Delhi University to Increase Batch Strength of Tutorial Classes – News18

Delhi University recently announced that the strength of lecture classrooms for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes will continue to stand at 60 and 50 students, respectively. However, there is an increase in the capacity of tutorial and practical classrooms, growing from a smaller group of 10-12 students to around 20 for the upcoming academic year, as per a report published by Indian Express.

Last year, Delhi University established classroom sizes for undergraduates at 60 for lectures, 30 for tutorials, and 25 for practical sessions. Similarly, for postgraduate programmes, the class sizes were set at 50 for lectures, 25 for tutorials, and 15-20 for practicals.

While some faculty members consider this adaptation necessary to accommodate a larger student population, specific students at Delhi University voiced apprehensions about the potential influence on the quality of education offered during tutorial sessions. According to Delhi University students, the enlargement of batch sizes, particularly in tutorial sessions, could potentially deter students from freely asking questions to their professors.

What sets a tutorial apart from a lecture?

In 2019, Delhi University implemented the Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF), aiming to provide students with a comprehensive educational experience. The LOCF not only delivers knowledge in higher education but also stresses the practical application of knowledge through hands-on experiences and real-life situations. To ensure effective integration of the LOCF, the university also conducts tutorial sessions, distinct from traditional lectures.

In the post-Covid era, many students exhibit different attention spans compared to that of the students during the pre-Covid period. This is particularly noticeable among batches accustomed to online classes and fewer in-person lectures.

Earlier, Delhi University’s Executive Council member Seema Das had said that the varsity has fixed 60 students per batch for lectures, 30 for tutorials, and 25 for practical classes in undergraduate programmes. Earlier, the number of students in lectures in graduate courses was fixed at 40 and for tutorial and practical classes, it was 8 to 10 and 15 respectively.