- Higher education has to adapt
The outbreak of the c+ovid-19 pandemic, to begin with in China in December 2019, and its spread to Europe, the USA and India in subsequent weeks, has thrown normal activity into total disarray, leading to governments imposing lockdown in their respective countries. As a follow up the government and higher educational institutions (HEIs) quickly announced that online teaching would be conducted by the faculty. While some of the rich private universities promptly announced online teaching, the state-run public universities have faced immense practical problems in implementing the decision. It is possible for a few, but most of the institutions have not been able to implement online teaching due to the poorly-equipped facilities at their disposal. Even assuming that the faculty have the facilities and intellectual capability to do online teaching, students have complained about the lack of facilities in their rural homes where they have gone back to, following the closure of colleges.
Especially in disciplines like languages, humanities and social sciences, good quality reading material has not been prepared by a large number of teachers who still rely on traditional methods of classroom teaching. The situation may be true in many science-related disciplines too, barring technical education. How would meaningful online teaching be carried out in such situations if the closure of institutions continues for a longer spell?
Online methods are also difficult for the conduct of practical classes in disciplines where it is absolutely necessary, when students have moved out of the campus? In the absence of the conduct of practical classes, the conduct of online education would fall flat. In the case of technical courses, as well as in commerce and management disciplines, students have to do internships with industry as part of the course requirements. How would students be fruitfully able to undergo internship when academic institutions and industries are closed due to lockdown? Some industries may reopen in the course of time, but would they be able to comply with internship requirements, concerned as they are with productivity and sales? Another important issue which is faced by HEIs is how would they make up for the loss of time on account of closure of institutions due to covid-19. Assuming the mandatory 75 percent attendance requirement of classes is waived, what would happen to the internal assessment tests and viva voce examinations which are part of the requirements under the semester system in operation?
Online learning has a lot of potential and even though it has been thrust into the spotlight under unfortunate circumstances, it is time that universities and educational institutions utilize this tool effectively
These apart, are the plans drawn up for the conduct of semester examinations, evaluation of answer scripts and the announcement of results, all of which will require at least six weeks of time after the completion of the term? That would throw the next year’s academic calendar out of gear, with the 2020-21 academic year starting probably in September.
In the new situation, students open their learning with WhatsApp, download the PDF file, listen to the audio lecture, and then move on to the video chat with their professor to discuss the lesson. It is the fate of more than 60 million students worldwide who are attending some form of online lectures in a post-coronavirus world.
In this context we also use many online tools like YouTube, Google Classroom and others. The students understand the importance of continuing education. A new name, Education 4.0, is here to stay, until another significant disruption in technology takes place. India is not new to online education. Many private and government colleges in the country had been conducting online classes. Very small aperture terminals (VSATs) are still used by top Business schools in the country to create a closed user group (CUGs), which offers online classes globally. However, covid-19 has hastened the online education sector, and mobile networks have become the preferred platform.
Online education depends on several factors and robust connectivity is at the top of that list. Covid-19 has led to a successful collaboration between telecom firms and streaming companies like Netflix and Youtube, in lowering the transmission bit rate from high definition to standard definition, which was done to maintain the network capacity. It made more bandwidth available for a large number of users. Going forward, learning app firms could work together with technology providers and telecom service providers to develop tools that make learning truly enjoyable. They could also explore providing students with the real-time experience of managing chemicals and operating machines. All this is only possible with optimum utilisation of network capacity.
To ensure that learning never stops, teachers are preparing lessons using distance learning tools, and parents are learning new teaching techniques at home. Following the government’s long lockdown, there has been a surge in online education by schools and colleges across the country. Such an exercise requires the availability of high bandwidth and the telecom industry is fully prepared with 99.9 per cent network capacity. Telecom companies have taken appropriate measures to meet the surge in traffic due to online education and other online activities
Many colleges that have used online platforms in the past have made a smooth transition post-covid-19. This is a unique situation in design education, and the World University Design (WUD) was the first to take the lead so that studies are not compromised and students do not fall back on their curriculum. The coronavirus outbreak has just hastened the process. We were the first to switch to an online mode, which is not only benefitting the students in India, but also overseas students. Other major universities in the country including Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Amity, Sharda, IP University, Lovely Professional University and Mumbai University are offering online classes across different subjects. Sharda University has put together a contingency plan in which the faculty and staff are working towards ensuring a seamless transformation to digital/online learning via technology solutions like Zoom, Big Blue Button and Google Classroom. Online learning has a lot of potential and even though it has been thrust into the spotlight under unfortunate circumstances, it is time that universities and educational institutions utilize this tool effectively.
Last but by no means the least important issue is the likely possibility of budgetary allocations made to higher education being reduced and transferred to areas which are more important for the government as a result of the health pandemic becoming an economic pandemic. While reduction in spending on higher education may be justified by the powers be, the government, in the long-run, should earmark the much-promised six percent of the GDP for higher education and equally importantly, increase the budgetary allocation for healthcare. One shudders to think of a situation where the virus would be airborne and the consequent damage it can cause to humanity. Priority should be to encourage research on finding medical solutions to future pandemics rather than simply extending lockdowns.
India, along with the world, is fighting the covid-19 virus while ensuring education in schools and colleges does not suffer. The fight, it seems, will be a long one, and the way we educate our next generation has undoubtedly changed.
The writer is head of the political science department, B.N. Mandal Unversity, Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at: [email protected]
