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    Pedagogy in Bangladeshi Private Universities: Context, Culture, and Confusion
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Mannan, Manzurul
    Although Bangladesh has had a long history of university teaching, pedagogy has hardly entered the imagination of university educators. Today’s teachers are yesterday’s students, with each generation being groomed in the same cultural patterns of learning that are continually repeated without examination. Higher education in Bangladesh must also contend with another type of cultural problems. The first of these is that students enroll in universities from three different school systems: Madrasah (religious schools), Bengali and English medium schools, each with its sharp, disparate worldviews. At the same time, the majority of faculties lack the knowledge of pedagogical methods for adjusting their teaching framework to accommodate the diversity of students’ worldviews to nurture knowledge progression in classroom settings. The second problem deals with students’ acquired cultural practices of rote learning and memorization by way of lectures and homework that parrots texts and lectures. In contrast, however, a university setting has been traditionally charged with and has the advantage of stimulating new ideas and knowledge, provoking assumptions, and teaching and encouraging critical thinking. The third pedagogical challenge also derives from Bengali culture, from which teachers assume a hierarchical mindset and attitude that is counter-productive to students’ learning.
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    Data Analytics to Improve Students’ Academic Performance
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Ahmed, MD Sajib; Ahmed, Khawza Iftekhar Uddin; Islam, Mohammad Tohidul; Sarwar, Miya and Hasan
    United International University (UIU) has been offering graduate degrees for more than 10 years. During this time period, we are regularly coming up with students who are suffering miserably in their academic career. In academic context, these students fall into the state of probation. A probationary state is when a student’s CGPA falls below 2.00. Every new recruit is generating a larger batch of probationary students. Observation indicates that students suffer not only due to factors relating to teachers’ quality and teaching practices; a lot of other issues like social surroundings, previous academic efforts, his/her real intention and other factors affect his/her performance. In this study, we would analyze some parameters of a group of students based on their historical data. Data were collected from their current and previous academic performances and survey questionnaires related to their habits and social involvements. Some data on teaching practices and delivery quality would be considered here. The analysis on data would help us to develop a model for prediction of students’ future academic result. This prediction will help students to design their academic career more carefully and help develop a better sustainable nation.
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    A Case Study of Flipped Classroom Model in Engineering and Business Higher Education in Bangladesh
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Miya, Mohammad Tohidul Islam; Ahmed, Khawza Iftekhar Uddin
    Industrial revolution spurred standardization of education and digital revolution fosters customization of education. Digitalization intertwined with the Internet and social networking drives the education platform towards a more student-oriented (self-paced) and problem solving learning environment. This study analyzes the implementation of flipped classroom learning model, in signals and linear systems course and in marketing management course at United International University. In this model, students access asynchronous online video lectures outside the classroom and participate in in-class learning activities assigned, facilitated and assessed by the teacher. Application of this model requires continuous online access and pre-class preparation by students. It explores the potential of extending the learning platform outside the classroom by course website and expands the scope of teacher – student and student-student communication by course forum. This model brings more rigor in the course content and design in addition to scope of covering more content by developing lectures online and freeing up the class hour for learning activity and assessment. It may create extra course load for the students and create resentment about the flipped learning model. The case study extracts several critical factors in teaching staff such as tech readiness, project/problem solving oriented design, and factors in students such as tech savviness, self-starter for a self-paced course design as imperatives for successful implementation of the model. The study recommends institutional measures (curriculum redesign, continuous and activity based assessments strategies, technology integration) to help enable the teaching staff and students with skills and attitudes necessary to scale up the model university wide.
