Virtual Classrooms Unlocked

As the country braves COVID-19, Indian academia is making best use of online tools to conduct classes and stay connected with students, to facilitate uninterrupted learning

- Rupashree Mitra

A week ago, PM Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown till April 14 as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of Coronavirus. This resulted in unprecedented closure of schools, colleges and other professional institutes across the country. As most schools plan to resume new sessions from April, colleges and universities is amid semesters. At this hour, the Indian academia are forging ways to stay connected with their students through online tools and apps such as Blackboard, Microsoft Teams, and other means.

Dr. Anubha Kaushik, director, international affairs, and former dean, University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) Delhi says, “The university administration has issued guidelines to the faculty for online mode of teaching. Faculty may adopt any of the various options suggested like email, WhatsApp or Google groups by uploading lectures, PowerPoint presentations, creation of Google Classroom, video lectures via Skype, using Licensed Live lecture/conferencing software or digital classroom management software. Apart from this, we are making students aware of resources available such as National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and e-PG Pathshala. We are also facilitating submission of assignments. These measures help in maintaining continuity of the learning process.”