#ClassroomsBeyondCampus
The UAE government has imposed various preventive and precautionary measures at the national level, aimed to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and to ensure the safety of UAE residents. One such precautionary measure has been to temporarily suspend on-campus classes for universities across the UAE for a period of 4 weeks.
The campus may be quiet as a result of this preventive measure, but the learning never stops at MAHE Dubai. In the true meaning of being future-ready, MAHE Dubai’s classrooms have taken to the virtual world, with classrooms extending beyond the physical boundaries of the campus. Faculty have taken to using online learning tools like Adobe Connect, Cisco Webex and Google Classroom to deliver their online lectures, with our tech-savvy students eager to make use of these online learning platforms.
“The recent turn of events has driven us to embrace new-age learning systems. We already had the infrastructure to deliver tech-enabled courses. The current situation has helped us push ourselves to go ahead and deliver virtual classes. Very proud of the entire team of MAHE Dubai. They have come together and adapted within no time to take the #ClassroomsBeyondCampus,” said Dr. S.V. Kota Reddy, Academic President, MAHE Dubai.
“We cannot afford to lose education. As soon as we got to know about the issue, we immediately turned our focus towards various means to ensure that our students do not suffer. We conducted an internal meeting, built a detailed plan, and used our previous experience with online teaching methods. I have been using Google Classroom where I can monitor and track students’ presence and their progress in real-time. Usage of audio-visual media along with a lot of online materials on this platform has been helping me to deliver my classes effectively. Of course, there are certain challenges including technical disturbances and access to materials but we have been trying to handle it in such a way that those disturbances wouldn’t hamper the proceedings of the classes,” said Ms. Wilma Serrao, Assistant Professor, School of Media and Communication, MAHE Dubai.
These online tools are in addition to MAHE Dubai’s established e-learning platform LMS – the Learning Management System that gives students access to their course content, at their convenience. This gives students from outside Dubai who is traveling back home uninterrupted access to their program and lectures.
We also caught up with Ben, an architecture student at MAHE Dubai who said,
“It’s been really good, I’ve been able to understand and grasp the teachers’ lessons easily. And it’s really comfortable! We don’t have to get ready or go anywhere and that’s the best part, I can conveniently access the lessons from home.”
“I was initially worried when they announced that classes were canceled for 4 weeks. But I don’t think we missed even 2 classes! We were immediately added to the online classrooms and the lectures continued as usual. It is a bit challenging, but we’re always in touch with our teachers who help us. And the online lectures also allow me to have a flexible schedule so I can brush up on topics while also balancing work”, said Bony Roy, a student of an evening program at MAHE Dubai.
“All the e-learning solutions used are well-equipped to handle multi-way communication ensuring the classes are interactive. We are also able to keep up with assignments and project deadlines as the university provides us with access to its online library of eBooks, Journals and Research Papers,” said Awais, a bachelors student at MAHE Dubai.
A typically atypical way of learning, but effective nonetheless. The regular course of classes is sure to recommence following KHDA announcements. But till then be sure to stay healthy, stay safe, and attend your classrooms beyond campus! Happy Virtual Learning!
