The last eight months has seen a shift in society, in business and in every realm of society during the pandemic era. This has forced educators to go in for experimentation in education and also consolidate the entire technology driven education and with such short notice and time. The crisis could not have stopped educators, for it is imperative that the youth of the country are educated and remote teaching-learning was the only way possible. For Managements, this has been a colossal experience in terms of spend, in terms of retaining man power, in terms of ensuring quality is sustained and in terms of investing big in teacher training and support. Sadly, what goes beyond the scenes is not empathised with by all and we see distress in the economy as institutions are forced to shut down or we watch media showcase the battle between parents and education institutions.
This metamorphosis in education requires a lot of in depth understanding by all stakeholders and we need to look at these times as a window of opportunities rather than look at it as a period of threat. If we look at the personal budgets on which families are run, it is clear that there have been no compromises whatsoever on the essentials at home. I am sure educating our children is the most important and essential to do in every family’s list. If that be the case, then the teacher and her comfort so that she delivers and imparts learning becomes crucial to every home where there is a learner. And if we are to freeze fueling this channel of learning, am afraid the entire economy will be affected in the long run.
Online teaching-learning support system comes at a huge cost and needs a lot of investment in terms of building the techno-infra. This in turn causes a series of domino effects for the teacher needs constant training, support and digital updates which calls for a lot of expertise that comes at a high cost. Instructors have to be trained and it is imperative that an Institution spends money on ensuring the faculty training which has undergone a paradigm shift is done. Hardware and software issues are mind boggling and a good IT team is a must. Bandwidth capacity and support comes in here and faculty have to be supported with latest laptops, best bandwidths and good and stable wifi connections to ensure that the teaching does not get hampered. Recording of sessions requires audio-visual gadgets which comes at a cost.
Just as students have made adjustment with online classes, teachers are also going through this phase of learning to handle remote instruction with ease and upskilling themselves. Ultimately their mindset is of prime importance. They are the touch points for the students and any kind of fear on pay cuts and defiance from parents to pay for the service rendered is only going to upset the ecosystem of education. Wellbeing of an organization and ensuring that all resources and the campus is maintained well for the New Normal is to be borne in mind. Virtual education cannot go on without the best teachers and the best resources that can make virtual education a smooth experience. The crisis will subside and education alternatives will maintain status quo soon and in all of this we as stakeholders have to match our wavelengths and our mindsets rather than engage in fee tangle.
Dr. P Shyama Raju
Chancellor
REVA University
