Thoughts, Reflections and Challenges on the Shift to E-Learning

Saying that the COVID-19 pandemic is rattling the world to its core would be an understatement. The faces of death and desperation that are unfurling in the media, 不断恶化的健康和经济统计数据, and the images of havoc ravaging global communities are a significant threat to people's mental health. 同时遵守社交距离规则, 呆在家里, I have strived to keep the distress at bay using a few practices. One practice is reflecting and researching current essential issues, 比如病毒对教育的影响. 这些回忆集中在, 特别是, on the shifting skills and roles of teachers during the pandemic, 以及, some instructional considerations that need to be implemented in the sudden shift to 在线 learning.

适应潮流
世界各地的教师, 在K-12或更高的水平, are now required to deliver lessons to their students 在线 rather than face-to-face. There is one essential skill that has been catapulted to the forefront, 哪些教师现在需要示范, and which students need to acquire as the wave of technological innovation continues to sweep over education: the art of adaptability. 随着教师的适应, their roles are expected to shift significantly to facilitating ubiquitous learning face-to-face, 在线, 或者在混合模型中. 世界正处于第五次工业革命的风口浪尖, 人工智能时代, which will offer the current Generation Z students’ jobs of which they have, 到目前为止, 从来没有听说过. According to Dell Technologies, 85% of the jobs in 2030 have not been invented yet. Students thus also need to adapt to thrive in their future roles, constantly reskilling as technology moves forward inexorably.

解决股权
Although the 在线 environment is distinctively different from the time-tested classroom setting and requires adaptability, there are some instructional considerations such as equity factors that transcend the context and deserve as much attention in the traditional or 在线 classroom. The increasing use of educational technologies has been criticized as a threat to equity as students who do not have access to the appropriate technological tools, 软件, 或者互联网处于劣势. 然而, there are small steps that a teacher can take to address some of these concerns; adjust the 在线 course to take up less bandwidth (e.g., 在同步会话期间关闭视频, which can be occasionally switched on when needed) choose free and accessible Apps, 和技术工具(如.g. moviemaker instead of Adobe premiere for simple video creation), support students who lack technological skills through step-by-step guides. 老师, 然而, 需要足够的基础设施, 情感, and instructional support to be able to implement appropriate strategies. Training on educational technology is critical to building teacher capacity and should be on-going.

解决学生参与问题
Another factor that is important to consider in an 在线 learning environment is student engagement. I do not aim to provide a comprehensive list of all the ways in which a learner can be 情感ly, 认知, 行为参与. 然而, a few key elements of student engagement jump to mind. 最明显的是交互性. 在游戏中, this takes the shape of a system of rewards and feedback that manages the learner’s emotions from moment to moment. Maybe educational projects in an 在线 environment can be broken down into small chunks, and a point or other reward system integrated to recognize when project milestones are reached. 然而, this system is primarily based on extrinsic motivation. Activities and projects selected should align with the interests of the students to nurture intrinsic motivation.

个性和新颖
学生参与的第二个要素是易用性. A teacher has an excellent worksheet for her elementary school students, 哪一项要求学生“画画”." A few questions that warrant some thought here: how are the students expected to draw? Do they have the technological know-how to be able to draw digitally? Keeping ease of use in mind in designing or revising learning materials for 在线 application can preclude an avalanche of follow-up questions from students. 我想说的第三个元素是叙事. 我读了很多同行评议的期刊文章, 学术报告, 以及与我感兴趣的领域相关的书籍. 然而, nothing draws me in more than a piece of writing that is shaped in a narrative format, 用一个吸引眼球的故事. As I read the book “Educated” by Tara Westover, I was reminded of how much I liked a good story. 用故事来教授概念既有益又有趣. 第四个要素是新颖性. 人类自然会被新事物所吸引. Why not harness some of the distinctive features of an 在线 environment to introduce some new learning activities?

这是非常时期, and the expectations of and pressures placed on teachers are monumental. Maintaining student learning is a collective responsibility; thus, 当老师们在这些未知的领域中航行时, 他们需要学校领导的支持, 父母, and researchers in providing an engaging learning experience to all students. The road ahead is tortuous but as we adapt, the journey will also be rewarding.

Isma Seetal, Ed.D., has worked as a Chemistry teacher and school principal in Mauritius, 她的祖国, 多年来. She received her Master’s in Educational Technologies from the University of Mauritius and an Ed.D. 尔湾康考迪亚大学教育领导学硕士. She worked on the Concordia campus as a graduate assistant during her doctoral program. She is interested in a range of research areas in education, 特别是在教育改革方面, 公平领导和技术.