write about the challenges of online learning in 100- 120 words (10 marks)
Answers
Answer:
With online classes running seamlessly during lockdown restrictions, can school principals afford to sit back and relax? Are there any felt or expressed concerns regarding the effectiveness of online classes? How will the school heads address the challenges of the quality and effectiveness of online learning? Do they need to create new protocols of online curriculum transaction and monitor teachers’ performances?
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However, it would be overly simplistic to sit back and relax assuming the job to be well done. There are serious challenges to quality and effectiveness in online learning which largely remain unaddressed due to overflowing self-congratulatory and feel-good sentiments. Will the school leaders be willing to think out of their box to recognise, understand, and address these critical issues?
Challenges in Online Learning
Comparing face-to-face learning with online learning brings forth significant deficiencies in the online mode such as lack of human connect, absence of opportunities of collaborative learning, teacher supervision and the most glaring being lack of opportunities for hands-on learning in complex subjects such as science and mathematics. Besides, amid the rush of hosting online classes the best teaching practices such a addressing learners Multiples Intelligences (MI), VARK Learning Styles and providing a differentiated learning experience have been relegated to the backburner. So how does the head of a school address the challenges of quality learning in online mode and is it possible to harness technology to provide a rich, immersive and holistic learning experience to the students?
Quality On-line Learning
What is ‘quality’ in online learning? The definition of Quality education has undergone a metamorphosis in the online mode, and now it includes the ICT components that help overcome all the challenges have resulted due to the physical distance between the teacher and the learner. ICT has the power and potential to help the users overcome not only these challenges but also make some unexpected value additions to classes that could result in an improved teacher and learner performance, leading to an enhanced learning experience. Here are some ICT integrated teaching-learning strategies that can ‘up the quality’ quotient of an online class.
Plan Active Learning
“It’s not a lecture classroom online,”. “It’s an active learning classroom online.” Conrad, a lecturer at the University of California in Berkley clarifies. It has been observed that sometimes to overcome the lack of their physical presence teachers go into long winding explanations of the concept in an online class, leaving learners passive, bored, and ultimately distracted. The online class should have a well-planned sequence of activities for ‘active engagement’ that allows the leaners of opportunities for interaction and hand-on, experiential learning. The following strategies would help in creating opportunities for active learner engagement with content and peers.
Use IT Tools, Apps & Resources
Ormrod Jeanne Ellis, professor of educational psychology at the University of Northern Colorado, talks of four basic learning needs that form the basis of all major educational theories ranging from behaviourism to social cognitivism to constructivism. These are Arousal, Competence, Self-determination and Relatedness. (Ormrod, 2011). He says through gamification and technology a teacher can successfully meet most of these needs in an online class. Technology is a huge enabler, as it can be used to customise learning to learners’ level, interest, and academic and social needs. Rich texts, images, videos, audios, and games bring fun, excitement, collaboration, and challenge to learning. The learners, being digital natives, view online classes as ‘edutainment than education’ and continually set new learning goals for themselves. It also allows learners to learn at their own pace, revisiting the lesson as many times as they wish before moving on to the next stage.
Give Learners a Choice
Traditional classes are teacher-driven and all the decisions regarding what, when, how, and how much are taken by the teacher. In an online class, the teacher can enhance learner motivation, interest, and involvement by allowing them to choose ‘how to learn’. The choice of activities can range from audio/video podcasts, presentations, surveys, investigatory projects, quizzes, gamification, reports with illustrations and graphics, news-reporting, producing a radio/TV show, etc. Depending upon the skills and subskills that need to be taught or reinforced the learners could be asked to choose and collaborate on the assignment
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Covid-19 struck us without a warning and left head of all educational institutions scrambling to respond to its exigencies. It has also created a need to creatively deal with such unforeseen and once-in-a-century catastrophic events that are being predicted as the ‘new normal’. School principals deserve nothing less than a pat on their backs for a swift response to the pandemic amid the lockdown restrictions. Their alacrity has resulted in a spate of online classes for learners of every level ranging from scholastic subjects, co-scholastic areas such as fine and performing arts to mental wellness and physical fitness.
However, it would be overly simplistic to sit back and relax assuming the job to be well done. There are serious challenges to quality and effectiveness in online learning which largely remain unaddressed due to overflowing self-congratulatory and feel-good sentiments. Will the school leaders be willing to think out of their box to recognise, understand, and address these critical issues?
Challenges in Online Learning
Comparing face-to-face learning with online learning brings forth significant deficiencies in the online mode such as lack of human connect, absence of opportunities of collaborative learning, teacher supervision and the most glaring being lack of opportunities for hands-on learning in complex subjects such as science and mathematics. Besides, amid the rush of hosting online classes the best teaching practices such a addressing learners Multiples Intelligences (MI), VARK Learning Styles and providing a differentiated learning experience have been relegated to the backburner. So how does the head of a school address the challenges of quality learning in online mode and is it possible to harness technology to provide a rich, immersive and holistic learning experience to the students?
Quality On-line Learning
What is ‘quality’ in online learning? The definition of Quality education has undergone a metamorphosis in the online mode, and now it includes the ICT components that help overcome all the challenges have resulted due to the physical distance between the teacher and the learner. ICT has the power and potential to help the users overcome not only these challenges but also make some unexpected value additions to classes that could result in an improved teacher and learner performance, leading to an enhanced learning experience. Here are some ICT integrated teaching-learning strategies that can ‘up the quality’ quotient of an online class.
Plan Active Learning
“It’s not a lecture classroom online,”. “It’s an active learning classroom online.” Conrad, a lecturer at the University of California in Berkley clarifies. It has been observed that sometimes to overcome the lack of their physical presence teachers go into long winding explanations of the concept in an online class, leaving learners passive, bored, and ultimately distracted. The online class should have a well-planned sequence of activities for ‘active engagement’ that allows the leaners of opportunities for interaction and hand-on, experiential learning. The following strategies would help in creating opportunities for active learner engagement with content and peers.
Use IT Tools, Apps & Resources
Ormrod Jeanne Ellis, professor of educational psychology at the University of Northern Colorado, talks of four basic learning needs that form the basis of all major educational theories ranging from behaviourism to social cognitivism to constructivism. These are Arousal, Competence, Self-determination and Relatedness. (Ormrod, 2011). He says through gamification and technology a teacher can successfully meet most of these needs in an online class. Technology is a huge enabler, as it can be used to customise learning to learners’ level, interest, and academic and social needs. Rich texts, images, videos, audios, and games bring fun, excitement, collaboration, and challenge to learning. The learners, being digital natives, view online classes as ‘edutainment than education’ and continually set new learning goals for themselves. It also allows learners to learn at their own pace, revisiting the lesson as many times as they wish before moving on to the next stage.
Give Learners a Choice
Traditional classes are teacher-driven and all the decisions regarding what, when, how, and how much are taken by the teacher. In an online class, the teacher can enhance learner motivation, interest, and involvement by allowing them to choose ‘how to learn’. The choice of activities can range from audio/video podcasts, presentations, surveys, investigatory projects, quizzes, gamification, reports with illustrations and graphics, news-reporting, producing a radio/TV show, etc. Depending upon the skills and subskills that need to be taught or reinforced the learners could be asked to choose and collaborate on the assignmen