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    A Reading Progressive Test: Assessing the Reading Ability of Upper Class Intermediate Level Students of North South University
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Hasan, Lumma Maisha
    It is imperative that students, especially at the tertiary level, achieve adequate proficiency in major academic skills like reading, and writing to be able to do well in different content area courses of their choice. Thus the need for EAP (English for Academic Purpose) courses is on the rise to help students improve their academic reading and writing skills. In this regard, effective and valid testing instruments are very important to measure the proficiency level of the students, and prepare them to become effective communicators in the future. The present paper presents a test designed for 8th semester tertiary-level students followed by a discussion on test design and presentation of the findings of students’ test performance. The study, in which twenty nine students participated, tries to find a correlation between the participant’s test score and academic performance. The literature review section draws on various theoretical evidences that expand upon various aspects of the definition of reading abilities. In the study, twenty nine students of an advanced composition course participated. The results indicate that most of the items had moderate level of difficulty and discrimination, and that academic exposure has very little effect on participant’s test scores. It also reveals that three of the questions require a revision either because they lack difficulty or they simply fail to discriminate between the top and the bottom scorer. The scores of the test and test-takers’ academic exposure had little correlation. Moreover, the participants having higher academic exposure scored a little higher than the junior students which could possibly happen due to their longer exposure to teaching materials and experiences. The methodology section contains a reading comprehension with 10 MCQ questions. It is to be noted that the findings of the test can be used as washback in that they can be referred to in the future design of reading tests.
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    Interrogating Pedagogy in International Relations: The Bangladeshi Perspectives
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Islam, Md. Shariful
    Is ‘International Relations’ really ‘international’? How is ‘International Relations’ taught in Bangladesh? Does it represent the contexts of Bangladesh? Or do we just imitate the West? The paper investigates these questions. The aim of the paper is to interrogate pedagogy of International Relations in the context of Bangladesh. The paper argues that International Relations as a discipline is basically about the studies of the ‘big powers’ or the ‘powerful’. The Global South including Bangladesh follows the Global North in case of pedagogy design which needs to be problematized and a pluralistic approach to teaching needs to be developed.
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    Distinguishing Whether the Emperor is Indeed Clothed: Revolutionizing the Classroom by Creating an Environment of Controversial Questioning Rather than Nodding in Conformity to the Dictates of Power Structures
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) McAlary, Katy
    Sex. Money. Politics. To ensure friendly interactions, this trio of “taboo” subjects is to be avoided in mixed company and polite conversation. Yet the ideas linked with the umbrella of these three are the foundation of personal ideologies, and tell more about a person than casual, “safe” chit chat. Classrooms tend to be safe zones, potentially stale with lessons in need of revival and void of controversy; but if the purpose of a classroom is to be an environment of learning, inspiration, and growth, why are such topics not included solely on the basis of avoiding difficult questions and potential offense? When taboo topics breach a classroom, oftentimes students set forth an opinion but they are unable to pinpoint where the belief set generated from. Ultimately identifying the source of a personal ideology is an essential point of self-reflection and personal understanding on the students’ part. Throughout time, social constructs have been forged by the dictates of social groups, religious doctrine, or political agendas that deem what is best for individuals within a society. And all too often, it is easier to follow rather to ask why we act the way we do and where the idea originated. Peeling the layers of personal philosophy down to its inception sets up a new platform for adding to or reconstructing the original belief set; thus, instructors should embrace the inclusion of these hard topics, provide information with and without bias for students to analyze, and allow the students to question and toy with their previously conceived notions and build upon their new ones. The value of individuals who question is critical to the progress of creating multicultural communities that choose understanding over misguided judgement. This, more than ever, should be the new direction classes should be heading.
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    Transformation of Academic Atmosphere: The Role of Social Networks
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Azad, Fahim Tasneema; Masoom, Muhammad Rehan
    Internal network among the faculties and the commercial industries in the academia often depicts a vivid picture of various processes and resources related to their professional activities as such. This paper explores the various networks among the faculties and administrations within the context of academia using a combination of social network analysis. In doing so, it uses a qualitative research method to study the impacts of various links within the network using social network analysis. Theories of Ibarra's model of personal networks of women and minorities in management, the principle of homophily (the tendency to bond with similar others), and Finkelstein's typology of colleagueship functions are used as the conceptual guideline. The study shows what kind of networks influences departmental characteristics, individual characteristics, colleagueship functions, and networking behaviors and the exchange of resources among distinct entities within the universities in Bangladesh.
