New Zealand Universities struggle to retain rankings

New Zealand University Rankings...

University Rankings - Singapore

Singapore Universities best in Asia...

Global University Rankings - By Subject

Select Universities by Subject and Rank...

UK Universities - Seem to Follow Brexit...

UK Universities slip in Global Rankings..

University Rankings- India

Economic Times Reports
Nine of the 10 Indian Universities ranked 700th or above in the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2016/17 have lost ground compared to last year in terms of both academic reputation and employer reputation. 

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/54026745.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

India's Universities Low Down

Business Standard reports...

A relatively low number of doctoral students coupled with globally insufficient faculty-student ratio have resulted in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, along with six of seven top-ranked Indian Institutes of Technology(IITs), slip in the 13th edition of the QS World University Rankings 2016-17.

Business Standard Report

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University Rankings -World

Smart Education and New Skills Thru Internet of Education

Seeking Value in the New Education Model in Emerging Economies

Deriving Value concept in education is what leaders in emerging economies must embrace: Value is adding benefits at lesser costs (V = B-C).  The new educational model must  look to network innovations which are interconnected - connect  to  create value.

Cisco predicts that by 2020 there will be 50 billion “things” connected to the Internet, up from 25 billion in 2015. The future is one of data analytics - the need to mine and draw inferences on student performances. The new order provides an integration of faculty (human ) and the digital elements. The Educational Internet of Things (IoEd) would enable educational institutions to utilize software strengthened sensors, machine-to-machine conversations and learning. It will exploit technologies to harness and analyze data from the student world  and then use those analyses to add value to educational organizations.  

Enhancing value applies to any educational product or service:  An education institution might offer a product like degree/ diploma  or a given service in the form of enhancing knowledge, competency, or skill sets or just plain offer a given social good (churning out model citizens)- in all of these categories, there has to be value generation in the logistic chain. 

Tomorrow's educational entities will be in smart buildings (Smart education city) . There will be smart academic infrastructure. Educational development will be integrated with new smart cities. Such moves will generate value through greater economies of scale.

Steps essential:

·         The psyche build up to usher in innovative change.

·         Thinking  outside the usual framework- thinking technologically right.

·         Looking  beyond current knowledge base of teachers

·         Looking beyond current functional skill sets of teachers

·         Working with a technologically proficient team and partnering with innovative institutions to strengthen the capacity and to induce technological motivation

·         Have a cross disciplinary approach: What works in patient care works in student service. - Tender, loving care (TLC) - So one could borrow from other silos.

Hardware:

The new model has  to draw from the potential well of technology. Technology is time constraining and resource intensive. Technology intervention points are:

·         the use of laptops for elucidation in class rooms,( .ppt presentations)

·         watching videos/ you tube in classrooms,

·         coping with learning management systems,

·         engaging with peers on line for self learning by teachers,

·         engage with students on line, accepting assignments and course work on line.  

·         conducting on line tests

·         declaring results on line

There could be a host of devices deployed to facilitate e studies:

·         Laptops,

·         Chrome books,

·         Macs,

·         iPads,

·         Windows machines

For data analytics and predictive usage, centralization of data and of accompanying software is of essence.

Balancing between costs and mass drives at technology accessed 'in to' schools is essential to ensure the preparedness of students for tomorrow's jobs. Drawing in support from corporate entities to  usher in greater technological value build up in education is the challenge as resources are a constraint. .

Cisco identifies the following Skills in the times of Internet of Things 

Cisco - 21st Century Skills

•         Collaboration

•         Communication

•         Creativity

•         Problem solving

•         ICT proficiency

•         Critical thinking

Cisco - Global leadership skills

•         Global mindset

•         Languages proficiency

•         Cultural awareness

•         Team player

•         Professionalism

•         Work ethics

Cisco - Entrepreneurial Skills

•         Opportunity recognition

•         Self-direction

•         Persuasion

•         Planning skills

•         Risk taking

•         Resourcefulness

Cisco quotes top 10 skills for the future workforce

•         Sense making

•         Social intelligence

•         Novel and adaptive thinking

•         Cross-cultural competency

•         Computational thinking

•         New-media literacy

•         Transdisciplinarity

•         Design mindset

•         Cognitive load management

•         Virtual collaboration.

 The new model is about getting the people and process  in the act .

This is a part of the research work on the Internet of Education by the author. He can be contacted  at jaynayar@gmail.com.

