Visakhapatnam: In a first-of-its-kind initiative Andhra University is all set to have its own e-learning portal named Hamsa. Some Andhra University professors developed this portal out of passion to drive the students towards blended learning. The portal, which is currently in beta testing mode, would become fully operational once the details are worked out. The ongoing three-day e-learning workshop at School of Distance Education is being held through Hamsa which had seen the presence of about 30 senior faculties of several universities and institutions across the state.
Director of Computer Centre and the Centre for Open Innovation, Andhra University, Prof. V. Valli Kumari, commented that it was time for the conventional universities to look forward and beyond the horizons to meet the ever-changing demands of the students. This e-learning portal would exclusively host the video lessons of faculty of Andhra University. The video lectures would come in handy for students, who have a short attention span as well as others, to revise the lectures at home again. Blended learning through this e-learning portal, through both brick-and-mortar classrooms and technology-based learning, would make the learning more collaborative and effective, Prof. Kumari added.
She also explained the evolution and transformation of e-learning since its inception some 40 years ago from MIT to Khan Academy. Besides helping the students revise the lectures at home, the e-portal paves a way for a flipped classroom in which a short video lecture would be posted on the portal before the lecture for the students. This would help the faculty to devote the classroom time to practical learning and discussions.
The portal is also expected to bring out the best of the professors as the lessons would be viewed across the world. "The three-day e-learning workshop made the participants acquainted with recording their video lectures, conducting online examinations and preparing online courses. Some professors from AU are planning to post their lectures on this web portal soon," Prof. Kumari added. Info-graphics: The Hamsa portal would exclusively host the lectures of faculty of Andhra University the portal is expected to pave way for both blended learning as well as flipped classroom.
Info-graphics: The Hamsa portal would exclusively host the lectures of faculty of Andhra University. The portal is expected to pave way for both blended learning as well as flipped classroom
