Present situation will bring about paradigm shift in teacher-focused traditional learning methods, say experts at DPCOE

The current pandemic situation due to Coronavirus has affected the lives of millions across the globe. In the middle of this situation, the education sector worldwide has sorted to various measures to ensure students don’t suffer in the middle of all of this. Just like many other institutes, Pune-based Dhole Patil College of Engineering- DPCOE is taking initiatives in the form of making MOOCs courses available to students with e-resources and presentations. In a conversation with Shiksha.com, the experts at the College talks about the impact of the pandemic on the education sector and how they are fighting against it.

Here is the edited excerpt of the conversation:

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

A: In response to Covid-19 outbreak, the entire calendar of the education system for the academic year 2019-20 is globally affected with the shutdown of schools, colleges and universities without having accessibility for traditional hard copies of books, stationeries and other items required for studies. Local closures and restricted movements have an adverse effect on societal, psychological and economic consequences. Institute closures impact not only students, teachers, and families, but have far-reaching economic and societal consequences.

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 faculty members periodically conduct online meetings to guide the students about health, hygiene and psychological initiatives to combat the pandemic. They are guided about social distancing, utilisation of sanitizers, regular exercises to maintain physical healthiness and execute yoga and meditation to improve emotional strength and stability. They are actively involved by means of posters and video online campaigns against the pandemic thereby furnishing their societal responsibilities.

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

A: Faculty members utilise a range of technology-enabled Information and Communication technology tools such as Google Quiz, TED-Ed, Hot Potatoes and video quiz to accomplish continuous assessments and articulate results for immediate reflections on student’s learning activities. Moreover, College is affiliated to SPPU, Pune and SPPU is planning to take appropriate actions regarding exam conduction after the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

Q: How are students responding to new initiatives?

A: Students who are actively connected with us through online network are able to participate effectively for pedagogical methods with instantaneous feedback through discussion forums. They are enthusiastic to perform well in informative, diagnostic and summative assessments.          

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

A: Students are able to build their cognitive competence in the online mode of learning however less scope to acquire psychomotor and affective domain skills as the latter could be achieved by solving real-time complex engineering problems. Hence, the online method couldn’t be immediately preferred for real-time project-based learning.

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

A: Students are supplied with study materials in text, E-books, PPTs and SWAYAM-MOOC- NPTEL video links prior to commencement of teaching-learning activities and they are well accustomed with experiential learning methods such as blended learning, flipped classroom, problem-based learning and game pedagogy. Online teaching activities are performed on various conferencing tools such as ZOOM. The students pursued various capability enhancement training courses with cutting edge technologies, internships and accessed virtual labs to have practical exposure and to acquire higher-order learning.

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

A: The present situation would change the paradigm shift of teacher-focused traditional learning methods to content up-to-date student-centred digital mode of teaching and learning with augmentation of personalised learning outcomes. E-learning platforms accomplish active students' engagement and enhanced performance thereby furnishing a new dimension to technology education.