Best Universities In Brics and Emerg. Economies

Towards Quality: Role and Responsibility of Lecturers

Towards Quality: Role and Responsibility of Lecturers

  

The purpose of this rudimentary Paper is merely to facilitate discussions on the subject matter and to attempt to understand and appreciate the expectations in regard to the role and the constraints testing a lecturer at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Some issues are raised here with the objective of provoking discussions and seeking solutions through collective wisdom.

The paper tries to set out the following:

a)      To identify the role and responsibility of a lecturer;

b)      For internalization of the context in which the lecturers are working ;

c)      To place the subject in its proper perspective with a view to initiating a discussion on the subject.

The Context:

A student remains with a school for long years. All the time, in school, he or she is receiving knowledge and ideas. Education at this pre-College stage has a special importance because in these years when the human mind is most impressionable, and also because most of the students will leave off formal education after completing class XII. The students are under the care and influence of the pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers during the most formative years of their lives. The learning there is of considerable significance to lecturers but is an exogenous and uncontrollable variable.

While education in the school level is primarily national and value-oriented, the education at the Professional College like ours is internationally biased and attempts to make the student a global citizen adding value to the business community who are our direct sponsors. The transition from the school to a professional mould is quite a challenge. The international targeting makes education quite different from what the students have been used to in the past.

Lecturers endeavour to train and mould the minds of the young people so as to make them worthy financial and / or information technology keen citizens. The training that we impart is supposed to accelerate the pace of growth of the nation. That change must make for a better and healthier nation. That means that a tremendous responsibility rests upon the lecturer to mould young minds into valuable assets in economic building.

 The Lecturer Perspective: The Limits to the Discharge of the Responsibilities:

The Need For An Attitudinal Change

There is an emergent need to be a catalyst for change: the transformation from a lighter syllabus to a heavy, voluminous, technical vocabulary driven context is a tremendous challenge before the lecturer. The difficulties of expressiveness and communication in the student tend to be impediments. They even appear to give the student a certain restraining complex even as he sets out for this great journey of learning.

The Lecturer is aware that he is a change agent here. Instilling an attitudinal change requires a conviction in the catalyst.   There has to be an attitudinal change manifest in the individual lecturer concerned; he (or she) needs to be galvanized with certain dynamism and a spirit of dedication that transcends the ordinary. There has to be a powerful motivation.  

The Need to Inspire as much as to Instruct

Educators are often called instructors, but the student seeks inspiration more than instruction perhaps in greater measure. The task is daunting when weighed against the background of the fact that at least some of the students tend to be working long hours before attending classes.  By the time they reach the lecturer, they are tired if not fatigued. This is an exogenous, uncontrollable variable. The lecturer has a motivational element to facilitate the absorption of complex tasks.

Need to Arouse a Scientific Temper

The need to balance between an exam driven student and the need to instill deep abiding knowledge in him (which his sponsor and our Management expects) is a challenge. To make the student mind dedicated to an evidence adducing learning is a cumbersome task. Given that reading habits are weak in the formative years, and that the influence of the visual media is pronounced, this is a daunting task. Despite attempts, sometimes, students still expect lecturers to coach rather than facilitate. The lecturer’s efforts to challenge the student to higher responsibilities of independent reading are fraught with mental obstacles in the recipient himself.

The need to post him for examination

This is what the student expects most in the lecturer. The student’s singular worry is how to pass the examination. The benchmark for the performance has also gradually turned to be the performance of the student as a group in the examination. This requires a certain re-orientation on the part of the lecturer by consciously driving towards exam focus rather than knowledge imparting. Are lecturers fully examination technique driven? Most lecturers would think so; but then are there reflections of such a belief in the ground reality?

The need to cover vast portions in given time frames.

In a given Semester (trimester) time frame, the balance between the occasional weak comprehensive abilities of at least a segment of the students and the short time frame is a matter of time pressure[1]. Given that students do complain about non- availability of time after class and office hours, over the last few years there has been a stretching of contact hours in all specializations: from MBA to Diplomas. This has to be viewed against the backdrop of profit motivation that is being suggested in the business development context.

The need for effective Faculty time

Sometimes faculty are burdened with correspondence and administrative duties at least indirectly. Faculty has to think, read and write to improve.

The need for Unanimity of Approach

The lecturers need to present a coherent approach with regard to the approach to the student community, particularly in regard to discipline. The Team View strengthens the students to respond positively.

