Limited keyboard and software in Hindi disrupts online teaching in the language during COVID-19 lockdown
Students, teachers depend on email, WhatsApp post COVID-19
Representational Image. (Getty Images) The coronavirus pandemic has prompted educational institutions to shift towards digital learning. But for most Hindi students, this is not an easy process. Thanks to limited Hindi-enabled keyboards and software in laptops or computers, most students are facing trouble while learning. The teachers are finding it equally challenging to conduct online lectures.
Despite the sorry state of facilities, Pramod Kumari Tiwari, assistant professor, Centre for Hindi Studies, Central University of Gujarat, has been using several other mediums such as WhatsApp and email to stay connected with his students. Tiwari, who teaches postgraduate and research students, finds it easy to conduct online classes with fewer students.
“Due to unavailability of Hindi keyboard, it takes longer to type the text and communicate with students,” says Tiwari. “The availability of software such as ‘Speech to Text’ is a breather for us while writing text. However, it needs some manual correction to avoid the grammatical errors,” he adds.
Tiwari thanks MHRD for providing Shodhganga, e-PG Pathshala, MOOCS and SWAYAM portals that are being used as reference while teaching online.
MK Pandey, assistant professor at Satyawati College, University of Delhi (DU), faces similar challenges while conducting online classes for Hindi department students due to the unavailability of software.
Post lockdown, Pandey has been conducting classes through recorded video lectures and answering students’ queries through WhatsApp and emails. Highlighting the drawback of video lectures, Pandey says it remains a one-way communication. “It does not serve the purpose as one would expect in the brick and mortar classrooms,” he adds. Pandey advocates a plaform that offers classroom-like facility to help teachers stay better connected with students.
Despite the sorry state of facilities, Pramod Kumari Tiwari, assistant professor, Centre for Hindi Studies, Central University of Gujarat, has been using several other mediums such as WhatsApp and email to stay connected with his students. Tiwari, who teaches postgraduate and research students, finds it easy to conduct online classes with fewer students.
“Due to unavailability of Hindi keyboard, it takes longer to type the text and communicate with students,” says Tiwari. “The availability of software such as ‘Speech to Text’ is a breather for us while writing text. However, it needs some manual correction to avoid the grammatical errors,” he adds.
Tiwari thanks MHRD for providing Shodhganga, e-PG Pathshala, MOOCS and SWAYAM portals that are being used as reference while teaching online.
MK Pandey, assistant professor at Satyawati College, University of Delhi (DU), faces similar challenges while conducting online classes for Hindi department students due to the unavailability of software.
Post lockdown, Pandey has been conducting classes through recorded video lectures and answering students’ queries through WhatsApp and emails. Highlighting the drawback of video lectures, Pandey says it remains a one-way communication. “It does not serve the purpose as one would expect in the brick and mortar classrooms,” he adds. Pandey advocates a plaform that offers classroom-like facility to help teachers stay better connected with students.
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