Learning in the Post COVID era

By Nadesan Pillai

Never, in living history, has the world gone through a complete shut down due to an insidious disease. Though there have been times of chronic mass illnesses like the The Great Plague and the Spanish Flu outbreak, they have been localised to specific areas. This Covid-19 pandemic has struck all corners of the globe.

To a better future

While a certain amount of isolation is required in order to remain insulated from the ravages of Covid-19, technology has come to the aid of mankind, in all areas and especially in education! Technology tools like tablets and computers have made it possible for all to still learn. During a shut-down, educational software and learning tools fill in the gaps where a physical teacher is not able to bridge now.

Educators have determined that there are three main aspects in education that must be taken care of, especially in these times. These are well-being, engagement and feedback.

Wellbeing

It is imperative that a steady and balanced state of mind must still be maintained in order to learn effectively. Anyone can tell you how difficult it is to concentrate while in a trouble state. So, maintain emotional, mental, physical, spiritual and social well-being before embarking on studies. Successful schools ensure that they care for their students, and equally importantly, their teachers. Self-isolation and burn-out are very real problems that affect child and adult.

The onus will be on educational institutions to establish multiple connection points with their students and teachers, checking on their well-being. Asking “How are you?” is good, but they must also ask “Is there anything that you need?”

Email enquiries are good, and making regular phone calls takes it a step further. If the school feels that a student’s well-being needs more attention, by all means, do call more often.

Schools can turn this opportunity into a teaching project — create mentor groups of students to watch out for the well-being of their fellow students. A caring ethos will be built, as they think beyond themselves and reduces isolation.

Engagement

There are four components towards Engaging students — content, competition, collaboration and creation.

Content delivery must be innovative, especially in an online environment. There are various software tools that can help, and many give feedback in order for the educator to calibrate his approach. Questions can be embedded within, and videos and slide presentations will help with the illustrative aspects of learning.

Competition, through quizzes for one, is excellent for fostering a learning spirit. Some students respond very well to a very tangible and immediate sense of achievement.

Collaboration, through discussions and sharing of data, ideas, thoughts and preferences, will allow educators to track discussions virtually.

Creation allows the students to express themselves individually, through images and pictographs. Complex ideas can be better explained with diagrams, or maybe even a simple video.

Feedback

Students must know if what they are doing is on the right path. Feedback helps them there, and is very important. Markers and milestones will still have to be set, and the educator must mentor them along that path. It is not just the content covered in the educational journey, but the skills and knowledge gained as well.

The article was sponsored by SMART (Programmes) — www.avidreaders.com.sg