Universities turn to e-learning and self-learning facilities amidst COVID-19 outbreak
View(s):While the COVID-19 outbreak had caused immense disruption to academic activities throughout the country, state universities are using existing e-learning resources and introducing new technologies to enable students to engage in studies remotely.
About 125, 000 internal students are currently studying at state-run universities across the country. Many of these universities had already begun conducting online lectures for their students, while others are in the process of doing so.
One reason why universities had been able to facilitate e-learning and self-learning among students is due to the necessary resources already available. However, universities had also collaborated during the outbreak to develop new infrastructure to enable online classes which can held on a mass scale at minimum cost.
All state universities have their own Learning Management System (LMS) while universities are also interlinked via the Lanka Education and Research Network (LEARN).
All Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have now agreed to provide free access to university hosted web servers including LMS due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, students and lecturers will not be charged when connecting to university websites through their home or mobile data packages.
Until last week universities were using the popular video conferencing app Zoom to conduct online classes and administrative meetings, the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge told a media briefing this week.
However, since Zoom’s servers are hosted in the US, they had to pay for this service.
“However, software engineers at the universities of Peradeniya, Moratuwa, Colombo and Sri Jayewardenepura have now collaborated to build a group of servers centred at the Colombo University, creating a network similar to the one used by Zoom Technologies, within our universities. As such, we will be able to hold online classes, discussions and administrative meetings for free from now on,” Prof. Amaratunge said.
Universities had made their LMS e-learning platforms, Zoom online classes and digital libraries freely available for students to engage in studies from their own homes during the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, authorities were mindful that not all students have access to technological facilities such as laptops or smartphones.
As such, special efforts will be taken to identify such students and make sure that measures are taken to ensure they do not fall behind on their studies.
(SJ)