Workshops on WhatsApp

The first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a workshop is people coming together. But that’s a thing of the past now. With constraints of time, like everyone and everything, workshops too are moving on to instant messaging apps.

People now are increasingly taking part in workshops that are being conducted over WhatsApp. Amit Kapoor and his partner Sheila Mohan who have been hosting a series of workshops through WhatsApp say, “This is a concept that is popular in the US and is now catching up here.”

So how does this  work? “One can get in touch with the organiser and they will put people into a closed group on WhatsApp. The organiser will then send them audio and video files or documents,” informs Sunil Sood, who is currently doing a workshop on energy and the environment.

“These workshops are cost effective. You don’t have to travel anywhere and can access information through a smart phone. All the material can also be stored for future use,” adds Sunil. And if you thought it was just the private practitioners who used WhatsApp then think again.

Government school teachers are now learning English through WhatsApp, in an initiative taken by District Education Officer, Ranga Reddy District, G. Ramesh. According to Ramesh, the government decided to use the digital platform to help teachers improve their English language skills. “Every day, simple English sentences are sent to the government teachers in the Ranga Reddy district. They learn it and then pass it on to the students,” he says.