Constraints in Online-Teaching of Agricultural Undergraduates in North-East Region of India during COVID-19 Pandemic

Progati Borah; Loukham Devarani; R. J. Singh; A. Choudhury; P. M. N. Rani; Ram Singh

Progati Borah P. G. Scholar, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Umiam-793103,Meghalaya,India
Loukham Devarani Associate Professor, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Umiam-793103,Meghalaya,India
R. J. Singh Assistant Professor, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Umiam-793103,Meghalaya,India
A. Choudhury Assistant Professor, College of Horticulture & Forestry, (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh
P. M. N. Rani Assistant Professor, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Umiam-793103,Meghalaya,India
Ram Singh Professor School of Social Sciences, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, (Central Agricultural University, Imphal), Umiam-793103,Meghalaya,India

Keywords: Online teaching, constraints, COVID-19, agricultural education, North-East India

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educational institutes in India including
Agricultural Universities to adopt online remote teaching. This sudden shift to onlineteaching
are was a big challenge. For the North East Region of India (NER), already
constrained in terms of ICT infrastructure and higher education, the challenges were
relatively bigger. The study was conducted in NER to study the constraints in teaching
agricultural undergraduates. All the teachers of institutes in the region, offering
undergraduate level degree course in Agriculture constituted the sampling frame. Online
questionnaire was sent to all the teachers of which 75 responses were received, which formed
the respondents of the study. A total of 22 constraint items were identified. Constraints items
were categorized into four categories. Difficulties in conducting field and lab related practical
class was rated the most important constraint. Teaching Facilitation constraints had the
highest mean intensity score followed by Infrastructural constraints, Personal constraints and
Technological Competency constraints. Capacity building on creation of e-teaching contents;
training on online communication and facilitation skills; strengthening technical and
administrative support system for online teaching; sharing of learning experiences of
innovative e-teaching and hybrid teaching strategies amongst teachers; and development of
topic specific appropriate strategies and e-teaching modules for conducting classes were
recommended.