Best Practice 1
Title of the Practice : Online Student Profile Mapping Portal
Objectives of the Practice: 1. To determine the abilities of students in an objective and quantifiable manner and identify the slow and advanced learners so that appropriate support can be provided by the institution.
The Context : Students often face diverse challenges with respect to their skill attributes: while some may belong to economically backward families and have access to limited resources; some may be intellectually bright or slow irrespective of their economic status; others may have different skills, emotions and behaviour. A systematic assessment of these attributes of the students may help in providing an insight into their strengths and weaknesses. The profile mapping exercise enables the institution to hone the students’ strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
The Practice: 1. Students need to login with their login ID and password and answer an online questionnaire.
2. Scores on ‘General Quotient (GQ)’ and ‘Empowerment Quotient (EQ)’ are calculated on the basis of the answers provided. The General Quotient comprises of academic score, Intelligence score and knowledge score. The Empowerment Quotient assesses different types of abilities. It also makes a comparison of the particular student in comparison with her peer group. Finally, a weighted average of GQ and EQ gives the final score, which represents the capability of the student.
Evidence of Success: 1. The manual method of psychometry test or profile mapping is too engaging and time consuming, whereas the online mapping is fast, accurate and error- free.
2. Marks obtained in class/internal tests are not always reflective of the students’ ability; external factors may affect their time spent on studies, understanding of the subject and answer writing skills. However, online mapping appraises their innate capabilities.
3. Often, teachers depend on students’ class performance or behaviour to gauge their level of knowledge or aptitude. However, this method is suitable only for articulate students. Online mapping is equally effective for shy and introvert students. The teachers assert that their assessment about the students matches with the profile mapping results, which confirms to the authenticity of the mapping mechanism.
Problems Encountered and Resources Required:
1.The existing computer infrastructure makes online profile mapping take longer time than usual.
2.The students, mostly from poor families have limited access to high-speed data connection.
3. Often the students are unable to understand the questions, and so need the guidance of teachers for filling the questionnaire.
4. The resources required are competent software developer to implement the entire idea of online profile mapping along with adequate computer infrastructure.
Best Practice 2
Title of the Practice : Earn While You Learn.
Objectives of the Practice: 1. To make the student self-reliant.
2. To create an interest among students towards entrepreneurship and hone the latent creativity and entrepreneurship skill amongst our students.
3. To enable students to understand practical aspects of entrepreneurship, a part of the curriculum of NEP .
4. To make students enterprising, and future ready entrepreneurs.
Context : In a developing country like India, it is necessary to impart holistic skill based training to students for their future employment. Thus, Unmesh Entrepreneurship Cell was established. Also as an educational institution it is necessary to cater to the needs of the underprivileged sections of the society, especially women and empower them financially.
Thus, Sucharu Incubation Centre, the flagship project of Women’s Study Cell was formed. It offered three vocational courses of which the first two were part of the UGC- funded extension activity program. It offered training to ten women from South 24 Parganas enabling them to be economically empowered.
The intention of Sumeli Folk Studies Archive is to strive for a better understanding of the traditional folk arts and crafts of India, their historical, present and future contexts, their interactions with different branches of knowledge.
Practice: 1. Sucharu initiated Course 3 – an advanced learning course comprising of tailoring program conducted from May 2018 – November 2018. The participants included ex-students of our college and two young women from the neighbourhood.
2. Earth Day was celebrated in keeping with the theme ‘End Plastic Pollution.'
3. Eco Club, Sucharu and Placement Cell organized an ‘Exhibition-cum-Sale' of eco-friendly products as substitute for plastics on 5th October 2018.
4. Christmas Carnival organized by Eco Club, ISPC, Sumeli, Sucharu, Unmesh Entrepreneurship Cell through an exhibition-cum sale of eco-friendly handmade products and variety of delicious eatables made by our present and outgoing students on 19th December 2022.
There were art works ranging from handmade cards, bookmarks, paintings, wall hangings, lamps, jewellery, pen stands, vases etc. The visitors including faculty members, ex-students and parents, were mesmerised by the display of art by the students. The students enthusiastically participated and made the carnival a success. There were food stalls in the canteen area. The students exhibited their culinary skills which ranged from cookies, pastries, muffins, phuchka, tandoori items, Chinese delicacies, sandwiches, pasta to aachar, nolen gurer paayesh et al.
5. Workshop on ‘Exploring Visual Idioms as a Learning Medium’ organized by Sumeli Folk Studies Archive and Department of Bengali, in collaboration with the Tanmana Art School, from 17th March 2023- 18th March 2023.
6. Unmesh Entrepreneurship Cell in collaboration with IQAC organised an academia-industry interface through a Seminar titled Exploring NEP 2020 through an Entrepreneurship Training Workshop on 3rd June 2023.
7. Compulsory internship has helped students to gain hands on training regarding functioning of business ethics.
Constraints : 1. Limited availability of seed money/ funding / seed capital for initiating startup companies after acquiring skills taught in college.
2. Non-availability of physical infrastructure to establish industrial workshops/ laboratories inside the college campus.
3. Packaging and Marketing of finished products learnt after acquiring skills in the college requires resources, not available within the college campus
4. Sustainable collaboration with Industrial Training Institutes is also not readily available.
