With the state government ordering suspension of classes at schools to prevent the spread of Covid-19, some institutes in Bengaluru have started livestreaming lessons to prevent their syllabus from getting delayed. They are using videoconferencing applications of WebEx, Google, Zoom and other firms to beam classes into students’ homes.
Inventure Academy, which announced closure of all classes on Wednesday, will start online classes, through Google, from Monday. “It’s going to be a learning curve for all of us. Our teachers are undergoing training with the school’s IT department on how to prepare resources, share them, conduct live classes and assess students. We will prepare special timetables and administer online exams,” said the academy’s principal, Meenakshi Myer.
Indus International has been using Webex and Zoom to hold online classes for primary students. “The classes are conducted for two hours every day. As these are young students, parents’ presence is requested. We are ready to cover higher grades through a similar online programme,” said principal Sarojini Rao. “We have obtained extra licences for WebEx. We also have a curriculum software called Cognity. Additionally, we are ready to provide any online assistance students may need.”
About 100 students of Global Indian International School (GIIS) have been attending web-streamed classes from their homes. “Technology is an integral part of education delivery in our institutes. We have been using in-house technology to livestream lessons for our global student exchange programmes in seven countries. Other students can use the same platform to join the classroom from their homes,” said Rajiv Bansal, director-operations, GIIS India.
Deens Academy plans to use Skype for students of classes 10 and 12. “Our teachers will prepare a training module and videos will be mailed. We are looking at Skype sessions to clear doubts,” said Deens principal Shanthi Menon. Trio World Academy intends to help students through school app ERP.
Edtech firms to fill the gap
Schools are trying to partner with edtech firms to help students keep their preparations on track. “Two major school chains have sought our help for customised tech platforms for teaching-learning. Online learning is a safe option in these risky times,” said Vedantu CEO Vamsi Krishna.
On Thursday, online learning platform Coursera started offering affected Indian universities free access to its course catalogue. “Universities can sign up to provide their students with access to over 3,800 courses and 400 specialisations from Coursera’s top university and industry partners. These institutions will have access till July 31, 2020, after which we plan to provide month-to-month extensions depending on prevailing risk assessments,” a Coursera spokesperson said.
E-learning platform Unacademy said it would conduct nearly 20,000 free live classes on its platform to ensure learners’ education. Toppr, an after-school learning app, has also announced free access to live classes and videos.
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