Amid lockdown, Universities start preparing online tutorial for students

Amid the lockdown due to the COVID-19 threat, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has instructed Universities to prepare online tutorials to avoid academic loses of the students.

The varsities have been directed to ensure that the faculty membersand researchers should utilize this period for academic activities such asdevelopment of online content and on-line teaching and on-line evaluation.

   

“They should prepare lesson plan and develop instructionalmaterial for the courses to be offered during next academic year or nextsemester, carry on research, write articles and papers as well,” reads theletter sent to all Universities.

The universities have also been directed to prepareinnovative questions for questions bank for students.

“Thesaid (closure) period shall be counted as being on duty for all the facultymembers and researchers, non-teaching staff including ad-hoc and contractteachers whose contracts are valid at least up to March 31,” reads letter.

The ministry has also sent a communication to ViceChancellors (VCs) of all the Universities, including those in Kashmir, to allowteachers and non-teaching staff to work from home.

“Inthe light of Novel COVID-19, a communication dated March 21 has been receivedfrom the secretary Higher Education MHRD. In order to ensure safety of thefaculty members, researchers, non-teaching staff precautions should be taken toavoid COVID-19 spread,” reads the letter.

“Faculty members, researchers and non-teaching staff of yourUniversity should be permitted and advised to work from home till March 31,” itsays.

The Universities in J&K are now gearing up to develope-content for students to enable them to study from their homes.

“We fully support the initiatives. The students can stillstudy from the safety of their homes. We urge them to reach on the digitaleducation platform being provided by the Consortium for EducationalCommunication in collaboration with educational Multimedia Research Centres(EMRC),” reads a notification issued by Kashmir University (KU).

Registrar KU, Nisar Ahmad Mir said they were already in theprocess of preparing e-content and tutorials for students which will beuploaded on Varsity website.

“We also have dedicated channel for students which isavailable on Dish TV where students get televised classes,” he said.

He said the e-contentcourseware in 87 undergraduate subjects was available on CEC website and 11subject based SWAYAM Prabha DTH channels are also available on DD free Dish,Dish TV and Reliance Jio mobile App.

“These channels areproviding curriculum based educational programs including live lectures invarious higher education subjects including Humanities, Science, Management,professional courses, Computer Science and Indian and classical music.

“Students can also go to CEC UGC YouTube channel and makeuse of unlimited educational curriculum based lectures that could help themkeep pace with academics at this hour of distress,” reads the notice.

Besides KU, other highereducational institutions are also developing e-lectures and digital content forstudents.

“MANUU will follow and implement all the directions issuedby government of India, UGC,” reads a notice issued by in-charge Registrar MANUU.”All are requested to follow accordingly and keep visiting university websitefor details.”

The school education department has already decided to starttelevised classes for the students through local cable channels while as aproposal has been submitted to Doordarshan Kendra to start dedicate lecturesfor students.

The Higher EducationDepartment has also developed e-content and tutorials for the students whichwill be accessible to students online.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

18 − 6 =