Lockdown 2: Struggling to teach online, DUTA opposes online exams

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University Teachers’ Association, DUTA, has objected to online examination for undergraduate or postgraduate courses. The annual and semester examinations of the varsity scheduled to be held in April and May have been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis.

The teachers association wrote to the DU Vice-Chancellor, Yogesh Tyagi stating that for a university like DU with its diverse student population, conducting an online examination will not viable. The DUTA letter says: “University neither has the infrastructure nor the capability of providing/ensuring level playing field in terms of accessibility and ease to the diverse student population it caters to.”

The teachers have written to the VC based on their experience of online teaching which the university initiated a month ago, as its affiliated colleges and departments were closed down due to lockdown announced by the Government of India.

The DUTA has said that their experiences with teaching through e-resources show that this form of engagement is far from being adequate due to the lack of preparedness and institutional help provided to students and teachers. As per DUTA, students have reported facing issues like poor connectivity and access to sufficient bandwidth to attend the online sessions.

It said that the present arrangement is a “stopgap arrangement” and should not be seen as a substitute for face-to-face teaching-learning. “Given our student demography, it is important to recognize that a large section of students come from outside Delhi and that an equally significant number comes from underprivileged backgrounds, and the environment at their homes is unlikely to be conducive for learning,” the letter reads.

The association has also submitted a detailed note to the University Grants Commission in this regard.

Also read:

• With low net speed and few devices, many struggle with online classes
  
• COVID-19 Lockdown: Delhi University postpones all examinations
  

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