Summary:
The faculty provides teaching and learning following the standards of quality assurance framework towards achieving the vision and mission of the faculty by ensuring that competent graduates are produced. The progression of learning has been planned at the commencement of each level of academic programs by producing faculty academic calendars in advance and distributing student handbooks (faculty/department). Each module is conducted based on the module descriptor and weekly plans. The faculty ensures to provide strategies for teaching and learning which are aligned to ILOs of senate approved programs. The progress of students has been assessed by conducting exams and by providing examination papers. Deliveries of the modules have been assessed by student feedback forms. The faculty does not have any specific policy or guidance document in place for differently-abled students since it is a very small number and attended at individual levels. The faculty is enriched with blended learning includes library facilities, guest talks organized by student societies, providing free Wi-Fi service, and good laboratory facilities. Lecturers are disseminating knowledge through research papers and published books. The faculty encourages students in self- directed learning through introducing non GPA modules that cover humanities and social sciences to enhance their contextual understanding in respect of areas discussed. The faculty promotes students' active engagement in student societies that could promote cultural events and social activities that accompany lectures to develop student social integrity in the UOM sphere and society. The faculty holds an Annual international conference of Multidisciplinary Engineering Research in collaboration with undergraduates to disseminate new knowledge guided by the academics. Teaching and learning strategies include survey camps; group-based field visits activities promote peer engagement in collaborative learning. The collaboration of lecturers and students engaging in publishing their research in faculty organized research symposiums are in vogue. This is an emerging new culture in the faculty, which promotes and credits student research work.
The University of Moratuwa has developed its policies and strategies along with the corporate and strategic plans aligned with the UGC policies to ensure that Teaching-learning strategies are not gender-discriminative and abusive. Teaching and learning activities are monitored routinely for their appropriateness and effectiveness and all information is recorded in Minutes of the Faculty Boards and Senate. The teachers adopt innovative pedagogy and appropriate technology into teaching-learning processes and directed students to student-centered teaching-learning methodologies. Students are made aware through the orientation programme of the resources and services available for them for studying. All the teaching-learning practices are evaluated using student feedback and peer observations, et. The teachers use the information gained from the assessment of student learning to improve teaching-learning. Each department of the faculty appoints external examiners to evaluate the success of the teaching-learning process. Faculty have always tried to allocate workload for staff members fairly and transparently, and also equitable as far as possible. The process is monitored by collecting workload forms from each academic staff member annually. Staff performance appraisal forms, Staff increment forms, staff evaluation surveys, and staff meeting minutes of the departments make the process more transparent. The faculty has Teaching Excellence Award criteria which have defined a set of indicators of excellence in teaching to evaluate the performance of teachers and identify champions of teaching excellence and promote the adoption of excellent practices.
Claim 5.1:
University wide policies and strategies on teaching and learning are adopted.
University approves curricula for each programme, and this information is made available to the students.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.2:
Teaching learning process is well planned at faculty level and programme level to maintain proper delivery.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.3:
The University ensures alignment of ILOs with subject content, teaching learning strategies and assessment of its academic programmes.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.4:
The university does not have any specific policy or guidance document in place for differently-abled students. The university follow relevant regulations in constructing new buildings renovating/refurbishing of facilities. Steps are taken to provide the required differently-abled student support by setting up appropriate infrastructure.
Prioritizing for differently-abled is provided in the Accommodation/ Hostel Policy of the university. The university has had a very small number of such students, which enabled their requirements to be attended at individual levels; such as scheduling the classes at the entrance level of building, or getting them to sit next to a person taking detailed notes. This task is usually assumed by the year person or level coordinator.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.5:
University is enriched with various teaching learning facilities such as Library facility, Laboratory facility, Teaching learning facilities provided by student societies to support students, etc.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.6:
Teaching and learning; evidence of teachers incorporating their own research output and those in the public domain.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.7:
Course curriculum and delivery at the university often require strong teach-student and student-student interaction. Almost all course modules include continuous assessments and/or projects require collaborative working and student-teacher interactions.
The university has been using the Moodle for a long time. The system itself is built up with many tools for collaborative working and online interaction.
Many social events take place in university, which are primarily organized by departments/faculties. The university has introduced humanities/Non-GPA modules that promote the social skills of students. Nurturing an environment that will promote staff-student interaction in social spheres is one of the objectives set also in the University Strategic Management Plan.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.8:
The Strategic Management Plan of the University is stated as “Achieve excellence in research, innovation and enterprise with national and international relevance with global recognition”.
Key entities that facilitate postgraduate training, research, innovation and commercialization in the University are the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Office of Research, the Enterprise, and the establishment of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.9:
Teaching and learning process provide opportunity for the presence of peer study groups.
Evidence of Best Practices
- Group Projects and Competitions (only a few samples):
- Other Evidence of Peer Learning
Claim 5.10:
International annual conferences are organized by faculties/ Departments in order to create an opportunity to publish student/ staff research projects and also to obtain feedback.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.11:
The University of Moratuwa has developed its policies and strategies along with the Corporate and Strategic plans aligned with the UGC policies and formats of the Ministry of Higher Education.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.12:
All approvals/information in the teaching learning process are recorded in Minutes of Faculty Boards/Senate; Senate Curriculum,etc.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.13:
Teaching staff adopts a variety of teaching and training materials and methods.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.14:
University has adopted a student-centered teaching and learning process to ensure that students actively engage and interact with all prescribed study.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.15:
Students are made aware through the orientation programme of the resources and services available for them.
Welfare division is the primary source of information about such facilities. All, clubs and societies area administered by the Welfare Division.
Most clubs and societies use social media platforms to disseminate information and to attract members. In fact, Career Guidance Unit also use social media to reach students. Students’ feedback is directly incorporated to system by getting student representatives to take-part in meetings.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.16:
Teaching learning practices are evaluated using student feedback and peer observations, etc.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.17:
Need of evaluation by an External Examiner is mentioned in performance criteria. External Examiner reports and comments are taken
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.18:
Evidence of fair and transparent allocation of workload; Staff performance appraisal forms; Staff increment forms; Staff evaluation surveys;Staff meeting minutes. etc.
Evidence of Best Practices
Claim 5.19:
Policy documents on incentives/rewards/ awards for recognition of innovative teaching to encourage creativity; records of evaluation mechanisms applied; records of staff receiving such awards.