On 07-Aug-08, at 10:29 AM, Prakash Srinivasan wrote:
we want to re-orient the syllabus - that is the goal of NRC-FOSS,
and the
big stumbling block are the lecturers. Management want it,
students want it,
but lecturers are blocking it. So we are trying to get a few
lecturers
excited about foss - and very very few of these ever write code.
Recently [last week] we conducted a TTP in Anna University, Trichy.
The same
thing happened here also. Very few only came out of all trichy
surrounding
areas. In other words, I can say, the no of speakers were more
compare with
participants.
I would like to share an participant's feedback with all of you.
"In our
college we have an allowance scheme like if I will participate this
type of
workshop, then our college will give 500/- for me. I came just for
getting
my allowance".
How is it. But at the same time some others were really interested
in FOSS
and Linux.
in Kolhapur, 11 faculty came from outside for the 6 day workshop.
Each one paid 800 rs, they were all senior faculty and all of them
sat through *all* the sessions without break. There were also local
faculty and students who also sat through the sessions. Level of
interest was very high. This was because these 11 people had attended
the two-day workshop and got interested from that. The 2 day workshop
had been attended by about 50 faculty including these 11. Actually
many more wanted to come for the workshop, but did not get leave from
their colleges.
Its happening in all the TTP. The staff's only argument is, "why we
want to
learn a topic from out of syllabus". Still FOSS is an elective
paper. They
will not take it as seriously until it will be one of the main
subject in
their curriculum. Otherwise FOSS will be just optional. So try to
make it
as a compulsory paper to the final year students.
Whether FOSS is optional or compulsory, they will just teach it as a
tool - like they teach windows stuff. What we are trying to do is to
get a few people to become passionate about FOSS, and they will
inspire students - regardless of whether it is in the syllabus or
not. So, if I get *three* faculty in this region, I am happy.
--
regards
kg
http://lawgon.livejournal.com
http://nrcfosshelpline.in/code/
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