Challenges
and Opportunities for developing the quality of
Teaching /learning process during
Covid-19
Pandemic in the context of
Kerala
More than 1 billion and 575 million
students in approximately 188 countries around the world are reported to have
been affected by the closure of Schools and Universities due to preventive
measures taken by countries against the spread of COVID-19 (UNESCO 2020). Every
challenge opens up a new opportunity. COVID 19 shut down schools and colleges
and postponed or cancelled exams but learning didn’t stop for students of
Kerala due to teachers who tapped technology. Kerala State Govt ‘Physical
Distance and Social Unity’, ‘Break the chain campaign’ were effectively put
into practice and led to it successfully dealing with the pandemic till now.
India bagged the second-largest position
after the US in the e-learning market. Kerala’s internet penetration rate is the second-highest in the country (54%) with Delhi topping the list with 69%. The types of online learning
mode are asynchronous, synchronous, blended learning and blended online etc. In
asynchronous, the learning management system (moodle) is used. In synchronous, live
virtual classroom(webinar) is used. In blended learning, both face to face
interaction and learning management system is used. In blended online, both
learning management system and live virtual classroom is used.
Conference apps like Google meet, Google
classroom, Zoom, Webex, skypes etc are popularly used for conducting
interactive classes. Teachers prepared short videos, digital books, audio
stories and poems, animated stories, informative talks and virtual classes and
send them across to their students via whats app and other digital mass media.
The online sessions named ‘first bell’ are telecast through VICTERS channel,
under the state General Education dept, for classes 1 to12 from 8.30 am to 5.30
on weekdays. KITE (Kerala Infrastructure
and Technology for Education) provide KOOL (KITE’s Open Online Learning) which
is India’s first government- approached Massive Open Online Course(MOOC). It
enables a flexible training platform for teachers without affecting their
teaching hours. Computer-assisted learning facility, reading rooms, smart classrooms, computer lab etc are present in schools of Kerala. Some programmes like
‘Malayalathilakkam’, Hellow English’, ‘Sureeli Hindi’, are implemented by the
general education dept. under the learning enhancement programme of Samagra
Shiksha Kerala.
Govt. Vocational Higher Secondary
School for Girls, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode was selected as the second-best
performer in India in 2019 by Education World India School Ranking, the World’s
biggest school survey. The award was given after considering parameters like
teacher’s skill, efficiency, sports education, basic amenities, management
standard, social service and so on. Sterling achievements of the school in the
areas of infrastructural development, academic standard and social intervention
were what earned for it the award for the best PTA in the state Nadakkavu School
has become a model for the General Education Protection Mission of the Govt .of
Kerala.
Kerala has achieved a human development
index comparable to the developed countries of the world. The School Education
Quality Index(SEQI) with the reference year 2016-17 has been developed by the
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI AAYOG) to provide insights
and data-based feedback on the success of school education across the states
and Union Territories of India. The report highlights the quality of education
in Kerala. The index consists of indicators that assess the quality education
of the country. The indicators are classified under two categories:
a. Outcomes
b. Governance processes
Outcomes are divided into four
domains
1.
Learning outcomes
2.
Access outcomes
3.
Infrastructure outcomes
4.Equity
outcomes
Governance processes are divided
into four domains
1.Training
2.Availability
of teachers
3.Attendance
of both teachers and students
4.
Administrative adequacy
The state and Union
territories have been categorized into three groups
Large
states
Small
states
Union
Territories
According to the report, Kerala recorded
impressive performance by securing 82.17% score and secured the top position.
Rajasthan and Karnataka are in the top second and third position in overall
performance ranking in 20 large states. Among 8 small states Manipur, Tripura
and Goa bagged the top three position respectively. Of the 8 UTs, Chandigarh,
Dadra & Nagar Haveli bagged the first and second position respectively.
The drawbacks of online education are
the non-availability of high-speed internet in rural areas, poor financial
background of the students to purchase smartphones/ laptops and full time
students and teachers don’t have an account on digital platforms and most of them
never used the system before.
References
1.
Kool.kite.kerala.gov.in
2.
Timesofindia.indiatimes.com
3.
http://www.the
bestschools.org/synchronous vs asynchronous- education
4.
http://www.drishtiias.com/daily
updates/school education-quality-index-niti-aayog
