Online classes an alternative to bandas
Kathmandu, Nov 19 - With the rapid development of media outlets in Nepal, many of the Valley’s higher education institutions have adopted media courses into their syllabus. Taking this innovation further is Kathmandu University (KU), which conducted the country’s first educational chat conference as part of its Bachelor’s in Media Studies (BMS) curriculum.
A total of 12 students from the 8th semester of the four year programme participated in an online class for the course titled ‘Online Media’ on Wednesday. The class was conducted by course director Laxman Datt Pant. The students participated from cyber cafés as well as their homes and offices from as far as Banepa and Chitwan, and from inside the Valley such as Basundhara and New Baneshwor.
“It is the first time that I am attending such a conference for academic purposes,” said Rubina Mahato, who was attending the class from Basundhara. Others wrote similar notes from their respective computers.
At the beginning of the class, Pant shared the discussion topic--’Online media trends and precision journalism practices in Nepali media’--with the students from his office in Dillibazaar.
“Precision journalism is the use of social and behavioural science- research methodology to gather and analyse data, bringing a level of rigour to journalistic work beyond anecdotal evidence,” Deepak Tolange replied via the computer from Banepa.
Kishor Rimal, from his computer in Koteshwor, commented, “Precision journalism is not applicable at all times, for example, in editorials.”
After the one-hour class was over, Pant said it was an interactive session with the students participating actively. Highlight the significance of a teaching session through the online medium, Pant added that the internet was an appropriate medium to conduct classes during strikes and demonstrations.
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