"With self-isolation and social distancing being cited as the only and most effective way to deal with the crisis right now, there is a need for both students and educators to adopt new technologies and tap the potential of digital platforms to make most of their time & resources," says Ramesh Subbarao, Vice President- Portfolio, Pearson South Asia. As nationwide school and educational institute closures due to COVID-19 outbreak disrupt the educational and preparation activities for more than 80 per cent of students worldwide, the populace have now been swiftly moving towards alternative teaching and learning methods to support the learning.
In a recent announcement, the Government has postponed competitive examinations like NEET (medical entrance) and JEE Main (engineering entrance) due to the COVID-19 outbreak which, in fact, has given more time for students to prepare for entrance examinations.
"Hence, with classroom teaching having come to a grinding halt, parents and students are now looking for innovative online tools and e-learning resources, which can help them ensure the continuity of learning," says Mr Subbarao.
"However, this raises a serious concern for learners and coaching/tutoring institutes preparing for competitive examinations like IIT JEE or NEET, with students in the need of more & more mock tests, assessments and learning resources during the last leg of their preparation and exams being postponed until the last week of May," he added.
How you can use your time at home to prepare effectively: The power of Digital
According to Mr Subbarao, this can happen in the following ways:
Facilitation of online lectures through virtual platforms
One way in which coaching institutions and academies can help students remain up to date with their preparation is by enabling online lectures or classes by teachers so that all the major topics can be covered and revision can be done in an effective manner. Virtual platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype etc. can play a major role in this.
Using social networking platforms to stay connected
Forming peer to peer groups on platforms such as Whatsapp or Telegram can help both teachers and students to stay connected on the go and share all the relevant updates & information regularly such as study notes, syllabus, exam guidelines, preparation tips and so on.
Facilitation of an online doubt clearing platform
By organizing time to time live webinars, video calls and conferences, academic institutions can provide students with an opportunity to clear their doubts and receive the right guidance from instructors. This can also include the creation of a live forum wherein students can post their queries and get timely responses from their teachers.
Setting a proper time schedule for everyone
Creating a systematic time table and planning out one's time according to the study plan will help both students and teachers to increase productivity & keep a check on progress respectively. Setting reminders on your phone or other devices, using post-it notes and time management apps, or sharing a virtual calendar (Google calendar, etc.) with everyone, can help you stay on task.
Making use of ed-tech platforms to keep learning on track
Another way in which students and institutes can ensure seamless preparation is by opting for tech enabled, digital learning platforms which will provide them with digital assessment for real time exam experience and full length timed mock test series for an effective and seamless preparation for IIT JEE Main and other competitive exams, all while being in the safety and security of their homes.
(With Inputs from Ramesh Subbarao, Vice President- Portfolio, Pearson South Asia)
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