MUZAFFARABAD, APR 15 (DNA) – The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has directed all public sector universities of the liberated area to prepare a distance learning program for restoration of academic activities disrupted because of coronavirus outbreak.

Talking to vice-chancellors of the public sector universities through video link from Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday, Khan, who is also Chancellor of the five public sector universities, said that we would have to adopt virtual and technology-based alternative means to save the precious time and the academic year of the students, if the lockdown prolongs.

The vice-chancellors told the state president they had already started preparations in this regard, and in the light of the directives and guidelines of the Higher Education Commission, the process of training of academic staff on conducting online classes, delivering lectures, giving assignments to the students and the strategy for examinations have already been afoot.

Vice-Chancellor Azad Jammu and Kashmir University, Prof. Dr Kalim Abbasi said that if the situation improves, the ongoing holidays would be converted into summer vacation and the academic activities will be restored from June 1.

The curricular activities would be continued on Saturdays also, but if the lockdown prolongs, necessary steps would be taken in accordance with the situation keeping in view the needs of the students.

He said that a five-member committee headed by Dean Faculty of Sciences has already contacted the technical support committee of the Higher Education Commission, and is working on the methodology of holding online classes and to prepare learning material for the next semester. The Commission has already given approval for providing financial resources to immediately provide the required facilities at King Abdullah Campus of the university.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rasool Jan of the University of Poonch-Rawalakot said that all departments of his institution has set up their respective WhatsApp groups, and are busy in preparing courses for the virtual classes. He maintained that as the technology-based educational preparations are completed, the university will immediately start the online classes.

Vice-Chancellor University of Kotli Prof. Dr Syed Dilnawaz Gardezi said that his university had got Learning Management System (LMS) from the Virtual University of Pakistan, and now with the cooperation of directorate of information technology, the training of teachers in imparting online education have been started, and if the lockdown is extended beyond 31 May, the education system will be restored through Google classroom, Skype, Whatsapp and other means.

Dr Maqsood Ahmed Vice Chancellor Mirpur University of Science and Technology said that the process of training of heads of departments and the faculty members for online education maybe started within two weeks. The Campus Management System (CMS) already being used by the university can be successfully used to distribute learning material and getting assignments from the students.

The Women University Bagh had conducted mid-term examinations in the last week of February, and 70 per cent course has already been completed while the remaining course can be completed in three to four weeks. For this purpose, efforts are underway to restore education system through online classes preferably through the Google classroom and other digital means.

All the vice-chancellors expressed concern over inadequate internet facilities particularly in far-flung areas, which may become a hurdle in online education. However, efforts to address the internet issue are underway. =DNA

============================