Online classes launch discussed at KU

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The administration and teaching faculty at the University of Karachi (KU), on April 22, examined the preparations for introduction of online teaching in the wake of prolonged coronavirus epidemic in the country.

At a relevant meeting, held with KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi in chair, it was decided said that the university should utilize all available technologies to conduct classes at the earliest, whether these were already available through university resources or would be provided by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). 

The KU and other higher learning institutions and school and colleges are closed under the government’s preventive requirements enforced following the COVID-19 outbreak in the country about two months back. 

The meeting was attended by the registrar, various deans and directors and in-charges of the related programmes and services of the university. 

Professor Iraqi asked the deans to conduct a meeting with all the chairpersons on planned online teaching initiatives and take them onboard. “We intend to start online classes to facilitate students and continue the learning process at the earliest.” 

The Convener of the KU eLearning Committee, Dr Syed Jamil Hasan Kazmi, presented the finding of a survey, described the readiness about the six dimensions of online classes that KU is looking to cater which include university readiness, faculty readiness, course readiness, technology readiness, library readiness, and students’ readiness. 

About university readiness, he said that the KU was in the process of implementing the Learning Management System acquired through HEC, and IDs of teachers have been generated which soon would be sent to teachers. 

About students’ readiness, he informed the participants of the meeting, which was second of its kind, that so far around 8,000 students have recorded their responses. “We are studying the responses to cater to the needs of students and to make sure that the learning process continues.” 

Dr Syed Asim Ali briefed about the viability of MS Teams Software and Zoom Software and the availability of MS-Teams license in Pakistan Education Research Network subscriptions. He presented HEC’s recommendation about online learning in this regard.