During the ongoing pandemic crisis, online learning has made it possible for students to stay safe and get access to quality education for avoiding academic loss. Online platforms have solved all the issues for every academic activity.
Online learning through online platforms are used in the education sector as a learning tool. The education sector in Pakistan is also effected by pandemic restricting students to their homes.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the closure of schools and colleges have particularly disrupted the education of 363 million students and learners, from pre-primary to tertiary levels including 57.8 million students of higher education, worldwide who are now at homes during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
While taking precautionary measures against the coronavirus spread in Pakistan, the government has ordered to close all educational institutions till May 31, this year.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed all educational institutions to initiate online academic classes for the students confined to their homes.
According to a notification of the Federal Ministry of Education, the teaching management of educational institutions has been directed by the government that all possible online courses should be started on an urgent basis through a training system of experts by utilizing the existing resources.
A ‘data bank of the online courses’ has been developed for the students of various levels that have been shared with the respective faculty training experts for knowledge dissemination, it added.
Director-General UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay in a recent International video conference has invited global educationists to come forward with emergency response by sharing respective strategies and online study plans, which would help minimize the learning losses and disruptions, amid the pandemic outbreak.
It may be mentioned here that UNESCO has formed a COVID-19 Emergency Task Force (CETF) for overcoming educational losses through sharing policy and data banks in the online courses for the students of all levels. This force will help establish a forum for the students to enhance knowledge sharing among them by peer learning and capacity building on ‘distance and open learning’.
The HEC Chairman Tariq Banuri has said, “In response to a number of complaints regarding the online classes in some universities, the HEC is immediately going to inspect the quality and capacity of the universities on the content of the courses, their delivery, and connectivity”.It will be a great favor for students to help them to resolve issues regarding online learning.