Subject approach

It is semester closing time in Indian institutes. We faculties keep pondering over the subjects and topics for the next semester. We try to be dynamic to keep in phase with the changing business demands. There may not be a change in the subject by itself but only the contents of it. The key questions are:

1. Do we adopt “inch wide-miles deep” approach for each subject or the opposite of it?
2. How technical we should be in treating the subject?

No business looks for a technical expert to solve all their technical problems, but only a smart employee who can think logically (in common sense) and work as a team to face the challenges. Organizations don’t conduct closed book exams for their employees for them to remember every formula of the subject. All that they need to know is the resource to which they should refer to when encountering a technical problem. In fact with the information explosion there is no starvation for technical solutions and support. They are available almost with no major cost. Added to this, like the pharmaceutical industry only tested and proven technology reach the industry hence majority of the problems they could encounter had already been tested and solutions found in labs before they were adapted in the industry. Such being the situation there can hardly be a case where an organization is struck with a technical problem which they plan to resolve by recruiting a fresh graduate from the university. On the other hand their challenges are the group dynamics and managerial capabilities

Hence my plan for my students is:

1. Adapt a “miles wide-inch deep” approach, which will give an overall exposure of the subject to the student. But without fail provide a reference guide for future use. What I mean to say is, provide the references to every topic we plan to discuss which the student can refer to in future when requirement arises
2. Make the classes as group learning sessions, which will teach them group dynamics in addition to the technical knowledge. One may ask, why not both? It is a little stretch as the GL sessions are time consuming and an involved exercise to be used for a high tech class
If anyone has a difference of opinion to my approach, I welcome the same