Colleges may use online classes post lockdown

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:1.5.2020

With majority of students and faculty members familiarising themselves to online learning, city colleges may use online classes to avoid crowded classrooms and to maintain social distancing post Covid-19 lockdown.

Some colleges are also thinking of starting next the semester early with online classes in case the start of the academic year is delayed further due to Covid-19 spread in the city. Though online classes started as contingency plan to finish portions, many faculty members and students are accustomed to the new mode of learning and plan to integrate them with the regular mode of learning.

Thomas Amirtham, principal of Loyola College said online classes would be handy to maintain social distancing when colleges reopen.

"We have nearly 10,000 students studying in both the shifts in our college. Covid-19 is expected to be dormant and there are chances for a second and a third wave. If we conduct classes for entire students that would be risky for students as well as faculty members," he said. "We have to think new ways of facilitating teaching and learning. We can allow students to learn through online platforms wherever it is possible and schedule contact classes once or twice in a week," he said.

P Duraisamy, vice-chancellor of Madras University, said colleges may have to shift to online classes to avoid crowded classrooms post Covid-19. "Online classes would be useful at the start of the academic year. Faculty members may upload video lectures and later conduct classes by splitting them into small groups to clarify doubts," he said.

Many colleges said online learning would be integral part of teaching and learning post Covid-19.

"Online classes will be an integral part of teaching learning process post Covid-19 lockdown," says R Ganesan, principal for DG Vaishnav College. "The online platforms can be useful to give assignments to students, can be helpful to students who cannot attend classes and to take extra classes," he said adding that poor students may not have facilities like smart phones, computers and internet connectivity and colleges need to consider them as well while shifting to online classes.

Engineering colleges say except analytical subjects, they can take online classes for other subjects and it could supplement the regular classes.

"If next semester is delayed, then we may start with online classes," said B Chidambaranathan, principal of Valliammai Engineering College. He further said colleges may ask their faculty members to take online classes one day in a week if working days extended to six days a week.

While many colleges use tools like Google Classroom, IT companies are also open to offer their online platforms to colleges to take classes and conduct tests.

"Accenture, one of our recruiters offered to share online platform to conduct online classes and tests. Companies also using online platforms for onboard training," he said.

K Maran, director of Sri Sairam Engineering College said webinars and online faculty development programmes are increasingly getting popular among faculty members besides online classes.