Page 56 - EW August 2021

Cover Story

Parimal Mandke spectrum. We believe technology can
play a revolutionary role in making
Pro tem president, NIIT University learning more effective and efficient,
rof. Parimal Mandke is pro and improve learning outcomes
tem president of NIIT, Neem- in schools and higher education.
Prana (Rajasthan), ranked With technology as the backbone,
among the country’s Top 25 private learning, assessment, planning and
universities in the EW India Private administration, and professional
University Rankings 2021-22. advancement of teachers will be
enhanced.
How satisfied are you with NIIT With new technologies continu-
University’s switch to online learning ously evolving, education institutions
over the past year? need to be granted full freedom to
Fortunately because of our parent- engage with industry and change
age, NIIT University (NU) has been their curricula to align with indus-
offering technology-focused and try needs. This implies stepping
technology-enabled education since up internships, greater industry-
inception in 2009. This enabled us to academia research engagement, and
make a quick switch to digital plat- co-creation of curricula with active
forms when education institutions involvement of students.
were asked to shut down. Interestingly, NU’s four core
The NU teaching-learning model principles are in alignment with
incorporates innovative pedagogies, NEP, 2020. The policy recommends
technology-based teacher-student that India’s education system should
engagement and end-to-end ad- digital learning. There are also other be flexible, multidisciplinary, seam-
ministration. All of this is delivered downsides: subjects that require less, build strong industry linkages,
through NUgget, a platform that introspection, deep discussion and become technology-driven and
enables online teaching to be as debate are more effectively taught in research-oriented. All these objec-
effective as classroom teaching. conventional classrooms. tives are woven into the NIIT Univer-
NUgget includes lecture delivery, Are you ready for in-person classes at sity fabric.
assessments, virtual labs, projects NIIT University? What safety precautions
and other group activities and work- have you instituted?
from-home internships during the NU has taken every possible measure Sandeep Goenka
pandemic. to ensure the safety of every person Chairman, C.P. Goenka Group of
What are the major factors behind on campus, student and staff. When Institutions, Mumbai
NU’s relatively smooth switch to online the pandemic swept the country,
learning/lectures? NU was the first residential higher andeep Goenka is promoter-
Our pedagogy is based on the belief ed institution to move students back director of the C.P. Goenka
that digital and conventional educa- to their homes. And while students SGroup of education institutions
tion are not two watertight compart- were at home, we set up a large (CP Goenka and Swami Vivekanand
ments but complementary. We offer quarantine centre in the Neemrana International schools) comprising
a blended learning model, which neighbourhood. eight preschools and CISCE/CBSE/
includes a vast range of digital activi- What is your advice to digitally under- Cambridge/IB schools in Mumbai
ties collectively delivering effective served education institutions? and Pune with a total of 18,000 stu-
learning. In these difficult times, I would urge dents mentored by 2,000 teachers.
Online classes can never replace in- higher education institutions to How satisfied are you with the C.P.
person campus education. What are the innovate to make the most of the re- Goenka schools’ switch to the online
downsides of online education? What is sources available to them. We should mode of learning over the past year?
your estimate of learning loss? avail this opportunity to re-evaluate We have availed this disruption
While online teaching has ensured our student assessment systems and as an opportunity to build online
continuity during the pandemic, it introduce methodologies to evaluate learning capabilities and capac-
has its limitations. Collaborative their overall development. ity. Therefore, to get the maximum
learning is adversely affected by What is your advice to government to benefit, we went beyond replicating
remote learning. Low levels of en- make up for academically lost ground in physical classrooms by collaborat-
gagement hinder students’ learning. the pandemic era? ing with technology platforms to
Moreover, teachers are challenged The National Education Policy deliver engaging online classes while
by technology and need to continu- (NEP), 2020, released last year, continuously investing in the train-
ously ideate innovative pedagogies to offers hope in these difficult times. ing and development of our teachers.
engage students. The policy not only assures a more The evolution of a robust, blended
Another factor is that convention- generous financial provision for teaching-learning model is a promis-
al in-person classes promote sociali- public education, it also proposes a ing work-in-progress.
sation, which is absent or minimal in slew of reforms across the education Please share three successful strategies/

56 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2021