Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTUK) will the first university in the State to introduce outcome-based learning from the academic year 2013-14. The revised syllabus will be implemented in 220 engineering colleges and 33 pharmacy colleges affiliated to the JNTUK from the academic year starting from June, 2013.

In all, new textbooks will be prepared for 17 branches for the first and second years of pharmacy and the books will be sent to all the affiliated colleges by the time of reopening of colleges. With the Standing Council of Academic Senate approving the proposal tabled by the university officials to switch over to the outcome-based learning, the officials are gearing up to replace the existing syllabus with the new one. “The syllabus will remain the same, but the teaching methodology will be changed drastically. To make the teachers and students accustom to the new syllabus, we are preparing teacher content and student content books, which will become handy for them to switch over to the new system,” G. Tulasi Ram Das, Vice-Chancellor of the JNTUK, said.

Prof. Das said the JNTU Hyderabad and Anantapur were keen on emulating the outcome-based learning and teams from those universities would be visiting the JNTUK to get the details. “In the existing system, the education is examination-oriented and the students are keener on getting good marks rather than understanding the subject better. The new system prompts them understand the subject with special focus on the basics,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

Plans are afoot to make better use of the technology to make students of the affiliated colleges fluent in English language, communication skills and under special training in short-term courses related to engineering and pharmacy. “The teaching in most of the foreign universities is in outcome-based mode. Not many Indian universities evinced interest in this method so far,” says G.V.R. Prasada Raju, Registrar of the JNTUK.