Challenge

Hi! I am working as Associate Professor in an University and my challenge is to identify the root  cause of high failure rate of the students in Computer Science department and come with methods  to improve the quality of education in the department. The failure rate effects the new admissions  and also lowers the placement score. We will try to uncover the reasons (on part of faculty,  administration and students) that hinders the quality of education being delivered in the classes.

Selection

I selected visualization as the tool to demonstrate the hurdles that are coming in the way of effective  teaching. This tool is a perfect way to show to higher management the scenario being faced by  faculty and students in a class. The management people are not too technical so using visualizations  will be the best method to show what is wrong and what can be done to improve.

Application

The first hurdle identified was the class size. 72 students were sitting a class which was not big  enough to accommodate them all. There was hardly any space for the teacher to move and see what  individual student was doing. In certain situations the class room size is 144 students. This makes the  class teaching less interactive and there is no connection among faculty and students.

The second factor was overload on faculty. A faculty apart from teaching was involved in paper  checking, student mentoring, placement classes, curriculum development, question paper setting,  etc works and had a teaching load of 22 hrs. This leaves them with very less or no time to relax and  prepare well for class. Being exhausted they remain pressured to perform well which also effects  their family life and in turn effective their behaviour in the class. This leads to poor quality delivery  of lecture.

In the same way other points were highlighted to the management to showcase the challenges faced  by students and faculty.

Insight

Most of the same points highlighted were already discussed in meeting with higher officials at some  point of other by other faculty members but they never had an impact as compared to this time.  Reason being – use of visualizations. Use of actual photographs (not used here due to limitations  from the organization) helped convince the higher officials from management that the problem is  not in the teacher but is a combination of infrastructure, over burden and lack of interest from  students that is hindering the overall progress of department.

Use of visualizations showed how the same thing can be projected in the exact manner which  otherwise cannot as speech can be interpreted in many different  ways by different people  depending upon their intellectual level. But visualizations help to show everyone exactly the same  thing in the same manner as intended.

Approach

From next time I would like to use visualization along with story telling. This is because I feel a good  story combined with visualization can setup things in the best possible manner to the target  audience. Story will help the user to understand the visualization as being a part of it and make  things even more interesting.


Challenge Hi ! I am working as Associate Professor in an University and my challenge is to identify the root cause of high failure rate of the students in Computer Science department and come with methods to improve the quality of education in the department . The failure rate effects the new admissions and also lowers the placement score . We will try to uncover the reasons ( on part of faculty , administration and students ) that hinders the quality of education being delivered in the classes . Selection I selected visualization as the tool to demonstrate the hurdles that are coming in the way of effective teaching . This tool is a perfect way to show to higher management the scenario being faced by faculty and students in a class . The management people are not too technical so using visualizations will be the best method to show what is wrong and what can be done to improve . Application The first hurdle identified was the class size . 72 students were sitting a class which was not big enough to accommodate them all . There was hardly any space for the teacher to move and see what individual student was doing . In certain situations the class room size is 144 students . This makes the class teaching less interactive and there is no connection among faculty and students . The second factor was overload on faculty . A faculty apart from teaching was involved in paper checking , student mentoring , placement classes , curriculum development , question paper setting , etc works and had a teaching load of 22 hrs . This leaves them with very less or no time to relax and prepare well for class . Being exhausted they remain pressured to perform well which also effects their family life and in turn effective their behaviour in the class . This leads to poor quality delivery of lecture . In the same way other points were highlighted to the management to showcase the challenges faced by students and faculty . Insight Most of the same points highlighted were already discussed in meeting with higher officials at some point of other by other faculty members but they never had an impact as compared to this time . Reason being – use of visualizations . Use of actual photographs ( not used here due to limitations from the organization ) helped convince the higher officials from management that the problem is not in the teacher but is a combination of infrastructure , over burden and lack of interest from students that is hindering the overall progress of department . Use of visualizations showed how the same thing can be projected in the exact manner which otherwise can not as speech can be interpreted in many different ways by different people depending upon their intellectual level . But visualizations help to show everyone exactly the same thing in the same manner as intended . Approach From next time I would like to use visualization along with story telling . This is because I feel a good story combined with visualization can setup things in the best possible manner to the target audience . Story will help the user to understand the visualization as being a part of it and make things even more interesting .