Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

SLIIT Successful­ly Transition­s Student Life to New Normal

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Understand­ing the importance of simulating a vibrant campus experience and peer- to- peer engagement despite Covid-19 challenges, SLIIT as Sri Lanka’s leading non- state university continues to successful­ly transition student life in the new normal.

Due to the pandemic, the higher education environmen­t has been evolving almost daily. For students about to embark on a new journey it may appear strange getting used to the new reality and adjusting to the new normal.

Maximising its mission to provide students excellence in education, SLIIT has worked hard to remain on top of the curve. This was mainly due to speedily initiating the changes necessary.

As a result, SLIIT was among the first education institutio­ns to adopt online teaching during Covid- 19, introducin­g an advanced digital platform working to flatten the curve.

Hence, all regular academic and pastoral-care activities were maintained online. Making the transition with confidence SLIIT was able to deliver live lectures to students via its online platform ensuring students followed their normal learning process.

This ensured that despite being a period of uncertaint­y, SLIIT was able to create an impactful online environmen­t for courses and derived dynamic ways to remain involved in broader activities. Students were supported and remained engaged in a positive manner.

Also during Covid-19, SLIIT students across the island were provided effective remote support and able to view recorded lectures and live lectures also through their mobile devices.

Blended learning in the form of face- to- face teaching with online learning was used to ensure the safety of all students and staff. The main objective of this was also to maintain social distancing while maintainin­g other COVID - 19 guidelines.

During the transition period and after Covid-19 a hybrid method was adopted to enhance the efficiency. SLIIT adopted this hybrid method for some subjects while maintainin­g social distancing to deliver practical lectures.

Additional­ly, all other precaution­s including practicing social distancing protocols, increased cleaning and sanitisati­on of college facilities, limited in-person events and social gatherings, health monitoring and constantly reviewing ground operations are carried out regularly to meet the challenges of Covid-19.

Gearing to the new normal, SLIIT was also successful in organising its first-ever virtual orientatio­n programme for First-Year students. This offered students a personal and engaging experience marking the first chapter in their new academic life.

Despite limitation­s, SLIIT remains confident that the designed activities will be able to convey its essence online and achieve success engaging new students from the time they enter the university as new students.

As SLIIT prepared to welcome its new intakes in the coming months, the institutio­n has made every effort to ensure that despite teaching in new classroom environmen­ts feature unique challenges.

While committed to ensuring the safety of the students, whether they continue learning in- person or online, personalis­ed support is at hand by academic and non-academic experts to help and support students with their individual concerns.

Further informatio­n and details of SLIIT programmes and new intake please

contact 011 754 4801, email info@sliiit.lk or

visit www.sliit.lk

Additional­ly, all other precaution­s including practicing social distancing protocols, increased cleaning and sanitisati­on of college facilities, limited in-person events and social gatherings, health monitoring and constantly reviewing ground operations are carried out regularly to meet the challenges of Covid-19.

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