The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a nationwide lockdown, leading to the closure of various educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and coaching centers. To ensure that learning doesn’t come to a halt, these organizations are rapidly embracing e-learning methodologies.
E-Learning Techniques Adopted
A variety of diverse e-learning techniques have been adopted by different institutions to facilitate continued education. Platforms like YouTube, the Zoom app, and Google Classroom are finding considerable usage among various schools and colleges. Moreover, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan is leveraging its SWAYAM Prabha portal, which offers lectures both through direct-to-home (DTH) and online mediums, to help students continue their academic pursuits. Some states are even seeking partnerships with Doordarshan to overcome access barriers.
However, the sudden shift to this mode of education presents numerous challenges for teachers, students, and parents, primarily concerning technological accessibility and working knowledge of these platforms. This also hampers the complete assessment of the effectiveness of the online instruction provided.
Challenges Faced
Not all students possess personal devices like laptops or tablets, which are essential for e-learning. Frequently, parents who are working from home utilize these devices, leaving limited or no access for children. Teachers are also concerned about unwanted distractions from other applications on smartphones, which many students use for these classes.
Moreover, technical constraints are not uncommon among teachers, and even if they are technologically equipped, the same might not apply for their institutions. The lockdown only exacerbates these issues by limiting options for technical support and repairs. Simultaneously, parents are struggling to acclimate to this new system, and the increased household chores due to the absence of house-help add to their stresses.
Subjects requiring practical experience, like beauty culture, fashion design, tailoring, office management, travel and tourism, and web design become especially challenging to teach remotely.
Suggested Solutions
Experts suggest that online classes should be live and supplemented with a mixture of activities, worksheets, and interactive sessions to make them effectively engaging. It is recommended that teachers develop structured plans that neither overwhelm them nor disinterest the students. Institutions also need to devise infrastructural plans for such unforeseen situations.
Teachers are advised to be considerate and understanding of the stresses faced by their students during these trying times, giving them the necessary emotional assistance along with academic guidance.
About SWAYAM Prabha
SWAYAM Prabha, an initiative by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, is designed to provide 32 high-quality educational channels operating round-the-clock through DTH across the country. This service is particularly aimed at making quality educational resources available to remote areas where internet facilities are still underdeveloped. The GSAT-15 satellite is being used for its program telecasting, and the content on offer includes curriculum-based courses covering a broad range of disciplines.
Last Modified: February 7, 2024