SRI SRI UNIVERSITY

Is the famous prophecy “The technology in education will arrive soon” going to be true? Will I ever be able to replace the conventional classroom teaching method which is practised throughout the globe since the time of Takshashila and Nalanda? With no doubt, I accept that technology today is all persuasive-entwined in almost every corner of our surrounding. It affects/influences how we live, work, play and most importantly learn. With technology becoming an increasing requirement across every industry today, it seems only logical for schools to effectively deploy technology in the educational process. Given that, I doubt if I and my cousins can replace the conventional aspect of classroom education.

I came into being back in March 2017. Google is my mother, and she was born on the 4th of September 1998 in California, US. I am also named as the “Updated Version of Hangouts”. I can unite up to hundred members per session for G Suite basic users, also up to one hundred fifty for G Suite business users and up to two hundred and fifty for G Suite enterprise users. I am also awarded by people for my expandability but it is also a matter of truth that before the outbreak of the Pandemic Corona, I was not known to the masses as I’m known now. My reach was limited; to some organisations, businesses and limited individuals. I used to feel pity for my ill reputation and not only my brothers like “Google Classroom ” and my cousin “Zoom” also failed in terms of popularity. We were just like passive players in the game of life. But astonishingly a change welcomed me in 2020 when the sprinting, busy, industrious and diligent world came under the clutches of Corona, the infamous COVID-19 outbreak. You all can imagine the vigour and brawn of this virus from the point that the most developed countries like USA, Italy, Spain, China, South Korea and many more gave up and surrendered themselves completely in front of the life-threatening exponential army of the virus, accepting to have capitulated. The entire world needs to be united to defeat it and no doubt I am doing my job by integrating people too.

But I am worried a bit about India. The country which is evolving out to be one of top global power and was also fostered out to be the economic superpower is now too stuck and trapped amid the hustle and bustle of Covid-19. Enduring a rapid death rate, economic instability, financial problems, alarming medical emergencies and a huge number of problems, India is still fighting valiantly and that is indeed inspiring. So, as expected, every sector across the nation is suffering alongside the education system which is currently holding the attention of everyone.

Education in India is essential as the way oxygen is essential for humans. It is the sector on which India sets out to compete with the marvel and developed economies. It is this sector that supplies lifelines to the rest of the fields and it would never be off-target to admit that this is the field that keeps the very nation evergreen and prosperous and regularly fosters the development of the country. But again I would lament that this very section is to receive alarming deceleration. Students are unable to attend schools, examinations are withheld, colleges and universities are shut down, the learning process is interrupted and the kinetic education system has turned into a mere potential element.

In this very scenario of the country, I am being recalled. The importance of technology has started to be acknowledged and in the process, I am gaining immense popularity, the popularity that I might not have ever seen in my life. Schools and colleges are shut down but the functions of the institutions need to be carried out too so that there is minimal suffering and students won’t have to lag behind.
In order to hold meetings, teachings, examinations, invigilation and evaluations, educational institutions have started taking the help of mine and my cousins. I am proving out to be an effective component, option nowadays in the area of online education and although there is a mixed response to my functioning. Nevertheless, maximum students are satisfied with me.

Let me share with you the experiences that I and my cousins have at Sri Sri University, Cuttack, Odisha. First of all, being accessible at such a distant place proves my insurmountable potential. All the students and the staff members were concerned enough on the point on how they would succeed in completing the syllabus in time, where they were amid the rivulets of problems. Neither they could access the classroom education nor they were at ease during these times and so my brother “Google Classroom” stepped forward and aided them. All the students of respective departments were able to reunite again and a nostalgic feeling of the classroom was reignited. The atmosphere was cherished when teachers and their assignments soon came into the play. But as expected, students soon began criticizing the potential of it as it did not have video conferencing options that made the situation go tough for students without face to face interaction classes. So to solve, I and my cousin “Zoom” were invited and we both started devoting completely to meet the demand of students. And guess what! We proved out to be a lot more successful and to a matter of elation, the pending courses concluded. And no doubt, a positive conglomeration of faculties and students are credited for this achievement.
After the completion of the syllabus now it was the time for examinations that would ultimately lead the students to step up to the next ladder and would help them to focus on upcoming semesters. Examinations were held through us. I and my cousin Zoom, we both took care of the field of invigilators and my brother “Google classroom” helped in setting the entire atmosphere of the classroom. Students were instructed to get the question papers through “classroom” and were also told to submit the answer sheet in it but within a limited time limit.

No doubt, I and my cousin turned out to be the brilliant mediums for the current situation, that was to fulfil the necessity of education and for this, I would like to thank my father “Technology” for being so helpful, inspiring and accessible nowadays so that even a small poor child in the most remote area would be able to hold the entire world within the palm of his hand. It is due to us that not only education but every sector is blessed now. Be it a student, a teacher, or an employee or even an engineer, each and everyone has started reaching their skopos through me and to be honest, I am proud of myself, Google and the progress of science.

But still, to be honest, if again I will be enquired with the question, that can I replace the physical classroom method of teaching, I would deny this claim. A person can no doubt master numerous languages but it is his/her mother tongue to which he/she is most comfortable with, similarly, technology might provide numerous ways of learning, but classroom teaching is at the epitome and it holds the sublime ethical values. Classroom teachings promote collaborative learning, enhance critical thinking skills, improve social skills, keep students stimulated, develop crucial personality and career-building skills and also teaching style too can be modified according to the student’s demand.

Therefore classroom teachings can never be replaced but yes technology can be assisted as a complementary to the process to best serve the purpose. But still then during the times of life-threatening scenarios like COVID-19, I would try my best to serve the purpose whenever my presence will be demanded. I believe if both classroom teachings and technology are accompanied parallelly, that would prove out to be a huge boon to the education sector of our nation alongside the entire globe.