The need for Coordinated Approach to Learning

Often, lecturers are seen to be working in departmentalized islands with a willingness but no-opportunity to share with colleagues. This is manifest sometimes even to the student. Lecturers may be observed not to move in tandem, but as departmentalized bureaucracies. Experience sharing is a regular event or a semi-annual event, which needs to be institutionalized. There has to be organizational memory and collective wisdom.

  

Need for Long Termism rather than Ad-Hocism

Gradually, there appears to be a short ‘termism’ in our approach to solutions and people. This has a brought about incertitude in the minds of the affected. As organizations are permanent, even if individuals are transient, there appears to be conscious need for institutionalizing long ‘termism’ particularly with the younger stakeholders. There is a need for identification with the institution in totality in case there has to be longer-term research orientation.

The Perspective Shift:

Lecturers need to move over to be a place of ‘excellence in knowledge’, to ensure personal development of both the students and the staff and bring in more confidence in themselves.  How exactly do we do that?

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[1] Selectivism in subjects / modules/ chapters may often misfire. So there is need for comprehensive coverage.

Comments on this paper may be sent to Dr. Jayaram Nayar at  jaynayar@gmail.com

Make in India: The Need for Game Changers in Indian Education -skill building

1. An emerging economy like India  has to accept the role of Internet of Things (IoT) in  education- beyond information and communication technologies (ICT)  . With  the global spread of the internet and the attraction  that the web holds for the youth, education needs to capitalize on IoT if it is to seek skill development to meet the Make in India objectives.  The reach of technology should help strengthen relevant skills for the twenty-first century.

2. Education has to move to eliminate  the obsolete and archaic methods of delivery. It has to upscale conventional methods to integrate ICT with learning and teaching processes. Good teachers make good students. There is a serious need to put teachers in India back on teachers’ professional development. The purveyors of knowledge  have to be equipped with new sources of information as much as the learners.

3. New technologies must lead to teacher and student motivation. Capacity building has to be accompanied by objective assessment and an ongoing learner monitoring mechanism. Technology has to continuously  interact with the learner and the teacher over a range of areas. Accessibility into remote and sociologically , geographically or economically weaker sections need the support of technology.[1] There is an element of 'educational inclusion' called for.  

4. Corporates like Infosys seem to be waking up to the need to leverage on the technological shift to the Internet of things.[2]  Infosys is set to identify and incubate about a dozen new ideas that could potentially bring $100 million each and a total of over a billion dollars in incremental revenue annually over the next few years, as part of a deliberate innovation strategy . Cisco has advanced quite a bit on education in the scheme of IoT.  

5. The Government of India has to seize the technological moment. It must evolve an organized mechanism by which it identifies new Internet of education ideas based on artificial intelligence, school delivery automation and Internet of Things. The Government of India needs to have national policies in education encompassing::

 a - Big Data Analytic:. With the advent of big data, the accumulation, inventorying and interpretation of education statistics would be a key issue.  Student behaviour and  teacher value building all would be converted to data bytes which need interpretation from a futuristic and additive perspective.

b - Robotics- there is likely to be a dis-intermediation of human intervention in teaching in more routine areas. Subjects that need vast tutorial elements like mathematics can better be handled by artificial intelligence. This is likely to excite young minds and avoid monotony to the deliverer of learning.

c-  Internet of Education : Smarter classrooms through sensors measuring receptivity and feedback dashboards. According to Cisco, the increased deployment will affect  in many ways. The Internet of Everything (IoE) "is revolutionizing the way ... It's resulting in better, more reliable service, consumer empowerment and improved capacity and efficiency ..."[3] The Internet of Education has to capitalize on the digital developments. 

d - Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMs) – transfering information between the worlds of the physical and the digital.

e-  Nano-technology : Miniaturization of devices. As nano-material availability increases, miniaturization will thrive.  

f-  Working towards a cloud platform for the education industry.   

g - An ecosystem of partners   from education providers to technology providers

h-  Applying Mobile technology to spread education.

Countries like Taiwan, Korea are able to become leaders in the electronic industry but India has to cover a longer ground although it has more entrepreneurs than these countries, along with skilled labor force.[4] Taiwan, Korea and China have massive government funding of strategic industries. Government and corporates need to finance IoEd university research, finance breakthrough research, help in education patents,   and help in setting up a massive ecosystem for education.  

