Use technology wisely
The Hindu
What is IT Mindfulness and how does it help effective online learning?
Lockdowns and social distancing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced educational institutions to shift from traditional face-to-face learning modes to online learning environments. This sudden shift resulted in enhanced IT demands that not all learners could cope with.
Reports during the pandemic highlighted issues such as learning and productivity loss, and emotional distress among students worldwide. During the pandemic, the students’ emotional state was such that many could not focus on learning. This also impacted their self-directed learning effectiveness, which involves both productivity and creativity. Productivity is the possibility of using technology to deliver efficient and better-quality academic output. Creativity implies the use of creative procedures in the learning process with IT tools. The key question is: what can be done to enhance the IT-mediated learning effectiveness during the pandemic and beyond? Promoting IT mindfulness is one way to boost learning effectiveness.
The fear of being caught for traffic rule violation has indeed compelled many two-wheeler riders to wear helmets. But one cursory look at riders at any traffic junction in Bengaluru shows that more than half the riders have on their heads non-standard helmets, designed solely to evade the eye of law, with little concern for the safety of their own heads.
When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Beijing promised to retain the city’s Western-style civil liberties for 50 years. However, since the introduction of the 2020 law, Hong Kong authorities have severely limited free speech and assembly under the rubric of maintaining national security.