Niraj Dubey
Technological development and the internet have changed people’s lives on different scales including for instance teaching and learning. The web has become one of the channels of learning that opens the door for people around the world to access education for free, or for fewer costs. The IT booming and the internet have opened the door to largely access knowledge, high quality education and training. This easy access using information systems and the web can improve people’s skills for fewer costs. Knowledge delivering to some people would have never been possible without the opportunities offered by technology and the web. For teachers and instructors, they can learn from this study that the web-enhanced teaching “is no longer an add-on feature in teaching but a necessity” as stated in the research. What can still be missing in online learning and teaching is the interactivity and communication offered in class-based lessons. Today, the use of web to teach and learn is inevitable for both teachers and students. Online courses are becoming more and more necessary for education to and for knowledge spread. Thus, teachers should consider this trend in education and get prepared technically and pedagogically to take online teaching in consideration. In turn, students need to get enough skills that will help them effectively benefit from the advantages e-learning is providing.
Today, e-learning is adopted not only by students, but also by organizations that want to offer training for their employees. E-learning is a priority for businesses that look forward to improve employee’s skills and the economic benefits they can generate from that. That’s why online learning has become an important factor for both, education and business. The corona virus pandemic has pushed the education system online, a challenge which could test the institutional ability to provide quality learning for all. Digital technology replaces face-to-face teaching, paving the way for visual learning and to deliver lessons to students at home. The COVID-19 crisis has already initiated the change in the conventional approach to education, and presents an opportunity for teachers to deploy innovations during the outbreak for a lasting change, where technologies will play a bigger role in educational institutions in the future. The educational institutions are using existing platforms from the likes of Microsoft and Google as well as the conferencing apps like Zoom, Skype to conduct classroom programs for their pupils. As the Corona pandemic increases its mark on Indian soil, Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ asked students to continue their learning by making full use of the available digital e-Learning platforms during the period the educational institutions are closed as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. So while the environment gets challenging and disruption rules the day, the government which incidentally has been exemplary in demonstrating their preparedness and approach to fighting COVID-19 on healthcare & state administration may wish to also set up a High Powered Special Education Task Force on the lines of the Economic Task Force to tackle the disruption this virus has caused to lakhs and lakhs of young minds of the country. The task force can be a good mix of bureaucrats, educationists, school owners and Policy Makers from across states chaired and led by the MHRD Minister. This task force should quickly draw up guidelines and FAQs on 5 critical areas for both K-12 and Higher Education sectors.
The Minister has also urged educational institutions to promote digital learning and make students aware of the various digital/e-learning platforms which are provided by MHRD for online education.
DIKSHA
Diksha has more than 80000 e-Books for class 12th created by CBSE, NCERT and States/UTs which are available in multiple languages. The content can also be viewed through QR code on textbooks. This app can be downloaded from iOS and Google Play Store.
PATHSHALA
In this web portal, NCERT has deployed 1886 audios, 2000 videos, 696 e- e-books (e-Pubs) and 504 Flip Books for classes 1st to 12th in different languages. A mobile app is available.
National Repository of Open
Educational Resources (NROER)
NROER portal has a total of 14527 files including 401 collections, 2779 documents, 1345 interactive, 1664 audios, 2586 images and 6153 videos on different languages.
The platforms of Ministry of HRD for school education are as follows Higher Education are as under:
SWAYAM
SWAYAM is the national online education platform hosting 1900 courses covering both school (class IX to XII) And Higher Education (undergraduate, postgraduate programs) in all subjects including engineering, humanities, and social sciences, law, and management courses. A unique feature of SWAYAM is that it is integrated with the conventional education.
SWAYAM PRABHA
Has 32 D2H TV channels transmitting educational content on a 24/7 basis. These channels are available for viewing all across the country using DD free Dish set-top box and antenna. The channel schedule and other details are available in the portal. The channels cover both school education (class IX to XII) And Higher Education (undergraduate, postgraduate, engineering, out of school children, vocational courses and teacher training) in arts, Science, commerce, performing arts, Social Sciences and Humanities subjects, engineering, technology, law, medicine, agriculture.
The stoppage of the physical classroom has encouraged the Ed Tech companies to surge their offerings in the online education space. Leading known players as well as relatively unknown start ups have all started positioning themselves as the ideal alternative to ensuring that the learners continues to learn during this period and does not waste time. On seeing the impact of e-Learning in today’s educational scenario, the J&K(UT) Government has taken keen initiatives in the recent past to promote this innovative mode of learning in both school as well as college level in J&K, which has opened new vistas for students to adapt online mode of learning especially in remote areas, where students are still deprived of availing the educational benefits due to the absence of technology. Therefore every stakeholder either belongs to urban or rural areas can collect or gather information about any aspects related to their study simply by staying home by way of various technological platforms available nowadays.
(The author is a Cyber Passionate)
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