GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

AHMEDABAD

A

REPORT ON

GTU BRIDGE COURSE (2015-16)

PREPARED BY:

Dr. NITIN VIBHAKAR

B.E. First Year Coordinator

2015-2016

SARVAJANIK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY,

Dr. R.K. Desai Marg, Opp. Mission Hospital, Athwalines,

Surat - 395001

Gujarat, India.

About Us:

Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), is one of the prime Institutions

offering technical education in field of Engineering & MCA.

SCET being the oldest self financed institute in Gujarat, caters to more than 2500 students,

offering 8 UG and 6 PG programs in engineering faculty of diverse fields which are affiliated

with the Gujarat Technological University, Chandkheda approved by AICTE, New Delhi..

At SCET we have set high standard for ourselves in all our endeavors, and we aim at

achieving excellence by creating all-rounded professionals with a regard for social concern.

Towards this direction, efforts are being put continuously to adopt best practices in

teaching-learning process, keeping student at the heart and focusing on learning outcomes.

To align with our teaching-learning process, we have state-of-the-art laboratories equipped

with modern tools and techniques over and above the University requirement.

Role of Bridge Course

Aiming at making the engineering smoother for the entrants, Gujarat Technological

University has announced a 4 week bridge-course.

A bridging course is a university-preparation course with an academic curriculum that is

offered to mature students as a means of preparing for the intellectual challenges of a

university education. Its objective is to provide ample of time for the transition of students

from school to the hard-core engineering. In spite of having very good grades at Higher

Secondary Exam, students had long break since the month of April. Hence bridge course

proves to be a best opportunity for the students to adapt themselves to new social and

academic environment.

During this interaction of 4 weeks with the faculty and their classmates, the students will be

equipped with the knowledge and the confidence needed to take on bigger challenges as future

engineers of this country.

Course of Action Taken

Following was the course of action taken, to fulfill the objectives of the bridge course :

1. To frame the effective timetable to plan bridge course activities in scheduled manner.

2. Meeting with faculties of all branches for planning and implementation.

3. Village visit permission to be taken from concerned rural authorities.

4. Permission to be taken from Surat municipal corporation for tree plantation and

collection of 390 plants.

5. Arrangements with RED-CROSS Society to be done for Thalassemia testing.

6. Making availability of Expert Yoga teachers.

7. Planning of orientation program for guiding students for department and institute visit

on first day.

8. Arrangements for live telecast of Hon. Vice Chancellor‘s address to new entrants and

welcome address by college Principal and other authorities

Sample Time Table

Orientation Program

As per GTU guidelines for bridge course, SCET has carried out the following orientation

activities of B.E 1st year new entrant’s students for the year 2015-16.

Since high school every student is filled with exuberance, inquisitiveness to enter the

college and experience the time filled with anticipation, some anxiety and wonderful

discoveries. Undoubtedly first day of college is an enthralling experience for every

freshman.

On 3rd August 2015, new entrant’s students were guided by ASH department faculty

members, to find their respective departments and classrooms. Also, floor plans

mentioning class location were places on all notice boards, corridors and other important

places of SCET.

(Figure 1: Floor Plan of SCET)

Students were warmly welcomed by Principal and their respective head of departments

and class mentors with a welcome speech. They were given the information and

prospective of their branch. They were also informed about laboratories and infrastructure

available at out institute.

(Photograph 1: Welcome Speech by Principal & Respective HOD’s)

Later class mentors of respective departments took all the students along with them for a

college and their departmental tours along with library and canteen.

(Photograph 2: Department Visit)

(Photograph 3: Library Visit)

(Photograph 4: Canteen Visit)

Then, class mentors lead the students to their respective seminar hall for a live telecast of

the orientation program by Hon. V.C Dr. Akshay Agarwal (GTU).

(Photograph 5: Live Telecast of orientation program by Hon. V.C Dr. Akshay Agarwal , GTU).

After the orientation program, regular bridge course was started as per the time table. At

the very beginning of the course, every student was informed that why bridge course is

necessary. What is the structure of bridge course and what they will study along with the

content and syllabus of the bridge course.

Students were also given the time table of the bridge course classes respective to their

branches. They were even informed about the changes made in the curriculum of the

bridge course and the important and necessity of the charge.

Learning engineering

To shift learning attitude of students from rote learning to analyzing, evaluating and creativity

many technical movies like I Robot, Escape to Victory, Know Universe, National Geographic: Seconds from Disaster crash of the Concorde and certain other movies related to fields of engineering were shown to the students.

The purpose of showing these kinds of movies was to make students aware about the

strength of technology. And to teach them that technology must be used for constructive

work and not for destructive one. Along with the acquisition of engineering knowledge, the

discussion on the movies among the groups of the students enhanced their analytical and

higher thinking skills.

