To control spread of Covid-19, we are designing on-campus Sanitisation Chamber, says Vice Chairperson

The current pandemic and sudden lockdown has forced all the educational institutions to move their curriculum online. Anand International College of Engineering is seeing this wave of education with a new point of view. The management believes that all the tasks are being performed the same they were before, the only difference is the mode of content delivery that has changed to online. This change has given the institute a new vertical of education to explore and they are adapting to the same with ease. In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Vice Chairperson of Anand International College of Engineering, Monika Mittal explains in detail about their transition of curriculum and examinations to the virtual mode.

Read the edited excerpt of the conversation below

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

A: In the nation-wide scenario of lockdown, our online classes for the students every day has proven to be a virtual saving factor. We have online capacities to engage 100 students at a time at any given time. This makes sure that the students don’t lose out on their academic curriculum at any cost.

Our students are, in fact, doing online courses from some of the world’s most renowned universities sitting right at home and getting certified. This will be a great advantage to them during placements.

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

A: Anand-ICE has incorporated a new system called ‘ASFC 19 Initiative’ (Anand Safe From Covid-19 Initiative). This would now be a standard operating procedure for all students and staff which include some notable changes in campus life and some critical changes in resident rules.

• Seeing the criticality of the situation and that it may take some time to fade out, we are maintaining the decorum of distancing by all means
• Sanitising machines have been installed all over the campus premises for the students, employees and any person who visits the campus as a precaution
• Masks will be compulsory for all the students during college hours. They would be mandatory for all personnel including faculties and technicians
• Faculty cabins, classrooms and building assets will now be 100 per cent sanitised on a daily basis adhering to complete safety norms
• Our yearly Internship programme will now go online again until things don’t become absolutely normal. We have arranged with Industry to carry out virtual and customised industrial training for the students online. This would enable our students to acquire industrial skills without taking the risk of moving out as of now
• All Teaching and Training activity will include the latest information and warnings on Covid-19, so that the students are always updated with the latest on this viral threat
• Our School of Automation & Mechanical Engineering has taken the initiative of developing a Sanitisation Chamber which is installed at the college campus. An individual is completely sanitised within just 30 seconds after crossing the chamber
• The School of Computer Science & Information Technology is in the process of developing an application for the students nationwide to educate them about the facts of Covid-19 and to provide them a platform where they can access all the important resources relevant to their study/training from their home 

Q: How is Anand College planning to conduct exams, evaluate and declare result online?

A: We have successfully conducted the mid-term examination and a part of the practical examination of our students online. The evaluation is under process and the result will be declared soon through online mode.

For the end term examination, the guidelines from Rajasthan Technical University (Kota) are awaited. 

Q: How are students responding to these new initiatives?

A: The students’ response has been great. From online classes to online exams and virtual internships and training, students are actively involved in the process.

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

A: This pandemic has caused everyone to maintain social distancing. However, it did not mean, by any chance, that they cannot interact or cut themselves from society.

All the tasks are being performed as they were before the pandemic situation. Only the mode had to be changed from real to virtual. The regular academic activities got replaced by online classes, webinars, online training, mock telephonic interviews, and so on. Therefore, the impact of the situation on students’ interpersonal and team management skills will remain more or less unaltered. 

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

A: Anand-ICE has been trying its best to ensure seamless online learning.

• Online classes via Google Duo, Google Hangout have been conducted for the students and assignments for each subject have been given
• Our batch counsellors have been working effectively to stay connected to each and every student as well as their parents to inform them about the online classes and to motivate them to utilise the quarantine time in studies and preparation for their upcoming exams
• Video lectures, self-explanatory notes, solutions of important and difficult topics have been shared with all the students by the faculties to help them understand the concepts better and for their better performance in end term examinations 
• All the student queries are dealt by the faculties via Zoom or Whatsapp groups
• Industrial case studies have been prepared and shared with the students by the faculties
• For our students’ online training, we have aligned our faculties with every single student who have been guiding them throughout their training process.

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

A: Today’s situation undoubtedly widens the capacity of online education and learning throughout the world. Most of the institutions in India and abroad will most likely be opting to offer virtual education in the form of distance learning courses, short-term online courses. Additionally, so many online platforms have come up and taken the initiative to ease the process of online learning which are of great help to the entire community of faculties as well as students. Barring the limitation of network issues in some parts of the country and world, the digital learning has helped everyone to stay aligned with their subjects and course material. 

Certainly, our institutions will now play an even more important role in creating technology for all of us to live an altered lifestyle.