Challenge: I am heading the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in our institution. In  spite of the excellent infrastructure, dedicated instructors and supportive management, around 30%  of undergraduate students fail every year. This is a problem common to most of the Institutions  around. Though methods such as remedial classes counselling and peer support were tried, they  could only bring in a limited improvement.  A learning launch including various stakeholders is being  planned to launch an online support channel for such slow learners. A sample outline for two first  two modules of two courses shall be uploaded and  the learning launch would include various stake  holders – The Head of the department, Academic and Administrative coordinators, teachers and few  students from various groups to gather various insights. The student sample from various sections  includes categories of the low, very low and extremely low performing students.

Selection: Based on few preliminary interviews, group discussions that were held with students and  the student feedback, we were able to identify the need for a continuous online engagement tool.  These were conducted by teachers, organized by coordinators. The enthusiasm of teachers and  students made us believe that we shall be able to gauge the success or need for improvement in the  idea, only if we conduct a learning launch involving all the stake holders.

Application: In the first learning launch, students are divided into groups of five and interact with  instructors of different courses, particularly with a higher failure rate in an open seminar hall. Twelve  such groups are identified.  The students are already given access to the sample material in the  channel, to be accessed from their mobile a couple of days earlier. These sample videos are also  played on the larger screen and snapshots of roadmap of proposed methodology with time lines is  displayed on the AV system, as well as in the form of drawings displayed throughout the hall.  Teachers are asked to prepare a questionnaire that has critical questions related to their  assumptions. For example- Students will be able to spare more hours to learning from the channel  on Saturdays (though most of them actually they might be preoccupied with some other learning  activity in realty).

Students are informed to interact with teachers and come up with five suggestions per team, in  addition to answering the five set questionnaire prepared by the teacher. The second learning  launch would focus on actually improving on refining the content to suite the users learning styles,  while the third learning launch may focus on making the complex units much simpler. Each launch is  planned in a month’s duration while the final launch will be a finishing product launch made towards  the semester end.

Insight and approach: The learning launch tool is extremely useful for teachers to identify the  underlying assumptions behind student’s failure. Two assumptions - that students need a central  repository for simplifying their learning and the need for a phased learning or investment of time  beyond classroom are open to debate/challenge. In the process, several additional insights that  might improve or even disprove the system are uncovered during the initial learning launch.

The validation/invalidation of the hypothesis will be obvious as various stake holder groups are  involved. The interactions may also lead to alternate preferable methodologies that might be  adopted in which case future launches might include them in place of current one. However, if the  current methodology is acceptable to a defined threshold (>=80%) of student groups, we shall  proceed to next learning launch with all the insights incorporated.


Challenge : I am heading the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in our institution . In spite of the excellent infrastructure , dedicated instructors and supportive management , around 30 % of undergraduate students fail every year . This is a problem common to most of the Institutions around . Though methods such as remedial classes counselling and peer support were tried , they could only bring in a limited improvement . A learning launch including various stakeholders is being planned to launch an online support channel for such slow learners . A sample outline for two first two modules of two courses shall be uploaded and the learning launch would include various stake holders – The Head of the department , Academic and Administrative coordinators , teachers and few students from various groups to gather various insights . The student sample from various sections includes categories of the low , very low and extremely low performing students . Selection : Based on few preliminary interviews , group discussions that were held with students and the student feedback , we were able to identify the need for a continuous online engagement tool . These were conducted by teachers , organized by coordinators . The enthusiasm of teachers and students made us believe that we shall be able to gauge the success or need for improvement in the idea , only if we conduct a learning launch involving all the stake holders . Application : In the first learning launch , students are divided into groups of five and interact with instructors of different courses , particularly with a higher failure rate in an open seminar hall . Twelve such groups are identified . The students are already given access to the sample material in the channel , to be accessed from their mobile a couple of days earlier . These sample videos are also played on the larger screen and snapshots of roadmap of proposed methodology with time lines is displayed on the AV system , as well as in the form of drawings displayed throughout the hall . Teachers are asked to prepare a questionnaire that has critical questions related to their assumptions . For example- Students will be able to spare more hours to learning from the channel on Saturdays ( though most of them actually they might be preoccupied with some other learning activity in realty ) . Students are informed to interact with teachers and come up with five suggestions per team , in addition to answering the five set questionnaire prepared by the teacher . The second learning launch would focus on actually improving on refining the content to suite the users learning styles , while the third learning launch may focus on making the complex units much simpler . Each launch is planned in a month ’s duration while the final launch will be a finishing product launch made towards the semester end . Insight and approach : The learning launch tool is extremely useful for teachers to identify the underlying assumptions behind student ’s failure . Two assumptions - that students need a central repository for simplifying their learning and the need for a phased learning or investment of time beyond classroom are open to debate / challenge . In the process , several additional insights that might improve or even disprove the system are uncovered during the initial learning launch . The validation / invalidation of the hypothesis will be obvious as various stake holder groups are involved . The interactions may also lead to alternate preferable methodologies that might be adopted in which case future launches might include them in place of current one . However , if the current methodology is acceptable to a defined threshold ( > = 80 % ) of student groups , we shall proceed to next learning launch with all the insights incorporated .