Mr. Sivaramakrishna (SRK) is Head of the Institution at REVA Independent PU College, Ganganagar Campus Bangalore. SRK has completed a Master’s degree in Chemistry from Bangalore University and is currently pursuing research in Materials Chemistry. His research interests include synthesis of Inorganic nanomaterials for Solid state lighting applications. He has published research articles in journals of high repute. He is also recipient of ‘BEST TEACHER AWARD’ for the year 2016 and ‘BEST ALL-ROUNDER’ for the year 2020. He is an active member of many educational and research professional bodies.
- How has COVID19 impacted the Higher Education Sector?
Covid-19 outbreak has caused a downward spiral in the world economy. The pandemic incurred an enormous loss to the economy and had a staggering impact on higher education systems. Covid-19 pandemic has changed the traditional teaching of chalk-talk teaching to online teaching, where lecturers and students were exposed to new innovative educational methodologies. Online teaching is stirring at an untested & unprecedented scale. Pandemic has interrupted conventional learning and destabilized all educational methodologies, strategies and has brought inability among students in paying their tuition fees and educational related other expenses.
- What is the current situation of the Education Sector?
The pandemic has significantly disrupted the higher education sector. Due to this, the structure of learning-teaching got affected. The education sector has been fighting to survive the crises with a different approach and digitizing the challenges to wash away this threat. Globally over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom as per data. As a result, education has changed dramatically with the distinctive rise of e-learning, where teaching is undertaken on digital platforms. Yet many children are lacking access to the technologies needed for home-based learning and have limited means to continue their education.
- What are your views on the remote shift to Online or Remote Learning?
Regarding a shift to online or remote learning, I feel, we learned that all of us are rowing in the same direction. We rise to the challenge and adapt to the challenges that once seemed improbable. We embraced discomfort together. We may even learn that some remote learning could be desirable for what it affords our students. Most importantly, we are learning into care over productivity as we move through this crisis. I think that the online classes are becoming ambassadors to education technology and effective online design. Now we know what worked and didn’t work, and if done correctly, we can finally prepare our students for the 21st century labor market.
- What are the perks and perils of Remote Learning?
Social isolation is one of the major changes that has been born from the aftermath of this global pandemic. It consequently led the schools to shut down and abruptly interrupting the learning of millions of students. For a while, many had lost hope. But this unexpected change suddenly bore fruit for one education segment in particular – remote learning.
Perks:-
The emergence of remote learning platforms will shift the norms of traditional set ups.
1. Remote learning provides students with flexibility to learn what they want, when they want to and at their own pace.
2. It negates the loss of time that takes place to reach schools and colleges and prevents being late for classes.
3. Students become more competent at using technology, which is especially useful in this increasing digitally dependent world.
Perils:-
The emergence of remote learning disrupts the traditional approaches that have been striving to achieve perfection over the years.
1. Remote learning fails to recreate the personalized approach of teachers, present in a classroom with students.
2. The personal interaction between the teacher and the student is lost in remote learning.
3. Students interact less with the teacher in a remote classroom and the emotional intelligence will be reduced among the students.
4. Sometimes a network issue or a software glitch can come in the way of an effective educational experience.
- What are some trends in the Higher Education Sector to look forward to in 2021?
I would like to propose that, due to Covid-19 virtual reality will continue to grow as an educational tool. Virtual reality is used in 46% of colleges, making it the latest and the greatest educational tool. In college settings, virtual reality devices can be used for everything from creating virtual lab facilities for chemical experiments and biological labs where the students can experience & learn the practicals. Finally I can say that online classes have led the path or satiated much of the need for more flexible, accessible higher education options and remote learning is taking us more further.