Dear Editor,
Over the past few days, I have read articles in this newspaper, the Barbados Advocate and other regional periodicals on the pain of transitioning to ‘Online Learning’ and the unresolved challenges of this new reality. Friends of mine who are parents, have raised a range of issues about having to operate and manage their children in this environment. Notwithstanding all this, there are a few things I would like to put to rest first then address how we move forward.
The ability to offer Zoom as a teaching tool, share files and actually trying to fetch the traditional classroom online is not online learning but what we can call Remote Emergency Teaching. I have no quarrel with it as a first response to a pandemic or similar disaster, but let us not get confused about its intent.
Online Learning at its very core is about flexibility and convenience. Its origins were based on the ability to provide academic support to mature students who had to work and study. It is also in many, many instances based on Social Constructivism, with significant emphasis on collaboration, problem based instruction, peer review and a range of other methods that focus on learning with others. This does not happen in this instance.
Teachers are not trained to do this. Some of my teaching friends are correct. The curriculum is simply not geared for electronic delivery and just to haul it online will not work over the long term. The new reality however dictates that it is this long term perspective that needs to be taken into account and soon. The concern about a lack of equipment and connectivity is not a direct function of online education. It is about a digital divide that has bedevilled countries such as ours for years. This is going to be a constant challenge going forward and therefore a critical need for thinking outside the box. Connection to the internet, while desired, isn’t always necessary. Community-based intranets can be set up to provide educational resources for rural and hinterland students. Local WiFi is relatively inexpensive to set up and deploy and does not require much power. All educational content developed must be designed to be accessed by as many possible types of electronic devices.
Last and certainly not least, teachers need to be trained and trained quickly. Presentations via Zoom will not be enough over the long term. Training on the full package of online learning tools needs to begin so as to keep students engaged and learning at the same time. It is important that we understand that we are facing a new reality. Any thoughts of just waiting until this pandemic runs its course is unrealistic. We have to begin to adjust and do so quickly. Our future depends on it.
Your faithfully,
Lance Hinds
Chief Executive Officer
The BrainStreet Group
www.brainstreetlearning.com
