The year 2020 seems to have culminated into an endless havoc impacting   the entire world due to the spread of COVID -19 and  sparing the education system can’t be an exception to it. Education in a  formal set up,  can best  be imparted through proper interaction between  the teacher and the  student in a classroom.

In 2020  due to continuous uprising of the COVID-19 cases, the government  had to shut down the educational  institutions to ensure  safety of the students. Students of  school, college, university, technical institute, vocational institute etc were confined to their home. 

This  resulted in creating a gulf of differences between the  teacher and the learner, which subsequently  hampered both. Teachers especially working in the private sector suffered financially and students also  suffered by  getting detached from the regular routine of an  educational  set up which eventually resulted in a lowered pace of learning. 

However  technology has been a  great boon. It has  enabled  both the parties to connect and   bridge the gap  to a large extent. After a few months of onset of corona, gradually classes started to  begin through online mode.  Both the  teacher and   student got an  opportunity to regain the lost momentum of learning to a large  extent. 

With the help of gadgets like cell phones, laptops, PC etc., the  teacher/ trainer  is happy to  connect with a large number of  learners at a time for a  specific period as scheduled  by the teacher/ institution as per their feasibility. As a teacher, I too had  the   privilege of connecting with my students in an  online mode to  impart the learning.  I  have listed below a few benefits related to this particular mode of teaching and  learning

which are  as follows:- 

i) Easy accessibility towards the students:-

Usage of mobile phones are quite common nowadays and students have a great affinity towards the device. Judicious usage of mobile phones needs grit .  So, as a teacher at first, I have to notify my students through various apps like Google Meet, Webex etc  about the commencement of the  online class along with coverage of the programme  so that they can prepare themselves for the  upcoming class with better focus and attention.

ii) Online mode of learning served as an innovative tool for learners:-  As a teacher, I found that students were quite overjoyed while attending classes through virtual mode. Because they were quite habituated with the  formal training  in classroom,  this new way of learning provided a new  zeal to learn new things

iii) Feasibility for a teacher while learning doubts in individual manner or as a whole:-
As a teacher, it is our  duty to know whether the students are  able to grasp the subject matter/ topic of discussion or not. While doing so on an  online mode, a teacher can clear doubts of students  individually   and not as a whole . This  depends on the maturity and experience level  of the  teacher. 

iv) Online mode of education helped in continuation of education process:-
Due to COVID-19, education system got a big blow. Many months went by without proper  assessment of  the students however online mode of education helped teachers to access  the learners and subsequently   provide  adequate feedback to them  for betterment. 

v) Online mode of education helped teachers to furnish their adequate skills:-
For a teacher, it is essential  to continuously update himself / herself with new knowledge and skills  which will  subsequently lead to  his/ her professional development. Though  covid-19 provided a huge setback  initially however  Online mode of imparting  education provided a  new scope to expand horizons to the  teachers.  

vi) Friendly interaction between learners and teachers:-
Through online mode of education, learners of different  levels seem to have benefitted.  As  many new  learners are quite shy by nature, they hesitate to share their views in front of others in a  classroom. However  due to online mode, many have come out of their shell to express  their views  and the teacher / trainer have been able to provide  individual attention . 

Limitations
However there were a lot of hurdles faced by the teacher / trainer  to conduct online  classes in the initial days. The teacher had to take classes sitting in  their home where the teacher could not find the appropriate device which  was  best suited for effective learning. 

In the present scenario  of education, the  theoretical knowledge of  subjects  like  physics, chemistry, biology  have to be complemented with practical knowledge as well.  This scope of providing  practical knowledge through  online class is not possible.  

The present aim of education which  is to make the students more  active through  the teaching learning process is also limited  through online medium. 

 Another area  of ‘online teaching’ is to get the right  assessment. To   accept the right answer of  the student on its face value can be a challenge. Whether  the student has adopted malpractices  is difficult to judge. This  can adversely affect the moral value of the  student in the long run.  

Summary 

 As Online training   is a new methodology of imparting education   its limitations can gradually be overcome with passage of time.    Online  teaching can  also be a good option for imparting  education  in the remote areas where setting up classroom training is not feasible.  ‘Online teaching’ can be a quick, anytime, anywhere teaching-  learning process. Thus, Online and offline teaching can go- hand- in- hand to make the teaching learning process effective in the days to come.

Author: Debanjana Ganguly

Email: contact@bridgeacademyoman.com