The State’s higher education sector is set to make a gradual transition to a blended mode of learning with the government deciding to resume offline classes in a phased manner from January 1.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday decided to permit final-year undergraduate and postgraduate classes of arts and science colleges and related universities in the initial phase with half the student strength at a time.
Restricted attendance
The Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies and Kerala Agricultural University have also been permitted to function, but with restricted attendance.
Classes will also begin at medical colleges affiliated to the Kerala University of Health Sciences for students from the second year upwards, it was decided at the meeting.
Draft schedule
APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, which had considered reopening classes on December 28, is now likely to push its schedule by a week to January 4.
The academic council had recently prepared a draft schedule for contact classes for one semester at a time, sources said.
While the government has mooted conducting of classes in different shifts to prevent crowding, the Education Department is expected to issue detailed guidelines early next week to provide clarity.
Virtual limitations
According to official sources, offline classes are being resumed to enable colleges to conduct practical classes, internal assessments, and discussions of those topics that require closer interaction and have been put off thus far owing to the existing limitations of the virtual classroom.
“In spite of its limitations, we can no longer phase out online learning. Each university has evolved plans to retain the benefits of the web-based learning even while targeting a return to physical classes. Higher education institutions would do well to adopt a blended form of learning here on,” an official said.
