DU all set to launch virtual classrooms

Teaching and learning in Delhi University (DU) is all set to don a new avatar. The varsity, that had already announced an e-learning portal two months back, will launch e-classrooms from August 18.

Teaching and learning in Delhi University (DU) is all set to don a new avatar. The varsity, that had already announced an e-learning portal two months back, will launch e-classrooms from August 18.

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While the e-portal hosts e-quizzes, e-lectures, e-labs and e-lessons, these virtual classrooms, which have been developed by the Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), will be an extension of actual classes.

“A teacher usually has about 50 minutes for each class. Paucity of time hardly allows students to have exhaustive discussions about the lessons being taught. This new feature will allow the students and teachers to interact at length,” said AK Bakshi, director, ILLL.

Student-teachers groups can be formed through an e-classroom, where a teacher can create a webpage and add a group of students to it.

The teacher, apart from uploading his actual classroom lectures, can also add quizzes and assignments for students to solve.

The students can solve assignments and know the time taken and results instantly. Doubt clearing, chat sessions and opinion polls on any issue are some of the other features of these classrooms.

For each paper, separate e-class shall be formed.

Each teacher shall be provided a unique enrolment number by their respective DU e-learning portal coordinators, using which, they can do self-registration.

The students have to simply fill up a form on the portal and enter his/her DU enrolment number and some other details to register.

So will these classes make the actual classrooms redundant?

“Actual classrooms cannot be replaced in any way. The e-classes are a way to augment the teaching and learning process,” added Bakshi.