At Apeejay, hybrid learning is here to stay

With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, the education system in India went through a paradigm shift. And for Apeejay Stya University, the focus from Day 1 of the lockdown was on providing students a safe and holistic virtual learning experience that matched the classroom learning. 

In no time, the university leveraged the power of technology and innovative learning solutions to provide a seamless and joyful learning experience to its students. 

Expressing how swiftly Apeejay switched from offline to online learning model, Professor Amit Singh, Associate Professor of Law & HoD of the School of Legal Studies, said, “Professors have been connecting with the students via video conferencing and multiple online platforms such as Moodle and Zoom for interactive online lessons every day. These platforms are ensuring that ASU students are able to make the most out of the present-day challenges.”

Ever since the pandemic hit, all the schools at Apeejay have been using Moodle for teaching and learning. Using this e-learning tool, faculty members upload worksheets, study material and recordings of the classes that can be accessed by each student and teacher.

Affirms Professor Sanjay Ahirwal, Dean of School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), “From the day the lockdown was announced, the very next day we went online. And we continued to teach online. The examinations were held successfully virtually and on time. In fact, during such a time of crisis when many had lost their jobs, SJMC graduate students got their first jobs. We have been using platforms like Zoom. We have been sharing all the learning material and class recording through the Learning Management System, Moodle. So, we have not lost even a single day of teaching-learning.” 

At present, Apeejay is conducting classes via the hybrid model. “The concept of hybrid learning is helping us continue our learning even beyond class hours while sitting at home. We can re-watch the recorded video lessons and catch up on a class if we miss any,” says Dhairya Kapur, a second-year student pursuing BJMC from SJMC.  

Emphasising how the School of Design and Visual Arts (SDVA) is conducting hybrid classes, Professor Dibyendu Tripathi, Head of SDVA, said, “The school is providing traditional physical teaching as well as online learning options. Our goal is to teach efficiently while also addressing students’ learning demands by combining the correct learning methodologies. Additional learning modalities are used at SDVA to augment the learning experience and not replace traditional offline teaching. Moreover, students now have the freedom to choose the learning style that best suits them. So, some will complete their degrees entirely online while others will combine the two.” 

The hybrid mode of teaching and learning is providing greater access to education to students.Kamal Kisan, a second-year student of BMLT with the School of Biosciences, said, “Even though I come from a remote area with network connectivity issues, ASU’s hybrid learning approach is really efficient and helpful. In fact, there has been an improvement in my learning process. During the online classes, our teachers demonstrate critical concepts using animations, videos and powerpoint presentations and these help me a lot in understanding them in a better way. I can also access the material uploaded on Moodle as per my time schedule. Whenever I have doubts, I clear them in tutorial class with the professors.”

Dr. Anupama Diwan, Dean, School of Pharmaceutical says Covid-19 has initiated new ways of teaching and learning. “This hybrid learning is helping everyone including teachers, students as well as working parents. While having offline classes, today there are certain subjects and projects that can be taught using blended learning methods. It is a major transformation in the education sector and I foresee hybrid learning will go a long way.” 

In addition to providing hybrid learning, Apeejay is allowing students who are completely vaccinated to come to the campus for offline classes as well.