Lab Activity: Digital Humanities

Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext: Language & Literature to the Digital Natives

This blog is part of a task assigned by Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad, Head of the Department of English, MKBU, following his session on the “Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext.” It aims to reflect and document key learnings from the talk. For more details, visit his blog: Click here. 

The session conducted by Prof. Barad illuminated a transformative journey for educators a shift from traditional, text-centered pedagogy to a vibrant, interconnected world of hypertext. This blog serves as a reflective documentation of my engagement with this evolving digital landscape, structured into three major components as per the given guidelines. The first section presents my experiential account of the Moral Machine activity, where I confronted the ethical complexities of artificial intelligence and digital decision-making. It includes my results, interpretations, and reflections on how technology reshapes our moral and social frameworks. 

The second section offers a comprehensive three-part summary of the session’s presentations, analyzing the core ideas, pedagogical shifts, and innovative strategies for teaching digital-native learners in a post-textual environment. Finally, the third section features embedded video recordings of the entire session, offering readers an interactive and holistic learning experience. Altogether, this blog represents my initial steps toward reimagining pedagogy in a hypertextual world, where learning transcends linear boundaries and embraces the fluid, interconnected logic of the digital age.

Moral machine results

 Link    

 Google Drive PDF Link

The Moral Machine: Navigating the Ethics of Tomorrow

Interacting with the Moral Machine felt less like completing an online activity and more like stepping into the crossroads of technology and morality. It was an invitation to think—not just as a user of technology, but as a citizen of the future. Far from being a cold algorithmic exercise, it was an emotionally charged exploration of what it means to be human in a world where machines begin to make moral decisions. It turned the abstract idea of “ethical AI” into a lived experience—personal, urgent, and surprisingly hopeful.

Rethinking Dilemmas: From Anxiety to Awareness

Each scenario presented by the Moral Machine unfolded like a modern fable testing not only logic but conscience. Instead of seeing these dilemmas as stressful puzzles, I began to perceive them as moments of awakening. Every choice I made whom to save, whom to sacrifice reflected not a single right answer but a constellation of values. What struck me most was the realization that ethics in AI is not dictated from above by scientists or engineers; it is shaped collectively, by people like us. This shift from exclusivity to participation marks a revolutionary moment in the digital age a democratization of moral responsibility.

Insights and Illuminations

1. A Platform for Global Empathy:

The Moral Machine transforms cultural difference into dialogue. It connects individuals across continents through the shared discomfort of ethical decision-making. My responses, shaped by my social and cultural lens, might differ from others but that diversity becomes the foundation of empathy. Together, we learn that ethics is not universal law, but a conversation built on mutual respect and understanding.

2. Anticipating the Future Through Imagination:

This activity stands as a model of imaginative foresight. We are not reacting to accidents or crises; we are simulating them to prevent future harm. Such proactive engagement proves that moral imagination can coexist with technological innovation. It shows how the future can be designed consciously, not stumbled into blindly.

3. Restoring the Human Core of Technology:

Perhaps the most encouraging lesson is that technology, when designed thoughtfully, can remain profoundly human. The Moral Machine reminds us that empathy and ethics must be coded into the very DNA of artificial intelligence. It signals a shift from creating intelligent systems to nurturing ethical intelligence machines that mirror our better selves rather than our biases.

4. A Mirror for the Self:

Beyond its societal value, the activity was an intimate exercise in self-discovery. It compelled me to pause and ask uncomfortable questions: What do I value most innocence, age, responsibility, potential? My answers were less important than my reasoning, which revealed layers of bias and belief I had never examined before. It was not a test of morality, but a mirror held up to my own ethical reflection.

Conclusion: Co-Authors of an Ethical Future

My experience with the Moral Machine left me inspired rather than overwhelmed. It reminded me that we, as individuals and communities, are not passive spectators of technological progress. We are its co-authors. By engaging with these moral simulations, we contribute to a collective consciousness that will shape the algorithms of tomorrow. In a world increasingly governed by code, it is our capacity for compassion, critical thought, and dialogue that will determine whether technology becomes a mirror of our humanity or a distortion of it. The Moral Machine, in that sense, is not just an experiment; it is a hopeful rehearsal for the ethical future we are still learning to build.

The excerpts from a transcript of a faculty development program video focused on the pedagogical shift from traditional text to hypertext for teaching language and literature to "digital natives." The keynote speaker, Professor Dilli Bharat, details his background, areas of interest, and the challenges faced by teachers transitioning to online instruction, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant portion of the discussion reviews a survey on the "network teacher," which revealed that many educators lack essential digital tools like personal blogs or websites, despite increased use of platforms like Google Classroom and Meet for online teaching and assessment. Professor Bharat then proposes a pedagogical model emphasizing content and learning management systems, digital communication links, synchronous and asynchronous learning, and online assessment through digital portfolios, also illustrating practical, interactive tools like the glass board and collaborative Google Docs to enhance engagement and address the unique challenges of teaching complex literary concepts in a digital environment.

