The committee constituted by the Higher Education Department to suggest steps to salvage the current academic year has mooted expanding the ambit of the IT@School project to the higher education sector.
Suggesting that the government initiative be renamed IT@Education, the panel, led by State Planning Board member B. Ekbal, has advised steps to replicate the digitisation efforts undertaken in the general education sector.
Universities should actively endorse digital learning and examination valuation methods.
The panel has called for roping in the services of the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) for introducing digital reforms in the higher education sector. There existed a digital divide and teachers and students need to be trained in utilising online learning facilities.
The committee has been asked to recommend ways to expedite the examination process.
On valuation
While the government has mooted home valuation of answer sheets, the committee has recommended centralised valuation wherever possible, especially in the case of final-year students.
Suggesting that each university evolve crisis management plans to overcome the crisis, the panel has emphasised that it is not feasible to facilitate answer sheet valuation through digital means at short notice with the universities not equipped with the necessary infrastructure. Besides, it raised caution on entrusting an external agency with the task, since confidentiality could be at stake.
