Teaching – Learning Methodology

Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) constantly strives to make sure that the management education is adaptable to the international, technological and dynamic market situations. IPE has a strong curriculum, a robust programme structure and a well defined pedagogy that is not only relevant to the modern times but also internationally competitive. IPE follows an interactive and participative teaching methodology which helps in the holistic
development of the student. IPE implements a right mix of teaching pedagogy. Faculty members make every effort to make the classes interactive so that students can establish a link between the theories and the practical examples.

The faculty at IPE strives to improve student learning by using a variety of innovative teaching methodologies that are available in both academic records and websites. In addition to teaching method, the faculty uses case studies, group discussions, role plays, practical project work, simulation games, computer based exercises and review presentations etc. to develop analytical, and decision-making skills. A judicial mix of pedagogical tools is employed keeping in view the industry requirements and employer expectations. A conscious attempt is made to evaluate students’ performance on a continuous basis through quizzes, group projects, assignment, project work, mid-term and end-term examination to ensure effective learning of management concepts and tools.
Mentioned below are few teaching and learning initiatives taken by faculty at IPE

Students through internship, business competition and entrepreneurship programme go through an experiential learning process. All the students have an opportunity to be part of one or the other experiential learning programme. Students gain valuable practical experience, understand more about the industry, develop certain key skills which are sometimes difficult to teach in a classroom. Students are also encouraged to take up real-
time consulting projects. Along with the vibrant consultancy division at IPE, students under the guidance of faculty members work on different public sector and private sector consultancy projects. These types of consultancy assignments provide an opportunity to the students to work with the actual company data and developand recommend apt business strategies for the company. These activities help in building confidence among the students, develop decision-making skills, and provide clarity in managing and executing different business strategies.

Blended learning at IPE is a mix of both conventional classroom teaching as well as online mode of teaching. The institute’s blended methodology combines online lectures, forums, and activities along with face-to-face lectures at the campus. Blending learning helps the students to attend online lectures from distinguished industrial professionals, corporate leaders and other established academicians who are located at different places through webinars / video conferencing etc. IPE has implemented flipped classrooms that give access to the students to e-resources. These e- resources include course material, notes from the teachers, videos, power point slides etc. The students can learn the different concepts through e-resources on a self-study model which is followed by an application based discussion in the classroom with the teacher. This helps the student to spend more time on discussing real-life problems based on the concepts.

The Institute follows a system of mentoring the students. At the beginning of the First Trimester, each faculty is appointed as mentor for 12 students. The mentor would extend guidance to the mentees in various aspects such as classroom performance, attendance, performance in examinations, identifying the slow learners and providing necessary coaching through tutorials to improve the performance, participation in extra-curricular
activities, guiding the summer internship project, guiding the long term research project etc.

The faculty assigns individual and group assignments to students requiring real-time industry and economy data from Bloomberg, Prowess and SAS. The students’ performance in such assignment / project is assessed and suitable suggestions are made for an in-depth understanding of the subject.

The first year of PGDM requires the students to undergo a rigorous learning of fundamental courses in management domain followed by a summer internship programme that helps the student to gain a hands-on experience in application of theoretical concepts and functional skills. Each student is required to undertake practical training in an organization of repute for 8-10 weeks and is part of the course curriculum. The project training provides an opportunity to the students to have a first-hand practical exposure and allows them to relate the conceptual and analytical skills acquired in classroom to actual managerial practices. Since 2016-17 academic year, the Institute has started appointing a faculty mentor along with the expert from the organization (where the project is carried out) to keep a constant check on the quantum of work done at each stage of the internship programme and aid the students in project preparation. On the completion of summer internship, the students are required to submit a report to the company and the institute. The report is evaluated by the faculty mentor and the student needs to defend the project before a faculty committee in
the viva.

Each student in the final semester of the programme is required to undertake a Final Research Project (FRP) under the guidance of a faculty supervisor. The student needs to choose a topic that necessitates the use of primary or secondary data, empirical analysis, qualitative interviews and use of contemporary tools and software. It is carried out in Trimester VI. As part of evaluation, the student needs to submit the report and defend it in the viva. The project submitted by the student includes the objectives of the project, quality of research design, adequacy of literature review, component of fieldwork, adequacy of data analysis, practical relevance etc.

The Institute encourages students to author publications along with faculty. They are encouraged to present publications in research conferences. They are also encouraged to associate with faculty in the research projects.

The Institute believes in effective engagement of students for better learning outcomes. The faculty takes keen interest in personality development and grooming of the student. The faculty actively engages in conducting the mock GDs, mock personal interviews and mock aptitude tests which help in getting better results in recruitment process.

The faculty encourages students to devote reasonable time to promote inclusiveness in society. The students are encouraged to conduct blood donation camps for the cause of Thalassemia patients. The students, through social club, are motivated to start ‘The Box of Kindness’ through which the students collect the unused things, materials from faculty, staff and students to distribute the same to the needy people. The students visit an
orphanage, invite the children to the campus, take them around the campus, engage them with entertainment, games etc., offer them gifts, treat them with empathy and host them sumptuous lunch with care and love. This initiative facilitates holistic learning with humanface.

The faculty use online learning platform like Moodle which helps in sharing of teaching material, student evaluation, assignments, quizzes and ensures enriched learning for each  student as the open source software has useful set of tools which facilitates collaborative learning which enhances the effectiveness of teaching and learning in an appropriate mode and ambience.