In a first of its kind initiative, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi will do away with classroom sessions from July and allow students to sit in hostel rooms or elsewhere in the campus and learn through tablets or laptops.
Prof. M.J. Xavier, director, IIM Ranchi, on Tuesday said that youngsters nowadays hate to go to classrooms and attend lecture sessions. “So we have decided to do away with classroom sessions from July,” he said.
“Students in our institute need not come to classrooms for lecture sessions but can attend them virtually as all lectures will be broadcast live. We will provide them with laptops or tablet computers with biometric sensors. Students and faculty will have face-to-face interaction as both their sets will have cameras,” he said.
Prof. Xavier pointed out that students need to register their thumb impression using the biometric sensor, every 30 minutes, adding that this would help check the student’s attendance. They would be asked to type their subject notes in a separate module that would be used to evaluate their understanding about the subject, he said.
“The software will have an option for students to ask questions and get instant replies from faculty. If a student does not look at the video lectures, his marks will be reduced so he has no option other than to attend the lecture,” he said.
Prof. Xavier said that classrooms would be used only to analyse case studies and from November not only could students of IIM Ranchi view these videos but everybody across the country could also watch it at home or designated study centres.
The institute would also set up call centres manned by subject experts who would filter student’s questions and forward only those that need reply from the faculty, Prof. Xavier said.