Part 1: A Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext 

I. Introduction: Reimagining Teaching in the Digital Age

The twenty-first century has dramatically reshaped the meaning of teaching, learning, and communication. The classroom, once defined by chalkboards, books, and face-to-face dialogue, has evolved into a digital ecosystem of hyperlinks, platforms, and online interactions. The Faculty Development Programme session titled “From Text to Hypertext”, conducted by Professor Dilli Barad, captured this transformation with exceptional clarity.

The session was not merely a tutorial on digital tools but a pedagogical reflection on how teachers can thrive in an era of hyperconnectivity. Professor Bharat’s discussion fused philosophical insights with practical strategies, urging educators to recognize that the teacher’s role has shifted from the “sage on the stage” to the “guide in the network.”

A pre-session survey immediately set the tone for introspection: 85% of teachers lacked a personal blog, website, or online academic portfolio. This simple statistic revealed a profound gap  not of skill, but of mindset. In an age where knowledge exists in interlinked digital webs, a teacher without a digital presence is like a library without catalogues  filled with knowledge but disconnected from the world.

Through an engaging blend of theory, demonstration, and reflection, the session invited teachers to move from text (static, print-bound learning) to hypertext (interactive, multimodal, and interconnected learning). This essay elaborates the key insights, models, and future directions from the session while situating them within the larger framework of digital pedagogy and educational reform.

II. The Networked Teacher: Building a Digital Identity

The first key theme of the session revolved around the concept of the “networked teacher.” Professor Bharat described how, in today’s educational landscape, visibility and connectivity are not optional  they are essential.

In earlier decades, a teacher’s authority was defined by institutional recognition and classroom presence. Today, it extends into the digital public sphere, where blogs, YouTube channels, and academic websites act as extensions of the classroom. A teacher’s blog can host reflections, teaching materials, and recorded lectures; a YouTube channel can amplify lessons beyond geographical limits. This digital identity forms what Professor Bharat called a “personal learning environment”, where teaching, learning, and sharing occur simultaneously.

The absence of a personal digital space not only limits the teacher’s influence but also disconnects them from contemporary learners who inhabit online spaces. Students today construct their identities through Instagram, LinkedIn, and blogs and they expect their educators to navigate these terrains with equal fluency.

The takeaway was clear: the modern teacher must evolve from being a knowledge deliverer to becoming a knowledge curator one who organizes, archives, and shares insights across multiple digital formats. In doing so, they embody the new ethos of hypertextual education: fluid, participatory, and interconnected.

III. From “Dead Text” to “Hypertext”: The Paradigm Shift

Central to the session was the philosophical and pedagogical contrast between text and hypertext. The “dead text,” as Professor Bharat termed it, represents the traditional printed word  static, fixed, and confined to the page. It demands linear reading and offers limited interactivity.

Hypertext, by contrast, is alive. It refers to digital content  text, image, video, and sound  connected through hyperlinks and stored online. It allows the reader to move non-linearly, exploring ideas across multiple nodes of meaning. In the world of hypertext, reading becomes navigation, and meaning becomes collaborative.

The implications for pedagogy are profound. In a hypertextual classroom:

• The teacher, student, and content are de-centered.

• Authority is distributed rather than concentrated.

• Learning becomes a networked experience, not a one-directional process.

Professor Bharat observed that during the pandemic, when teachers faced blank screens and muted microphones, this de-centering became painfully visible. The digital medium challenged the hierarchical classroom and forced educators to rethink the very nature of communication and engagement.

In essence, the shift from text to hypertext is not only technological but epistemological. It redefines how knowledge is structured, accessed, and produced.

IV. The “Salad Bowl” Pedagogical Model

Rejecting rigid instructional frameworks, Professor Bharat proposed what he called the “Salad Bowl Model”  a metaphor for flexible, hybrid pedagogy. Like a salad composed of diverse ingredients, this model blends synchronous and asynchronous methods, formal and informal tools, and traditional and innovative approaches.

1. The Foundation: Content and Management

Every effective digital classroom requires a strong foundation:

• Google Drive functions as the teacher’s content repository  a living archive of readings, notes, presentations, and media.

• Google Classroom serves as the Learning Management System (LMS), providing structure through announcements, assignments, and feedback loops.

Together, they form the digital backbone of a modern course.

