2020 was a tough one, and one I’m sure most of us would rather forget. The changes seemed overwhelming, and sometimes too much, but I’d like to highlight the positive impact Coronavirus has had on the education sector – specifically online learning.
In the “before times” (yes that’s right, before banana bread, PE with Joe Wicks and yet ANOTHER family Zoom call), many a groan and grumble would be heard upon the mention of online learning. A number of people I worked with held the belief that online learning was “out for their jobs” or that you could “never replace face-to-face teaching”. I agree with the latter, not the former. Online learning is a supplement to in-person teaching, not a replacement and it was never intended as such!
In a 2019 paper “No Longer Optional: Employer Demand for Digital Skills” the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport stated it was “incumbent on the education sector to include online learning in their offering, to provide the best outcome for learners”. Coronavirus ensured the sector was not just “including online learning”, but providing online learning as its main approach.
As you would expect, the learning curve for many staff, students and parents was astronomical. I performed more training sessions than ever before and staff upskilled their digital literacy at a rate I could only ever have previously dreamed of. It was intense, but a number of staff I worked with during this transition explained they didn’t know what they had been so afraid of, and while it was hard work they could see some of the benefits they had not previously considered.
Students reported enjoyment at the flexibility – they were able to manage their own learning, complete sessions and work at times that worked more conveniently for them. Some parents of younger children suggested they felt more involved in their child’s learning and enjoyed seeing this first-hand in a way never before experienced due to home-schooling.
The manner in which learners interact with technology has also fundamentally changed. It is often assumed by educators that if a learner knows how to upload a TikTok, access a YouTube video or play Fruit Ninja, then they automatically know how to send an email, research a topic or submit an online essay. Online learning provided us a space to not only understand, but to witness first-hand the skills deficit. We were provided with an environment in which we could help learners gather the skills they might use in the digital workplace.
That’s not to suggest there haven’t been stumbling blocks; trying to manage your child’s learning around a full-time job, trying to work through internet reliability issues, background noise, disruptions (be it another Amazon delivery or the dog wanting to join in on your calls). We know online learning has been virtually impossible for some learners who have not had access to the right technology, or even any technology at all. I don’t profess that this is the way forward, but I think the shift towards online learning has helped some of us realise what an incredibly useful tool and approach this can be when used in conjunction with face-to-face offerings.
During my career I have navigated the “I don’t have time for that” through to “The App store is broken, can’t you just fix it?” I have worked with people who can barely copy and paste, but are determined to upskill, and those who just want to teach “the proper way”. Nothing has empowered online learning quite like Coronavirus. Whilst I, like everybody else, would like nothing more than to see the back of this pandemic, I am hopeful we don’t shy away from the progress it has driven.