NU’s innovative approach to application based learning

One evening, while walking through the lobby of the Academic Building, Parimal Mandke, Professor and Vice President of NIIT University (NU), heard a student sobbing.

Concerned for the student’s well-being, Prof Mandke approached her. The conversation that transpired that evening between Prof Mandke and the student led to the birth of the Nano Electronic Premier League (NanoEPL), NU’S innovation in teaching-learning methodology.

Sandhya, a first semester BTech ECE (Electronics & Communication Engineering) student, was disappointed at herself for getting poor grades in Electrical Science, which was a first for her. This was no surprise. Taught by an excellent PhD alumnus from IIT, Electrical Science, by nature, was one of the toughest courses at NU that most students struggled with.

Prof Mandke decided to introduce Sandhya to a Professor Mentor, who was himself a PhD alum in Electrical Engineering from IIT. Passionate about helping students overcome their academic challenges, the Professor Mentor spent some time understanding Sandhya’s academic challenges.

This discussion led to a serious brainstorming session on how a ‘one size fits all’ teaching approach is flawed. Our aim, after all, was to teach so students would learn.

Later that year, a prototype of the NanoEPL was introduced to 200 students. The NanoEPL was a one-of-a-kind amalgamation of knowledge and application-based learning process. It would provide students with an opportunity to unleash their creativity and put their learnings to practice by competing against each other in teams.

The classrooms were bustling with excitement when the NanoEPL was announced. The students’ faces were alight with enthusiasm when the final presentation and rapid fire rounds were held in the auditorium.

Since the first NanoEPL that was held in 2017, the NanoEPL has undergone many changes. Today, it has been rechristened the ‘Learning Premier League’ (LPL). The LPL is now an annual academic event that students partake in their first year at NU.

At NU, we recognise that all students don’t learn in the same ways. We are committed to discovering new ways to make learning exciting and making it a space where students with all types of learning styles can thrive.