2. Digital Communication

While many educators rely on WhatsApp groups for communication, Professor Bharat advocated for more organized and professional alternatives such as Google Groups, which maintain privacy, archive conversations, and support structured discussions.

This shift not only improves communication efficiency but also models professional digital behavior for students.

3. The Synchronous–Asynchronous Blend

The strength of digital pedagogy lies in its dual mode of engagement:

• Synchronous learning (via Zoom or Google Meet) ensures immediacy, social presence, and interactive dialogue.

• Asynchronous learning (through recorded lectures, YouTube uploads, or shared transcripts) provides flexibility and inclusivity, especially for students with limited connectivity or differing learning paces.

Professor Bharat highlighted the role of auto-transcription tools such as Otter.ai, which enhance accessibility for students with auditory challenges and enable content review after class.

4. Assessment Reimagined

Perhaps the most visionary component of this model was the redefinition of assessment. Instead of relying solely on tests and assignments, educators should encourage students to create Digital Portfolios using tools like Google Sites.

A Digital Portfolio acts as a living record of intellectual growth  a curated collection of essays, reflections, projects, and creative outputs. Unlike traditional evaluations that end at submission, portfolios extend learning into the realm of publication and self-expression.

“Assessment,” said Professor Bharat, “should not end with submission; it should evolve into exhibition.”

V. Innovation and Practical Demonstrations

The session’s brilliance lay in translating theory into tangible practice. Through live demonstrations, Professor Bharat showed how even modest technological interventions could revolutionize classroom engagement.

1. The DIY Glass Board

One of the highlights was the Glass Board demonstration — a low-cost innovation designed for online teaching. With just a glass pane, LED lights, and a marker, teachers can replicate the blackboard experience while maintaining eye contact with students. This simple setup bridges the emotional distance of virtual classrooms and restores the performative aspect of teaching.

2. Collaborative Learning with Google Tools

Using Google Docs and Sheets, participants engaged in real-time exercises  describing images, editing poems, correcting grammar, and composing short paragraphs together. This demonstrated that collaboration does not require sophisticated software; rather, it thrives on shared creativity.

These activities transform students from passive listeners into active co-creators, mirroring the participatory ethos of hypertext itself.

3. Unlocking Literature with Hypermedia

In one particularly inspiring demonstration, Professor Bharat used Google Image Search and Google Arts & Culture to decode poetic imagery and illustrate abstract literary theories. For instance, analyzing visual representations of mythological figures or metaphors allowed literature students to grasp complex ideas intuitively.

Such multimodal exploration transforms literature from a purely textual study into a visual, auditory, and experiential encounter one perfectly aligned with the sensibilities of digital natives.

VI. The Future of Learning: AI, Creativity, and Curation

The session ventured beyond pedagogy into the realm of digital creativity and artificial intelligence.

1. Generative Literature

Participants were introduced to AI-generated poetry, revealing how artificial intelligence can mimic human style and emotion. In a live quiz, many struggled to distinguish between poems written by humans and those produced by algorithms. This exercise raised profound questions about authorship, originality, and creativity in the age of machine learning.

The implication for teachers of literature and language is twofold:

1. AI can serve as a creative collaborator  a tool for experimentation and inspiration.

2. It challenges educators to redefine creativity as the ability to interpret, remix, and critically evaluate, rather than merely produce.

2. The Digital Portfolio Revolution

Returning to the idea of curation, Professor Bharat emphasized that every student project, paper, and presentation should contribute to a digital archive of learning. Instead of letting work vanish into forgotten folders, teachers can guide students to publish their best work online, thereby building digital literacy, confidence, and visibility.

In doing so, education becomes a living dialogue — between the student and their own intellectual evolution.

VII. Rethinking the Role of the Teacher

Perhaps the most transformative message of the session was the redefinition of the teacher’s identity. In the digital classroom:

• The teacher is no longer the sole source of knowledge but a facilitator of inquiry.

• The classroom extends beyond institutional walls into the global network of learners.

• Pedagogical success is measured not by control but by connection.

As Professor Bharat insightfully put it, “We no longer teach in classrooms; we teach in networks.”

This reorientation demands not only technical literacy but digital ethics, empathy, and adaptability. Teachers must model the very curiosity and openness that they wish to cultivate in their students.

VIII. The Philosophy of Hypertextual Learning

Beyond its technical meaning, hypertext carries a deeper philosophical resonance. It symbolizes:

• Multiplicity of perspectives — rejecting singular truths in favor of interlinked viewpoints.

• Non-linearity of thought — recognizing that learning does not follow one path but many.

• Interactivity — turning learners into participants rather than observers.

