Advance Learnings For A New World, A New Bharat

In view of the COVID-19 outbreak all across the world, everyone is taking all precautionary and preventive measures to combat this pandemic. We are following the norms of social distancing and keeping ourselves in the confines of our homes or offices. All schools, varsities, workplaces have been shut down to contain the spread of this novel virus. It was expected that the shutdown would impact the learning process to a great extent. But it is actually not the case. All thanks to technology.

Someone has rightly stated that learning should never stop even at the time of crisis. ICT, which a great enabler and facilitator of online learning, has kept the learning process intact even at this time. Various Digital platforms and ICT initiatives are accessed by teachers, students, researchers and corporate officials round the clock. These tools enable constant learning and offer several benefits such as flexibility, comfort, and interactive user interface.

In context of this, UGC with the help of ICT has arranged and shared several online links which can be accessed by students, faculties, academicians and researchers for audio, video and text content.

In this digital era, even when the students and faculties are having a barrier of social distancing, several industries are getting impacted including education industry but ICT has reduced this barrier of social distancing and lockdown with the help of so many digital and online initiatives and tools. Students can be in constant touch with their faculties with the help of online classes conducted through Skype, Zoom, google hangouts, google classroom etc.

Students and academicians can make maximum usage of this lockdown period to enrol into numerous courses which are available online like Swayam, Coursera, edX and many more. Students can access the detailed notes, content and free books through various online platforms like ugcmoocs.inflibnet.ac.in, epgp.inflibnet.ac.in, swayamprabha.gov.in, youtube.com etc.

It is also a wonderful opportunity for every academician and researcher to create their own OERs (Open Educational Recourses) which not only serves the purpose of students for education but also serves as a catalyst in enhancing professional self-image. Digital initiatives help every academician to see themselves as not only teachers but creators of knowledge.

This is the time of learning and educating others and at the same time combating COVID-19 as well said by Michael Allen, “There are no refunds; learners cannot get their time back if we waste it.” Let’s beat COVID-19, not learning.

Dr Manju Gupta

Guest Author The author is Dean Academics, Institute of Management Studies (IMS) Noida