----- Original Message ----- From: "cornel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 5:05 PM Subject: Re: [goa-research-net] COMMENT: Research does count (Brian Antao, PhD)
> Frederick, > Apropos the comments from Brian Antao and in the limited time I have right > now, I'd like to say that as a university tutor in the UK, I had mature > students from India, including Goa, who were required to undertake degree > qualifications all over again due to existing non recognition qualification > rules. Such non recognition rules, I hasten to add, varied from time to > time, depending on the labour market, but they tended to have a significant > demoralising effect on graduates from India and I personally found this > very painful. > > My students from India, whether already graduates, working on Masters or > PhD work, and with excellent written English, found the UK system difficult, > until they grasped the idea that criticality was essential in the UK system > for most subject areas. Thus, from being used to learning for exams by rote > from one or possibly two prescribed textbooks, they were faced with a large > reading list and were required to criticise their selective reading in > arriving at a considered view when addressing a set question in contributory > coursework. This they found very challenging, and initially, fell foul of > plagiarism rules. > > They told me that what mattered in their earlier learning was the ability to > regurgitate, word for word, from books which were sometimes written by their > professors. They could not envisage questioning the 'wisdom' in books as > they virtually saw this as sacred and correct. In contrast, here we were > telling them that no text was 'correct' as such, and only there to be "taken > apart metaphorically" and especially, their tutors' published articles and > books, in an informed and considered way. > > The development of analytical skills as opposed to descriptive ones is > essential on a first degree course in most Western countries, and not the > accumulation of facts to be regurgitated. Our English/indigenous students > also find this task challenging, and, believe it or not, sometimes their > English is terrible! > > I am sure that change towards this orientation is fast entering Indian > university education, particularly, due to the challenge of globalisation. > I do want to add however, that the better Indian graduates had developed > analytical skills, notwithstanding the traditional pedagogy underpinning > their educational experience. However, in November 2000, when I travelled > around India, recruiting post-graduate students for UK universities, I > visited Goa and spoke to a group of Masters students at the University. They > seemed genuinly surprised when I spoke to them about how analytical skills > were enhanced in UK university teaching/learning and they felt that the UK > requirement, when contrasted with theirs, was incredibly formidable. > > I am merely reporting my experience and not making a value judgement in this > post. However, it echoes some of the points which I noted, when I quickly > skimmed through in Brian Antao's post. > Cornel > ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
