ONLINE EDUCATION AND ITS ROLE IN SCHOOLS

Chinmayee Sahu

In today’s time, technology has become a part and parcel of our lives, as without technical knowledge one would be way behind the real world. Computers have been an aid to the teaching and learning process in the recent times. Teachers take help of audio-visual techniques in making their teaching more appealing and simpler for the students to learn. Similarly, students use the internet for useful information for their assignments, projects and other activities. To summarize, technology has been effectively used as an important tool to make the traditional mode of education more vibrant. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected various aspects of normal life, school and college life have felt the ripple too. The year 2020 has been a year of transition for schools as they looked for ways to adapt and looked for options to substitute in-person classes. The good news is that educational institutions could swiftly switch over to an alternative mode of coaching with the help of digital technologies. Hence, in my over 20 years of teaching experience in various institutions of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the year 2020 is particularly remarkable for giving me an opportunity to bring technology to the forefront and work on the prospect of integrating education wholly with the digital world. The entire integration process I must say has been both formidable and fascinating! 

This breakthrough in the face of many technical odds and achieved with the help of a large community of teachers and administrators, has facilitated a digital connection with the students to form a virtual classroom. Students seemingly enjoyed the novel experience to sign into this new portal via the Zoom app, and perch comfortably in front of their devices from the comfort of their home. I could discern a different vibe from my students, a sense of relaxation on their faces. At the same time, I felt as if I am a TV personality and being watched by my students exuberantly!! 

However, there were ups and down in the intensity of this vibrancy and their spirit. Every now and then to retain their attention, I as a teacher would try to figure out the gaps and bounce back with ideas such as online quizzes and impromptu discussions. It is a constant endeavor to keep the forum of online classes as stimulating as possible in the path of erudition. 

On the other hand, the huge challenge of online classes for every teacher is to maintain the decorum of the class, particularly keeping a watch on every child and encouraging them to be active participants. Since the students must keep their microphones muted to avoid noise and many of them even switch off their videos with excuse of network problem, it is a real struggle on teacher’s part to know how alert each child is! Yet another major problem of online classes is, the inability to keep a track of students’ homework as virtual correction of notebooks is something next to impossible!! 

Both traditional and online classes offer effective education and method of imparting knowledge. Ultimately, its effectiveness depends upon the student’s personal motivation, attitude to learning and self-discipline in the process. There is no denying the fact that, this mode may not be very convenient for every child and that traditional learning in a physical setting is still ranked the best way to interact. But online classes have proven to provide more convenience than ever for students - they don’t have to commute long hours to & from school; they can take classes in the privacy of their own homes and this renders more freedom for self-pacing and greater number of hours for scholarship. 

Finally, I want to state that there are several students who have adapted themselves to the new system very efficiently and have demonstrated their sincerity and inquisitiveness whereas, a handful of students want to shy away from active participation and benefits that the virtual classrooms have to offer. The constraint on the part of the teacher is her inability to foster and nurture the drive for learning as the access is limited and over a screen. In such a scenario to impede any restlessness and lack of focus, the traditional face-to-face setting would work the best! We all know that there are many impediments and hurdles in the process of change, but the good part is with this change we now have more opportunities to grow and refine the culture of schooling.