Corona Effect: Digitization in The Field of Higher Education is The Need of Hour

 

Due to the Corona pandemic, from school education to higher education, all over the world has been affected badly. According to a UNESCO report, about 160 crore students from all over the world were affected due to the pandemic, out of which about 32 crore Indian students are involved. No one even dreamed that a disaster would come in the form of an epidemic like this and not only dwarf the education system of developing nations, but the educational institutions of developed nations would also feel helpless in facing such disaster. Since last year, many decisions have been taken for the purpose of improving education at the international level, the budget for education for digitization has also been increased. Before the implementation of plans for institutions around the world ahead of the pace of this pandemic, the dash turned right.

There is an atmosphere of instability all around; it is not only the education world, whichhas been affected by this pandemic. Health services including agriculture, automobile, economic sector are also seen to be crumbling. This pandemic has also emerged as a major obstacle in the internationalization of higher education. According to the data available on the Times Higher Education website, before this epidemic, 33.7 percent of students from China were enrolled in universities and colleges in America for education, while 18.4 percent of students from India were enrolled in various higher educational institutions in America,for the purpose of taking education.

However, due to the outbreak of this epidemic, many universities in America and the world, including the University of Washington, considered the option of online mode better than offline mode, to keep their students safe from this pandemic. If we talk about India, there is bound to be a decline in the foreign student figures due to Corona. Indian students desirous of studying abroad are also unable to succeed in their objectives due to the non-availability of visas etc. After the first wave of Corona, the final year examinations were successfully conducted in Indian universities and colleges through online and offline mode. From March 2021, the second wave of corona spread across the country forced the students of universities and colleges to shift to online mode.

However, online education is not a substitute for offline education. Many media reports show that due to lack of resources, encouraging results of online education are not coming to the rural areas, but avoiding online mode at this time will also not be a wise move. To deal with this instability situation, along with the central and state governments, many NGOs are also engaged on a war footing. Many universities and colleges are organizing webinars for information on prevention and treatment not only for Covid-19 but for the black fungus also. While discharging their social responsibility, along with giving direction and conditions to youth power with positive energy, the universities are doing a good job of spreading awareness as well as distributing masks and medicines in rural areas under the NSS Volunteers University Outreach Program.

Many institutes have started to change their curriculum and according to the need of the time, subjects like hospital management, design, and innovation, environmental science, crisis management, skill development, etc. have been made part of the curriculum on a priority basis. Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi is going to start eight new courses and four departments from the coming academic session. Keeping in view the exigencies of time, many of the foremost and leading universities of the nation has started the process of online application for admissions for the academic session 2021-22.

 

The pandemic has increased the crisis on education, the impact of which is likely to linger on our future generations. Keeping in view the present circumstances, digitization will have to be promoted in the field of higher education and virtual classrooms will have to be established. Along with adopting the self and silent courses of the University Grants Commission, open education resources will also have to be promoted. In areas where there is no internet access, higher education will have to be taken to the students with the help of television and radio, due to the pandemic, regular education has turned into distance education. To create interest in education among students, the course material has to be made more and more interactive and interesting. The resources of education will also have to be shared collectively by various institutions so that quality education can be provided to the students in less budget.

There is a need to reformat the national level, which is possible by the inclusion of technology in the Indian education system. There is a need for effective educational practice for capacity building of the young mind. There is a need to provide support for digitization to teachers and students. The entire country, especially the parents, is facing a very serious situation due to the Corona pandemic. People's jobs and jobs are lying; people are struggling with the problem of diseases and inflation. In this difficult time, educational institutions will have to be sensitive and take appropriate steps to provide relief to the students and their parents in the interest of the country.