Goa varsity moves to achieve UGC’s 25% digital content target

Wagh also pointed out the University Grants Commission has mandated that every teacher has to create at least 25 per cent of the teaching content in digital format.

With social distancing set to be the norm in academics, Goa University is working on different models of e-classrooms in order to achieve UGC’s target creating 25 per cent digital teaching content, a senior official said.

Vice Chancellor Professor Varun Sahani has set up a Digital Transition Committee for this comprising deans of faculties and schools under the university, and it has started evaluating solutions for online teaching and conducting of remote examinations, said Ramrao Wagh, member secretary on the committee and director of Digital Learning Initiative of Goa University.

“The committee has been working on learning management system on how to offer courses, conduct presentation sand video lectures. The push for taking classes from real to virtual has come from the COVID-19 situation and the need for social distancing,” he added.

Wagh also pointed out the University Grants Commission has mandated that every teacher has to create at least 25 per cent of the teaching content in digital format.

The committee is working to provide solutions for 2,000-odd students who arrive at Goa University campus. The university offers 34 courses.

Goa University has already announced its academic year will start from August due to the lockdown in place for the outbreak.

Wagh said the university has its studio for distance learning, which can be used to generate digital content, and teachers will be asked to record their classes, for which online training has already begun.

These lectures will be on Youtube and the university’s website will have links, he said.