Why virtual classes will be the new norm even at universities!

The outbreak has changed how millions of students around the globe learn. Few universities are preparing for safe reopening with most learning activities online with the exception of non-IT practical and lab sessions that requires physical lab setups. These changes show us how ‘education’ at universities could change for the better in the long term. Thanks to EdTech solutions, institutions are adopting innovative ways of schooling and higher education. Online learning is not a new concept. Freshers and working professionals have been using this mode of learning to upskill and reskill at their own comfort. Let’s see some of the factors that will keep online leaning in the mainstream even after the pandemic is gone.

Factors That Will Lead To The Change We Are Expecting

Universities can reach to more students with online programs Rise of virtual classes has extended education to more students and students who are unable to attend universities in person may be thankful ‘learning’ from home. With the greater emphasis on re-skilling and up-skilling, online programs will attract more working professionals who want to continue studying while working. Students can learn at their own pace The flexible structure of online video lectures allows students to learn at their own pace. Unlike face-to-face lectures, where some students might end up falling behind in class, online materials are a lot more forgiving. The current generation of university students prefers to “speed up the video, pause, or playback”, allowing them to learn at their own pace, and increase their knowledge retention. Online learning will complement traditional learning We have seen show COVID-19 has led to the mass adoption of live classes and it has worked. We are also aware of the fact that fully online programs are not the best long-term plan once the pandemic is over. Online learning will remain an important part of university education, and universities can develop deeper plans to integrate the most useful aspects of online learning into their programs. Blended learning models could go even more mainstream and take over as the norm for most courses offered at universities so that students can gain the flexibility to learn better online and offline.

What Happens If Some Universities Choose ‘NOT’ To Offer Online Programs?

• Lesser enrollments! GenZ is clearly into learning on their mobile devices. Campuses have become a thing of the past for them. The option to learn online opens up other avenues for students and professionals. Directed consequences for universities not going online can be lesser enrollments in their upcoming academic sessions.
• Existing faculty might move to an institution that allows them to stay home and teach online.
• NAAC appreciates universities with online infrastructure for archiving learning resources. Universities / Institutions not having that may not receive the allocated grades in that section of the grading process.
• Not changing with the time! To stay completive universities/institutions need to adopt learning technologies that are keeping top universities on top.

Choosing not to go online can be an institution’s decision but attracting new enrollments every academic session henceforth might become hard for such institutions. Universities are concerned about the effectiveness of the online learning environment. For some, it boils down to maintaining habits and discipline among learners, for others the fear of having too much freedom with online classes might make their students slip away. Traditional learning management systems make it harder to have quality communication and discussions online. This is where IITH’s Integrated Learning Experience Platform can help universities. IIHT’s Integrated Learning Experience Platform helps universities to –

• Conduct Live Virtual Classes
• Maintain Attendance Record
• Upload and Manage Online Library of Learning Resources
• Set a Chronological Order to be followed by Learners
• Conduct Secure and Proctored Online Assessment
• And the last but not the least, Configure Virtual Cloud Labs for Individual Learners within minutes