It is now mandatory for college lecturers to undertake a self-assessment test from this academic year.
The Department of Collegiate Education, last month, issued an order stating that it was compulsory for lecturers from all 412 government first grade degree colleges to undertake these tests. The order states that academic audits will have to be undertaken in April every year.
Officials said that self-assessment would also help teachers reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. “It will help them identify areas of improvement and how the classes can be improved,” said a senior official from the DCE. Besides self-assessment, the department also seeks feedback from students on the performance of their lecturers.
The self-assessment exercise, which is mandatory, requires lecturers to fill a detailed form with 35 questions. These include details of the paper they are teaching, the workload they have every week, preparation of teaching material, and use of teaching aid. Besides this, it also asks lecturers to key in the assignments given to students as well as the seminars and field visits conducted for the students. Lecturers also have to submit details on the trainings, research and professional development programmes they have undertaken.
It also asks lecturers to write down the additional responsibilities they have undertaken in college and seeks feedback about the viability of the student strength, with the intention of addressing the challenges they face.
H. Prakash, president, Karnataka Government College Teachers’ Association, said the assessment would help develop accountability among lecturers. “It will also develop healthy competition among the lecturers. This positive reinforcement will boost the morale of the lecturers and break monotony. It will help lecturers who are slacking pull up their socks,” he said.
