Kolkata: poor internet connectivity, lack of devices, and shame before the camera – as a new academic year is taking place in college, parts of students, especially from rural Bengal, prepared for various challenges in online learning.
Pandemics have left many poor families because they lose their jobs and reduce income, and students from these families find it difficult to not only buy devices, such as Android handsets, to attend classes, but also unable to buy high-speed Internet.
Last year, alumni and teachers from Jadavpur University and Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University in Purulia have raised funds to help students in need of digital bridges.
“Students come from various backgrounds and various economic conditions.
We cannot expect every student to have a separate room where he can attend the class without interruption.
There is a problem of network availability, power stability and access to ICES dev.
We must recognize the challenges faced Students, “said Teacher and Jonaki Mukherjee counselor.
Digital obstacles mainly affect students living in remote areas, in the district.
Sabang Resident Snehansu Dutta, a student of the last year Maulana Azad College, faced data problems almost every day during its classes.
“I can’t divert videos because it leads to buffering and even sounds break.
Most classes are scheduled during the day, when the network coverage is bad.
I have shared this problem with my teachers,” he said.
Then, there are other people who don’t turn on the video for different reasons.
Subrata Khatua, another final year student from Maulana Azad College, whose father was a driver, save the video during the class because there was no separate room at home where he could attend his lesson without interruption.
“My mother had to do her daily household tasks and embarrassed whether she had a walk when the video mode turned on,” he said.
Bethune Principal Krishna Roy said, “It is natural for some students to feel embarrassed and hesitant about the video so that their simple homes are seen by others.
Usually, we get students who are very contributed and talented from low-income groups.
Our teachers have Noting that, in Live class, many of them don’t want to activate videos because they don’t have the right background.
“What is encouraging is that most students regularly attend online classes now.
The principal and teacher agree that the level of receiving new learning systems is increasing.
College authorities in remote areas have also made arrangements for distributing study material among students who do not have access to the necessary gadgets.
Pradipta Mukherjee, Assistant Professor at Hiralal Mazumdar Memorial College for women, said, “We have noticed the tendency between students to turn off the video and chat.
So, we instruct them to turn off their audio and video during the class.” He said that the study material was The only way to reach students at every corner.