Hyderabad: University Vice Chancellors in India are optimistic that the transition from an offline mode of education to the complete online education system will go smoothly and the torch will be handed over to the generation next by the old school academics with zeal and zest. Academics predict that the transition from hybrid to complete online will take hardly a decade.
They all agreed that the pandemic which created a havoc in 2020, have created an opportunity in the education sector as it has accelerated the development of online mode of teaching. Hadn't corona virus spread, the adoption would have taken a little more time that left the students and teachers clueless at the inception of the pandemic. The academic and students both finally found their way in the internet based teaching-learning.
During a two-day long session, attended by faculty members of various streams, research scholars, and vice chancellors - mostly from southern states- discussed and later reviewed threadbare the strategies for moving education into online mode, beginning with the hybrid. While discussing the modalities of various digital universities that are in making given the objectives of Higher Education Ministry, together and UGC, a sizeable budget has already been allocated for them. The seminar, which was supported by the Consortium of Communication, New Delhi and organised by Osmania University, had Prof. J. B. Nadda, Director CEC New Delhi, as the chief guest.
Some of the concerns raised by some academics regarding going completely online, as well as their practical possible remedies, were also taken into consideration. Prof. Vijjulatha, Vice Chancellor of Telangana Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam, pointed out that science students would need to have practical classes, which would necessarily have to be in a physical mode, that otherwise would be a challenge while the university will be running only in digital mode. She suggested that “the physical mode should be kept open for science students who have to work in the laboratories.”
“Digital education is a new reality and this reality will open doors for aspirants with a thirst for knowledge and learning. This will unbox the teaching-learning process,” said Prof B J Rao, Vice Chancellor of University of Hyderabad, while chairing a session between various vice chancellors discussing strategies and modalities of upcoming digital universities.
Journalists from digital media platforms were also invited to share their perspectives on how traditional media has transitioned to digital media and how technology dominates the media landscape. Detailing about the use of modern technology in broadcast media and how it has reduced the gap between the production of news and its delivery, Rajendra Prasad, News Editor, ETV Telugu said “EMMRC must produce journalists who can meet the needs of news organisations, because media houses are using modern technologies and those technologies shall be made avaliable to students during the course of their training.”
“Technology has made news gathering, processing and publishing easier, and journalists who are tech savvy are carving out a niche in the new age journalism. Journalists working for digital media and those aspiring to get into digital will have to do away with all types inhibitions when transitioning from traditional media to digital mode," said Bilal Bhat, Editor, ETV Bharat, while discussing emerging media technologies, he added, “Journalists can use many cutting-edge technologies to tell their stories more effectively in a variety of ways.”
