COVID-19 Lockdown: IIT Roorkee starts online classes

Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee has started using virtual platforms to impart online classes amid the nationwide lockdown and closure of colleges, universities across the country. 

With educational institutions been shut and lockdown imposed nationwide until April 14 due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has started online classes to avoid any further academic loss of the students. 

We have asked faculties to look forward to various options like live video, interactive live video, video files, ppt, ppt with voice or text commentary, pdf, doc, jpg, etc, to facilitate engaging and effective teaching and learning, the institute said in a statement. 

We do understand that e-learning cannot give the same experience as classroom learning, and for that, we are trying our best to make it productive for students during this time of crisis, to avoid any study loss, the statement added.

Responding to the same, Professor Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said that it is not necessary that digital content sharing has to be live or interactive. Our sole aim is to provide a platform to the students where they can go through the content as per their convenience. In order to clear their doubts, regular interactive chat/video/email-based sessions will also be organized. 

As far as possible, live sessions will be organized in the slot which is assigned to that course in the current semester's timetable. However, the pace will be slightly slower than the one followed during classroom teaching, he added. 

Those who get a full/partial fee waiver will get up to Rs 500 reimbursement to help them enhance their access to the internet. This reimbursement can be availed once the normal semester activity is resumed, Chaturvedi said.

As many students do not have access to regular or high-speed internet, they will get the content after a delay of a few days or maybe weeks. The Institute will consider this factor while finalizing the time of examination, the statement said. 

To know more about coronavirus and its impact on board examination around the country, click here

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