Active communication with students ensures that they do not succumb to psychological effects, says TAPMI Chairperson

With the entire world finding ways to protect themselves from Coronavirus and healthcare sector working towards creating an effective vaccine, the education sector is exploring new opportunities to adjust to this new normal of digital learning. TAPMI is also one such institute trying to figure out initiatives that can help students make best possible use of this time. One such initiative is integration with Coursera to offer a plethora of online courses to students. In a conversation with Shiksha.com, the admissions Chairperson at T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) institute Kedar Joshi talks about this integration in detail.

Here is the edited excerpt of the conversation:

Q: How has today’s scenario of lockdown and global pandemic impacted your education system?

A: There have been severe disruptions to our academic calendar, summer internships and final placements. Most of the students have been offered summer internships opportunities from home mode. However, some of the reputed recruiters have asked for a late start.

Speaking of TAPMI admissions 2020, we had completed most of our admission process much before the lockdown notification.

Q: What are some of the interesting initiatives your institute has taken to make it easy for your students and also contribute to eradication of this pandemic?

A: Our students' security is our foremost priority. We were continuously monitoring Covid-19 progress and hence, we sent all our students back to their homes even before lockdown was announced.

Also, we cancelled all the institute-level events which required large gatherings. It includes classroom sessions, social and cultureal events.  We are ensuring flexible learning amidst this crisis. The key intervention is the integration of Coursera at TAPMI that gives our students access to more than 3,600 course offerings.

Q: How is the institute planning to conduct exams, evaluate and declare result online?

A: We have been involved in online classes and courses for long. It is a part of our teaching pedagogy. But now, access to the Coursera platform will help students to use MOOCs courses to secure course credits. This flexibility ensures academic processes are not compromised. classroom-based processes are not the only route to promote Learning; TAPMI creates multiple touchpoints to support the learning efforts of students.

Q: How are students responding to new initiatives?

A: Over 475 students have already registered on Coursera. Students across programmes are taking courses in spreadsheet modeling, negotiations, data sciences and fintech from the Coursera platform. These will help to add value to their profile and knowledge in the future.

Q: What impact will it have on students’ interpersonal, team management skills?

A: This is an unprecedented and disconcerting time; all of us are working to identify new norms and moving out of our comfort zones to make things work accordingly. Digital workspace is the reality now. This may create a sense of isolation and affect students’ interpersonal and team management skills. Therefore, we are always in active communication with our students so that they do not succumb to the psychological effects of remote learning.

Q: What are the best practices that the college is adopting to ensure seamless online learning?

A: One significant intervention in the flexible learning theme is the integration of Coursera at TAPMI, for which TAPMI has partnered with Manipal Global Education Services. Licenses are issued to all the students giving them free access to more than 3,600 course offerings on the platform. This has enabled the institute to react adequately to the severe impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Q: How will today’s situation revolutionise online learning in India and abroad?

A: Virtual, digital or remote learning is a new normal. With this, the students and education system have been dispossessed of their usual patterns for their semesters and internships. Today’s situation has shifted habits; we are making adjustments to transition into the new learning environment seamlessly.