“How to Engage Students in Online Classes”

On 23^rd August 2020

Panelists

1. Usha Raman, Professor, Dept of Comm. University of Hyderabad.

2. Sandeep Sen, Director, School of Engg. & Professor, CSE, Shiv Nadar University.

3. Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

4. Felix Bast, Assoc. Professor, Centre for Plant Sciences, Central University of Punjab

Chair: Ram Ramaswamy, IIT Delhi

Moderator: V Madhurima, CUTN

Major Points shared:

1. It is really challenging to engage the learners in online teaching. Network issues in terms of connectivity, bandwidth; gadgets available with the students; students preparedness etc. are the main concerns.

2. Institutional support in terms of providing device and internet support is essential for the teachers to select appropriate mode of transaction online.

3. Institutes have to also ensure that all the teachers are trained for online teaching, not just in terms of using specific LMS/software, but also in the broader field of pedagogy related to online teaching.

4. A repeated concern is the inability of a teacher to reach all students since all classes, irrespective of the geographical location of the institute or its stature, are heterogeneous in socio-economic status.

5. There is a high need of informing and equipping the learners on self- learning and regulating their learning. Students have to be trained to take a bigger role in their own learning process.

6. Sharing the recorded lectures was suggested as a method to help students who miss synchronous classes due to network issues.

7. Evaluation is found to be most challenging in the online teaching learning. A future panel discussion on the same was suggested.

8. The need for administrative decisions such as length of a semester, number of contact lectures, implementation of blended/flipped class modes etc., was emphasised. Further, it was strongly felt that old rules cannot be applied to the new mode of teaching.

(Summarized by K Biju and V Madhurima)