RONO HILLS, May 28: Two days national webinar on ‘Dynamics of online education: A dialogue on policy and practice’ organised by the Education department of the Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) concluded here on Thursday.
The aim of the webinar was to have dialogue on virtual teaching-learning in the light of diverse socio-cultural, psychological, technological and regional context of India and explore its significance both in present and post Covid -19 situations.
Prof Khagendra Kumar from Faculty of Education, Patna University talked about various issues of accessibility and accountability of the system in terms of digital education and the risks and dangers involved in it.
Prof Anita Rampal, ex-professor, Central Institute of Education (CIE), University of Delhi, talked on education and digital justice.
Rampal observed that “through online education we are contributing to divide the society between the technology haves and haves not. Only few people can benefit of it. However, weaker sections of our society will just suffer for none of their faults.”
Prof Madhu Kushwaha, from University of Maryland, USA, spoke on the ‘educational inequalities prevalent in the Indian society which impedes the education.’
Prof Senthilnatah from Bhartidasan University, Trichi, Tamil Nadu, talked about the change of pedagogy in the 21st century. He highlighted the gap between the teachers, who are digital immigrants, and the learners of this era, who are digital natives.
Dr Joram Begi, Arunachal Pradesh State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) talked on ‘Readiness of the system for online teaching-learning in the North East and in Arunachal Pradesh’ and also highlighted the state government’s initiatives for online education.
He also talked about the grass root problems ranging from electricity to connectivity that is being faced by the teachers, parents and learners to access online education. Begi urged the RGU, especially its education department to start online programmes for teachers of the state to increase their digital literacy.
Prof Gautam Gawali, Director, Amity Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Amity University, Mumbai talked on the most ignored issue of emotional and hands-on-activities (psychomotor) disconnect being experienced in this online education era.
Earlier, in the inaugural program, Prof HK Senapati, Director, NCERT, New Delhi, said that online education is a makeshift arrangement, and after lock down is over ‘we have to return back to normal education, however it can continue as blended mode of teaching-learning.
Speaking on the occasion, RGU Vice-Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha highlighted the initiatives of RGU in realizing the aims of online education, and attempts made by RGU for the same.
RGU’s Joint Registrar (Academic & Conference), Dr David Pertin spoke about the universities administrative readiness for organizing such webinars. He further informed that a total of 1,151 applications were received from across the country, and out of that, only 300 were sorted out on the basis of the responses of the applicants.
During the valedictory function, RGU’s acting registrar Prof. Tomo Riba spoke about the need of online education at this juncture.
RGU’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof A Mitra stressed the importance of 20 percent credit to SWAYAM courses for university and college students.
State’s education secretary Niharika Rai talked on the initiatives of the state government for online education in terms of provisions through SWAYAM TV channel for the school children.
She also informed that in 19 colleges, online education is progressing well. She highlighted the state government’s initiatives of tie-up with the All India Radio to give opportunity to learners to record their folktale and folklore.
