BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEACHER
Careers 360|September 2020
Most engineering programmes hope to achieve what Jayashri Ravishankar does. Ravishankar, who teaches at Australia’s University of New South Wales, has found a way to keep a very large and diverse student body engaged by developing “research-led and professionally relevant” strategies that have now been adopted elsewhere. An electrical engineer with a special interest in renewable energy and micro-grids, Ravishankar earlier taught at Anna University, Tamil Nadu for a decade. In 2019, she received a citation from the Australian Awards for University Teaching for ‘Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning’. It acknowledges her as one of “Australia’s most exceptional university teachers”. She spoke to Careers360 about how engineering must be taught so that students are engaged and come out job-ready.
Pritha Roy Choudhury
BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEACHER

Q. You completed your graduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies from India. But you also went for another postgraduate programme at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. How did that happen?

A. I migrated to Australia with my husband in 1992, after completing my postgraduate degree at College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University. I received a scholarship from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, or RMIT University, and commenced my work in renewable energy integration. Although RMIT insisted that I complete my Ph.D. studies there, I chose master’s by research as I had a growing family with two kids of whom one was a newborn. In 1998 we returned to India and I continued working here till 2009. During this period, I was sponsored to undertake a part-time Ph.D. at Anna University. I completed my Ph.D. there in 2008.

Q. One of the comments in the citation describes you as a “tireless innovator”. What did you do differently?

A. When I joined UNSW in 2010, I faced different challenges compared to those in India. I was now teaching large advanced courses with a diverse mix of 150-250 local and international students. Delivering abstract engineering concepts through traditional face-to-face lectures in large theatres while also trying to cater to the diversity of students with a mix of cultural backgrounds and assumed knowledge meant students quickly became disengaged and had little interaction with their peers. This, I believe, prevented them from undertaking deeper learning, which in turn affected their employability.

Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Careers 360.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Careers 360.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CAREERS 360Se alt
The 50 colleges in 5 countries where most Indians go for MBBS abroad
Careers 360

The 50 colleges in 5 countries where most Indians go for MBBS abroad

Data on countries and colleges from the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) 2022 - the latest available - shows that most Indians who completed medical degrees abroad and wrote the FMGE went to five countries.

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2024
Foreign medical colleges: Look before you leap
Careers 360

Foreign medical colleges: Look before you leap

A close look at foreign medical colleges that thousands of Indians have graduated from shows that many are unaccredited, don’t have hospitals or even their own websites

time-read
7 mins  |
May 2024
'Either I clear FMGE or leave the country'
Careers 360

'Either I clear FMGE or leave the country'

After spending lakhs on MBBS degrees abroad, thousands spend years trying to clear the FMGE. That is the only option for Indian graduates of foreign medical colleges to build a career in India

time-read
7 mins  |
May 2024
Why hundreds of nursing graduates leave India each year
Careers 360

Why hundreds of nursing graduates leave India each year

There has been an increase in nursing institutes over the past two decades but policy gaps, lax regulations, poor pay and opportunities are pushing a large number of nursing staff to seek opportunities abroad

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2024
In Kashmir, why NEET and JEE candidates flock to private reading halls to prepare for exams
Careers 360

In Kashmir, why NEET and JEE candidates flock to private reading halls to prepare for exams

These are accessible round-the-clock, even on public holidays, have private cabins and booths, kitchen, discussion area and some, even places for napping

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2024
Battling despair and depression in medical school
Careers 360

Battling despair and depression in medical school

Long hours, bullying, lack of support make a difficult programme tougher for medical students. They hope for clear guidelines from the NMC

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2024
This father-daughter duo uncovered a scam in NEET admissions in West Bengal
Careers 360

This father-daughter duo uncovered a scam in NEET admissions in West Bengal

Several generalcategory students had secured admission in medical colleges with forged ST certificates. Ishita Soren spotted the names, and her father followed up

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2024
'Forced to take up bonded labour
Careers 360

'Forced to take up bonded labour

There's massive resistance to a state policy in Karnataka that requires even private medical college graduates to do one year's mandatory rural service

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2024
‘A routine circus': PG medical students lobby, move court to get stipends
Careers 360

‘A routine circus': PG medical students lobby, move court to get stipends

Despite NMC orders, many medical colleges still seriously underpay resident doctors and threaten them into silence. In government colleges, stipends can be delayed for months

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2024
Why Mizoram wants centre to take over its only medical college
Careers 360

Why Mizoram wants centre to take over its only medical college

Mizoram got its first state medical college in 2018. In 2023, it asked the union government to take over. Mixed up in this are questions of funding, MBBS seat distribution

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2024