Roadblocks in online education route for PU

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 14

There’s many a slip between the cup and lip for Panjab University (PU) to finally taste its experiments with online teaching and learning. The month-long lockdown, owing to the Covid-19 pandamic, got the MHRD and UGC etching guidelines for digital education, touting it as a viable mode for sustaining the country’s academic system.

Language barriers

For students pursuing languages, online teaching is quite a task. “How could one prepare notes or submit assignments in Russian, Urdu or even German for that matter?” a student rued.

Though the PU has tried to pull all its strings to get its online-teaching act together, including training workshops for its faculty members, on several accounts, the PU doesn’t quite make the cut. While most of the teachers in the university are complaining of dubious software, students are harrowed over time slots and non-availability of books.

Remote areas have no internet access

At present, only 157 boys and 54 girls are residing in various hostels of the PU. The remaining of them have returned to their hometowns. As a majority of the students come from either Himachal or Punjab, a lot of them have poor access to Internet. Rohit Sharma (22), a fourth year student of the UIET, spoke to us from his home in Kullu. He said: “Most of the students who come from remote areas in Himachal Pradesh are struggling with Internet connection. The WiFi signal is poor and the faculty transmits maximum information through WhatsApp.”

No labs, books

Students pursuing research or studying science or other practical subjects at the university are a troubled lot. A researcher from PU Department of Chemistry, Priya (26), said: “Several journals were earlier available only through the PU wifi and now the university has made them accessible to all. There’s no substitute for labs. Even if we study the theory online, how are we expected to understand the subject without practical application?”

Gurinder Brar, who claims to have topped in MA, and is presently studying in PU’s Department of Education, said, “I need books to study. To answer one question, I need to study at least 20 books. How will I do that online?”

“There is certainly an element of compromise when it comes to online teaching in science subjects. However, teaching that happens through the black-board mode can certainly be translated online. A majority of the undergrads or BDS-level students can be taught online, even on mobiles. I will be surprised to find that students don’t have access to laptops. I am sure as the situation improves, some concrete decision is taken either at local level or at the UGC level,” said Ashish Jain, Dean, Secretary of Medical Sciences, Panjab University, and the director of IQAC

Concerns expressed

“We are aware of the problems being encountered by students in getting online education. Panjab University is in touch with the stakeholders. From April 15, a team of expert faculty members of the PU will be constituted by the Vice-Chancellor. The team will start Zoom training sessions for chairpersons of the departments, followed by faculty members and principals of the colleges. This training shall help in imparting education more effectively,” said the PU spokesperson.

However, the faculty is averse to using the Zoom software. PUTA president Prof Rajesh Gill said the software had been banned in several countries. She shared: “Every time I open the software, it says signals ‘security breach’.”

“We understand that practicals are not possible during the lockdown. We will find out a way out for this once the lockdown is over. Apart from the online modes of teaching, lectures are being recorded and forwarded through WhatsApp groups,” said the spokesperson.