In this light, the hypertextual classroom mirrors the postmodern condition of knowledge — fragmented yet richly interconnected. It transforms education from the transmission of facts into a web of meaning-making, where every click opens new intellectual territory.

By embracing this approach, teachers become not just transmitters of content but cartographers of complexity, helping students navigate the vast terrain of information with critical and creative awareness.

IX. Practical Reflections and Institutional Implications

While the session offered individual insights, it also hinted at institutional challenges. To sustain such transformation, educational institutions must:

• Provide training in digital tools and encourage teacher-driven innovation.

• Recognize digital content creation (blogs, videos, websites) as valid academic output.

• Promote interdisciplinary collaborations between technology, humanities, and pedagogy.

Equally important is the ethical dimension  ensuring that digital learning remains inclusive, accessible, and humane. The promise of hypertext must not alienate those with limited access to technology. Equity, empathy, and digital sustainability should remain guiding principles of the new classroom.

X. Conclusion: From Literacy to Hyperliteracy

The session “From Text to Hypertext” offered not just a glimpse of the future but a blueprint for the present. It reminded educators that technology is not the enemy of pedagogy; rather, it is its natural evolution.

To thrive in this environment, teachers must cultivate what can be called hyperliteracy — the ability to read, write, and think across media, platforms, and perspectives.

The core message of the session resonates as both challenge and invitation:

“Teaching is no longer about controlling the classroom; it is about curating the network.”

By building digital identities, embracing collaborative tools, and transforming assessment into curation, teachers can lead students not just through texts but through the infinite web of hypertexts that shape our world.

In the end, from text to hypertext is not a shift in medium  it is a shift in mindset, redefining what it means to teach, learn, and connect in the digital age.

Part:2

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Insights from the Hypertext FDP (Part 2)

Reimagining Collaboration, Creativity, and Assessment in the Hypertextual Classroom

I. Introduction: Moving from Digital Survival to Digital Fluency

The first phase of Professor Dilli  Faculty Development Programme on “From Text to Hypertext” laid the philosophical groundwork for understanding the radical shift from static, linear pedagogy to an interconnected, multimodal form of learning. The second phase, however, moved far beyond mere understanding. It was an invitation to mastery to translate the ideas of hypertext into classroom realities.

While the first session helped educators realize why they must evolve, the second revealed how they can practically reimagine their teaching through creativity, collaboration, and technology. It was here that theory met action a moment when digital pedagogy transcended the boundaries of conceptual talk and became an interactive experience.

Professor Bharat demonstrated that the essence of hypertextual pedagogy does not reside in high-end technology or expensive platforms but in the imaginative use of simple tools, the integration of multimodal literacy, and the redefinition of assessment as creativity.

The second session was not only about the tools of digital learning; it was about rethinking the very structure of engagement in an age where knowledge flows freely, authorship is fluid, and students are both creators and critics of meaning.

II. The Central Goal: Engaging the Digital Native

The first discussion in the advanced session addressed a pressing question: How can teachers truly engage today’s students the so-called “digital natives”?

These learners are born into a world of instant notifications, hyperlinks, and multitasking. Their attention is nonlinear; their learning is participatory and visual. For such students, the traditional lecture-centered model often feels static and distant.

Professor Bharat emphasized that digital pedagogy must move from monologue to dialogue — from one-way instruction to two-way co-creation. The classroom, whether physical or virtual, should become a network of engagement, where every student contributes actively through commentary, sharing, and content creation.

He pointed out that teachers often assume that technology distracts students; however, when used correctly, it channels their native digital instincts toward learning. The key lies not in suppressing digital habits but in transforming them into learning strategies  turning “scrolling” into “exploring,” and “clicking” into “connecting.”

Thus, the central goal of hypertext pedagogy is to reignite curiosity and reclaim participation, ensuring that learning is not a passive act of reception but an active act of discovery.

III. The Power of Simple Tools: Google Docs and Sheets as Collaborative Platforms

The most memorable part of the session was a live demonstration that turned the audience from spectators into participants. Using Google Docs and Google Sheets, Professor Bharat showcased how free, familiar tools could transform learning into an interactive, co-authored experience.

1. Real-Time Collaboration

In the demonstration, participants simultaneously worked on a shared Google Doc to describe images and write imaginative dialogues. This exercise illustrated how digital collaboration dismantles physical and hierarchical barriers. Every participant became a co-author  their contributions visible, editable, and combinable in real time.

Such an environment fosters:

• Peer learning: Students learn from each other’s phrasing, style, and creativity.

• Transparency: Teachers can track every edit, promoting accountability and fair evaluation.

• Inclusivity: Even the shyest student gains a voice in the shared document.

