Usha Rajaram
Areas of Interest & Expertise
- Literary Studies
- Film Studies
- Theatre Studies
- Pedagogy and Teacher Development
Biography
Before joining Azim Premji University, Usha Rajaram worked at the Mahindra United World College of India for twelve years. She has experience in teaching English, both language and literature, for the last 27 years including at Mahindra UWC College, Pune, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and Ethiraj College, Chennai.
At the Mahindra United World College, she taught literature and media studies, and served as Head of the English Department for ten years. She then took up the position of Head of UWC Learning, as part of the senior management team of three that helped with the running of the college. In this job, besides administration, she also looked at various aspects of teaching and learning, especially learning in non-formal contexts outside the classroom/regular syllabus, such as discussion groups and outreach programmes and evening seminars.
Usha is currently a visiting faculty with the School of Arts & Sciences.
Courses
Drama as Text and Performance
Students learn about the origins and categories of drama through ancient and contemporary texts and the conditions of production and reception of dramatic texts and performance.
An Introduction to Literature
This is a gateway course that conveys the excitement of doing close reading and literary analysis. It also looks at different genres and the interaction between the student and literary text, and the inevitability of multiple meanings and perspectives.