‘e-learning to stay post pandemic’

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, June 14

Sunil Kumar Sood, Director, KCL Institute of Management and Technology, is a busy man these days, organising webinars on career counseling, getting video modules prepared and conducting live classes to make students aware of the gravity of the Covid crisis.

Talking to The Tribune, he said the day lockdown was announced, he had a meeting with teachers and chalked out plans to continue with the classes and complete the syllabus. “Around 80 per cent of the syllabus in almost all the courses was complete even before the lockdown 1.0 was announced. The remaining, we completed via group video calls and by providing e-content, videos messages and PowerPoint presentations to students.”

He said during the lockdown, he also organised E-tech Symphonic, an event in which around 1,300 students from across the region participated. “The last three months were very crucial for students. Covid-19 has affected them mentally. I made it my priority to engage them in activities other than academics. As it was important to boost their morale, I worked in liaison with career experts from other nations and scheduled webinars on career counseling, post-lockdown opportunities, scope of digital marketing and mental health.”

Besides, in the last three months, he said he planned strategies on how to run the college post lockdown. “As the upcoming academic session is expected to start from August or September and students are also likely to start attending classes from then, it will be a difficult task to ensure social distancing. So we have thought of continuing with the online classes even after the lockdown. Initially, only those who do not have access to technology or are facing issues with the e-learning concept will be first called to attend classes,”said the director.

He said arrangements for thermal screening at the entrance, hand sanitisers in classes, corridor, parks and other places have been made. Besides, there would be a set limit on the number of students allowed inside the cafeteria, labs, seminar halls or other such places. “Amid the pandemic, the safety of students is our main concern and no compromise would be made on this part. As we have to learn to live with the coronavirus, so schools and colleges also have to follow and adjust with the 'new normal',” he said.

Dr Sood said vocational courses in various subjects such as interior designing, software development, web designing, digital marketing and artificial intelligence would have a great scope in the years ahead. He said the college had planned to introduce such courses from the new session.