Immersive Academic Learning Framework – The next step in online learning

Through the MyUPES portal, students would be introduced to their Virtual Classrooms – state-of-the-art advanced Blackboard system classrooms that offer smooth visual and aural experience and enable interactive sessions between students and faculty replicating the environment of physical classrooms virtually

These three words sum up the attitude of UPES, its faculty, staff members, and students. The current pandemic has made our resolution, to beat the odds and strive for excellence, stronger. And we have been going on, non-stop, thanks to our proactive planning. Digitization of the entire curriculum, for all the programs, was the first step we took. Launching the Immersive Academic Learning Framework was the second and the most crucial. 

The framework has been designed by academic leaders and industry experts and is built on decades of experience, and result-driven approach UPES is known for. The framework is divided into three phases: Induction, Pre-Semester Learning, and Semester Commencement. Each phase is self-contained with course content to make it easier for students to imbibe the content, and only after successful and satisfactory completion proceed.

As the name suggests, the induction phase aims to onboard students with the new methodology and digital learning system that UPES will be inducting. Students are required to complete the online registration process post, which they get access to the multi-utility one-stop portal, MyUPES. Through the MyUPES portal, students would be introduced to their Virtual Classrooms – state-of-the-art advanced Blackboard system classrooms that offer smooth visual and aural experience and enable interactive sessions between students and faculty replicating the environment of physical classrooms virtually.

Our sole endeavor is to offer students the closest and most complete learning experience to physical classrooms and learning. Hence, investing in the most advanced Learning Management Systems was a no-brainer. We understand the paradigm shift students have to undergo when they turn on their laptops to learn something they were looking forward to learning sitting in a spacious classroom alongside their friends. To assist them in this new virtual journey, we strive to replicate the days of yore in the virtual world.

The portal also allows students to check out life at UPES! Designed to offer a smooth user experience, it shows all the vital information a student wishes to know, right at the home screen on the Dashboard! More than 3900 global courses also await students in the portal, credit our academic collaboration with Coursera. These courses are designed and developed by some top universities and corporations in the world, giving students the most in-demand skills and learning to help them ace the industry.

Holistic growth and development of students have been our paramount endeavor. Various student clubs – arts, music, technology, business – offer students to pursue their hobbies collaboratively with their peers, giving birth to a mutually beneficial learning atmosphere. Students can explore all the clubs UPES has through the portal and discover their upcoming and archived events. Through the portal, students can interact with their classmates, faculty members, and get to know each other while preparing alongside their transition to college life!

The second phase – Pre-Semester Learning – gets the students more attuned to our modern pedagogy. The changing times have also modified our methodologies, albeit keeping our core philosophy intact. Hence, this 4-week program is tailored to introduce students to exciting learning sessions through inspiring masterclasses, engaging workshops, motivating CEO talks, immersive projects, and personalized mentoring sessions. Each module has been carefully structured to assist students in taking on this new journey with the right beginning and academic and cultural attitude. The aim of Pre-Semester Learning is simple: sensitize the students to the world of creative practices, generate curiosity in them, and make their learning process immersive, yet enjoyable.

The School of Design, along with the School of Business, have already initiated the pre-sem learning. As part of these immersive sessions, the former would host workshops by pioneers like Hugo Pilate, among others, on film-making, caricatures, upcycling waste, and clay animation to stimulate their creativity and thought process. There will be insights on recognizing trends, exploring new story-telling tools, and collaborating and coordinating across teams. The School of Business would follow a similar approach for students through workshops on time management, personal branding, and more by business leaders like Jessie Paul, among others. Students would also have interactive sessions with the faculty and alumni to get a different perspective of the industry and chart their unique path. Even other schools like the School of Engineering, Computer Science and Health Sciences are all geared up to commence the pre-semester classes.

As in the physical world, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy stands true for virtual learning as well. ‘Dil Se’, a cultural and music extravaganza, would help students open up about themselves and make new friends. In all, the Pre-Semester Learning framework would continue from where the Induction phase would conclude, the academic and personal journey of students.

No matter how tough the times seem, no matter how challenging the situations become, we at UPES have always met them head-first, and we continue to do so. At the heart of our administration is the belief that learning should never stop and should never water down the quality students deserve. The Immersive Academic Learning Framework is our endeavor to provide students, in such critical and uncertain times, with a high-quality education that would enable them to surpass any hurdle the new market of the new normal throws at them.

To know more about the Pre-Semester Learning program, visit https://www.upes.ac.in/immersive-academic-learning. To know about admissions and other relevant details, visit https://www.upes.ac.in/aspiring-students.