Fiji National University (FNU) alumnus Ravnil Narayan is one of many academics that are assisting the University in the transition to an online learning platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Narayan is a Lecturer in the School of Communication, Languages and Literature at FNU’s College of Humanities and Education (CHE) at the Ba Campus.

“Currently, I am teaching Academic English and Communication courses via online mode. Based on my observations, I think most FNU services are up-to-par, and students are fully abreast with the latest information broadcasted by FNU,” he said.

Narayan says that the online delivery of courses has been a challenging prospect, as switching from on-site (or brick) to online (or click) mode is a significant change particularly for students, who are finding problems navigating new teaching and learning methods. However, the academic quality and rigour of the courses should not be determined by whether it is on-site or online, he adds.

“While I cannot replicate the in-person back-and-forth of a classroom, encouraging my students to utilise social media channels or setting up virtual discussion groups to work together has assisted me in creating a collaborative environment. This has motivated students to succeed and allowed them to the opportunity to interact with each other as they work through the materials.”

Narayan notes that intermitted internet connectivity is sometimes a major drawback for students as it hinders them from doing their research for assignments and accessing Moodle.  The University also has an agreement with Vodafone and Digicel, which allows its users to access the FNU website and Moodle platform free of charge. This means the students do not need data to view FNU online pages.

“Due to the remote locations of most of my students, many are not able to correspond and use Moodle. However, thanks to social networking sites and other virtual apps, they can communicate and stay up to date.”

He says that online teaching may lead to students not concentrating on their work 100%, which is why keeping them engaged is very crucial.

“I keep my students engaged by constantly sending them notices, emails and messages. I have noticed that they tend to respond more to messages sent via other mediums more quickly as compared to Moodle.”

“While I was a student in China, all communication regarding the courses was done on WeChat, which is a multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app. It worked better,” he said.

“In my experience as a Lecturer and student, other apps work better for communication and perhaps, Lecturers should start creating Viber, WhatsApp or Messenger groups with their class and communicate using that to relay important messages faster. Of course, this does not mean Moodle should be neglected as it is used for course content and assignment submissions,” he added.

Education and Career

Starting his tertiary studies as a distance and flexible learning (DFL) student back in the year 2005, Narayan attained his first qualification in Diploma in Hindi Language from the Central Hindi Directorate, India. Studying simultaneously at the University of the South Pacific, he attained his second Diploma in Pacific Vernacular Language in the year 2010.

Narayan first arrived at FNU in 2010 as a Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarship student in Diploma in Secondary Education (English and Hindi) programme at the College of Education and Humanities (CHE).

After graduation in 2011, Narayan worked as an English Language Teacher with the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts (MEHA) until March 2015. Taking a break from his teaching career, he became a full-time student to complete his Bachelor of Secondary Education from FNU. In the same year, he also graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language from The University of Fiji.

Having all the necessary qualifications and experience, he was able to secure a job with FNU as a Lecturer. He later completed his Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language from The University of Fiji in 2017. All these were only possible with strict self-discipline and simplicity.

He continued working at FNU until mid 2019, when he was awarded a full scholarship to pursue his PhD in Applied Linguistics from Asia’s number one, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Unfortunately, his time in China was cut short when the COVID19 pandemic was declared, and he caught the earliest flight to Fiji, putting his PhD on hold.  He returned to the classroom immediately upon his return, using best practices learnt in China to serve his students better during this challenging period.

Advice to Students

Advising students, Narayan says, “Understandably, the current pandemic has created havoc and a number of us are affected; however this should not be considered as a detrimental factor to inhibit you from your studies. I would like to advice all the students to just hang in there and keep up with the pace of your studying.”

He adds that patience and commitment are needed to get through these trying times.

“I believe most of us have access to the internet and can communicate with each other. If you are having problems with your assignments, then do get in touch with your respective lecturers to discuss ways in which you can solve your problems.”

Narayan is looking forward to returning to China to complete his PhD once the pandemic is over.