Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Problems in
e-learning
E-Learning, being the latest wave of education, is already having a fair show despite posing challenges for both instructors and students. While instructors need to put in intensive work and time to design the instructions, students need to equip themselves with technical proficiency to decode the course material.
Switching from traditional classroom and face-to-face instructor training to computer-based training in a virtual classroom makes the learning experience entirely different for students. Their resistance to change doesn’t allow them to adapt to the online learning environment, whereas it takes time for them to get accustomed to Course Management System (CMS) and the methods of computer-based education.
Many students are not provided with the high bandwidth or the strong internet connection that online courses require, and thus fail to catch up with their virtual classmates: Their weak monitors make it hard to follow the Course Management System and their learning experience becomes problematic. Moreover, most of them live off campus and find it difficult to keep in tune with the technical requirements of the chosen course. Some of them don’t even own computers and seek help in Learning Resource Centres for technical assistance.
Time management is a difficult task for E-Learners, as online courses require a lot of time and intensive work. Furthermore, whereas it is mostly adults who prefer web-based learning programs for their place and time flexibility, they rarely have the time to take the courses due to their various everyday commitments. A regular schedule planner would be a significant help to these learners, as they could even set reminders for their courses and assignments. E-Learning is good news, but at its initial stage it poses certain threats to students. Attitude change and technological literacy would help them gain confidence in order to succeed in their courses with a positive vibe.
HAIDER ALI
Murree
Free access
of internet
In the present COVID-19 pandemic, the HEC has started online classes for varsity students across the country. However, the students have been protesting and demanding from HEC to reduce University fee and provide free internet access.
Students have many reservations against universities: that they don’t live in hostels and don’t take meals, therefore, their fee is exorbitant and it must be reduced at least 50%. Most of the private institutions that receive paid higher fee conduct online classes easily; their students attend classes without any interruption while public institutions are unable to do so. Many students of public varsities are of poor family background and they have been affected by the pandemic, their parents’ jobs have been lost, hence they can’t afford to pay exorbitant fee.
Those students who are living in big cities can attend classes easily and they have excess of internet while other students who are living in remote areas face serious challenge of internet. They have no access of internet.
No doubt, the step of online classes taken by HEC is praiseworthy. Most of the students complain about online teaching methodologies of teacher because they don’t have experience to deliver online lectures. But HEC cannot ignore the infrastructure of educational institutions of the country. First of all, it must provide internet access to all students and then start online classes.
HUMAYUN HAFEEZ
Mirpurkhas (Sindh)
Dangers of social media
On a daily basis, we are witnessing that people are being requested to keep social distancing by doctors on social media as the hospitals have no more capacity for Coronavirus patients. However, according to the government, only 40% of ventilators are being used so what about the remaining ones.
We all are cognizant about the fabricated statements which are being circulated on social media. As everyone needs proper information regarding the current situation, hospitals should be visited on a regular basis by the officials so the data can be collected. Furthermore, people should follow news channels and read newspapers to become aware of hospital capacity because social media seems inappropriate. For the sake of people’s health, it is high time for print and electronic media to come forward and play its role to curb the misguidance and spread awareness.
KHALID FARUQI
Karachi
Deregulate the oil sector!
The country is yet again facing a crisis in the shape of fuel shortage nationwide. Clearly, a centralized decision-making body regulating the petroleum prices is not working at all. Why do our authorities keep running into the same issues on such a frequent basis? Have they learnt nothing from their past mistakes? Dare I say, the Government of Pakistan should not seek to control the prices of essential commodities – namely, petroleum products. The problem has always been that oil prices move on a day-to-day basis as does the price of the US dollar in which oil prices are denominated.
The government authorities need to deregulate the pricing of petroleum products and let oil companies and the market reach an equilibrium price according to demand and supply. If the concern is price gouging, then the government can keep its regulations on gross margins for the oil companies, or perhaps a daily rolling average of ceilings and floors within which prices are allowed to fluctuate. It is really not that hard as it is made out to be.
ZUHAIR ALI KHAN
Karachi
Stop playing with students’ future
A group of students protested outside Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad on Wednesday to Boycott Online Classes but unfortunately the media did not give the appropriate coverage to these students. Students are pointing out the resource constraints and lack of stable internet connection is making e-learning difficult for young Pakistanis. Soon, #Suspend Online Classes started trending in Pakistan. Many students were left to their Smartphones as they could not afford laptops to attend these online classes making it even more difficult for them to get a quality education.
Many of the students have even warned to boycott universities if the bad standard online classes are not suspended with immediate effect. According to students, the online classes their institutes are offering are nothing but a waste of time and money and they are not gaining anything from them. Online education or distance learning is considered as a promising way to provide education to millions of people in the world. However, in Pakistani culture, it will take time to gain popularity and acceptance.
In this scenario, online classes don’t seem to be possible or adequate. Most of the students are just suffering especially those living in far-flung areas and villages. #SayNoToUniversityFee and students are complaining about them not getting enough time from teachers even though they are paying tuition fee during times of financial hardship for most families. As a result these students are standing together to boycott online classes.
AROOJ NAEEM
Rawalpindi
