GOVT. DEGREE COLLEGE, NARSIPATNAM
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
Best Practice I
Title:

Objectives:

Context:
The students of Arts of our college were found to have low competency levels when it come to the usage of ICT.  The use of power point, MS Word, Excel is not part of the academics of B.A students. To compensate this void of ICT Knowledge, the department has come up with this initiative of incorporating the ICT in their studies by assigning them with ICT based study projects of historical monuments particularly the temple architecture which is fascinating but very intricate. Since the subject teaching is mostly confined to four walls of the class room the process of teaching learning has become tedious and student tend to feel indifferent to the teacher’s instructions. This initiative draws the attention of the student towards the subject and also motivates them to learn more and know more. ICT is a major resource of the 21st century teaching learning. As the conventional teaching learning methods don’t suffice, this practice is a shift towards the blended mode of education which is practices globally and is in vogue.
Practice:
The students are provided with hand outs which include topics from History of Art and Architecture.  This practice focuses on the study of prominent monuments of India spread across its length and breadth.  Students browse the internet and get relevant information in the form of MS Word file typed on their own. They make a report on their findings from internet resources. The report includes basic information of the monument, the study of inscriptions available, its style of construction, design, engineering techniques used etc. Since there is a variety of architectural designs characteristic of dynasties, the students make a primary observation and list out differences between the monuments by seeing the photos available on Internet. The student comes to know apparent differences between the structures and then goes into the detailed study of the style of architecture. For example, there is a noticeable difference in the style of construction between the monuments of Mughals, Delhi sultans, Rajputs, Guptas, Pallavas, Cholas, Rastrakutas etc. The details such as the fortification strategies, sculpture, idols of lions, elephants, chariots, minstrels, dancers, idols of kings and queens(as seen in Lingaraja Temple in Bubaneshwar) are studied by the student.  Every student makes a presentation of their findings in the classroom. This activity is conducted at regular intervals. Skill acquisition through interactive learning is the main motive behind implementing this practice.

Evidence of success:
The students have found to become more curious to learn Art and Architecture which is otherwise an uninteresting subject to them. They have become able to distinguish between various styles of architecture. The students are now able to type information in MS Word which is indeed a great improvement. This practice has also honed up the presentation skills of students.
Problems Encountered And Resources Required:
The students lacked hands on experience of computers. However, they got used to it later. Popular internet resources came in handy to make the students understand subtle differences between various styles of architecture across the nation.

Best Practice II
Title:
Field trips
Objectives:

Context:
Students were found less receptive to knowledge imparted within the four walls of the classroom.
Practice:
Narsipatnam Degree College is located in the place of Historical prominence. The Department of History of the college capitalizes on this advantage by extending the teaching and learning to outdoors, namely the places of interest in and around the town. The students are taken out for field trips and encouraged to make a study of the visited places. They make their own observations in their notes and the same are deliberated in the classroom. This comes under the empirical learning which sustains their knowledge for years to come.  The students are periodically taken to nearby historical palces. There are some notable sites in the surroundings; they include the resting place of Sri. Alluri Sita Rama Raju at KD Peta and many others.
Evidence of success:
A significant change is seen in the curiosity levels of students towards history subject. The students are found to be seen inquisitive about the place they visited. The same spirit of inquisitiveness is exhibited in the class room environment also. History subject is known for its vastness. Without the spirit of inquiry and curiosity the knowledge can’t be amassed. This practice of field trips has shown the impact on students’ performance positively by inculcating curiosity in them.
Problems Encountered And Resources Required:
The department experienced paucity of funds to organize field trips. Important places of interest in and around the college have been explored and utilized for the purpose of study.
Best practice III
Title:
Competitive exam – oriented teaching of History subject.
Objective:

Context:
History has a considerable weightage in all competitive exams. The B.A students have an edge over students of other courses in this aspect. Strengthening the subject knowledge of our students enables them to achieve Govt. jobs.  There is a huge scope for this subject in teaching sector also. Students find good opportunities in higher education institutions after pursuing B.Ed, P.G. The main objective of this practice is to inculcate the taste of history subject among students. History is a much sought after subject in the competitive field. For example humanities subjects, especially History constitutes lion’s share in much coveted exams such as  UPSC civil services, Group I, II, III, IV and other public service commission exams. Through this practice the horizons of knowledge of students is widened. Thus the department imparts the subject knowledge overtly for the sake of employment and covertly for the sake of knowing histories, civilizations, arts, and architectures.
Practice:
The department periodically dictates questions pertaining to various topics of the subject to students. The students are assigned with the task of finding answers for those questions by going through different resources which can either be the textbook or internet or group discussion.  The answers are subject to evaluation and are discussed by the lecturer in the class room. This is a bottom up approach which is highly student centric. The Department of History conducts tests at regular time intervals which may range from a week to 15 days on various topics of the subject keeping in view various competitive exams. Questions are covered from length and breadth of the subject to suffice the required competency. The questions and their clarifications/explanations are explained to students through available ICT resources this enables them to retain the knowledge in the long run. The analysis of various Govt. job exam question papers is done so as to make the student confidence, competent and exam-ready. This department also invites successful aspirants for guest lecturers to motivate and boost the morale of the students.  The department introduces several online resources to students such as subject related websites, YouTube channels etc. Students are encouraged towards appearing in online mock tests as part of self-assessment. To avoid the tedium and humdrum of classroom instruction, playful activities such as quizzes, peer teaching are incorporated. Active students are rewarded with stationery and other useful items. The department of History is implementing this practice to provide free competitive exams coaching for students on par with the private coaching institutes.
Evidence of success:
This practice found to be helpful to students in boosting their score in competitive exams. Some of our students have scored good enough to secure a job. The students have come to know about various avenues of employment in the subject area which were earlier unknown to them. This practice promoted self-learning among students. This practice has brought in behavioral change in students. The students who were erstwhile indifferent to studies and lethargic to reading books began to use the library resources such as books, magazines, newspaper for their academic benefit. This practice motivated students towards setting a goal of their own, having a vision and a career plan at the early stage of graduation.
Problems Encountered And Resources Required:
Some students were found to be lacking basic subject knowledge. However, remedial classes for those were conducted to bridge the gap of knowledge among students. The department relied on various competitive exam magazines, newspapers and internet resources for implementing this practice.