Virtual Education, Technology and a Pandemic
“Teachers need
to integrate technology seamlessly into the curriculum instead of viewing it as
an add-on, an afterthought, or an event.” - Heidi-Hayes
Jacobs
The coronavirus continues to upend all aspects of our lives. We live and operate in a globalized context and as such what happens in one area of the world has implications for all of us. This interdependency is clearly seen in the escalation of the coronavirus around the globe. Our lives are intertwined in this digital age. Unfortunately, there is a significant subset of the population who are technologically disadvantaged; not everyone have internet access. The Jamaican government recently announced the closure of the nation’s schools given the global pandemic of the coronavirus or COVID19. At a press conference at Jamaica House on Thursday, March 12, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that schools will be closed on March 13, 2020 for 14 days. The statement added that during that time, the situation will be monitored and after 10 days, an update will be provided. The Ministry of Education has partnered with various online stakeholders to ensure that during the time of closure teaching and learning will continue. The first casualty of the closure of our schools is the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Grade 6 Performance Task, scheduled for March 19 and 20; the March PEP examination has been postponed. A number of countries have taken a similar stance regarding the closure of schools. In fact, all schools in the European Union, some African countries, Canada, the Nordic countries and some states of the United States of America have been ordered closed for at least 2 weeks. According to the online source, The EduBlogger, by March 13, more than 61 countries have implemented school closure. For some students especially in Africa, specifically girls once their education is placed on pause it will not be an automatic restart. We can only hope that governments in those countries will do all that is humanly possible to ensure that the fallout from the closure of schools is minimal.
Synchronous versus Asynchronous Learning
A number of educators during this period of online education will have to decide whether their approach will be on gearing to synchronous or asynchronous learning. That is, whether the teaching and learning process will be completed in real-time or whether students will complete tasks according to their own schedules. Synchronous learning is when classes occur on set schedules and time frames. Students and instructors are online at the same time in synchronous classes since lectures, discussions, and presentations take place at specific hours. All students must be online at that exact time in order to participate in the class. Asynchronous classes allow students complete their work on their own time. Students are given a timeframe; it is usually a one-week window during which they need to connect to their class at least once or twice. In the synchronous approach, students learn at the same time, communication happens in real time and facilitates instant feedback and clarification. For example, video conferencing, Instagram Live, live chats, Facebook Live and live streamed videos. On the other hand, the asynchronous approach, students learn at different times, communication is not live and facilitates students to work at their own pace. For example, blog posts, emails and screen casts. For those working parents the asynchronous approach to learning is perhaps the more convenient since it will allow for the students to be supervised and monitored. There are many disadvantages of online instruction. Among these are challenges with the technology and the lack of guidance from the teacher to keep students focused. Additionally, a number of educators will discover or have discovered that the concept that could be completed in one session in a classroom might take two online sessions. We should not be surprised if more parents choose to home school their children after the coronavirus pandemic has passed. The idea behind closing schools is to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Social distancing, self isolation and quarantine are all mechanism of slowing down this pandemic the likes of which most of us have never seen before. Many teachers will be overwhelmed; perhaps other educators will be excited; fearful as virtual education will be tested over the next two to three weeks. Yes, there will be a mix of emotions not only for teachers, but students alike. However, most Jamaican teachers have had at least basic training in Information Technology and with the proper support systems in place our teachers should be able to deliver.
