Pandemic ushers in the e-learning era
CHENNAI: The spre a d o f COVID-19 has forced many educational institutions across the globe to close campuses. India has over 37 million students enrolled in higher education. An interruption in the delivery of education could cause long-term disruption. The pandemic requires universities to rapidly offer online learning to their students. Fortunately, technology and content are available to help universities transition online quickly and with high quality,” says Raghav Gupta, Managing Director (India and APAC), Coursera. Gupta continues to inform how Coursera is providing universities and colleges access to its course catalog through the Coursera for Campus platform at no cost. Universities and colleges can sign up to provide their enrolled students with access to more than 3,800 courses and 400 specialisations.
These institutions will have access until July 31, 2020, after which the organisation plans to provide month-to-month extensions depending on prevailing risk assessments. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, many schools and other educational institutions have stalled their classes. Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on March 19 to maintain social distancing, a lot of students had already confined themselves to their homes. Given the present scenario, a number of educational platforms have taken their classes online.
Along with Coursera, working together on this front with many universities, the British Council, too, has come up with interesting learning methods to keep children and adults engaged. According to Antonius Raghubansie, Head of Teaching and Cultural Centres in India, British Council, “During the virtual classes, we are ensuring that students can have an interactive experience with their teachers and classmates, similar to how the British Council classroom experiences are.
Additionally, there is a pool of exciting and interactive online learning resources to imp r o v e E n g l i s h grammar, vocabulary and build knowledge across subjects. From young learners to working professionals, anyone anywhere can access these resources, available free of cost.” Raghubansie is of the opinion that that the new approach to deliver our English Language classes online, will continue to prepare students for global challenges with 21st-century skills, while everyone is maintaining social distancing. “During these uncertain times across the country, we are committed to continue the learning experience of students, by adapting ourselves to an alternate model of online classes and learning resources.
At the British Council, health and safety of our students and the communities in which we operate is of paramount importance to us. We also support and cooperate with state and national government authorities to put all necessary measures in place to ensure the continued well-being of all.” Vedantu that provides LIVE online tutoring in India is offering support to students, parents and schools in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Kerala and Hyderabad, to provide free access to its complete learning platform.
In a statement issued,Vamsi Krishna, CEO and Co-Founder, Vedantu, said, “At Vedantu, we believe that best quality education should be accessible to everyone, anytime. We believe online learning is a safe option in these risky and uncertain times. The students can study from the safety of their home and avoid travel to public places. We are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and are here to assist students and schools with all their learning needs.”