2. The Interactive Spreadsheet

Next, Professor Bharat demonstrated a grammar exercise using a Google Sheet, transforming it into a playful, colorful worksheet. Students were asked to convert sentences from active to passive voice, seeing immediate updates from peers as they worked.

This was more than a linguistic task  it was a visual symphony of learning, where each edit, color change, and correction became part of a living text.

The underlying lesson was profound:

Technology does not have to be sophisticated to be effective; it has to be creative.

With nothing more than free tools, educators can create dynamic, participatory learning spaces that rival the interactivity of professional e-learning systems.

IV. Unlocking Literature in the Digital Age

Perhaps the most inspiring segment of the session was the exploration of literary studies through hypertext and hypermedia.

1. The Challenge of Cultural and Mythical Aloofness

Professor Bharat addressed a common concern faced by literature teachers: How do we teach texts whose contexts are culturally or historically distant from our students? For example, Western poetry often references plants, gods, or landscapes unfamiliar to Indian learners.

The answer, he argued, lies in contextual visualization through digital tools. Hypertext allows teachers to bridge gaps of geography, myth, and imagination by connecting the written word with visual and cultural data.

2. A Live Example: Decoding the Poetic Image

In a live demonstration, participants were asked to interpret a poetic line:

“Hawthorn’s smile like milk splashed down.”

Most students struggled what exactly is “hawthorn”? With a quick Google Image Search, the answer appeared: a small shrub with delicate white blossoms. Suddenly, the line’s visual beauty became accessible, and interpretation turned from abstraction to revelation.

This moment illustrated how a simple hyperlink can open a world of meaning, transforming literature into an experiential journey.

3. Using Google Arts & Culture

Professor Bharat introduced the audience to the Google Arts & Culture platform a treasure trove of artworks, exhibitions, and cultural artifacts. He used the famous painting The Fall of Icarus as an example.

Through a digital exploration of the painting, he demonstrated how visual art can be used to explain literary theory specifically, the concept of “de-centering the center.” In the painting, Icarus’s dramatic fall occupies a mere corner, while the foreground shows farmers indifferent to his tragedy.

This visual representation beautifully parallels postmodern literary theory  the displacement of grand narratives and the rise of the marginal voice.

4. Literature as a Living Hypertext

By linking texts to images, history, and theory, the session revealed that literature itself is hypertextual  a network of symbols, allusions, and meanings. Digital pedagogy merely externalizes this nature by providing tools that make those connections visible.

Thus, in the hypertextual classroom, reading becomes exploration, and interpretation becomes navigation.

V. Glimpsing the Future: Generative Literature and AI

From analyzing traditional texts, the session boldly ventured into the emerging frontier of AI and creative writing an area where literature and technology intersect in surprising ways.

1. What is Generative Literature?

Generative Literature refers to creative writing  poems, stories, or essays  generated by artificial intelligence algorithms. Using massive datasets and language models, AI can now produce text that mimics human style, rhythm, and emotion.

2. The “Human or Computer?” Experiment

Professor Bharat conducted a live activity that left the audience astonished. Participants were shown several short poems and asked to guess whether each was written by a human or an AI program. The results were almost evenly split  proof that AI-generated poetry has reached a level of sophistication that blurs the line between machine and human creativity.

This experiment sparked deep philosophical and pedagogical reflection:

• Can machines feel, or do they merely simulate emotion?

• Does authorship lose meaning when algorithms can produce art?

• How can educators use AI not as a threat but as a creative ally?

3. Implications for Educators

The exercise demonstrated that the nature of authorship, creativity, and interpretation is changing. Teachers of literature and writing must now prepare students to engage critically with machine-generated texts  not to reject them, but to analyze them, compare them, and use them as tools of reflection.

In doing so, classrooms evolve into labs of digital creativity, where human imagination meets technological possibility.

VI. The Ultimate Goal: Digital Portfolios as Authentic Assessment

The session concluded with what may be the most revolutionary idea in contemporary education: the Digital Portfolio.

1. Moving Beyond the Assignment

Traditional education often treats assignments as disposable  written, submitted, graded, and forgotten. Professor Bharat challenged this approach by asking:

“Why should a student’s intellectual labor vanish into a folder after submission?”

A Digital Portfolio transforms this transient system into a living record of learning.

2. The Digital Portfolio Defined

Built on platforms like Google Sites, a digital portfolio is a curated website where students compile their essays, blog posts, presentations, creative works, videos, and reflections. It functions as both archive and showcase  a personalized digital museum of their educational journey.

Professor Bharat shared examples from his own students, who had built impressive portfolios featuring multimedia reflections, recorded presentations, and hyperlinked research notes.

3. Why Portfolios Matter

This approach achieves three major goals:

• Authentic Assessment: Evaluates learning as an evolving process, not a single product.