Virtual Instruction
The world is at a crossroads; this is unchartered territory. In some education circles there is a school of thought which says most schools are completely unprepared or underprepared for virtual learning. Virtual learning is defined by an online source as a learning experience that is enhanced through utilizing computers and or the internet, both outside and inside the facilities of the educational organization. This virtual instruction takes place on an online environment. Virtual learning is commonly called e-learning or digital learning and has the potential to improve students’ achievements. No one could have envisaged at the start of the academic year in September of 2019 that by March schools would be required to do virtual education or classes. Then again no one predicted that the world would have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. There are those idealists who tout that education is a leveling quantity, however, the realists among us know very well that this is not so. It is for this very reason that parents in Jamaica will move mountains to ensure that their children gain acceptance into those few coveted schools of choice at the secondary level. Unequal internet access is just the one of the many factors which accounts for the equity crisis facing our schools. According to Statista Research, internet penetration in Jamaica in 2017 was more than 55 per cent of the population. This statistics tells us that Jamaica still has some work to do in order to close the internet divide. Internet penetration corresponds to the percentage of the total population of a given country or region that uses the internet. The decision to close schools and transition to online teaching and learning amid the coronavirus outbreak has raised the issue of inequality in schools. Students whose parents are of middle to upper class will perhaps fare better than their counterparts who are of the lower socio-economic background during this closure of schools. Undoubtedly, the children of privilege will have the resources, such as internet access readily available to them. Is there a role for our Internet Service Providers? Will our ISP provide special or discounted data plans for these two weeks of school closure to ensure that students access the various online educational platforms? Among the primary stakeholders of virtual learning in Jamaica is e-Learning Jamaica. According to the e-Learning Jamaica website, e-Learning brings a new dynamic to teaching through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s). The Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ), as well as cable companies have joined this virtual instruction initiative to ensure that our students have access to educational materials and lessons. Students in Jamaica already benefit from a mixture of traditional methodologies. As a result these new approaches to learning will stimulate the teaching/learning process, excite and encourage a quest for knowledge and learning of new skills among our students. To date, e-Learning Jamaica has implemented the High School Project and Tablets in Schools. Online instruction and assessment is a push into the future. The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) will soon be having online assessments of students. The time to change our mindsets is now. If we fail to embrace these new approaches to learning our students will be left behind. During this time of school closure parents and guardians need to monitor and supervise their children. Parents need to have a discussion with the children regarding the coronavirus and provide them with age appropriate information. Parents have both a duty and an obligation to ensure that their children are safe and meaningfully engaged. These two weeks of school closure is not a holiday; it’s a time to shift into another gear and move into the 21st century.
In the words of Barack Obama, the internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#virtuallearning #education #Jamaica #technology #sustainabledevelopment #classroom #COVID19
©
The coronavirus continues to upend all aspects of our lives. We live and operate in a globalized context and as such what happens in one area of the world has implications for all of us. This interdependency is clearly seen in the escalation of the coronavirus around the globe. Our lives are intertwined in this digital age. Unfortunately, there is a significant subset of the population who are technologically disadvantaged; not everyone have internet access. The Jamaican government recently announced the closure of the nation’s schools given the global pandemic of the coronavirus or COVID19. At a press conference at Jamaica House on Thursday, March 12, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that schools will be closed on March 13, 2020 for 14 days. The statement added that during that time, the situation will be monitored and after 10 days, an update will be provided. The Ministry of Education has partnered with various online stakeholders to ensure that during the time of closure teaching and learning will continue. The first casualty of the closure of our schools is the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Grade 6 Performance Task, scheduled for March 19 and 20; the March PEP examination has been postponed. A number of countries have taken a similar stance regarding the closure of schools. In fact, all schools in the European Union, some African countries, Canada, the Nordic countries and some states of the United States of America have been ordered closed for at least 2 weeks. According to the online source, The EduBlogger, by March 13, more than 61 countries have implemented school closure. For some students especially in Africa, specifically girls once their education is placed on pause it will not be an automatic restart. We can only hope that governments in those countries will do all that is humanly possible to ensure that the fallout from the closure of schools is minimal.
Synchronous versus Asynchronous Learning
A number of educators during this period of online education will have to decide whether their approach will be on gearing to synchronous or asynchronous learning. That is, whether the teaching and learning process will be completed in real-time or whether students will complete tasks according to their own schedules. Synchronous learning is when classes occur on set schedules and time frames. Students and instructors are online at the same time in synchronous classes since lectures, discussions, and presentations take place at specific hours. All students must be online at that exact time in order to participate in the class. Asynchronous classes allow students complete their work on their own time. Students are given a timeframe; it is usually a one-week window during which they need to connect to their class at least once or twice. In the synchronous approach, students learn at the same time, communication happens in real time and facilitates instant feedback and clarification. For example, video conferencing, Instagram Live, live chats, Facebook Live and live streamed videos. On the other hand, the asynchronous approach, students learn at different times, communication is not live and facilitates students to work at their own pace. For example, blog posts, emails and screen casts. For those working parents the asynchronous approach to learning is perhaps the more convenient since it will allow for the students to be supervised and monitored. There are many disadvantages of online instruction. Among these are challenges with the technology and the lack of guidance from the teacher to keep students focused. Additionally, a number of educators will discover or have discovered that the concept that could be completed in one session in a classroom might take two online sessions. We should not be surprised if more parents choose to home school their children after the coronavirus pandemic has passed. The idea behind closing schools is to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Social distancing, self isolation and quarantine are all mechanism of slowing down this pandemic the likes of which most of us have never seen before. Many teachers will be overwhelmed; perhaps other educators will be excited; fearful as virtual education will be tested over the next two to three weeks. Yes, there will be a mix of emotions not only for teachers, but students alike. However, most Jamaican teachers have had at least basic training in Information Technology and with the proper support systems in place our teachers should be able to deliver.
