Virtual classroom protect from mutual distractions of classmates but also bring down level of debate, says Director Gen.

As the country battles the outbreak of Coronavirus, many educators are now envisioning how the pandemic will impact education. Some say that online education will be a new normal whereas, some are of the view that e-learning cannot replace the benefits of traditional classroom learnings. In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Director General of MET Institute of Management, Dr Vijay Page says that though online education has its own advantages but it can not replace the old and traditional classroom learning method. The face-to-face learning enhances inter-personal skills, team-management skills and instils values among students. On the other hand, virtual classrooms can impart knowledge but can not enhance these skills. A blend of offline and online education should be the best combination. Dr Vijay is an alumnus of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies and holds doctorate degree in the field of 'Special Economic Zones in India'.

Read the edited excerpt of the conversation below:

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

A: Well, a lot has been said about the Pandemic and continuing devastation caused by it. But l shall restrict my comments to its impact on academics and the structured delivery systems that MET has evolved and perfected over three decades as a subset of the edifice resembling a Pentagon consisting of  Students, Teachers, Parents, Regulators and Institution. Every dimension has been impacted and after the collapse of this astral body is complete whether we shall be left with a TRIANGLE with student or institutional teacher or regulator holding on to one another or will be left with a dot. The student with a click of the tab surfing from ignorance to knowledge. The jury is not yet out.

For us as institutions mandated to shape the future generation of professionals, our task is to narrow the gap between the students and the demands of the market place so that after the academic immersion and sharpening, the employer or customer seeks the expertise developed.

With this end in mind, we are evolving a multi-dimensional approach to establish a knowledge bridge with students, teachers and parents energising the institutional academic processes. This does take time, but we are on track using a mix of digital tech options ensuring that all the wheels move smoothly. Pandemic or otherwise the system will hopefully deliver student empowerment and satisfaction to all the players.

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

A: The onset and multiplication of the pandemic have been so sudden and stressful that everyone especially the youths have tremendous emotional stress. The decimation of the hug and the huddle have taken their toll at least initially. But slowly they have awakened to their call of duty towards society and they are doing their bit in their own habitats. MET has conducted Pandemic related online workshops and forwarded the statutory health care and social distancing norms to the student community. The students, alumni as well as faculty have brought out videos, short films and banners to lighten the grim and dark shadow. Through online sessions and chats we have kept them updated on academic inputs and assessments attempting to lead them out of this maze and cobwebs of Pandemic ills. But on the pandemic self and family protection are of paramount importance and we are stressing on that aspect, ‘Jaan hai toh jahaan hai’.

At MET, we are also making most of the availability of alumni through online platforms, by organising closed environment interactions between students and them. Regularly senior industry professionals are being roped in whose inputs are saving students years of toil as seasoned professionals are delivering work-place wisdom to budding professionals. During this time we have made arrangements for Work-From-Home internships and projects that students are learning from. There are a lot of MOOCs self-learning modules that students have been encouraged to take up besides MET guided online sessions, online classes or webinars etc; all this to ensure that even during the lockdown MET students’ skill and knowledge isn’t locked in but rather keeps growing despite of the lockdown.

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

A: Since MET is governed by the University of Mumbai, AICTE, UGC norms, we are following their guidelines. Thus by July, we shall be in a position to start the next semester for the existing students while the new batches will start a month later. If the lockdown continues then, we will start with the online mode and resume classes as per the Government’s protocol.

Inspite of the sudden onslaught and drastic change brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic in all walks of life, including the education system, we at MET successfully completed the semester. We have a mixture of in-house and visiting faculty in our management programme. The lockout was declared in the middle of the semester when the semester syllabus was not completed. So the first priority was to complete the subject syllabus that had to be done online.

In management education, a portion of the subject marks is kept for internal evaluation including written tests and presentations for some subjects’ internal evaluation had been done. In other cases, professors conducted Q and A for all students during their online classes. Papers as many multiple choice questions as possible and keep plain theory to the minimum. In some cases, questions were given based on the case. Online exams, whether subjective or objective, will remain a cause of concern from ethical, cost & technology angles in future if the situation persists. And suggestions and mandates of governing bodies and universities will be implemented from time to time.

Q: How are students responding to new initiatives?

A: Students are responding well for online sessions, discipline is good so is the attendance & participation. Technology has always been a close to heart of our students at large, they enjoy using tech-framework of learning. We see very encouraging feedback from the students. Besides the regular sessions, even during participative learning modules, online projects, WFH internships, etc., students are keenly involved thus learning is strengthened. However, online exams especially in the areas where practical and subjective assessments are integral parts, a way needs to be evolved to circumvent the limitation of online.

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

A: Online sessions cannot impart interpersonal skills, team management skills or value instilling. Knowledge can be imparted, but not skills & attitudes. Going forward, a combination of online & physical presence sessions will be imperative. Ethics, Life Management, Life Skills, GDPI Techniques that make a complete manager and a whole human being cannot be taught through just without human-interface. A staggered, shift wise, lesser numbers, lesser hours approach will have to be adopted as soon as the situation permits. Since we know that motivation and inspiration can be instilled only through exchange of spiritual vibrations between guru and shishya, requiring physical presence (ashrams of Indian ethos).

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

A: Well, there are a number of vendors claiming seamless delivery of academics, but we are still testing their wares and soon a final solution will be worked out. One interesting observation is that the online mode has some advantage over the classroom as it is protected from mutual distractions of classmates while the level of debate of students and doubts may also suffer. Any way quizzes, quick fact check and recall also help. It is still early days for the students and teachers to some extent and MET shall do course correction enroute as they say.

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

A: Just as the KT EVENT destroyed the dinosaurs and other flora and fauna 65 million years ago a lot will get uprooted and damaged beyond recognition. The US, UK and EU nations were using online learning and the global ad well as Indian IT players are masters of this medium. But now going beyond MET students who come from metropolitan backgrounds, if we look at the larger national picture. We must remember that many Indian students who hail from small towns and rural areas with connectivity issues will be assisted to enter in digital space and then they will ride the storm. But we believe that digital inputs and Robots may meet the social distancing norms but the learning experience devouring that elixir when the drop touches your lips, fill the cup that cheers. It is an immersion, an experience of internalising for wisdom enhancement and empowerment for serving the society. Or else Alexa would give a ruling which made her owner poorer by billions of dollars of pay out based on hard facts.