Finding Opportunities In The Challenges For Teaching/Learning During Corona Crisis

We're facing unprecedented times full of challenges and changes. The tragedy and threat of COVID-19 has forced us to adopt new ways of working and lifestyle. We have choices to either wait for the normalization of the situation, the time for which still remains uncertain, and delay the academic schedule or take this opportunity to strive for academic continuity using the advances in technologies for e-Learnings and e-Teachings.

Neither Corona crisis was anticipated nor the requirement for e-classrooms was emphasized. Hence the preparedness for this was minimal at large number of academic institutions. However, it should be appreciated that when the lockdown was enforced at all India level, academic institutes along with regulatory & examination bodies started exploring the alternate means to keep the academic continuities of the students.

Modern technologies offering virtual classroom environment with offered advantage of flexibility in time and offline access to the lectures proved very beneficial. However, it was challenge for the teachers to adapt to this new form of teachings and presentations.They had to adapt to the new ways of pedagogy through the digital education for an important link between course content, educationists, technology, and students. It needed different skill sets for converting the teaching contents in their minds or reference textbooks to e-contents, which are comprehensive, presentable and covers the syllabus on such a short notice. It was effort of substituting classroom learning with interactive live classes. For students too, the e-learnings offered a more relaxed and informal way of learning their courses. However, they need to refer to the test books or provided notes for proper coverage of the courses. Similarly, practical involved in different courses can be only demonstrated through the e-classes. The real feel can only come in actual practical classes and off-course virtuality cannot totally substitute the reality, like the computers can never be more intelligent than its creator.

For converting crisis into opportunity, access to different digital platforms, like Zoom, Lifesize, Microsoft Team, YouTube etc. have played a significant role. The few essential requirements for utilizing these tools are laptop or mobile with good internet speed and data capacity. With the digital boom in India, such facilities are no longer scarce and very expensive.

In short, though the Covid-19 has created unprecedented crisis globally, but the human beings can find the alternate ways to tackle the challenges with right attitude, determinations and use of the advancements in technologies.