Online Classes during COVID-19 Lockdown: Window of Opportunity

CONTEXT

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the shutting down of most institutions, including schools, colleges and universities. All academic activities were suspended and all students were asked to leave the universities and vacate hostels. This would have taken a heavy toll on learning but for the online platforms now available, which are providing an opportunity to continue with teaching and learning. Under normal circumstances, many of us would not have cared to resort to online teaching but the lockdown compelled us to explore the wonderful world of online teaching. We say it’s a blessing in disguise; we are not only able to familiarize ourselves with online teaching but also with organizing several classes online during this period.

Online lectures are very common in developed countries since a long time.  But in the Indian context, especially in agricultural education, it is yet to become popular. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have emphasized online learning to help out students whose academic activities have been seriously disrupted due to the pandemic (Box 1).

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