day NAAC, ACCREDIATATION COMMITTEES like bodies are taking these activities as an essential activity. As a result organizations spend a lot of money, time and energy to arrange it. In fact participants get sponsorship from patrons to attend these all programs, and that is called as a paid leave even, it means participants get two benefits i.e salary and sponsorship simultaneously. It makes entire program very valuable and responsible. In fact participants expect a lot from this activity.
Eventually, inaugural function remains very enthusiastic and overwhelming. But lunch break becomes Vatarni River (a river which normally one needs to cross to reach heaven after death). Hardly half of the people attend post lunch session in these all activities.
There are three major stakeholders of this program.
1. Organisers
2. Resource persons and Participants
3. Patron institute of Participants
1. Organisers
There are two major groups who arrange these activities.
a. Educational institutions
b. Industries
a. Educational Institutions:
Normally, academic institutions take entire activity just as an activity to show on paper. They hardly take this program as an institution branding exercise. It shows they are interested to conduct the program rather making it a successful activity. Perhaps definition of successful depends on inaugural function only. Majority of decision making authorities or influential personalities get involved in welcoming resource persons or gathering with guests, rather keeping themselves present at the venue to keep keen watch on participants. In fact, certificates are not decided on the basis of presence or participation, it depends on registration. Participants also keep tracks of all the nearer places to visit or works get to complete in the same time duration.
I took feedback of number of participants why do they avoid attending these sessions:
1. They find activities boring due to monotonous lecturing model.
2. Usually resource persons are the same teachers to whom they have attended during their study.
3. Either resource person or topic remains same and some times both remain same in last two-three programs.
4. Improper use of technology by resource persons.
b. INDUSTRIES:
I took an overview of workshops and seminars conducted by industries. I enquired what does industries do in these programs, and does it remain successful. Majority of participants found activities at industries interesting and worth to attend. Reason beings:
1. They make activities succinct and target oriented/focused.
2. They invite resource persons having practical exposure and expertise.
3. They keep organization brand building in center.
4. They keep accountability and participation of participants.
5. They analyze feedback given by participants and take under consideration before going for next programs.
By the end of these discourse, I had a question in my mind, while industries and academia both have similar target, then why both don’t work together before arranging these kinds of programs.
Academia-Industry Relationship:
There is always confusion that what is important in any program:
Quality of Participants/ resource person/ work environment/ feasibility of topic/ any other.
Whenever we invite people having industrial background, participants prefer to attend session, in contrary to when we invite from academia.
When we arrange programs at academic institutes without UGC/AICTE logo, people avoid though speaker is from industries, in contrary to when we arrange the same in industries.
I believe there is always a solution of every problem. I was longing for solution of this issue, since there is always outcome of every matter.
Conclusion:
Programs should be arranged at any venue but certain things should be taken under consideration:
1. It should be under UGC/AICTE/GOVT logo which makes difference.
2. Venue should be at an academic, peaceful and learning environment.
3. Resource person should be scrutinised systematically as follows:.
• If there are 3 or more than 3 speakers one should keep ratio of two experienced and one fresher. In short one should always try to promote number of resource persons.
• Before inviting resource person one should send letters to respective people and institutions to send their profile including certificates issued by earlier organizers.
• Experienced resource person should be called up for a meeting to brief about the objective and expectation of the program and their requirements.
• Fresher resource persons should be called up for a demonstration before the session in front of organizers’ search committee.
• If experienced person is having less than 60% satisfaction ratio in certificates, s/he also called for demo lecture.
4. Resource person should be issued a certificate after the program on the basis of feedback given by participants
5. Participants should be under scanner (accountability and responsibility).
6. Infrastructure like: OHP, LCD, Internet, Computer, Laptop, Screen, Black Board, comfortable chairs, Photocopying facility should be at least ready at the venue.
7. Objective question paper, based on every session should be ready to conduct after every session, to create learning environment.
8. Certificate of participation should be issued.
9. Patron organization should ask for submission of report on workshop/presentation and certificate issued by organizers.
10. Objective of program should be crystal clear, and it should be first page/paragraph in each and every documented manual, invitation letter.
11. Organiser should keep option open of denying the participation certificate and return money taken by participant as a fee on the spot.
2. Resource Persons:
I believe this is the key factor of a program, in fact success or failure of program depends on resource person’s performance. It is entirely responsibility of resource person to see that learner should not remain dissatisfied by the end of the session. For that a resource person should take care of:
1. Resource person should ask for entire program in details, who are the speakers and what are the contents going to be covered, so that one can avoid repetition and can maintain continuity.
2. If possible, there should be a meeting of all the resource persons before program starts, so that they can discuss collectively how to make program effective and worth.
3. Resource person should never forget that s/he is going to train the trainers, so not even a single moment should be wasted.
4. Making session live, enlightening and smooth one should use technology but it should not be used at the cost of effective session/presentation.
5. Moral values/ethos, academic etiquettes, responsibilities of a trainer towards society, and for organization one is working, should be emphasized in every session.
6. Workshop/Seminar/Symposia/Conference/Training Programs are unique platform to share innovative and recent trend in education, not for just discussion of whatever has taken place already. Resource person should emphasis on application and implications of innovative ideas.
7. Session and questionnaire should be designed in such a way that one can keep balance. Questions asked in questionnaire should be logical.
8. Resource person should analyse profiles of participants before they confirm to conduct and prepare their session.
9. Objective of organizers, sponsors and participants should be very clear in the mind of resource person.
10. Resource person should enquire and demand for all the facilities related to program at venue in well advance, not to leave even a single stone unturned.
Participants:
Participants are not less than a consumer. They are the main stake holder in this program, since they are trainers and they would have to keep updated the education system, they should be highly demanding. Unless they demand trainer/resource person would not able to provide proper training and guidance. Before attending a session one should have certain points very clear in her/his mind, those points are as follows:
1. One should study/think about the topic.
2. One should go with learning attitude rather just for the sake of attending it.
3. Co-operate with the trainer and other participants.
4. Keep answering and asking questions whenever it is expected from trainer/resource person.
5. Write feedback honestly, since it is going to make a big difference for organizers and resource person too.
6. If 60% and above programs were not worth, one should claim for fees/money return. And should deny for certificate.
7. Participants should try to create learning environment, and should try to stay in campus, if it is available.
8. One should arrange a presentation at one’s own institute after attending the program to share information and knowledge one has gained.
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें