The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak is an ongoing health crisis that has engulfed almost every major country in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January, and a pandemic on 11 March.
This pandemic has also severely affected students across the world with approximately 1.3 billion learners currently affected due to school/college closures in response to the pandemic as of 4th May 2020.
Impact on Indian education system
India also shut off all the educational institutes in the country during the second week of March. As with the global situation, there is limited clarity as to when schools and colleges will be reopened. Without a question, this is a critical time for the education sector, as many university admission exams and competitive assessments are held during this timeframe.
Needless to mention, the pandemic has turned the centuries-old, chalk-talk teaching paradigm into a technology-driven one. This revolution in the provision of education is forcing politicians to work out how to accelerate participation on a scale whilst providing equitable e-learning options and resolving the digital divide. A multi-pronged approach is required to address the crisis and develop a stable Indian education system in the long term.
Educational Institutes across the country are recalibrating to move their pedagogy online. The Classes are being offered online through live platforms, the assessments have moved online and teachers across the country are learning new digital skills to keep learners engaged. Needless to say, many online platforms are experiencing massive traffic during this pandemic.
In the month of April, there were privacy concerns with some of the platforms and massive data leakages were reported. Keeping this in mind, the government of India is encouraging homegrown players to offer live platforms and advised educational institutes against using some of these biggest platforms. Under these trying circumstances, we at upGrad have decided to open our proprietary live platform to educational institutions across India.
Introducing “upGrad Live” for Educational Institutes
COVID-19 may have a little to no impact on this year’s admission cycle. However, due to the rapidly spreading nature of coronavirus, all students and educational institutions must prepare for varied scenarios until the Pandemic is contained.
So here to make your life easy we would like to introduce our platform –
upGrad Live 
Connectivity and learning are two vital aspects for us to function with a semblance of normalcy and we at upGrad believe that “Learning should ‘NEVER’ STOP”.
Hence, we bring out to you our LIVE platform, aka upGrad LIVE to everyone, Free of Cost.
With upGrad LIVE, you can connect with people, reach out to students, deliver lectures, share study material and have open discussions on subject matters all at minimal data consumption, basic tech abilities and maximum space for interaction.
As of 4th May 2020, we have more than 30 Institutions, who are conducting their online classes on our platform, and assisting more than 1000 teachers and 40, 000 students to minimize the impact of these trying times.
Some of the great features that upGrad live platform offers are:
- Student and teacher view to see class calendar and launch classes
- Low latency live streaming
- Online chats
- In-session polls/quizzes
- Feedback
- Session analytics
- Recording of each class available
How does a live class differ from an online course?
Not all classes held through online mode are the same. Live classes and online classes are non-identical. The difference does not lie in the mode but in the availability of interaction. Both the lecturer and the pupil are at hand in a live class. The timing for the classes is fixed; those who wish to attend can go online at that time and follow the class just like physical mode. This class may or may not be recorded for the future. When lectures are recorded previously and uploaded online at a later time, it is the online class which will be available to watch at any time convenient to the viewer. Sustained communication is possible in a live class, not an online one, which helps in simultaneous doubt-solving, too.
What is a digital divide?
The digital divide is the difference between the haves and have-nots of facilities pertaining to digital technology like the Internet, modern communication technology, etc. When this term was initially used in the late 20th century, it was the difference between people who had access to cell phones and those who didn’t. When the education sector was among the worst-hit industries during the pandemic, the digital divide exacerbated the situation. According to a study by Azim Premji Foundation, nearly 60% of children in schools didn’t have access to online learning opportunities. It also resulted in a considerable dropout rate in schools.
What is a live platform?
A live streaming platform is an application, software, or website that allows users to stream or broadcast live videos. The purpose or content may not necessarily be the same. For example, gaming streams, travel streams, live vlogs, etc. Determining what is visible to the audience at any point of time in the stream is entirely in the hands of the broadcaster, which makes it different from other virtual meeting platforms where screens can be switched. Whether to use a meeting platform or live stream platform also depends on the engagement needed.