• Digital Literacy: Teaches students the art of presentation, design, and hyperlinking  essential 21st-century skills.

• Visibility and Ownership: Gives students a public space to display their intellectual growth, bridging the gap between academia and the professional world.

A student who graduates with a well-maintained digital portfolio carries with them a digital identity, a portfolio of competencies visible to the world.

VII. Philosophy of the Hypertext Educator

The second session also deepened the philosophical understanding of what it means to be a teacher in a hypertextual world.

1. From Authority to Facilitation

In the traditional classroom, the teacher’s voice dominates. In the hypertextual model, the teacher becomes a facilitator, connector, and co-learner. Their task is not to dictate meaning but to create pathways through which students can explore meaning for themselves.

2. From Product to Process

Education is no longer about producing fixed answers but about navigating complexity. A student’s journey through hyperlinks, multimedia, and AI texts mirrors the intellectual flexibility required in the real world.

3. From Isolation to Network

The hypertext educator thrives in collaboration and sharing. Teaching is no longer confined to one classroom; it exists in a global network of educators, blogs, YouTube lectures, and learning communities.

This transformation, though demanding, is liberating. It redefines teaching as an act of connected creativity.

VIII. Broader Reflections and Implications

The advanced session made it evident that hypertextual pedagogy has implications far beyond technology. It reshapes the ethics, aesthetics, and politics of education.

• Ethically, it demands inclusion and accessibility. Teachers must ensure that every student, regardless of background or bandwidth, can participate meaningfully.

• Aesthetically, it celebrates diversity of form essays coexist with videos, images, and hyperlinks.

• Politically, it democratizes knowledge. No longer does learning flow only from expert to novice; it circulates among peers, creating a community of inquiry.

These shifts collectively represent not just a technological upgrade but a paradigm shift in epistemology  how we know, how we share, and how we teach.

IX. Conclusion: Teaching the Future, Today

The second part of “From Text to Hypertext” moved beyond basic adaptation toward pedagogical innovation and creative leadership.

It proved that:

• Engagement does not depend on gadgets, but on imagination.

• Collaboration can be built from simple tools used meaningfully.

• Literature and creativity flourish when freed from the constraints of print.

• Assessment is most powerful when it becomes a living document of growth.

Professor Dilli Bharat’s session illuminated a path where teachers are no longer merely content deliverers but architects of digital learning experiences. The hypertextual classroom is not a distant ideal  it is already here, waiting to be unlocked by educators who dare to experiment, to connect, and to inspire.

In this new world, teaching is not about transferring information but about weaving networks of meaning  a collective tapestry where every hyperlink opens a new horizon of discovery.

 Part : 3From Text to Hypertext: Reimagining Pedagogy in the Digital Age

A Comprehensive Reflection on Prof. Dilip Barad’s FDP on Digital Pedagogy

Introduction: The Shift from Print to Digital Consciousness

The rapid evolution of technology has redefined not just how we live and communicate but how we think, learn, and teach. The Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext” conducted by Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad, Head of the Department of English at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University (MKBU), stands as a pioneering initiative in this intellectual transformation.

Prof. Barad’s sessions were not merely about mastering digital tools; they were about reconfiguring the very architecture of teaching and learning. The focus was on how teachers can transcend traditional, text-bound pedagogy to embrace the fluid, interconnected, and participatory nature of hypertext — a medium that mirrors the cognitive and cultural realities of the 21st century.

The FDP unfolded in three key stages: understanding the philosophical and pedagogical foundations of hypertext, exploring collaborative and creative classroom applications, and finally, synthesizing these ideas into a coherent model for digital-age teaching.

 I: Unlocking the Digital Classroom – From Dead Text to Living Hypertext

1. The Wake-Up Call: Are You a Networked Teacher?

The session began with a self-assessment survey designed to help teachers reflect on their digital presence. The results were revealing: nearly 85% of educators lacked a personal blog, website, or digital portfolio. This finding underscored a critical gap between traditional teaching and the demands of the hypertextual world.

Prof. Barad emphasized that in this new paradigm, having a digital home is as essential as having a classroom. Teachers must establish their own online identities  through blogs, YouTube channels, or websites  not only to share content but to engage in the global knowledge ecosystem.

He termed this the Networked Teacher Model a vision of educators who are connected, collaborative, and visible in the digital public sphere.

2. Understanding the Shift: What is Hypertext?

Hypertext, in Prof. Barad’s framework, is more than a technical concept. It represents a philosophical and pedagogical revolution.

• Definition: Hypertext is any form of digital content text, image, sound, or video  interconnected through hyperlinks and stored online, accessible through web browsers.

