Now that we’re a good few months into the pandemic and the disruption to education it has brought, schools and students have had some time to navigate the practicalities of online learning. So what have we learned so far?
Teachers
Teachers have had a tough time making sure learning continues, not only having to incorporate technology into their lessons like never before, but also adapt them for delivery online. This has meant big changes: for example, instead of a simple explanation and a quick question and answer session in front of the class, they now need to supply a pre-recorded video exemplar for students to access at a later time (many are sharing devices at home) and then answer questions as they come in after that.
Communication is key and explanation and repetition are a big part of making sure every student has understood what they are learning. The mechanics of this have sometimes been difficult to facilitate and some teachers have had to use a range of different solutions for different things: chatting, group messaging, giving feedback, running tests and so on.
Despite this, teachers are making real strides with their edtech confidence and, for that, we applaud you!
Students
Online learning is tough for all sorts of reasons and some students have fared better than others. For some, the distance from teachers and classmates has made learning feel detached and unreal, so contact with the teacher has taken on a new importance.
Using screens for the majority of every lesson and for homework is a big change for students – and teachers. Screen fatigue is very real for everyone. Both students and teachers have found that lessons broken up into smaller parts of screen time improves concentration and engagement – no more trying to replicate a 45-minute in-class session online!
Every student’s situation is different and there isn’t a magic formula for getting online lessons right. It’s always going to be a process of observation, trial and error, and endless encouragement. But if the dialogue between students and teachers is kept open, then each can learn some valuable tips from the other on what it takes to make online learning work.
Schools
Before Covid, school budgets were tight and it’s no surprise that they are even more squeezed now, due to having to pay for extra Covid safety measures and more cleaning, as well as the costs of supply staff to cover those self-isolating. This meant that, in some cases, technology purchases have unfortunately had to take a back seat.
However, not every solution is out of reach, cost-wise. For those schools, districts and/or Trusts looking for a low-cost, easy way to keep learning going in class and from a distance, classroom.cloud could be a viable answer for your school. With simplicity at its heart, teachers can access all the essential tools for learning in both locations, without swapping and changing solutions – and students can have learning continuity whether they are in school or learning at home.