Online or Offline? 

Dr Asangba Tzudir

After the postponement of the Undergraduate Odd Semester examination, the Nagaland University is faced with another dilemma with 31 colleges in Nagaland expressing their displeasure over the postponement and has issued a statement appealing the Vice-Chancellor of the University to consider conducting online class this year itself. 

Had it not been for the directive from the Department of Higher and Technical Education to postpone the exams, the university was all set to go ahead with the exams. At the backdrop of the pandemic crisis but keeping in mind the experiences of the previous semester exams which was conducted online, the University had decided to conduct the exam offline and which now stands postponed. 

The university was not prepared to conduct another semester examination online knowing that it was an examination without really ‘examining’ the students. It was mostly opined that the online exam was just another name for ‘cheating’ exam considering the way it was conducted. In a good way some called it ‘open book’ home exam.

Now, the concerns raised by the student community are genuine. With the number of Covid-19 positive cases breaching the 10,000 mark, it is not only the increasing number of Corona positive cases especially in Dimapur and Kohima that has made it difficult but more so, for those many students who need to come back to their place of study, and those staying in rented house having vacated might find it difficult to find a new house or to make any other alternative arrangements.

As per the new rescheduled academic year given by UGC classes were to start from 1st of November. If Nagaland University is to follow this, the last semester especially for the 6th Semesters will be severely delayed and will be crunched for time to complete the coursework be it online or offline. 

Considering the uncertainty of the situation where the status of the semester exams stands postponed to January or February 2021 and where there is no certainty to it, conducting the exams online seems to be the only alternative. Despite the challenges associated with the conduct of exams online it will also help make up some time especially if the online exam starts as per the earlier schedule which was postponed.

Unless the exams are conducted the 2nd, 4th and 6th semester session classes cannot start and which is the most important semester especially for the 6th Semester students. With this consideration it is best to conduct the exams online in December as was earlier scheduled though there will always be challenges being the festive season when normally offices are closed in addition to the exam process and procedures done online. 

Finally, there is also another logical argument that makes the students’ demand for conduct of exams online hold water. It may be argued that the exams should also be held online since classes were also conducted online, because the online teaching-learning experience is nowhere close in consideration of fulfillment of its objectives as compared to the normal classes, and hence, not entirely from the Covid-19 pandemic point of view but from the teaching-learning experience, conducting the exams online or call it open book seems to be more justified    

 (Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)