Online Learning: An Emerging Trend during the Pandemic

1. Online Learning: An Emerging Trend during the Pandemic With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the normal lifestyle of people all across the globe, the virtual world has shown a ray of hope and come to our rescue. Educational institutions and top schools of Delhi have shifted their focus to virtual platforms for conducting online classes. As a result, online education is catering to the educational requirements at all stages- from pre- primary to university level and serving as a crucial alternative to ordinary face to face classes. Both government and private organizations are trying to level up their online game by sprucing up their existing platforms, offering training to teachers, and assisting each other in these tough times. Efforts are being made to make the transition to the virtual world smooth. Some of these efforts include upskilling and motivating teachers and organizing counselling sessions for parents, teachers, and students. The learning material has also been customized to suit the online class environment. However, online learning presents its own set of challenges. Both students and teachers have their individual struggles while accessing these online platforms. Students might not be able to access the internet due to network issues or financial constraints. They might not have a handy device or electronic gadgets such as laptops, computers, or phones. Even if they have the facilities to attend online classes, they might face barriers in terms of availability of physical uninterrupted space; the same applies to teachers as well who conduct classes from their homes. Disturbances and other interruptions make it difficult to concentrate on studies. Technology has always been regarded as the key to reform of the school education and has gained unprecedented momentum during the pandemic. It is being envisioned as a panacea to battle all schooling/education-related issues. There is hurry as well as an emergency to shift the classrooms into the virtual world. However, the reach of all learners is still not being considered well. In a country as diverse as India, there are differences in terms of linguistic, regional, caste, class, gender, and socioeconomic status. The school system has stratification from low fees to elite as well as government schools. Under such circumstances, there is a need for a unilateral approach for mitigating school education disruption. The pandemic has acted as a proximate trigger to re-imagine education and the way it is being circulated. Education makes society and is the carrier for growth. It is time we rise to the occasion and respond with approaches that are equitable. Top schools in India are already taking the plunge but a wider approach is a must for the education system to take new wings. The Shri Ram School - Vasant Vihar Address: - D-3 Street, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi – 110057 Telephone: 26140884, 26149572 Telefax: 26145788 Email: junior.school@tsrs.org Website: - http://www.tsrs.org/