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    Exploring the Role of Graphic Novels in Teaching at Tertiary Level
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Ismail, Arzoo; Saleh, Fariha; Choudhury, Tahseen Salman
    Although Bangladesh has made great strides in increasing the enrolment rate at the primary level, the question regarding the quality of education still persists. Be it the internalization of the classroom lessons, or the overall application of the learning in real life, or even the reflection of the learnings in the society at large – the list of issues that ensue does not draw an encouraging picture. No attempt has been found where a bridge is created i.e., what could be done in particular to improve the quality of learning so that the input (of students) in the higher education is upgraded. A study (IARE, 2003) showed that students can retain and retrieve information better when it is represented and learned both visually and verbally. This paper aims to analyse and discuss whether graphic novels can be thought of as a way out to improve learners’ quality in the context of Bangladesh. Bygone are the days when comic books were considered as entertainment for children only. The comic industry/ the pop-culture industry is now swinging young and adults in wider trajectories. Comic characters are now not just confined to books only but have also breathed new life into a genre of TV shows, movies, animations, computer games. This generation, which is drenched by comic culture, is now present in our class rooms and demands teaching-learning methods which will establish a connection between their personal life and academic life. Hence, educators need to devise new ways of motivating them in and outside the class room. Graphic novels can be thought of as an effective tool to stimulate students’ interest in the subject matter. The aim of this paper is to explore the scope for incorporating graphic novels in academic teaching and to analyse its feasibility.
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    Communication Management in Bangladeshi B-Schools: Acceptance and Resistance
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Genilo, Jude William R.; Quarmal, Sarkar Barbaq
    In Bangladesh, business schools in the public and private sectors are divided over communication management. On one hand, the more traditional faculty members see communication management as something natural, common sense and a waste of time to learn formally. On the other hand, professions-oriented teachers view communication management as an art and skill to be learned. Given the rapid advancement and increasing complexity of the workplace, they believe that communication management courses should be part of the core curriculum – a requirement for all business students. The paper, in light of this, looks at the ongoing debate about the place of communication management in business schools. The main research questions are as follows: What are the general understandings about communication management among teachers and students of business schools in Bangladesh? What are their perceptions regarding communication management as a field - whether to teach it, what extent it should be taught, what to teach about it, who should teach it, how to teach it and how to measure student learning? The study is quantitative, exploratory and descriptive in design. Being a quantitative study, data were generated through a survey of 100 faculty, 100 graduate students and 100 undergraduate students of private and public business schools in Bangladesh.
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    Incorporating Teacher’s Self-evaluation into Formative Assessment: A Study on BRAC DevPro Course
    (Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357), Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Mohiuddin, Mohammad Golam
    The paper is an attempt to explore the features of formative assessment when teacher’s self evaluation is merged with it. Teacher evaluation, usually by students and sometimes by senior colleagues and even by administrators, has been a typical process and a practice to evaluate teacher’s job success, particularly in private universities in Bangladesh. It is generally conducted at the end of the semester by the institute for executing its target. For evaluating students’ success, teachers use formative assessment to check on the progress of their students, to see how far they have mastered what they should have learned, and then use this information to modify their future teaching plan. The researcher carried out this study in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Course for Development Professionals (DevPro) conducted by BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL), BRAC University. The target group of the study included sixteen high and mid level professionals of BRAC International which sends its skilled staff to work abroad. As the institutional evaluation of the teacher by students is conducted at the end of the semester and feedback is received in the next semester, the same group of students remains unaffected by the evaluation. Here, the researcher as a teacher got a self-prepared evaluation form filled by the participants in the middle of the course. To reinforce the objectives of formative assessment, the researcher has integrated the findings of self-evaluation into the formative test. This paper, thus, provides the scope for students to get benefited from the teacher and from the course as well. The findings of the paper show very significant changes in the score of formative and summative test. The researcher, here, came up with the outcome that not only formative test but also teacher’s self evaluation can work as a suitable tool to develop the teacher himself, students and the course as well.