Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) on Digital Archieves & Cultural Memory: Tools for the 21st Century Teachers

The Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) conducted by the Department of English and Cultural Studies from 17 to 21 June 2025 was titled Digital Archives and Cultural Memory: Tools for the 21st Century Teachers. Designed as a faculty enrichment initiative, the programme aimed to equip educators with skills in digital pedagogy, archival methods, and interdisciplinary tools relevant to contemporary humanities education.

This five-day programme brought together faculty from diverse disciplines and introduced them to digital tools that support innovative teaching and research. The sessions focused on integrating digital archives and cultural memory into classroom practices and aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

The programme opened with sessions by Dr. Rimi Nandy, who introduced participants to the concept of cultural memory in education. Her sessions emphasized the use of Story Mapping and Miro Board, two collaborative digital tools that allow users to visualize and structure narratives in dynamic and interactive ways. Faculty engaged in story-based digital exercises that can be adapted for student projects across literature, history, and cultural studies. These activities helped participants explore how digital storytelling techniques can enhance student engagement.

On the second day, Ms. Margaret Salve led sessions on Natural Language Processing (NLP) in the context of Digital Humanities. Participants were introduced to simple text processing tools and techniques that allow for basic computational analysis of language, with applications in content analysis, literary studies, and cultural data curation. The hands-on approach helped participants explore how technology could complement traditional research, opening doors to interdisciplinary possibilities in academic work.

The third day featured a practical session by Dr. Jibrael Jos, who demonstrated how Microsoft Excel can be used for Language Analytics. Faculty learned how to clean, analyze, and visualize basic text datasets using Excel. This session made digital engagement more accessible by showing that even widely available tools could support research and classroom data work effectively. It emphasized low-barrier digital adoption through familiar platforms.

Day four was dedicated to assignment review, group discussions, and recaps of the sessions. The faculty shared their reflections and discussed strategies for integrating digital tools into their disciplines. These discussions helped foster an environment of peer learning, exchange of ideas, and pedagogical collaboration. The openness of the sessions allowed for critical inquiry and customization based on teaching needs.

The programme concluded with sessions by Dr. Spandana Bhowmik, Head Archivist at Wipro Archives, who introduced foundational concepts in digital archiving. She discussed the ethical and technical dimensions of preserving cultural narratives, and walked faculty through the basics of metadata, digitization, and archival planning. Her hands-on session gave participants an opportunity to imagine how archival practices could be implemented in both classroom and research settings.

Throughout the programme, participants were encouraged to explore new tools, reflect critically on their teaching methods, and build cross-disciplinary connections. Assignments and interactive sessions ensured active engagement.

The QIP was attended by 8 faculty members. The programme significantly contributed to professional development, academic innovation, and the institution’s commitment to quality enhancement.