Outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted millions of lives in terms of health, lifestyle, livelihood and education globally. In the education scenario, detention of students from attending schools and colleges till the pandemic is under control will call for seismic shifts in this year’s education systems,trends and choices.Closure of schools, colleges and higher education institutions for risk-control has not only caused phenomenal disruption and inconvenience but has alsogiven way to remarkable innovations in the teaching-learning processes.
West Bengal, an Emerging Education Launchpad for Students
Although it is too early to assess the degree of transformation that will happen in education sector owing to this pandemic, we are already witnessing certaingame-changing knowledge initiatives that could impact institutions worldwide.In the year 2020, we are likely to see students across all cross-sections of the countrypreferring local, regional and nearest neighbouring destinations for quality and affordable education. West Bengal has always been deemed as the home to value-driven education both in terms of economy, facilities and academic standards.Moreover, going with the current flow we may also anticipate several othertrendsetting changes in West Bengal education framework that may be worth exploring at this point of time.
Creative Technology Solutions to Bridge Learning Gap
Educational institutions in West Bengal in association with State Universities like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT)- formerly known as West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) are taking innovative learning initiatives through virtual mediums. Forward thinking engineering institutions like Dream Institute of Technology are leveraging online classes to replace in-person classroom learning. Students are learning via interactive digital learning platforms likeZoom Conference Calls, engaging webinars, college online portals to catch-up with their scheduled classes and academic curriculum. The dedicated faculty members are ensuring that their students are not deprived in anyway in their learning journey through continuous online classes. The teachers are going extra-miles to meet all-round educational demands of the students with online doubt clearing sessions, virtual home assignments and subsequent digital class assessments.
Evolution of Alternate Education Perspective
With the upsurge of COVID-19 pandemic, education has also become more introspective, dynamic and multi-dimensional. Students are encouraged to learn from their immediate environment at home. In West Bengal, University and colleges have taken dynamic steps for nurturing the academic as well as non-academic creative skills of students that include hobbies and pastimes like cooking, photography, gardening, singing, writing, reading and painting among many other talents. These special educational endeavours are inspiring students to regenerate their favourite hobbies and pastimes to unplug lateral ways of learning and share their creative ideas and thoughts with the world.
As one of the visionary engineering institutions, Dream Institute of Technology in collaboration with MAKAUT has introduced several interesting student activities and creative contests for active student engagement during lockdown phase. Students who excel in these creative activities will be rewarded with attractive gifts and recognized with jointly awarded certificates by the college and the University for boosting their motivation level.
Education Will Now Focus on Social Responsiveness
The onset of this pandemic has brought to the forefront the need for human values over and above academic knowledge, hands-on skills and creativity. The ways of learning are bound to change when educational institutions take the initiative to drive human-centred learning approach.
In West Bengal, the students and institutions have exhibited their intent to help and reach out to people in need and crisis with empathy along with responsibility. Technology is being discreetly deployed to bridge social distancing and weaken the silos caused by physical separation with online collaboration. Dream Institute of Technology, one of the far-sighted institutions in West Bengal realizes the importance of building resilience into education systems to help students face the threats and insecurities of this difficult phase with calm, positivity and conviction.
Finally, We Will Welcome the Future of Education Here
It’s been a long time that we have rested our education foundation on classroom boundaries. When the lockdown is withdrawn, the students, teachers and the institution will converge to create innovative ways of learning where they will be equipped with both real and virtual teaching-learning methodologies. Students will be able to learn from all kinds’ of environments, respect their surrounding world and appreciate people around them. They will also utilize time wisely to drive transformation through innovations. West Bengal has been very prompt to adapt, relearn and stay abreast with rapid changes in the education system during this pandemic phase and as a result promises to evolve as one of the futuristic education hubs in India in the near future.