The Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute (ADACRI) and the Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women at Navalurkottapattu in Tiruchi, both constituent colleges of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, have started conducting online classes to ensure that both under graduate and post graduate students of the colleges continued their learning process during the lockdown period.
Faculty members of both the colleges have been advised to engage students using suitable online teaching tools. The faculty were also instructed to work for home and engage in activities such as updating teaching/coaching material, preparation of questions banks, evaluation of assignments and unit-wise assessment of learning by students.
Recently the teaching staff participated in a webinar and online demonstration on handling online classes, recording attendance and assessment of students organised by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, which has already launched online classes, said P. Masilamani, Dean, ADACRI.
As per the guidelines of the university, online classes were being conducted for post graduate students in department of agronomy, plant breeding and genetics, soil science and agricultural chemistry and plant protection.
For undergraduate students of both agriculture and horticulture, online classes were being conducted using various tools. Faculty member were sharing lecture notes, power point presentations, assignments and conducting quiz and model tests for the students so that the learning process continued.
The online classes have helped the students learn the subjects at their own pace and complete the tasks within the stipulated time. Student-teacher interactions were also being done through email groups and groups in social messaging platforms. The groups were also used to share reading material, clarify students’ queries and discuss course work.
Dr. Masilamani said that students were also encouraged to register themselves in various useful online courses on agriculture education in SWAYAM, NPTEL and ICAR-e learning portals and other University Grants Commission resources. Emphasis was also laid on providing online coaching for students to appear for ICAR’s (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) all India entrance examination for admission to master degree programmes for 2020-21 session to be conducted by the National Testing Agency.
“The online engagement has not only helped in continuing the learning process but also helped students overcome boredom and stay mentally alert during the lockdown. Both students and faculty have adopted well to the virtual learning environment,” Dr. Masilamani said.
