The abstract is done as part of the first semester B.Ed. programme for the subject “Developments and Resources in Educational Technology”
Education is one
of the basic rights of every human being. It molds the people in a society to a
better citizen and is vital for the development of any nation. A nation which makes
sure the education of every citizens definitely will have an upper hand in
every domain.
Today the entire
education system is facing a crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic. Children cannot
go to schools like they used to. Teachers are forced to teach students online.
There are many advantages for online teaching but in our country the
disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. The issues include financial
problems, technical issues and many others.
Firstly, the
primary necessity of online education is the availability of a smartphone or
computer along with a good internet connection. The vast majority of students
in our country are from the marginalized and poor people. Such people who work
hard to make both ends meet cannot afford to buy a smartphone or computer for
this purpose alone. Even electricity is not available in many houses. So, the
concept of online teaching created panic among poor children, that they cannot
study as before. Another issue is the low range for mobile connections in many
areas. Government has the responsibility for the education of the entire
population and we cannot marginalize this bigger section of our society.
Secondly, the over
exposure to smartphone and computer may lead to severe health issues. Sitting
in front of e-devices for long durations can lead to fatigue and students
cannot grasp what they are taught. Often students lose concentration and start
to do other activities as teachers cannot monitor all the students in the class
at a time. This is another major issue. The teacher cannot make sure that the
students are actually understanding the class.
All students in a
class are not alike. Each student is unique and require specific attention
which teachers can provide in a class room. Teachers can make use of various
teaching tools which is required for each student and effectively convey his or
her ideas. But in the case of online teaching many of such tools cannot be
implemented due to short time allotted for the class and also other technical
issues. Thus, many things get unattended and the effectiveness of teaching gets
reduced drastically. Also, the teacher cannot make sure that every student is
attending the class, or they just login and go.
Again, education
is not just academics. It aims at the overall development of the children.
There are many virtues and qualities that children develop while they are at
school. Only by mingling with other students and teachers will the students
learn how to live in a society together helping each other. Teachers can help
the students to develop such qualities and become better citizens of the
nation. This part of education is completely absent in online teaching. Even
teachers do not “know” the students sitting in front of them. Education of the
student is complete only if the teacher can develop his or her student to a
better person.
The co-curricular
activities are unavoidable part of education. Each student is unique and
teachers have to help them identify their individual skills. We need singers,
dancers, sportsmen also in our society. It is usually from the school that the
students identify their skills and gain self-confidence. Schools provides a
platform for the students to compete with other students and develop their
talents. All these kinds of group activities are stopped by online teaching.
Teachers become helpless in this case, even though they are ready to help.
In short, online
teaching is not as effective as regular schooling. The knowledge imparted to
the students remain incomplete.
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