SRINAGAR: Media Education Research Centre (MERC), University of Kashmir, on Monday organized a one-day webinar on ‘Reimagining Learning in Contemporary Times’.
Professor Fazal Malik and Prof Anubhuti Yadav spoke as guest speakers during the webinar. Professor Malik, Vice President Academics, Director Institutional Effectiveness, Amity University, Dubai said that the world had made a quantum jump in technology since the end of last century.
“As we have entered the 21st century, a small sub-microscopic organism has now redefined us. Pandemichas impacted everything. Our lives, our institutions and our education are changing,” he said. “So, in order to adapt to the new order, the audience must accept the changes. There’s no room for people who are resistant to change.”
He emphasized on interactivity within classrooms asking for “specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound teaching to be introduced.”
He also implored students to develop a skill-based learning attitude and make use of technologies that prepare them for the future.
“Only skilled people have a place in the new world order. The way we learn and earn is changing. Agility, tangibility and applicability are the three things which will help you to change with time,” he said.
Dr Anubhuti Yadav, Head of the New Media and Information Technology, Indian Institute of MassCommunication (IIMC) New Delhi said that the “blended learning has become a new normal”, referring to use of traditional classroom teaching methods together with the use of online learning.
“Blended learning has proved to be useful because it has allowed us to make the whole teaching-learning process efficient,” she said.
Dr Yadav asked for collaborative learning to be introduced with improved accessibility and communication. She also showed various productivity tools and tutoring apps that students and teachers could make use of to make the teaching-learning process more smooth and resourceful. She also asked teachers to be resource creators by making use of learning management systems.
“Technology has provided us with a lot of opportunities. But it depends on us as students and teachers on how we use it,” she said.
Dr Aaliya Ahmed, HoD MERC thanked the guests and the participants. She said that going online is more than a remote instruction.
“It is about implementing solutions that have evolved to the changing needs of the students. Digital technology offers us new possibilities to improve the way we work as educators,” she said. “However, more has to be done to ensure participation of students and hone their creative competencies. We must seize the opportunity to reflect on what has been learned and use this opportunity to transform the system,” she added.
Dr Heeba, faculty MERC conducted the proceedings of the webinar while Dr Saba presented a vote of thanks. Besides the students and scholars of the department, the webinar was attended by the MERC faculty including former HoD, Nasir Mirza, Prof Sabeha Mufti, Dr Syeda Afshana, Dr Malik Zahra Khalid, Dr Afsana Rashid and Dr Rashid Maqbool. Both the sessions were followed by interaction sessions in which participants asked questions on various aspects of the subject.