What is the Multi-Modal Methodology?

The curriculum and its methodology have been designed based on the industry survey. It is to prepare the student for handling the demands of the coming century. This approach is very clear in its purpose - that of providing the student with a better employment opportunity at the end of the course.

The methodology employs more than one (multiple) mode of training and is therefore called as Multi-Modal methodology.

This methodology comprises of:

• Concept Class: This is a theory class that will focus on the concepts. Wherever required, this session will also demonstrate how these concepts get translated into computer applications using the tool that they will use in the lab. This is especially true for programming modules.
• Practice Lab: This lab session follows the concept class. The students learn to implement the concepts learnt in the concept class using a popular tool.
• On-Line Training Lab: In this on-line lab session the students obtain extra knowledge on the tool by surfing through web-based pages and Lab exercise will be solved at the end of the session.
• Directed Learning Class: In this theory class, students learn how to handle interview style FAQ’s, clear their doubts and get some practical tips.

This is referred to as the Multi-Modal methodology. The entire purpose of this methodology is to make the student more:

• Concept focused and tool independent
• Adapted to real life work environment
• Confident

The Objectives Of the New Methodology

The objectives that have been kept in mind, while developing this curriculum are -

• Industry orientation
• Removal of redundancy between lab and class
• Concept focused rather than tool based, to offer life-time learning supported with diagrams and examples
• Practical use of tool and concepts
• Learning that is fun based
• Preparing students for the future by including sessions on the latest technologies

Description and Objectives of Each Component

• Concept Class Session (CCS)

  Tool independent concepts will be taught in the class. These aim at laying a strong knowledge foundation. It also aims at removing redundancy between tool related teaching in class and lab. However, wherever required the tool has been used to explain features which are specific to the tool. Further, industry-oriented applications where a concept can be applied are discussed at length. In programming subjects, it lays a strong foundation of logic development. The session focuses on answering the ‘why’s and ‘what’s behind a concept.

  Objective: The main objective of these sessions will be to strengthen the student’s grasp of the fundamental concepts behind any application or tool that he may need to use in his career. This makes students more adaptable to using just about any tool based on that particular concept.

• Lab Session

  In the lab session, the student is given a detailed, illustrated lab guide for 2 hours. This takes the student through all the steps that are to be followed to learn the tool. The concept class session has already explained to him the need for that software tool and the lab guide describes how to use it. It further provides retention value by providing a snapshot of what the student tried out in lab, thereby enabling revision at home, even if the student does not own a machine. The lab guide also provides ‘try-your-self’ exercises for ½ – 1 hour that a student can try out in the lab. This helps the student in consolidating what he has just tried out with the help of the instructions provided.

  Objective: The lab session allows the students to follow the detailed steps in the lab guide on his own. After doing about two or three sessions, the student will feel confident about handling the computer on his own with the help of a Lab Guide. This will increase his ability of self-learning and problem handling. It is this confidence that will help him the most when he starts working in a new place and a new job.

• Online Session

  Online sessions are conducted in the lab. The student guide contains instructions for the students, which are to be executed on the computer. Slides may be provided to the teacher to teach this session. This session is like teaching concepts, which has many instructions. Such a session would be best taught in a lab wherein the student has access to the computer.

  Objective: The lab session allows the students to actually see the output of the instructions given in the lab guide while the teacher is teaching. Subjects, which have lot of coding and instructions, raise the anxiety of the students to see the results while the teacher is teaching. Therefore, such subjects can be best taught with live implementation, which is achieved through online sessions.

• On-Line Training Lab Session (OLTL)

  These lab sessions are made up of ‘Simulated Surfing’, Solving exercises for ½ to 1 hour and “Explore the Tool”.

  Simulated Surfing comprises of HTML based simulated surfing to build on the knowledge the student has gained on the tool. It discusses more examples of the tool-based application. The student learns more about the features and functions of the software in a focused manner.

  A student is expected to surf or explore the tool in the first part of the session. The rest of the time the student attempts exercises based on his learning.

  Quizzes are used to assess the student’s understanding of the surfing component. Answers to the quizzes will make the assessment also a learning process. The student will also be required to solve exercises directly on the tool.

  Objectives: This session gives the student a lot of extra information, which, as a student of computer studies, would be great for him to know. This extra knowledge is a plus point of the new methodology. Besides, the information is made available to him using the interactive technology of HTML, which makes the reader an active component of the session. The student has to point and click at words and diagrams and not just passively stare at the computer screen. The text has been interspersed with colorful diagrams to hold the student’s attention. This will improve his reading capacity. These sessions will also make him realize that reading is one of the most common sources of gathering extra information, a habit that will ensure that he will remain well informed all his life, wherever he is.

• Directed Learning Class

  This class session should be used to invoke student interaction. Besides this, these class sessions may be used for practical aspects like showing the students how to connect different parts of a computer, giving a demonstration of how software is installed and encouraging students to give presentations, participating in group discussions and debates. This class also gives more information on what is latest in the industry relevant to the concept that is under study.

  Objectives: The objective is to create an environment for student relationship building and built in development of communication skills & personality through student interaction. This class will consolidate all the knowledge that the student has gained in the previous sessions of concept class, lab session and the on-line training lab session.