The teaching-learning process is challenged amid COVID-19. The government of India is taking preventive measures of social distancing and work from home is further affecting the learning activity which would earlier happen through the educational institutions.
The UGC led online teaching initiative is a welcome initiative, but all the institutions are not well equipped with the basic infrastructure and motivation to carry out this initiative. This crisis puts compulsion on policymakers to enact such policies for the country to be prepared in all situations.
There are some recommendations:
- Every educational institution should create a committee for the online teaching-learning process.
- Every department should make one faculty member as coordinator of such a program.
- Create comprehensive study material according to the objective of the class.
- Put the material on the institutional website in the section of “Student Corner” and it must be regularly updated.
- Assure that the copy of the assignment and other activities is updated regularly.
- Make a database of email IDs and contact numbers of all students and their respective guardians.
- Regular scrutiny of all the activities.
- Raise funds for separate items for the purpose.
- Develop software with the involvement of students and faculty with a specialized person.
Such efforts will ensure that the pace and quality of education are not affected even in a crisis situation. Education must be the priority of policymakers in our society.
Rajani Kant Pandey is an Assistant Professor in the Political Science department at the Ram Dayalu Singh College, Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur in Bihar.