Higher education in the post-covid world

As online exams and tests became the norm, students found it difficult to concentrate, study with determination.

by Parimal Mandke

2020 was a black swan year that no one could have predicted. Facing issues like lockdown and social distancing, educational institutions across the country were forced to adopt an online mode of teaching and learning. While this approach has allowed for at least some engagement between faculty and students, it is far from optimal. imitating the classroom through communication tools such as Microsoft The team for effective digital education and Zoom isn’t the whole story. For a while it seemed to work because there was at least some academic engagement, but teachers struggled to keep their students’ attention on learning.

However, as online exams and tests became the norm, students found it difficult to concentrate, study with determination. The stress of possible job loss in the family due to the pandemic and losing the ability to move anywhere put undue stress on his mind. The pandemic forced people to rethink and re-imagine a lot of things. Suddenly, we were expected to learn new skills, gain knowledge and learn how to teach to protect our future generations.

So, what does this mean for the future of higher education?

Students are now used to this new education system. It’s been over a year now, and it’s safe to assume that traditional methods of study will arrive at a mixed model that combines the best features of both physical classroom learning and digital learning. Remote collaboration and communication between students, parents and teachers has become an important element in adding value to learning, even when children are at home, away from campus. The need of the hour is a comprehensive ecosystem that is a perfect blend of both innovative tools and technologies for teaching-learning combined with opportunities for socialization among peers and teachers in a physical natural setting.

Many universities have moved to provide online resources to their students, an example being NuGet, NIIT University’s integrated digital learning platform. NUgget mimics the campus environment in a virtual mode, where virtually all the activities a student can engage in on campus, including co-curricular, take place. The role of teachers and teachers has become extremely important. From re-imagining the curriculum to suit current models, to discovering content they can share with students outside of the classroom, empowering students to learn on their own with access to rich digital learning resources, students has been extremely beneficial.

However the challenges are many. Online higher education is not the best model for India where we have a lot of students from rural areas who do not have access to basic IT infrastructure. We also need to note that traditional education enables socialization, which is absent or minimal in digital learning. Socialization occurs not only inside classrooms, but also in other social settings through peer-to-peer interactions, creating real-world experiences and building confidence in learning. There are other limitations as well: subjects that require introspection, intense discussion and debate are taught more effectively in traditional settings.

Therefore, universities have to shift gears and provide a system of blended education for their students that includes innumerable digital activities that can collectively provide effective learning. This model can then incorporate innovative pedagogy, and technology-based teacher-student engagement to deliver education effectively. The National Policy on Education (NEP 2020) with emphasis on technology provides us with a policy framework for this. Adopting a mixed model using technology as a tool is the future and that is exactly what NEP 2020 envisions.

Moreover, with technology being at the fore, curriculum has to be developed keeping in mind the technology. Gaining an edge in digital courses like AI or ML will be a sure way to get good job opportunities as everything has gone online. Now that we know what will happen in the future, education will never go back to its traditional ways!

(The author is the Executive Chairman, NIIT University. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online.)