Students are acquiring new skills of presenting online, conferencing, says Director of Krupanidhi School of Management
The outbreak of Coronavirus has introduced the world to a new normal that includes hygienic lifestyle, social distancing and working and studying from home. This culture of operating digitally from home has helped various educational institutes realise their capabilities of delivering classes online. Here arises a big question that although institutes can deliver classes online, how will the other academic activities such as the development of interpersonal and leadership skills in students, peer-assisted learning, placement, and many more. In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Director of Krupanidhi School of Management Dr Samuel Paul Isaac answer the question in detail with all initiaives they have taken to ensure continuous growth of their students.
Here is the edited excerpt of the conversation:
Q: How has today’s scenario of lockdown and global pandemic impacted your education system?
A: The pandemic has affected our educational system badly due to the total closures of the institution. The slow pace of change in academic institutions globally is lamentable, with centuries-old, lecture-based approaches to teaching, entrenched institutional biases, and outmoded classrooms. However, Covid-19 has become a catalyst for educational institutions worldwide to search for innovative solutions in a relatively short period of time. However, in today's scenario, the online process is encouraged but again the challenge is having access and availability of devices to utilise various resources. Like low internet connectivity, nuclear families with limited availability of resources which is being shared by all, working parents too are working from home, the internet as a resource is being shared, too. Slow net speed and power outrages most of the times are also making things difficult. Virtual challenges are more.
Q: What are some of the interesting initiatives your institute has taken to make it easy for your students and also contribute to eradication of this pandemic?
A: Just like our motto of striving for excellence and betterment for students, we have started with our online classes through different online apps as per the time table. The entire teaching fraternity with seamless efforts are making sure that there is regular interaction with the students during the class focussing on various topics. Our HODs and Placement Departments have invited several Industrial leaders as guest speakers to discuss the current pandemic and its impact. It is helping our students to be clear and more organised and prepared to face the upcoming challenges post-pandemic. The institution has conducted numerous webinars. As we are following social distancing and abiding by the rules or team is adapting to the screen lifestyle. The students are encouraged to join these virtual interactions with the various industry professionals in order to adjust to future trends due to Covid-19. Our finishing school is also focussing on their mental health and wellbeing and engaging the students in various creative activities. Preparing them to face the challenges with utmost zeal and confidence as they read more about the economic drift and being the future generation, they are contributing their best in order to eradicate the pandemic. Many of our students are self-volunteering in this human race serving, donating and extending help to the government.
Q: How is the institute planning to conduct exams, evaluate and declare result online?
A: As our prime focus always has been to empower students and their growth. The management is working on the necessary changes in our examination system and evaluation methods. Looking at the pandemic our examinations and result declarations methods will be shifted to online. We are more focussed in the planning of module-based revisions, assignments and time-constrained ‘virtual open-book examination which will also help them revise and understand concepts more precisely. Our mentors are using their creativity to test skills in analysis and evaluation. The questions have been designed more on problem-solving, application of knowledge and higher-order thinking rather than simple recall of facts. Assessment questions are also based on real-life situations that require comprehension, information retrieval and synthesising skills of the students to solve.
Q: How are students responding to new initiatives?
A: In a matter of weeks, Covid-19 has changed how students are educated around the globe. Those changes give us a glimpse at how education could change for the better - and the worse - in the long term. And kids adapt to change quickly than adults. They are tech-savvy, digital-friendly millennials. However, the absence of robust digital loopholes and net connectivity are a few last-mile bottlenecks for the effectiveness of such endeavors. Despite of technical glitches in no internet areas, poor connection and low range. But amidst various difficulties these online portals are making it easier for them as platforms such as, Microsoft Team classes, Cisco, WebEx, Google meets have settings where our mentors are recording the same for the students which is easing out their learning process. They are also excited as the learning is now broadened to a worldwide audience and are students are able to network globally and have responded well to the standard asynchronous online learning tools (such as reading material via Google Classroom), which are augmented with synchronous face-to-face video instruction, to help them keep their learning on. By far now students have been extremely cooperative and we may continue with some of these activities in the future too when normalcy returns. They have shared their inputs and helped us evolve better. At the onset, they are actively taking part in online sessions and all other activities and assignments.
Q: What impact will it have on students interpersonal, team management skills?
A: Currently, the entire education system is nudged and pushed to change, which is leading to surprising innovations, this is helping our students adapt to new methodologies, planning their schedules. Balancing being with family and attending classes on time. Not only the classes but with time management skills they are adapting various human skills such as helping their peers who are already placed and are working from home. Sharing notes with them, keeping them updated and participating well. Students are acquiring more skills as they are presenting online, conferencing and moreover the writing skills too are enhancing their vocabulary. They are not only communicating with written skills but also enriching their interpersonal skills, email netiquettes, digital mannerisms. With their online internships, they are understanding the current endeavors and adapting the change really well.
Q: What are the best practices that the college is adopting to ensure seamless online learning?
A: In order to ensure seamless online learning, some of the best practices adopted by our institution include robust availability of investing more time on appropriate research and outcome-based content, along with different pedagogical preparedness in terms of remote and experiential learning. Most importantly as travel being a barrier and not a criterion for some more time in the future. We encourage our students and mentors to invest in recreational activities towards a healthy living time along with learning.
Q: How will today’s situation revolutionize online learning in India and abroad?
A: The ongoing pandemic has surely accelerated the pace of remote learning and many positive outcomes are expected in the future for upskilling mentors and students, heralding to a new era of the sustainable learning system. Key online portals like Swayam, Virtual Labs, FOSSEE and E-Yantra, Microsoft Edu has gone up five times. Blended learning will change the entire ecosystem of traditional educational institutions. Almost all world-class institutions have MOOC providers such as Coursera, open culture, skillshare, Udemy and others which together has jumped into this foray for making the best use of this opportunity. Our institution is offering various virtual vocational courses. It is heartening to note that remote learning across the globe in the form of distance education mode is already a popular option for many students for reasons such as locational flexibility, the convenience of time as well as study schedule and reduced cost.
Shiksha writer
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