Video calls, e-lectures, digital apps — tools used by Delhi universities to continue learning process

Colleges and universities across the capital are going the extra mile to ensure that the learning process continues even as the institutes remain closed owing to

Colleges and universities across the capital are going the extra mile to ensure that the learning process continues even as the institutes remain closed owing to the 2019 novel coronavirus threat.

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From uploading e-lectures, sharing digital reading material, and video calls during class hours to clarify doubts colleges and universities across Delhi are doing it all.

Last week, the Delhi government had announced that schools, colleges, universities, and coaching centres in the capital should remain closed till March 31 as precautionary measure. Following the directive, universities — like Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia — had called for suspension of regular classes and issued guidelines on sharing e-resources with the students “to maintain continuity” in the teaching-learning process.

Several colleges too have fallen back on unique methods. For instance, Ramjas College, which had developed a dashboard last year connecting students and teachers, will be expanding its functionality. Principal Manoj Khanna said, “Teachers were already using our dashboard to send assignments and upload e-lectures on it which would be accessible by students of that subject. We are now modifying it to ensure teachers can convert their lectures into e-modules and have expanded the size so that more material can be uploaded.” Using the dashboard, students can also upload their queries which can later be addressed by teachers.

Existing digital platforms like Union human resource development (HRD) ministry’s SWAYAM and University Grant Commission’s Consortium for Educational Communication are also being used by several teachers, who had already prepared e-learning material that can be disseminated among students.

“There are many teachers who already have e-material with them because of SWAYAM, CEC, and other such learning platforms. They have even uploaded lectures on popular streaming platforms like YouTube. We have already covered three-fourths of the syllabus. This period is mostly used for revision by science students who have their practicals towards the end of April,” said Hardeep Kaur, who teaches in the Zoology department at Ramjas.

Colleges like Miranda House are also in the process of working out the mechanism of the digital teaching-learning process. “While classroom teaching will not take place, we will be having an academic committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the modalities,” said Bijayalaxmi Nanda, principal of Miranda House. The college is also working on an internal platform, similar to Ramjas, where teachers can share e-resources which can only be accessed by Miranda students.

Jamia Millia Islamia has also asked its teachers to carry out internal assessment online, in addition to sharing study material online. The university library also offered “customised services” for “downloading research and teaching material required” to circulate among students.

Media coordinator Ahmad Azeem said, “Teachers, who were going to give lectures, will share those along with references and reading materials on class groups. They will also be available in their departments during class hours for discussions on Skype. Internal assessments are not like class tests and we will be taking it in the form of assignments. We will send the topics for their assignments and accept submissions online till March 31.”

Students, meanwhile however, remained concerned. “We had a long list of submissions and internals during this period. The burden is going to increase in April and we are concerned about that. The e-learning thing is also first of its own kind and we don’t know how efficient it will be,” said Gourangi Varma, a second-year undergraduate student at Miranda House.

Reacting to students’ concerns, DU students’ union president (DUSU) Akshit Dahiya said, “Our office is open for students who have any concerns that need to be addressed. We have also asked for extra classes after the colleges reopen to clarify doubts of students, who will be going through these e-resources.”

Academic council members have also written to the vice chancellor asking him to consider “extending the duration of the semester at an appropriate juncture in order to cover up for the lost hours of regular teaching-learning and make corresponding changes in the examination schedule.”