STRATEGIES FOR VIRTUAL SCHOOLING-A SILVER LINING AROUND THE COVID-CLOUDS

Abstract

Throughout history, it has been observed that the outbreak of diseases has ravaged humanity,
sometimes signalling the end of an entire civilisation. Recently the COVID-19 pandemic has
also raised a variety of issues in our society. Uncertainties occurred in all spheres of life including
education. The overall system of education is disrupted for an indefinite period of time.
This situation has raised a new set of challenges for educational institutions and its stakeholders.
These challenges have brought a significant change in the teaching-learning process.
This is an era of pedagogical transitions from face to face learning to blended learning and
finally to virtual schooling. An online school or e-school or virtual school conducts the teaching
learning process through the Internet. Till today this concept is implemented successfully at
higher levels of education. But in the present scenario the concept of virtual schools gained its
importance. The teachers, who were reluctant to use e teaching-learning methods in the past,
now find it a boon in this present situation. Virtual schooling now holds a significant place in
the teacher education curriculum as well. The following paper defines the strategies used by the instructors to implement virtual school. It also reveals the changes experienced by the instructors in this virtual mode. The paper presents the experiences of two instructors, who are teaching in reputed schools for past 10 years, as case study. Data included 1 hour interviews and an analysis of online discussion postings. This study shows that the methodology of virtual education is based on the principle of Bloom’s taxonomy. It reveals that virtual schools will be effective if parents also take active participation in it. The study also reveals that not every home has computer and children need adult supervision while using internet. Thus the virtual schooling can be defined as a delicate balancing act which is to be implemented effectively and efficiently according to the needs as well as accessibility of the learners.