Back to digital mode With shooting Covid cases and the fast spread of the Omicron variant, many schools are switching back to online classes to keep everyone safe

 Back to digital mode

With shooting Covid cases and the fast spread of the Omicron variant, many schools are switching back to online classes to keep everyone safe

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Respedit.Chennai@timesgroup.com

28.01.2022

Much hope had been pinned on this new year with students looking forward to returning to their campuses soon. The third wave has hit a high in the country and is pushing up cases to an unprecedented level. The variant cannot be taken for granted just because it is mild at the moment, and the rate of hospitalisation is still not alarming. Safety restrictions at this stage are inevitable, and educational campuses have yet again been one of the first to be shut down for students’ safety.

“We were excited about going back to the classroom. Unlike other institutions, some classes in our school were being held in online mode so we were really looking forward to meeting each other. However, things did not happen as per our plan. We received a message from our principal during early January stating that physical classes shall be suspended until further notice,” says a school student.

DIGITAL HUB

While none knows for sure as to when children can go back to classrooms, experts feel that virtual learning needs to be made more effective. According to them, virtual classrooms must be made more interactive so that students do not lose interest. Keeping in mind that many students may face internet issues, some schools are developing avirtual platform which can be accessed even if the bandwidth is low. A digital library is being loaded with class lectures. Students can download and access it when they have proper connection. Two years since the pandemic struck, schools and teachers have become much more flexible in their approach. LABORATORY CLASSES

While theoretical classes can be taught online, the issue is with lab sessions.Compared to last two years, teachers are now making videos and sharing it virtually with a feel of the lab. They are getting themselves filmed while demonstrating and sharing it along with related lecture classes. The videos help students understand what happens inside a lab when the experiment is conducted. These demonstration videos are especially for those students who may have internet issues to watch them real time. HYBRID LEARNING

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. While government and private offices can function with min-imum workforce, schools, colleges and universities have been closed down to keep students safe. It is time to be positive. We need to understand that online classes mean students can continue with their regular learning without getting exposed to the infection. If experts and industry buzz is to be believed, we are heading towards fluid hybrid learning system.

Hybrid learning solutions will continue to play an essential role given the new normal in education. Edtech solution providers have brought forth a slew of products such as view board interactive displays, collaborative projectors, touch monitors, and writing devices. MAKING IT WORK

E-learning will continue to be the foundation of this new system. Therefore, it is important to understand that students need to be comfortable to deliver their best in this ever-evolving system. The key to this lies in paying attention. On their part, teachers have been developing newer tools that can help students sustain their atten-tion. Keeping a few minutes aside for a Q&A session is one of them. Showing junior classes slides wherever possible helps them to grasp a concept better. Online learning is no substitute for offline learning but for the moment we need to make the best of what is available.