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[1] http://www.unicef.org/education/files/Making_Education_a_Priority_in_the_Post-2015_Development_Agenda.pdf

[2] http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-04-07/news/60902939_1_ceo-vishal-sikka-michael-reh-navin-budhiraja. Vishal Sikka's strategy sees Infosys shift focus to Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, Anirban Sen, ET Bureau Apr 7, 2015, 02.49AM IST

[3] http://www.smartgridnews.com/story/50-billion-connected-iot-devices-2020/2015-04-21

[4] India Insight, Ecosystem for “Make in India” does not exist: Rajeev Karwal of Milagrow

By Reuters Staff http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2015/02/25/ecosystem-for-make-in-india-does-not-exist-rajeev-karwal-of-milagrow/ February 25, 2015

Europe is frozen in the past....

Why Europeans have a reason to be afraid of things...

Europe is in the throes of anxiety, nay fear. Fear of the future.  "Fear creates its own fears which are more fearsome than fear itself."(Author unknown) 

• ·         Saturday evening , Germans marched in Berlin, Munich and other cities, protesting the US -EU Free Trade pact - Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
• ·         Last week a lady showered confetti at Draghi, the ECB President protesting ECB policies.
• ·         On the day ECB's new premises was to open in March 18, Europeans took out protest processions decrying austerity measures.
• ·         In Greece, as in the more afflicted parts of Europe, the leftists seem to be on the ascent and the masses have been quite restive.
• ·         All these are indicators of resentment among the masses. Rising anxieties at the future of Europe among the youth is spilling on to the streets.
•  

Europe today appears steadily moving into shades of oblivion. Europe's big companies like Ericsson and Nokia are no more the  great  brands they once used to be.  Italians, (remember Ariston?) once reputed for their industrial prowess is faltering between scandalous politicians and declining growth. Europe's big airlines, representative of the services industry,  have faltered; Qatar, Emirates and Etihad Airlines with their latest big spaced aircraft have given British Air, Lufthansa  and Air France a run for their money. The Japanese cars have taken over the mid-size segment threatening to leave Fiat in to probable memories of another period. The European brands that are most reputed are targeted at high net worth customers ( Mercedes Benz, BMW Louis Vuitton).  China by contrast, has become the world's workshop supplying cheap goods to an aspirant middle class. 

Europe's educational system has been unable to attract talent as US or even Canadian universities do. Except perhaps UK Universities and some European Universities like Sorbonne or Erasmus, international students do not see these academic places as first choice destinations. The 'auslander' (outsider) fear among students is real both on language and cultural divergence in Germany for example. The American Universities, by contrast are seen by the international student as great place of learning and freedom of academic thinking.

The digital era seems to have a follower not a leader in Europe. The Europeans have been unable to re-create the industrial revolution era in this age of the digitalization. Its IT companies are largely less known for break through innovation.  Countries like India had seized the opportunity while Europe which really has time zone advantage has not been so swift.

Europe has been rather non receptive and patronizing to immigration. USA has , on the contrary been a net recipient of talent. Its Universities have always welcomed innovative brains. US immigration policies have been supportive of retention of talent to assist economic growth. Parts of Europe , on the other hand, have earned a reputation of shades of 'Teutonische Arroganz' in its approach to outsiders. At best,  there is an element of patronage of the less fortunate. Having earlier been great mechanical engineers and ship builders,  Europeans had been reputed to be innovative and  many several countries have prospered as colonialists in the bygone, prosperous days. Some of the economies have built the edifice of their economies on the drain of wealth from the colonies. These colonial flow sources have been dry for over 60 years now.  Old colonies like India have risen from the embers of colonialism to take up commanding heights of the global economy while Europe has to live on past glory.

Spearheaded by China and India, the fulcrum of the World growth has now largely shifted to Asia. The central banks of Asia hold trillions of dollars and Europe in their kitty. Given the lack of cohesion in thinking and the delayed decision taking seen in Europe, Europe is no more so dominant a power on the world scene. From Iceland to Ireland to Italy there are pronounced weaknesses. Fears of a Japan like fall into prolonged recession haunts even as there is dithering over Greece for nearly three years!. To be Quantitative easing or not to be took several months to arrive at a decision. It cannot arrive at any consensus or  alternatively, a bold decision over Greece. All Europe does is to contribute to market volatility over several years! The world needs to move beyond Greece even if Europe is inefficient. Greece is too small to matter.  