Blooms Taxonomy: Ways to Learn Engineering

Students were explained the steps of learning by Blooms taxonomy. There are 6 levels of

learning as following;

• Level 1: Knowledge/remembering ---define, list, recognize

• Level 2: Comprehension/Understanding---Use words Characterize, describe,

explain, identify, locate, recognize, sort

• Level 3: Application/applying --- Use words choose, demonstrate, implement,

perform

• Level 4: Analysis/ analyzing----analyze, categorize, compare, differentiate

• Level 5: Evaluation/evaluating---- assess, critique, evaluate, rank, rate

• Level 6: Synthesis/creating---- construct, design, formulate, organize, synthesize

Then Blooms Taxonomy: ways to learn engineering was carried out in all the branches by

respective departments like, to estimate the cost of industrial building (Civil Engineering);

to prepare best things from waste material like “Build the longest chain that will hold the

most weight” and “Balloon car” (Mechanical Engineering); to Design Temperature Indicator

and Light Indicator through “Voltage divider” and “Transistor as a switch” concepts

(Electrical and Electronics Engineering) etc.

Technical Disaster or Innovation

In this session students were thought about what is Disaster, types of Disaster. What is

Technical Disaster and different threats of Technical Disasters, The Technical Disaster

Management techniques. And finally a case study of Technical Disaster on Patriot Missile

Bug (1991) and Air-Traffic Control System failure in LA Airport was studied.

Then students were asked to give presentation on various topics listed by the GTU in its

bridge course under Innovation & disaster topics. The topics were distributed among the

students to find out their causes and later they were discussed in the class for their timely

solution to avoid any such disaster in future. This activity coupled with the innovative idea

provided a smooth gliding to the creative solution which is actually the objective of

learning engineering and that too fulfilling Bloom’s Taxonomy. All the Lectures content

were planned according to the fulfillment of the program outcomes.

(Photograph 6: Learning Engineering Classroom Session)

History of science & Technology

One of the major objectives of the bridge course was to make students well acquainted

with our ancient science, from where there seems to arise the science of things.

SCET College performed that task with the full diligence and thereby making students turn

to our ancient knowledge. With the various interesting and interacting group activities, the

students enthusiastically took part in making models and presentation of the same.

(Photograph 7: HST Activity - To prepare Paper Airplane)

Life skill

Life skills have given the actual understanding of Life because they have here understood

the ways to live peaceful life by Managing Anger, learning Human Values. They have enthusiastically prepared a report on Life Skill by visiting Spiritual & Human

Services Organizations. This activity has created utmost interest in the students.

(Photograph 8: Life skill activity)

Yoga

Yoga session was consisted of asanas and their importance in our lives. Students were

taught how yoga can change our life and how we should incorporate it in our routine. Following were asanas that were taught:

Pranayams: Bhastrika, Anulom-vilom, Kapalbhati, Agnisar, Bramri, Udgit, Ujjai

Shitli, Sitkari Nadisodhan, Karnrogantak, Suryabhedi, Chandra Bhedi etc.

Standing Postures: Garudasan, Trikonasan, Dhruvasan, Natrajasan.

Sitting Postures: Yogmudrasan, Baudhpadmasan, Vakrasan, Ardhmasendrasan,

Vajrasan, Kukutasan, Sidhasan, Kapotasan, Marjarasan.

Prone Posture: Naukasan (Viprit), Bhekasan, Dhanurasan.

(Photograph 9: Yoga Activity)

Village visit

Apart from class room studies, students were taken to different villages for visit, also tree

plantation and Thalassemia camp were arranged for the students in our college as per the GTU guidelines for bridge course.

The entrants at SCET, have visited some surrounding villages like Malgama, Segwachhama,

Bhesan, Barbodhan, Kharvasa, Bonand, Vaktana and Vadadala. Students have carried out

various activities like school cleaning, tree plantation and survey of village. They also

interacted with some villagers and prepared a list of their plights and how can an engineer

be a catalyst for bringing betterment to the village. Different points of view were put by the

students for the betterment of the life. The students worked in groups and discussed what

help can be provided for and how the people can be educated. The students were

motivated for working towards the ultimate society as a whole.

(Photograph 10: Village Visit)

Tree Plantation

(Photograph 11: Tree Plantation)

Thalassemia champ

(Photograph 12: Thalassemia champ)

Conclusion

SCET has successfully completed the bridge course and Bridge course in the institute was

welcomed with a positive note by all the staff members. New entrants got adequate time for

the transition to hard core engineering courses with the help of history of science and

technology, learning engineering using Blooms taxonomy, village visit and life skill. Bridge

course objectives are satisfied by well defined syllabus and set of rules given by GTU.

Students are made aware about multidisciplinary areas and their developments and

developed ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering identify,

formulate, and solve engineering problems. Interaction with faculties and classmates

remained outstanding. Students have gained practical knowledge of village people life style

and started thought process to solve their problems.

Following are the suggestion to revise the current Bridge course syllabus to make it even

better.

• Duration of bridge course should be reduced to 15 days instead of 30 days to

provide sufficient time for 1st semester teaching and improve their result.

• Focused revision of English language and Mathematics is required before teaching

engineering mathematics and Communication Skill in first semester.