Exploring Creation of Connected Classroom in Rural College: Students perspective on Challenges and Implications

Abstract

This study is based on an intervention of the connected classroom to seek out the teaching faculty shortage alternative. Two Government colleges, rural and urban colleges, coordinated for the intervention of the connected classroom through a software application ‘Skype.’ The urban college serves as the host institution. The urban college teacher delivers lectures to two classes simultaneously, through ‘Skype’ for rural students and face-to-face class interaction for urban colleges. The experiment was continued for four months to teach chemistry subjects. A focus group discussion was arranged for the class students after the successful completion of the connected classroom experiment. The data collected from the focus group discussion revealed that the participants enjoyed and appreciated learning through the experiment of the connected classroom, and they were satisfied at the end of the intervention. They expressed the learning through the connected classroom can be a useful alternative for the colleges facing the problems of shortage of teaching faculty. Students were happy that they got the opportunity of the connected classroom at the right time, and they completed their course well in time even when the teachers were not physically present there in the college. They consider the connected classroom is vital to reduce the distresses of poor village students.  They say the permanent implementation of this strategy can assist and help rural students during the non-availability of teaching faculty.