Europe needs to rethink its approach to men and machines.  It can survive, like UK,  only with transatlantic support. US remains a leader who is far ahead in innovative breakthrough technology. From Coca Cola to Google to Facebook to Twitter to Intel it is US brands all the way in relevant consumer markets. The Americans are affording an opportunity to Europe to still retain relevance. Europe is still frozen in the past. Like the ostrich it has its head in the sands.

Without any risk or responsibility....

The Internet of Education as a Curator

The Office of the Office of Educational Technology (United States Department of Education)  has come out with a remarkable work: 'Ed Tech Developer’s Guide'[1] The Report identifies 10 opportunities  and suggests in pragmatic wisdom as to  what can be done: Meaningful excerpts  which have universal  applicability including to emerging economies are attempted below:  

No	Opportunity	What can be done  by technology
1	Improving Mastery of Academic Skills	Apps to teach- To practice in realistic settings - interactive simulations- Think beyond delivering content—Tools that enable students to build and create-Projects that encourage deeper exploration of a particular topic - Merging teaching and assessing to pinpoint knowledge gaps - Probes of understanding - identifying competencies through formative assessments. - Educational games -Immersive learning experiences - Creating apps that put research-based methods into practice.
2	Developing Skills to Promote Lifelong Learning	Identify non-cognitive skills and behaviors - Believe that intelligence is malleable rather than fixed -Frame mistakes as opportunities to learn - Reward students who persist through solving difficult problems.   (Non-cognitive skills such as perseverance, self-regulation, and effective strategies -Enhance student motivation and engagement )
3	Increasing Family Engagement	Engage families through technology- Provide information to caregivers about student progress and homework in near real time and in languages spoken at home- Tool on a smart phone or in an offline mode for homes without an Internet connection- Help parents stay involved in their children’s school activities while balancing work or other responsibilities- Cultural orientation for new comers
4	Planning for Future Education Opportunities	Financial aid navigators- Course planners, Remote college counseling- College-to-career maps -Students plan for future - Future education plans- Helping school counselors increase both the reach and amount of support counselors- (Imagine  a “jobs available at graduation” tool that uses labor statistics about job growth-  Tools that interface with college course catalogs- Interactively plan various paths to college completion. Communicate with alumni so they can gain perspective and advice.
5	Designing Effective Assessments	Tools to help  teachers create and share formative assessments-Automate grading- streamline feedback -Expanding assessment item types (beyond multiple choice questions, etc.) - Detailed understanding of what students know and can do- Simulations- Heat maps- Ranking - Digital assessments--Measuring  non-cognitive skills (such as persistence, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking).
6	Improving Educator Professional Development	Connect educators with each other and to educational experts-Help teachers reflect on their own practice- Provide educators support to master new strategies, techniques and tools - Available on-demand-  Differentiate for a range of levels of readiness and expertise - Curate content so teachers can find appropriate support and ideas -Showcase content-Specific best practices- Aligning tools and resources to relevant professional standards-Designed according to principles of adult learning and foster a growth mindset
7	Improving Educator Productivity	Streamline workflow- personalize instruction- Needs of diverse students- Create and share Lessons-Effectively adjust instruction, teachers need to track student progress and identify areas of struggle- Student performance data   in real time-identify important trends- Design tools that organize data visually for easier interpretation. -Share learning resources aligned with curricular standards.
8	Making Learning Accessible to All Students	The human-machine interface- Multiple ways for users to interact with and respond-  Interoperate with a screen reader- Advantage of accessibility settings in device operating systems-   Solving fundamental access problems in communication, organization, and social interaction is better- Delivery of learning must not clutter or confuse the delivery itself-  settings or controls within a separate functional area of the tool.
9	Closing Opportunity Gaps	Training for open education resources (OER),  - Curate content verified for quality and standards alignment -Curricular content to improved teaching practices -Leverage the usefulness of Internet connectivity- Equity of technical accessibility in  designing products- Slower systems should be able to access and experience application or service with the same ease as those using more cutting-edge technology.
10	Closing Achievement Gaps	Make a difference- Helping teachers- Involving Parents- Strengthening non-cognitive skills- Targeting academic subjects-Improving accessibility - Promote equal education opportunities for all.

  

This reading is a part of the literature survey  on the 'Internet of Education in Emerging Economies' Research by the author, Jayaram Nayar. He can be contacted at jaynayar@gmail.com

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[1] U.S. Department of Education (2015) 'Ed Tech Developer’s Guide' http://tech.ed.gov