The Covid days changed the educational scenario suddenly, and decisively. Yes, earlier, too, there was Open Education. It was not mainstream though. Nor was it totally online. There would be regular weekend lectures. I should know because I have taught UG to PG courses to Open University students as well. Some of them thus grew quite friendly with English Literature so much so that they positively began reading the actual texts, rather than the ready made to order notes provided by the concerned University.
It was, however, the corona virus that made online education an inevitable alternative to the till then standard offline education. Screens were seen as the alternative to blackboards, and so on. Why remember those 'heroic' days which gave an entire batch a unique nomenclature?
Well, November 2 to November 6 is the National Distance Learning Week. This annual event, celebrated especially in the U.S., would have a slew of webinars (yet another post-Covid development) debating the worth n relevance of the flexi Distance Mode Education.
In my opinion, such an event is an utmost necessity currently because the AI is drastically shifting the gears of the educational machinery. Our academics may not show very many symptoms of this 'dis-', or rather, 'un-' ease. Yes, though! The AI IS re-defining academics.
Education, now, surely would be virtual. In fact, huge, impressive, multi-storeyed buildings are already appearing dysfunctional. Most UG/PG students do not attend lectures. Most often, those big halls are embarrassingly empty.
Students prefer online educational mode. Already they are sure that the ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, et al, are much better than most teachers! Moreover, inter-disciplinary education is yet another diversion away from traditional modes. The skills-oriented credit-based system is adding its own unique dimensions!
There is, for instance, a one-credit course entitled 'Introduction to Vedas', it seems. Apparently, it is finished off in two/three lectures, with downloaded material shared online, and possible questions outlined! Such is, of course, the student grapevine. One is, in the 'mute' mode, in all possible senses of the term.
Try giving homework to your students, and, voilà, all sorts of AI stuff is there 'for your eyes only'! Why, once one of my students was convinced that an app is better than a book when it comes to learning!
Apps can be full of errors as they might be developed by non-experts, you try to gently point out. Aye, AI, THE AI has so charmed the reel obsessed gen's that it becomes your prime duty as educators that the LLM's as well as (advanced) learning management systems bear some semblance to accuracy!
Honestly, the exam system needs a huge re-vamp, if classroom are going to be virtual/remote. Instructional design as well as information sources need fine tuning, too. Oh, yes, there is an acute need to think through supra-academic skills such as on-the-job training, corporate training, adult learning, not to forget, extremely sensitive issues such as telehealth, as the AI has made most all quasi-med's! In brief, not merely a week, the far away from classroom education, needs beyond the 'celebratory' week, but a yearlong fine-tuning!
Pratima@ At times, the distance enabled education seems to be more and more bureaucratised, not to forget its capital-intensive nature. How to make human(e) beings, the only n real goal of education, out of such further n far education, that is the question!
Quote of the day: Said Jean de la Bruyère, "reading keeps us away from being a burden to ourselves." Equally true would be the quote if "studying" replaces "reading" !
Word of the day: flexible Flexible means anything that can be changed easily.
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