This pandemic has taught the students to deal with the dynamics of VUCA world, says Amity officials

The abrupt onset of the Covid epidemic has ushered in a new normal for us. However, adjusting to this new normal proved difficult. Amity University was one of the few universities in the country to anticipate such a crisis and begin offering online lessons before the nationwide lockdown was announced. Another problem was keeping students engaged and providing an equally high-quality learning environment as in the classroom. A variety of initiatives have been taken to achieve this.

Read the complete interview below to understand the transition journey of Amity University to online mode.

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

A: Overall, the Pandemic did not impact adversely our education delivery system, thanks to our inherent strength and resilience to rise to occasions and handle emergencies with confidence, equanimity and tenacity.

The onslaught of pandemic in a way compelled us to think on our feet and identify innovative solutions to ensure that the teaching-learning process quickly adapts to the ‘New Normal’. Thanks to our IT infrastructure, it ensured a smooth and seamless transition to virtual teaching. We were, in fact, the pioneers in starting online classes w.e.f. 16^th March 2020 even before the first nationwide lockdown was declared on 24^th March, 2020. ensuring no academic loss to our students.

Sweet are the uses of Adversity, said Shakespeare. The pandemic helped spread digital literacy much faster. It also re-emphasised that Change is the only Constant and Life is never going to be same again.

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

A: Following are a few initiatives taken by the institute to make learning easy and yet interesting for students:

• Online E-content provided to students in advance facilitated better assimilation during virtual learning 
• Timely online conduct of examinations in proctored mode and timely declaration of all results instilled a sense of confidence amongst students and their parents. They felt reassured that their academic year is not going to be wasted. It renewed their faith in the student-centric philosophy which is the core of AUUP Noida
• Organisation of various online conferences, guest lectures, webinars, competitions, club activities, refresher courses, faculty development programmes etc. gave a sense of near normalcy. In fact, the conduct of Amity Fest Online was the icing on the cake
• Amity conducted online convocation and even awarded Honoris Causa to distinguished academicians from American Universities
• Regular online mentoring sessions for all our students were held by their faculty mentors to help them navigate the unprecedented situation and the resultant stress.
• The student-centric approach of Amity is exemplified through Amity Centre for Guidance and Counselling (ACGC) which ensured the psychological well-being of students. ACGC caters to 24x7 toll-free helpline, to reach out to distressed students when they need counselling the most. Such critical help can make a difference between life and death
• Issue of a detailed Advisory on prevention and management of coronavirus through which mandatory downloading of Aarogya Setu App and Covid appropriate behavior were emphasised
• With the outbreak of the second wave, Amity set up a dedicated helpdesk in the campus and also catered to provide Oxygen Concentrators and Oxygen Cylinders to the families of faculty and staff
• Formation of Student Groups with easily accessible contact numbers to render all possible help in vaccination, finding hospital beds and arranging ambulances and medicines
• Setting up of a 50-crore fund to bear the expenditure of our existing students who have lost bread earning member(s) in their family brought enormous relief to the bereaved families

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

A: We have already conducted all examinations in online Proctored mode using Live Proctoring Solutions followed by online evaluation of answer sheets and timely declaration of results.

Q: How are the students responding to the new initiatives?

A: Students have adapted to the situation brilliantly. In essence, other than the fact that the Campus wears a deserted look, in absolute terms, the situation is as normal as pre covid days as there is no activity which was done earlier and not being done now.

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

A: This pandemic has taught the students to deal with the dynamics of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) World. The inherent strength of character comes out while dealing with adverse situations. Therefore, the need for innovation and out-of-box solutions were driven home loud and clear. The students synergized in their peer groups to be good Samaritans to each other, in difficult times. Needless to say, interpersonal skills and team management became the cornerstone for negotiating crisis. The students themselves were astonished at what could be achieved through virtual means. Therefore, new realities started dawning on their horizon. It gave them an insight into the futuristic vision of the shape of things to emerge, wherein, brick and mortar establishments may play a secondary role in the business imperatives of tomorrow.  

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

A: We are using the four-quadrant approach to ensure effective and seamless online learning. Each quadrant has been carefully designed to make sure the best student experience and learning:

Quadrant 1: E-Tutorial (Video) developed by the course faculty

Quadrant 2: E-Content - PDF, Text, e-Books, Illustrations and Documents including Web resources (Related Links, Open Content etc.).

Quadrant 3: Online classroom discussion forum for clarifying doubts/ questions

based on the e-tutorials and e-content already provided, Discussions on case studies to develop application-based learning 

Quadrant 4: Assessment (Problem, MCQs, Short answers type, Quizzes, Assignments etc.)

The entire e-content is uploaded on Amity Learning Management System which is freely accessible to the students. Video recording of each classroom session is uploaded and available to students 24x7 to be available to students for revision and reference. There is a mandatory provision of peer review and evaluation of classroom sessions to ensure effective quality control. Session plans for all courses have a mandatory provision of a guest lecture by an Industry/ subject expert in each module of the course to equip the students with the latest application-based knowledge and the industry expectations.

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

A: There is an increased awareness that disruptive technologies are going to be the main focus for tomorrow. These technologies are providing the solution to many intractable problems and making forays into untapped areas. Those organisations which adopt and adapt to new-age technologies like, Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Augmented Reality, the Internet Of Things (IoT), 3D Printing, Robotics and Immersive Media will survive and thrive. Therefore, aligning the curriculum of the day to futuristic needs has once again been driven home starkly.

It seems almost certain that online teaching-learning will become an integral part of the education system. The extent of the online component will depend on the objectives and learning outcomes of the course. Therefore, Hybrid Learning Mode with built-in flexibility for a mix of offline and online content is going to revolutionize the education ecosystem.  Hybrid mode of teaching and learning is a way of combining traditional classroom experiences, experiential learning objectives, and digital course delivery that emphasizes using the best option for each learning outcome.