Virtual Instruction
The world is at a crossroads; this is unchartered territory. In some education circles there is a school of thought which says most schools are completely unprepared or underprepared for virtual learning. Virtual learning is defined by an online source as a learning experience that is enhanced through utilizing computers and or the internet, both outside and inside the facilities of the educational organization. This virtual instruction takes place on an online environment. Virtual learning is commonly called e-learning or digital learning and has the potential to improve students’ achievements. No one could have envisaged at the start of the academic year in September of 2019 that by March schools would be required to do virtual education or classes. Then again no one predicted that the world would have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. There are those idealists who tout that education is a leveling quantity, however, the realists among us know very well that this is not so. It is for this very reason that parents in Jamaica will move mountains to ensure that their children gain acceptance into those few coveted schools of choice at the secondary level. Unequal internet access is just the one of the many factors which accounts for the equity crisis facing our schools. According to Statista Research, internet penetration in Jamaica in 2017 was more than 55 per cent of the population. This statistics tells us that Jamaica still has some work to do in order to close the internet divide. Internet penetration corresponds to the percentage of the total population of a given country or region that uses the internet. The decision to close schools and transition to online teaching and learning amid the coronavirus outbreak has raised the issue of inequality in schools. Students whose parents are of middle to upper class will perhaps fare better than their counterparts who are of the lower socio-economic background during this closure of schools. Undoubtedly, the children of privilege will have the resources, such as internet access readily available to them. Is there a role for our Internet Service Providers? Will our ISP provide special or discounted data plans for these two weeks of school closure to ensure that students access the various online educational platforms? Among the primary stakeholders of virtual learning in Jamaica is e-Learning Jamaica. According to the e-Learning Jamaica website, e-Learning brings a new dynamic to teaching through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s). The Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ), as well as cable companies have joined this virtual instruction initiative to ensure that our students have access to educational materials and lessons. Students in Jamaica already benefit from a mixture of traditional methodologies. As a result these new approaches to learning will stimulate the teaching/learning process, excite and encourage a quest for knowledge and learning of new skills among our students. To date, e-Learning Jamaica has implemented the High School Project and Tablets in Schools. Online instruction and assessment is a push into the future. The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) will soon be having online assessments of students. The time to change our mindsets is now. If we fail to embrace these new approaches to learning our students will be left behind. During this time of school closure parents and guardians need to monitor and supervise their children. Parents need to have a discussion with the children regarding the coronavirus and provide them with age appropriate information. Parents have both a duty and an obligation to ensure that their children are safe and meaningfully engaged. These two weeks of school closure is not a holiday; it’s a time to shift into another gear and move into the 21st century.
In the words of Barack Obama, the internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
#virtuallearning #education #Jamaica #technology #sustainabledevelopment #classroom #COVID19
©
Wayne, Thank you for this article. You checked off all my boxes as it relates to questions I would have asked. As I was reading and a question occurred to me, you answered it in the very next paragraph. Great minds think alike...
ReplyDeleteOne of my questions unanswered is the age cohort who would benefit from synchronous and asynchronous learning. My feeling, which is purely anecdotal, is that synchronous would me more beneficial to primary level students. Providing structure for both parents and students.
Another note, is that regarding give all Jamaicans internet access, we do have the ability to provide free WiFi access island wide. There was a company doing it on a commercial basis I don't know if it is still being offered and I don't remember the name of the company.
I know that in the USA, some poorer school districts have not done the online instruction, because those students did not have internet access or the equipment to use. We have that issue here. Pencil and paper still works. However I acknowledge that it would require someone to be at home to work with the youngsters. While the lockdown is inforce maybe this were some of the $10B should go? Have at least one parent get special leave to stay at home with their child? What do you think?