Govt may limit daily e-classes to 2 hrs, week days
NEW DELHI: Limiting the time span of online classes to not more than 90-120 minutes, restricting such classes to weekdays alone and involving parents and volunteers to help teachers. These are among the guidelines the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) is finalising for digital education in schools as it becomes increasingly clear that online classes will likely be the mainstay of learning for the current academic year.
As per the draft, the online platform should also ensure that every student will learn at his/her own pace and there should be multiple models for different segments – right from those who have all the digital amenities to someone who just has access to radio or not even that. The guidelines have also prioritised the issue of mental and physical health due to excess exposure to digital screens.
Different strategies of conducting online classes for different stages of school, including a separate set of suggestions for supporting virtual learning of children with special needs has been suggested. It has also elaborated on how to create a congenial, safe and secure online learning environment before conducting online learning and dealing with cyber security concerns.
As per the draft guidelines, even during the study-from-home, “vacation period should be allocated for students and teachers so that they don’t feel over stressed,” just as a normal school calendar has breaks.
According to a senior HRD official, the guidelines are being prepared based on a report submitted by the NCERT. “Suggestions have been made to the states/ UTs on preparing schools for online education keeping in mind factors such as government school children where many of the families are struggling for basic needs like food, shelter, or issues like there can be more than one child in a home, where gadgets like TV, mobile can’t be easily shared among the children or things like how to make broadcasting and screen time level specific with regard to physical and mental health of the learners.”
With the internal classroom exams unlikely to be conducted anytime soon, the guidelines also specified that “assessment should be made integral part of online learning programmes in terms of ensuring achievement of learning outcomes.”
To bridge the digital divide, the guidelines suggested that the same content may be provided in multiple mediums to provide access to haves and have nots.
Other suggestions include class-wise instant messaging groups for communication with parents and exercises like learning and seeking help from the identified volunteers where parents are not in a position to support students in digital learning.
According to HRD sources, while the guideline mainly focuses on digital education during the Covid-19 lockdown period, it is also a precursor for carrying forward digital education to enhance the quality of education during the post lockdown period as well.
As per the draft, the online platform should also ensure that every student will learn at his/her own pace and there should be multiple models for different segments – right from those who have all the digital amenities to someone who just has access to radio or not even that. The guidelines have also prioritised the issue of mental and physical health due to excess exposure to digital screens.
Different strategies of conducting online classes for different stages of school, including a separate set of suggestions for supporting virtual learning of children with special needs has been suggested. It has also elaborated on how to create a congenial, safe and secure online learning environment before conducting online learning and dealing with cyber security concerns.
As per the draft guidelines, even during the study-from-home, “vacation period should be allocated for students and teachers so that they don’t feel over stressed,” just as a normal school calendar has breaks.
According to a senior HRD official, the guidelines are being prepared based on a report submitted by the NCERT. “Suggestions have been made to the states/ UTs on preparing schools for online education keeping in mind factors such as government school children where many of the families are struggling for basic needs like food, shelter, or issues like there can be more than one child in a home, where gadgets like TV, mobile can’t be easily shared among the children or things like how to make broadcasting and screen time level specific with regard to physical and mental health of the learners.”
With the internal classroom exams unlikely to be conducted anytime soon, the guidelines also specified that “assessment should be made integral part of online learning programmes in terms of ensuring achievement of learning outcomes.”
To bridge the digital divide, the guidelines suggested that the same content may be provided in multiple mediums to provide access to haves and have nots.
Other suggestions include class-wise instant messaging groups for communication with parents and exercises like learning and seeking help from the identified volunteers where parents are not in a position to support students in digital learning.
According to HRD sources, while the guideline mainly focuses on digital education during the Covid-19 lockdown period, it is also a precursor for carrying forward digital education to enhance the quality of education during the post lockdown period as well.
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