The ninth edition of the Faculty Development Programme (FDP) began at IIM Indore on April 24, 2017. Professor P.D. Jose, Faculty, IIM Bangalore was the Chief Guest for the Inaugural Ceremony. Professor Dibyadyuti Roy, Faculty, IIM Indore delivered the welcome address. He encouraged all the 50 participants registered for the programme to have the curiosity of a child; and gain as much as possible from their five week stay at the Institute. The inaugural commenced with the lamp lighting ceremony by the Chief Guest and Professor Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Director, IIM Indore.

Professor Krishnan while addressing the participants noted that any discussion about higher education includes topics like shortage and quality of faculty. ‘There is often shortage of resources, but we can take the responsibility to bring about a change, by devoting our time in this programme’, he said. He mentioned that the FDP focuses more on research and learning skills and the curriculum is structured to improve and enhance these skills of the faculty.

Professor P.D. Jose then spoke on the topic -‘Learning Reimagined…For the Next Century’. His talk revolved around massive open online courses (MOOCs), and how the education world is changing. ‘Today education is not just about passing information; as we live in a world where information is freely available. Today teaching and learning have shifted from being passive to experimental, which includes text-books, internet, social media, audio-visuals, etc.’ he said. He then discussed about the changing landscapes like Globalization—with fiercely competitive domestic and international student and faculty market; Greater global mobility of academics, students and academic brands;

Intensifying clamors—for democratization of knowledge and access; and Disruptive digital technologies driving innovations and offering leapfrogging opportunities.  Mentioning about the 21^st Century Learner, Professor Jose noted that we cannot make informed decisions or pedagogy if we don’t first understand why and how students learn. ‘Today the students are digital masters, visually oriented multi-taskers who look for personalized learning, who prefer learning for skills, and are impatient and always looking for new visual experiences.

He noted that the number of MOOCs has increased tremendously from the year 2012-2017. Hence, the space around which any faculty’s performance is judged is not just the school, but also the entire educational universe, where each and every student may learn even from the internet via MOOCs.

Professor Jose also discussed about the future of education and noted that the need for today’s education system is to work on reducing the marginal cost, provide good schools, faculty and infrastructure. ‘The future learning spaces would be built collaboratively with investors, edu-prenuers, technologists, and socially networked, digitally fluent and tech-savvy students’, he said.

He concluded his talk mentioning that the future learning will be personal, social and mastery based, collaborative, partnership driven; and legacy and brand would be important. This would help in creating a whole new range of entrepreneurs and new business models, which would be constantly evolving.

Tags: EducationfacultyFaculty Development Programme’IIM Indorestudent