Faculty in TN govt colleges to get training in optimum utilisation of online platforms

Apart from training the faculty, colleges and universities were asked to contribute through online programmes to nurture the talents of students by conducting various activities, training programmes, webinars, and competitions.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that during the first and second wave, not all government colleges offered online classes. “Even many professors could not use the online platform to its best due to various reasons including lack of software skills,” he added.

Also, the official said in an online environment there is vast potential for students to go off track, try to do too many irrelevant things at once. “Therefore, high-quality online instructions and contents are required to keep the students engaged,” he said. The official said accordingly, the faculty will be trained by the respective IT wing in the institutions involving a common programme.

Explaining the topics during the training, he said the faculty will be properly trained for maintaining contact with class in various ways including through email, videos, blogs, and class chat groups.

“Likewise, training will be given in various readily available software tools including PowerPoint, Photoshop, and Excel,” he said adding “as online training was no more an option, the authorities are considering it for future similar crisis situations”.