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Role
and Relevance of Communication Skills in Higher Education:
An Indian Perspective
-- Suparna
Dutta and Chander Mohan
The
winds of liberalization that are sweeping across the country
and the wave of globalization that has engulfed the entire
economy have, in their wake, brought several stark realities
and hard facts to the fore. One can no longer remain insulated
from other cultures or isolated from other communities. Among
the important lessons learnt from this inevitable integration,
the one which has only now caught the attention of all concerned
is the ability (or perhaps the inability) of our youth to
communicate well, particularly at the international fora.
The importance of communication skills in any mode, brand,
and concept of professionalism is a well-known and accepted
reality today. Contrary to expectation that our academic institutions,
particularly those offering courses which have a global demand,
such as IT and Management would take the lead, only a handful
of them are well-equipped to train students to the nuances
of effective communication. Elsewhere, the vast majority of
our youth get only a cursory exposure to much needed `soft
skills' and they are thrown into the whirlpool of employment
seekers without the necessary tools and techniques to come
out trumps. This paper examines the problems and challenges
that are envisaged and also offers answers to some of the
critical questions concerning communication. It is now realized
that intensive restructuring of the curriculum and its delivery
based on extensive dialog with the stakeholders is a prerequisite
for the success of such a major campaign.
©
2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
Pathways
Theory of Progression through Higher Education
-- Rosalie
A Robinson and Laurel J Bornholt
This
paper is concerned with the pathways students take through
their studies at university. A critique of current research
demands a fresh approach to explaining student progression,
in particular within Australian higher education. To date,
theories of student progression commonly consider the fit
of the person to the university environment within one rather
homogeneous sociocultural milieu. Socio-ecological approaches
provide a new, more appropriate framework for investigating
the progression of undergraduate students. Student pathways
are conceptualized as a diverse series of choices within the
discrete learning contexts of courses. In principle, student
pathways and related behavioral outcomes are a function of
student characteristics and the supports and constraints within
each course. Understanding the differential impact of personal
and social characteristics of students and their specific
learning contexts contributes to an understanding of the choice
behavior of students as they negotiate common and distinct
pathways through courses within the broader context of higher
education. This paper presents an appropriate, useful and
meaningful theoretical framework for understanding how students
navigate the Australian higher education system.
©
2007 The University of Newcastle, Australia. This paper was
earlier published in Australian Journal of Educational
& Developmental Psychology, Vol. 7. Reprinted with
permission.
Internationalizing
the Curriculum: A Discussion of Challenges and First Steps
Within Business Schools
-- Eric LeBlanc
Many
business schools in Canada are either implementing international
programming into their curricula or planning for it. This
paper is a discussion of the many aspects that senior administrators
in business schools are navigating in attempting to find a
successful solution for these initiatives. The paper presents
the first steps that a school may want to implement when attempting
to internationalize their curriculum.
©
2007 Eric LeBlanc. This paper was earlier published in Higher
Education Perspectives, Vol. 3, No. 1. Reprinted with
permission.
Man,
Society and Education: A Historical Perspective
-- K
Vijaya Babu
The
paper acquaints the readers with the historical importance
of education as a critical factor, which influenced the course
of man's evolutionary process. It emphasizes that education
is the outcome of societal need to preserve knowledge and
transmit it to the future generations. However, with the dawn
of modern times, education is also seen as a catalyst in empowering
individuals, enriching knowledge and ennobling society as
a whole.
©
2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
Job Involvement Among University Teachers: A
Case Study of Karnataka State
-- Ishwara
P and P Laxman
The
paper evaluates the perceived level of job involvement among
the university teachers working at the postgraduate departments
in the Karnataka State. The sample consists of 152 teachers—60
Lecturers, 47 Readers, and 45 Professors—whose average
age ranged between 36 and 49 years. Job involvement scale
(Lodahal and Kejner 1965) was administered. Analysis of the
data indicated that around 60% of the university teachers
perceived and reported to have moderately involved in the
job (Mean 75.06 and SD 6.05). There is no significant difference
in the levels of job involvement among the university teachers,
irrespective of their cadre. All the teachers are perceived
to have more or less the same level of job involvement. Job
involvement of the university teachers is determined by three
sets of variables, namely organizational, demographic, and
career-related aspects.
©
2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
E-tutoring—Emerging
Opportunity
-- M
Sriram
This
article highlights the new trends in e-tutoring, its methods
and outlines the roles and responsibilities of e-tutors. It
also suggests a few measures to enhance tutoring skills to
empower the students.
©
2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
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