Teaching Philosophy

I strongly believe that teaching and learning are two entangled states that affect one another significantly when the other is altered slightly. In this regard, the challenges in teaching are not the challenges that are faced by a teacher, such as managing tutors, engaging classroom, etc.; nevertheless, the actual challenges are associated with the learning of students, namely constructive alignment of a unit, inculcating authentic and real-world learning, asking challenging questions and promoting learning by doing. The constructive alignment of the course topped in a survey result which was conducted among students to identify what factors influence satisfaction in the course. It is important from a student's perspective because the alignment serves as a blueprint to achieve the expected learning objective. That is, the alignments guide students on which lecture helps solve which assignment. As I identified the actual satisfaction parameter, I will give at most importance to the course alignment. Then, ensuring authentic and real-world learning is crucial because in Engineering mere theory does not help students to solve real-world problems. The higher the chance for real-world learning in a unit, the more scrupulous the Engineer will be in the unit (K1). For example, mere mathematical proofs do not nurture real-world security in the Information Security discipline. So to solve the challenge of ensuring real-world learning in my teaching, I will give simulation exercises in assignments and case studies to promote the learning. Another important challenge in teaching I believe is asking challenging questions because basically, questions act like weapons to seek answers. The greater the depth and intricacy of questions, the higher the level of understanding attained in learning. Knowing the wisdom gained by good questions, I will ask great questions in my future Information Security unit, like how a quantum adversary can break the present security system rather than asking why a quantum adversary can break the present security system (K1). Finally, I believe that one of the challenges in teaching is promoting learning by doing since it requires students to be involved completely (K2). Subjects related to electronics and information security are underpinned with more practicals, e.g. printed circuit board design and security testing. So doing more laboratory work will help students to learn the concepts in a better way. Therefore, to enforce learning by doing, I will give mini-projects that are associated with laboratory work in my future units (V1).

I firmly believe that assessment drives learning (Brown, Sally (2005)) because evaluations are framed according to the expected learning outcomes of units. Basically, evaluations are done to check whether or not intended learning happened and to foster learning in a unit. However, if the assessment is done only once at the end of the semester, students will understand their mistakes based on the feedback of the assessment. However, learnings nurtured from the mistakes will not give any opportunity for students to improve on the assessed unit. So if the assessments are split into several and made continuously, it will serve as a feed-forward mechanism (Cathcart et al. (2014)). The mechanism will cater to learning in students on the assessed subjects. Therefore, I will use multiple, continuous, interlinked assessments in my future teaching unit to drive learning instantly among students (V1). Further, I believe that peer instruction promotes valuable learning. Learning from mistakes is time-consuming, and sometimes the mistakes may be intolerable to others. But with peer learning, time is always optimized, and many of the intolerable mistakes can be avoided. For example, asking for suggestions and clarifying doubts from a senior tutor on skeptical actions in a unit by a new tutor is valuable learning nurtured out of peer learning. So I strongly follow and promote peer learning in my teaching and learning journey. Also, I believe that self-assessment is a crucial tool to learn about uncertain parameters and to build self-efficacy (individual belief). Boosting self-efficacy in an individual is vital because it is instrumental for goal attainment (Greer et al. (2016)). For example, a faculty can self-assess about his/her teaching by informal feedback from students (K3) to learn about the reachability of teaching. Similarly, students can learn from their mistakes themselves if they self-assess by practicing old question papers. By learning how to avoid mistakes, students could boost their self-efficacy. Eventually, that would help them to score more in examinations. As self-assessment plays a vital role in individual learning, I will practice self-assessment myself and suggest self-assessment to students for better learning.

--- Evaluated by Higher Education Academy, UK for Associate Fellowship of Basker Palaniswamy (N9584901).