It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. The lockdown induced by COVID-19 was more than a necessity. It was compulsion for the faculty to switch to alternate mode of teaching where teachers and students are hundreds and thousands kilometers away from each other. Thus, digital mode of learning was embraced by one and all in full vigour. Even though a combination of classes in both physical and digital was there in the armory of faculty fraternity at Indira, COVID-19 decisively engineered the blend in favour of learning in digital mode.

Post COVID-19, Blended learning as a term has started getting discussed and incorporated into the teaching plan of faculty. Blended learning is the term given to the educational practice of combining digital learning tools with more traditional classroom face to face teaching. In a true blended learning environment, teacher led instruction is minimized and students get to engage in common tasks online. Our early experience of the blended learning seems to indicate that students are welcoming it because of inherent flexibility.

By making in-person and online learning complementary, blended learning creates a truly integrated classroom where the needs of all types of learners can be addressed effectively. Keeping students engaged, stimulated, and motivated also helps teachers to be more effective and make greater gains with their students.

We at Indira have consciously started shifting from physical only to blended mode of learning. Our aspiration is to have 40% of learning through non instructor led learning as advocated by UGC.