TAMBARAM: A `Learning through discovery lab,' aimed at making students participate actively in the discovery of key principles of science and engineering, was inaugurated at the S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed University), Kattankulathur, on Saturday.

Rohan Abeyaratne, Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S, said it was launched at MIT five years ago. It led to visible difference in the approach of students and their participation in scientific activities. The concept, authored by Emmanuel Sachs of MIT, made the students an integral part of each and every stage of learning science. "There is a better learning experience when the students are engaged in active learning," Dr. Abeyaratne said.

Under the conventional passive learning methods, students tend to forget some of the basic concepts when they are asked to memorise theories and put them in practice in laboratories while doing experiments. Active learning produced greater gains than lectures. Yet lectures were the standard format of teaching. "Universities must lead the way towards higher quality education," he said. M. Ponnavaiko, Director, Research and Virtual Education, said that in January last, Dr. Abeyaratne spoke to SRMIST authorities institute about the concept and its successful implementation in MIT.

A team from SRMIST visited MIT. The deemed university later decided to implement it. About Rs. 25 lakhs was spent, mostly on infrastructure, gadgets and accessories to prepare the discovery laboratory. Initially, students of mechanical engineering would use the laboratory.

T.R. Pachamuthu, Chancellor, SRMIST, and P. Sathyanarayanan, Vice-Chancellor, said the discovery laboratory was only a value addition to the existing facilities. It did not mean that the conventional methods of teaching and conducting experiments would be done away with.

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