• Contrast: Unlike the “dead” printed page, hypertext is alive, dynamic, and interactive. Readers become co-creators, navigating multiple meanings and pathways.

• Pedagogical Impact: The traditional hierarchy of teacher–text–student dissolves. Learning becomes de-centered, collaborative, and participatory.

This theoretical shift was not abstract. Prof. Barad connected it to the lived experience of teachers during the pandemic “teaching to black screens.” The disembodied, de-centered classroom was both a challenge and a metaphor for the age of hypertext.

3. The “Salad Bowl” Model: A Flexible Pedagogical Framework

Rejecting a rigid, one-size-fits-all method, Prof. Barad proposed what he called a “Salad Bowl” model of pedagogy, where different elements blend together while retaining their individuality.

Core Components:

• Foundation: Google Drive for content curation and Google Classroom as the Learning Management System (LMS).

• Communication: Replace cluttered WhatsApp groups with structured, private Google Groups.

• Teaching Combination:

  • Synchronous (Live) – via Zoom or Google Meet for real-time discussion.

  • Asynchronous (Recorded) – through YouTube lectures and auto-generated transcripts (e.g., Otter.ai) for accessibility and review.

• Assessment: Transition from one-time evaluations to Digital Portfolios, where students curate their entire learning journey using platforms like Google Sites.

This model emphasizes continuity, reflection, and co-creation — transforming classrooms into digital ecosystems.

4. Practice in Action: Demonstrations that Redefine Teaching

The power of the FDP lay in its hands-on demonstrations, showing how creativity can thrive even within basic, free tools.

• The Glass Board Innovation:
  A low-cost setup using a glass pane and LED lights, enabling teachers to write while maintaining eye contact with the camera. This clever design revived the lost “chalkboard experience” of online teaching.

• Collaborative Google Docs and Sheets:
  In a live demo, participants engaged in real-time collaborative writing and grammar exercises. What seemed like a simple tool became a dynamic space for co-creation, showcasing how technology can enhance engagement through participation.

• Decoding Literature with Hypertext:
  Using Google Image Search, Prof. Barad demonstrated how visual references can demystify poetic imagery  for instance, identifying the “hawthorn” in a poem to deepen understanding.
  Similarly, Google Arts & Culture was used to explore Bruegel’s “The Fall of Icarus,” illustrating the concept of de-centering  a visual metaphor for postmodern literary theory.

5. The Future Beckons: Generative Literature and AI

A highlight of the session was an exploration of AI-generated literature, an emerging frontier that blurs the boundaries between human creativity and machine intelligence.

Through a live quiz titled “Human or Computer?”, participants were asked to identify whether poems were written by humans or by AI. The near 50-50 results were astonishing — a reminder that authorship, originality, and creativity are being redefined in the digital age.

Prof. Barad urged educators to engage with these questions critically:

What does creativity mean when machines can write poetry? How will this affect literary studies and authorship?

6. The Digital Portfolio Revolution: Rethinking Assessment

In the traditional system, assignments are graded, returned, and forgotten. The FDP proposed a radical alternative: curate, don’t discard.

Prof. Barad showcased exemplary student digital portfolios hosted on Google Sites — complete archives of blogs, essays, videos, and reflections. These portfolios transform assessment from a static grade to a living record of intellectual growth.

They empower students to:

• Reflect on their learning trajectory.

• Build a professional digital identity.

• Preserve their creative and academic achievements in one space.

Part II: Beyond the Basics – Advanced Insights and Practical Pedagogy

The second phase of the FDP delved deeper into practice, exploring how digital pedagogy could evolve beyond content delivery into active engagement and creative learning.

1. Engaging the Digital Native

The core challenge of modern education is not access to information  it’s attention. Digital natives are constantly bombarded with stimuli; educators must therefore design interactive, immersive, and student-centered learning environments.

Hypertext pedagogy encourages exploration, not memorization  a shift from instruction to interaction.

2. Google Tools for Collaboration: Simplicity as Power

A major insight from the session was that innovation doesn’t require expensive software. Using simple, freely available tools like Google Docs and Sheets, teachers can create interactive exercises that turn passive learners into active participants.

• Real-Time Collaboration: Students jointly wrote dialogues and described images in a shared document.

• Interactive Grammar: A Google Sheet became a live grammar board, using color codes, comments, and interactive prompts.

The message was clear: pedagogy is about creativity, not complexity.

3. Unlocking Literature: Hypertext as a Bridge Between Worlds

Digital pedagogy is particularly transformative in literature classrooms. It bridges the cultural and contextual gap between texts and readers.

By connecting poems, paintings, and cultural artifacts through hyperlinks, literature becomes an immersive experience. For instance:

• Understanding “hawthorn” through image search enriches poetic analysis.

