Online education and research on disaster management

Today we have entered the postmodern era as a result of the evolution of civilization for the benefit of education, research and technology. The current situation caused by the corona virus also poses a difficult challenge for us. This helpless state of the world makes us think that it is time to make our education system more realistic and timely. Online technology based online education or e-learning methods can play an important role in this.

Let’s learn about online education or e-learning from the beginning. The process of learning from anywhere through the internet on an electronic device is called e-learning. More than 80 percent of e-learning lessons are Internet dependent. So it is also called distance learning. There is no need to teach or take lessons from the classroom in the traditional way. There are several good aspects to e-learning. First, in this process students can learn from anywhere. He doesn’t have to come to the university campus with difficulty. Second, the advantage for those who want to study as well as work is that they can watch educational videos at any time at their convenience. Moreover, if there is a problem in understanding a topic, there is an opportunity to understand it by listening to it again and again. People can get education in many ways very easily.

Let’s talk about the adverse effects of the corona virus on the current education system. The whole world seems to be at peace with the Corona virus. A state of war in the country. The normal life of the people has come to a standstill. Schools, colleges and all other educational institutions are closed. According to the latest data from UNESCO, educational institutions in 130 countries of the world have been declared closed. In our country too, schools, colleges and universities have been declared closed till April 9. This holiday may increase. As a result, the country’s education system is under threat. Meanwhile, this stagnation has been prevailing all over the world for months. Students are not able to take education. And teachers are not able to provide education. Life can no longer be stopped. In the same way, educational activities should not stop.

Since everyone is forced to stay at home, it is possible to continue the education program at home. At present, a small scale online education program is also running in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh University Grants Commission, Bangladeshi universities will be able to continue teaching students online through the use of the ‘Zoom Application’. In this case, BDREN (Bangladesh Research and Education Network) will cooperate all the time. In this technology, students are able to participate in the class as well as the teacher’s class lectures and also express their own opinions.

The practice of e-learning in Bangladesh has not started to a significant extent yet. At present, due to the situation caused by the outbreak of Corona virus, the concerned scholars are realizing the need for e-learning.

Different subjects are being taught on different television channels in Bangladesh, most of which are for school children. Such activities are not yet seen at the university level.

Currently almost all universities have their own web site. Especially private universities are ahead in the use of modern technology in education. So it is not difficult for them to arrange e-learning. Many public-private universities are teaching online using the Zoom application, Microsoft, Google Classroom.

And universities that do not have such facilities can easily start using modern technology.
If online education is provided in Bangladesh, many students will be able to get education without going to university. As a result, they do not have to leave their families and go away to study in the face of thousands of adversities.

When the lockdown situation was prevailing in Wuhan, China to reduce the prevalence of corona virus, classes were being conducted at home with the help of modern technology initiated by various educational institutions in Wuhan. Students have been able to continue their teaching activities by connecting with the teacher through video conferencing. China announced the closure of all educational institutions during the outbreak of the corona virus. China’s Zhejiang University was able to make more than 5,000 courses online in two weeks.

Zhejiang University brings all its students under this e-learning system. Foreign students also get this opportunity, even some courses are open to all students worldwide. The university arranges a course hub which attracts five lakh seventy thousand people. The university also teamed up with e-commerce company Alibaba to create an app called ‘Ding Talk ZJU’ which attracts around 3 lakh people. The problem still remains, because many teachers are not proficient in the use of technology. And so ZJU arranged for the training of 360 teachers from mid-February. Not only that, About one thousand disadvantaged students have been invested in this distance education. Arrangements were also made to provide low cost internet services to teachers and students on a contractual basis with various internet service providers. Along with this students are getting playback and course wire packages through which they can follow any lecture but can get help later. ZJU started the process of arranging their online education by creating smart campuses. Work began in 2016 on their online teaching project. In 2016, ZJU began arranging new technology-based smart classrooms on a larger scale. They have recently set up 200 smart classrooms where it is easy to record videos of teachers teaching in the classroom and display them live online. Getting a package through which even if you can’t follow a lecture, you can get help later. ZJU started the process of arranging their online education by creating smart campuses. Work began in 2016 on their online teaching project. In 2016, ZJU began arranging new technology-based smart classrooms on a larger scale. They have recently set up 200 smart classrooms where it is easy to record videos of teachers teaching in the classroom and display them live online. Getting a package through which even if you can’t follow a lecture, you can get help later. ZJU started the process of arranging their online education by creating smart campuses. Work began in 2016 on their online teaching project. In 2016, ZJU began arranging new technology-based smart classrooms on a larger scale. They have recently set up 200 smart classrooms where it is easy to record videos of teachers teaching in the classroom and display them live online.

The need for a research education system, like online education, is undeniable. Many of the mysteries of the world today are known to us only because of the tireless work and talents of some dedicated researchers. As people have excelled in information technology, so has the field of medicine. Cholera is no longer as harmful to humans as it was hundreds of years ago. Numerous people died of the Spanish flu in 1917 due to lack of knowledge of the exact treatment (penicillin was not yet discovered). Yes, it is true that our medical system has improved but it is inadequate compared to other improvements in the modern age. This is what we are now realizing by failing to deal with the corona virus. Well-known researchers from all over the world have not been able to talk about any antidote since last December. But now the automated system is working in many cases, People are working on things like robotics. It is becoming possible to know not only the news of different parts of the world, but also the news of space through satellite. After seeing so much improvement, when one person after another is dying of a disease but people have to rely on their own immunity despite having so much advanced technology, it must be said that there is a lack of necessary research in the medical field. To increase this research, changes need to be made in the education system.

Speaking of Bangladesh, it has to be said that people in this country start studying for jobs. Many people aim for government jobs, which when they get, they think they have got a golden deer. Otherwise, it becomes successful only after getting a private job at 9-5 o’clock. So very few people are seen in research activities.

People need to be motivated in research work. In this case, there should be adequate employment arrangements. If no action is taken in this regard, then the day is not far when it will not be possible to utilize the country’s talent in any developmental work in the future. We have to depend on the developed countries all the time. It will also be a waste of the country’s money. We will struggle to deal with many more complex situations like the current adverse situation.

Bangladesh has come a long way in the technology sector. But only on the day when the teachers and students of this country come up with new discoveries will it be possible to achieve true excellence in terms of technology. However, the hope is that now in this unfavorable situation, some talented people in the country are spreading the light of hope to make ventilators and corona virus detection test kits. We welcome this initiative and hope that more such initiatives will be taken in the future.

There is no denying that through online learning, students and teachers can participate in educational activities from anywhere at any time. But the best use of modern technology is required to carry out educational activities in this way. Just as students and teachers in educational institutions participate seriously in educational activities, so too does the online education system need to work seriously.

On the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, let us pledge to establish Sonar Bangla by ensuring the best use of modern technology in higher education activities and practical and innovative research under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Author: Information Technologist; Member, Bangladesh University Grants Commission