Virtual mode needs standardised teaching methodology: Thiruvananthapuram collector

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Teaching methodology has migrated to the online mode since the start of the pandemic and there is no telling when offline education can begin. Given that scenario, formulating a standardised teaching methodology for virtual learning is the need of the hour, district collector Navjot Khosa has said. “Online education has been found to be effective but we have to make it more engaging. Further, we need to formulate a standardised online teaching methodology,” Khosa told TNIE.

To ascertain the effectiveness of virtual education, the district administration conducted a case study. The survey was conducted in 35 select government, aided and unaided schools in the district. A total of 179 students, 89 teachers and 117 parents from lower primary, upper primary, high school and higher secondary classes participated in the study. According to the study report, while virtual learning has been found to be effective, a few areas - like making sessions more engaging and increasing the involvement of parents -- need to be addressed.

The report suggested the formulation of a digital-specific teaching methodology. “In a 40-minute session, we have to make the classes more engaging so that the attention of the student is maintained,” said the collector. The study also stressed on the need to formulate measures to reach out to academically weaker students. “We have to figure out how to make the classes even more meaningful for the academically weaker students. The bright students can pick up whether it is online or offline. But we need to interact more with academically weak students,” Khosa said.

The report has been submitted to the government. The thrust should also be on creating a uniform teaching methodology for virtual education, the collector said. “The teaching methodology is not tailor-made for the online mode. The teachers are hardworking and have tried to adapt. But we should have a uniform teaching methodology so the teachers can be trained accordingly. We do not know if we have to rely on online modes in the next academic year also. So we need to be prepared for that,” she said.

The standardisation of teaching methodology will even help in addressing the problems encountered when teaching tougher subjects like maths or physics, Khosa said. “It will help in teaching subjects that need more interaction and thereby make it more meaningful,” she added. The role of parents too has to be factored in, the collector pointed out. “Parents often don’t know how to handle a child with a lot of online exposure. Parents are an important stakeholder and their role is important,” Khosa said.