The 360-Degree TPD Review – Part 2 (21.02.18 – 23.02.18)
Recast your current problems into proactive goals.
This advice from Suze Orman was the motto of the three-day TPD Review held during 21–23 February 2018. While the first half focused on what was and what could have been, the second halffocused on what would and should be. The ideas flew thick and fast, and the process was enervating yet energising.
Discussions to actionables, the journey was intense
The packed room had people from different teams with different ideas that will culminate in a richer course design in 2018–19.
The review found key areas for improvement across domains, such as instructional design, the need to increase the use of videos, the need to leverage technology better and enhance opportunities for practice-based reflections. The design of the course and the contents were highly praised by almost all.
The faculty members from CUT, South Africa, and AU, Delhi gave valuable suggestions as to how the RTICT programme could be improved.
In the second half of Day 2, members from the Technology, Implementation and Production teams, and members of partner organisations, mainly ITfC, worked in small groups, devoting themselves to one course of their choice. The objective was to lay out a clear plan of action with respect to the needs identified in the review by the team and the suggestions made by participants external to CLIx.
The ideas flurry: Co-construction is key
The teams came back with actionables and realised the need to reduce subject insularity in the design process. Day 3, therefore, was a day of ideation, design and inclusion. Everyone, every single person, had suggestions.
Oh the discussions! There is no way to encapsulate the passion with which ideas were expressed and received. Indeed, so many were the ideas that while a roadmap has been made for 2018–19 with clear goalposts, the discussions will continue through the 6 weeks of the review and will have all teams contribute to the course design. We are sure this will lead to a rich and robust certification programme that is truly innovative from end to end.
Only sleep halted these conversations
One must also admit that the review was not all work and no play. The evenings were mostly fun-filled discussions on topics that ranged from world politics to the most absurd movie one could watch to what ‘good food’ really meant and celebration of the UNESCO prize for Use of ICT in Education.
Constantly strive to improve, but celebrate your successes too
The TPD Review has begun the process of enabling us to gear up for the fresh academic year of 2018–19. The following lines from ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost best capture our spirit:
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Anusha Ramanathan Curriculum Consultant, English and TPD team; and Bindu Thirumalai, Assistant Professor, TPD team
