Rebooting Education: E-Learning rises to the challenge

“How should educational institutions cope up with the brimming effects of the lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic?” This question created ripples across the education sector when the virus took a toll on the lives of people across the globe. As we grappled with the effects of the pandemic, educationists worked towards serving the best interest of the students by strengthening the virtual modes of learning. Undeterred by the impact of the novel coronavirus, educational institutions are today at the brink of a new revolution, popularly known as e-learning.

Whenever a pandemic like this has hit the world, communities have risen to the occasion by finding long-lasting and sustainable solutions to defeat such grim situations. Rebooting education to a whole new system of e-learning is an answer to how we as a community should prepare ourselves to embrace and adopt an innovative approach to the conventional methods of learning.

As we witness this transition, EdTech platforms have already begun to seize the moment and are trying to fill the vacuum created by the closure of educational institutions. The institutions of higher learning, on the other hand, have supported these platforms whole-heartedly and created a 360-degree educational module that is easily accessible to the students, no matter which part of the world they belong to.

The EdTech platforms are not only offering a holistic approach towards education but also providing a plethora of professional courses to gain expertise in several fields of practice for the students. Digital tools also enable conducting webinars, online practical sessions and preparing video capsules explaining a part of the curriculum. Some universities have also developed mobile applications for their students to make the learning experience more enriching.

Challenges

Amidst e-learning becoming a new normal, there are several challenges too that educational institutions need to address before adopting it as a roadmap for future learning. This new trend of learning has created a sense of insecurity amongst the teachers. While many of them are still struggling to come to terms with the change, some are predicting e-learning as a threat to their jobs. Lack of training and demo sessions with the teachers is another hurdle that we need to surpass as soon as possible to harness the benefits of this new transition.

Basic queries of maintaining discipline in virtual classrooms and ensuring 100% attendance stay relevant until we prepare a skilled workforce to work in tandem with these new changes. While teachers continue to play a vital role in imparting education to the students, institutions need to prepare a fine-print of the new education modules to help their faculty in adapting to the changes swiftly.

Right now the priority for us should be to stay sane and maintain a work-life balance. It is also important for educators and institutions to treat the emotional health of the students as a priority by staying in constant touch with them and providing counselling if needed. We must realise that staying virtual is the new reality and is here to stay for much longer than expected.

(The author is Vice Chancellor, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies)