E-Learning in deschooling days

Now the country is undergoing an unprecedented moment due to pandemic Coronavirus. Covid-19 has thrown a big challenge to the continuation of traditional education and conventional school learning. At the same time, it has given opportunity for an alternate education model of deschooling, the adjustment period a child goes through when leaving school and beginning homeschooling.

The turbulent pandemic necessitated the entire education spectrum to opt or shift to e-learning platforms, tapping and creating online portals. In tune with the emerging trends, the University Grants Commission directed the educational institutions to opt for 25 per cent of their teaching through online.

In the days of prevailing compulsory social distancing norms, many e- learning platforms, websites and web portals with online courses and loaded e- content have come into existence. These e-learning platforms as an alternate model to face to face conventional learning are emerging as the most demanding modes.

This has reduced the time and distance between the learner and mentor. Now the shift is swiftly taking place from schooling to home schooling due to extended lockdowns. The existing schools are not equipped as per the social distance norms and cannot accommodate their student seating with 3-6 feet distance to the size of our country .

It's a foregone conclusion that in the days to come at least in coming two years we have to invariably live together with the Covid-19 virus. It's the time never before, we need to accustom to the reality and explore the suitable alternatives. We have a successful experiment in front of us with the software companies successfully going with the concept 'work from home'. Thus, Let us convert the Corona virus days as a golden e learning opportunity to the promising learning community. The paradigm shift should enable access, equity, quality and affordability in the education spectrum. The 21st century digital learners may be extended a unique holistic e-learning opportunities to raise their capacity of learning to the optimum.

(The author is Deputy Director, Indira Gandhi National Open University)