In Tiruchi, a few engineering colleges begin online classes during lockdown

A number of apps are used to facilitate e-learning, teachers said

A few engineering colleges in Tiruchi have begun online classes due to the nationwide lockdown for the containment of the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

At M.A.M. B-School, a standalone management institution in Tiruchi, Zoom app has come in handy to conduct online classrooms for the students. After the curfew, the safety of the faculty became a priority, said M. Hemalatha, directo, M.A.M.B-School. She convened an online e-meeting and instructed the faculty members to conduct the online classes for students through the app. “Professors are being involved in online delivery and training with a pre-planned timetable scheduled with the duration of three hours consisting of 45 minutes per subject, and at the end of every session doubts are being clarified,” she said.

Question papers and assignments are shared using Google classrooms. The assignments were evaluated immediately and the performance level was made known on the same day. There are also question and answer sessions.

“We advised the faculty and students to enrol in at least one of the NPTEL (National Programme on Technology-Enhanced Learning) online courses conducted by professors of Indian Institutes of Technology across the country,” said M.A. Maluk Mohamed, College Committee chairman. “Enrolment in online courses would not only help the students and teachers to overcome boredom, but also stay mentally healthy during the lockdown period,” he said.

Mount Zion College of Engineering and Technology in Pudukottai district has also availed the utility of digital mode of teaching through Google and Whatsapp platforms. “For students staying at home this is a very useful method of learning, making use of the ventures of educational technology. Students will not miss classes during this lockdown period even while remaining healthy at home, teachers said.

"Internal exams were conducted as per schedule in the online mode. Google classroom was the go to app for conducting exams and rectifying the mistakes,” the teachers added.

The virtual learning environment has been appreciated by parents and students alike, they said, adding that the placement training for the students was also being carried out in the digital mode.

Students are able to learn at their own pace and time and complete their task in the stipulated time. Project review for the B.E final-year students was also going on through the online mode, the teachers said.

Some other institutions are in the process of evaluating the scope for availing the utility of open source software for online teaching-learning interfaces. They are looking at live instructor-led, self-paced methods of learning.

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