Bhubaneswar: At a time when all educational institutes of the country are shut due to COVID pandemic, online education has come to the rescue of the education sector and become the new normal. Remote education has become an integral part of academic life. But how has it affected the students – opportunities and challenges. Here’s what students from various fields across several educational institutes in Odisha had to say when Odishatv.in spoke to them:
Opportunities in new normal
Flexible Time Management: Students and teachers aren't tied down to a fixed schedule and the timings of the classes can be fixed as per the convenience of both students and teachers. Many prefer this mode of learning as it gives them an edge over how they can delegate their time towards their different projects. So now, students have the freedom to juggle their careers and school because they aren't tied down to a fixed schedule. - Anushka Sahu
Access to Expertise and Networking Opportunities: As far as connectivity and desire to know additional information is concerned, one is just a click away from the best of the opinions available all around the world and unlimited information about any given topic. - Shlok Singh Swani
Relaxed Atmosphere: Home is probably the most comfortable place where one can devote his time to study. Online education has allowed students to learn from the comfort of their homes in the best possible atmosphere - Baibhava Panigrahi
Autodidacticism and Mobility: Autodidacticism is self-education or self-directed learning. It is definitely more interesting than traditional learning. Since in many cases videos are pre-uploaded, it is up to a student to choose what subject s/he is interested at any point of time. - Chinmayee Harichandan
Less Intimidating: With 74 per cent of people suffering from speech anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, online education tends to foster better class participation. Many students in the classroom environment aren’t comfortable speaking in public. In an online environment, it can be much easier to share thoughts with others. - Swastik Sushrut Das
Challenges that bother:
Educational Tools: One major disadvantage of online education is the providers of education don't really offer the means to facilitate education, for example, the customised Tabs, laptops, mobile phone, Intranet or the Internet that is necessary for the students to learn. - Abhishek Sinha
Geographical Location: When most urban parts of the country are still struggling to get seamless high-speed internet connectivity, it is indeed a major hurdle for students in small towns and rural India where internet connectivity is extremely weak and the glitch in video calling could be extremely irritating. - Sweta Parimita
No Elaborative Teaching: Due to limited timeslot, the online classes are not conducive for the subjects that require elaborative teaching and subjects which require greater student involvement and participation, for example, a student studying life science subjects, mass communication or fashion designing. - Swayamsiddha Das
Attention and Interest Level: There is a requirement for intense self-discipline to pay attention during online classes. A student might get so vulnerable that there is a lot of scope for distraction. There is hardly any face to face interaction and doubt clearing also becomes a big problem - Prag Abhishek
Environment, Exposure and Perspectives: A lot can be learnt from the classroom and social interactions with people around. Classroom ambience can bring in a lot of debates, discussions, agreements and dialogues. Hence, class participation is considered the ideal way of leaning things - Upasana Mohanty
With IIT, Bombay becoming the first major institution in the country to completely scrape off all face to face lectures, the new digital India has been prioritising online education to the fullest. Under such a scenario, the efficiency and effectiveness of such contemporary educational practices can only be realised in times to come.
(Edited By Suryakent Jena)
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