• Viewing “The Fall of Icarus” on Google Arts & Culture helps students grasp postmodern ideas like marginalization and perspective.

Such use of hypertext transforms literature from static text to multimodal experience where visual, verbal, and virtual elements intersect.

4. Generative AI: The New Frontier of Literature and Authorship

The session’s exploration of AI-driven creativity was not merely a curiosity; it was a pedagogical revelation.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, or Sudowrite now produce poetry, fiction, and essays that rival human compositions. Educators must respond to this not with fear, but with critical engagement.

Students can now compare, critique, and analyze AI-generated literature, prompting new discussions about creativity, ethics, and meaning-making in the digital era.

5. The Power of Digital Portfolios: Beyond Submission to Self-Curation

The culmination of this pedagogical journey is the Digital Portfolio a long-term, reflective, and multimedia showcase of a student’s academic evolution.

A model portfolio includes:

• Academic biography and learning reflections.

• Embedded presentations, blogs, and creative projects.

• Video lectures or performances.

• Certificates and extracurricular achievements.

In this model, learning is visible, continuous, and owned by the learner.

Part III: The Grand Finale – Tools, Portfolios, and the Future of Teaching

1. The Digital Toolkit for the 21st-Century Educator

Prof. Barad provided a practical blueprint for educators seeking to modernize their classrooms using free, integrated digital tools:

• Google Classroom + Drive: Core structure for organizing materials and assignments.

• Google Meet + Calendar: For live sessions and scheduling.

• Google Groups: Safer, more structured communication than WhatsApp.

• YouTube Channel: A must-have for teachers to host recorded lessons and resources.

• Blogger + Google Sites: To build personal blogs and student portfolios.

• Otter.ai / Voice Typing: For accessibility through automatic transcripts.

• ed.ted.com: For creating interactive lessons with quizzes and discussion prompts.

This ecosystem ensures both technical efficiency and pedagogical innovation.

2. The Glass Board: Reinventing the Online Classroom

The DIY Glass Board invention epitomizes the spirit of low-cost innovation. By combining simple materials  a glass sheet, LED lights, and a webcam teachers can recreate the tactile, expressive mode of blackboard teaching in digital spaces.

This solution merges eye contact, gesture, and clarity, restoring the human touch to online learning.

3. The Final Integration: The Pedagogical Model for Hypertext Learning

Prof. Dilip Barad’s innovative four-layer pedagogical model synthesizes the essence of digital transformation in higher education, illustrating how technology can reshape traditional teaching-learning processes into dynamic, participatory, and reflective experiences. The model unfolds across four interconnected phases Content Curation, Distribution, Interaction, and Reflection & Assessment each aligned with specific digital tools and corresponding learning outcomes. In the Content Curation phase, platforms like Google Drive are utilized to collect, organize, and store academic materials, ensuring easy accessibility and systematic arrangement of knowledge resources. This phase represents the shift from fragmented content management to a structured, digital repository system. 

The second phase, Distribution, employs Google Classroom as a hub for structured sharing, assignment dissemination, and feedback exchange between teacher and students. It democratizes access to learning materials and establishes an efficient communication channel. The third phase, Interaction, integrates tools such as Google Meet, Docs, Sheets, and ed.ted, promoting real-time collaboration, peer learning, and active engagement with digital content. This stage transforms the classroom from a monologic to a dialogic space, encouraging students to participate as co-creators of meaning. Finally, in the Reflection & Assessment phase, Google Sites serves as a digital portfolio platform where learners can showcase their work, reflect on their progress, and demonstrate critical thinking and creativity. Together, these four layers signify a pedagogical evolution from text to hypertext, from teacher-centered instruction to learner-centered exploration, and from knowledge delivery to knowledge co-creation. This framework not only captures the spirit of the digital age but also aligns with constructivist and connectivist learning theories, emphasizing autonomy, collaboration, and reflective practice as central to 21st-century education.

Conclusion: A Humanistic Vision for Digital Pedagogy

Prof. Dilip Barad’s FDP on “Pedagogical Shift from Text to Hypertext” is more than a workshop on technology  it is a manifesto for the future of education. It urges educators to move beyond fear and inertia, to embrace technology not as a threat but as a creative extension of humanity’s oldest instinct: the desire to communicate and learn.

The sessions taught that hypertext pedagogy is not about abandoning literature, philosophy, or art, but about expanding their reach. It empowers both teachers and students to become networked thinkers  capable of navigating, creating, and critiquing knowledge in an interconnected world.

In essence, the journey from text to hypertext is not merely technological; it is philosophical, cultural, and deeply human.