Faculty not trained in digital evaluation

Bangalore University is switching to digital evaluation from the current academic year. But the faculty are not yet ready.

It is surprising that the university has not trained its teachers who are essentially the digital evaluators. The evaluation of the recently concluded second semester undergraduate examinations is set to begin. The faculty who are to evaluate over 1.5 lakh answer scripts of 30,000 students, have no clue how to go about it.

Following the decision in the recent meeting of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council to digitise evaluation at all state-run universities, Bangalore University (BU) implemented the same, purchasing software from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, at a cost of Rs 25 lakh.

As explained by BU vice-chancellor professor K R Venugopal in a press conference recently, the scanning of the answer sheets was to begin on July 4, and it would take at least 10 days. Once the scanning is over, the university will send soft copies of the answer scripts to the respective evaluation centres.

Faculty members who are to take part in the process are not comfortable with digital evaluation. “We have been engaged in manual evaluation all these years. The younger generation can handle this easily. It would be difficult for people like me,” said a senior faculty from a BU affiliated college who’s been teaching for 21 years.

According to another faculty, digital evaluation will slow down the process: “As we are not aware of this process it will take time for us to get used to it. I feel training is necessary for teachers before switching to the digital mode.”

However, professor Venugopal justified the university’s decision saying there is no need of rigorous training: “This method is as easy and simple as operating a mobile phone. Before starting the evaluation process, the faculty will be provided a five-minute demo. There will be one operator at each centre for five to six evaluators.”