ODL: Is it working?

The transition to online learning last school year caused a lot of anxiety, frustration and an overall sense of helplessness to all people involved. I could feel it, in every conversation I had with school owners, principals, teachers, parents and even students. There was an overwhelming sense of uncertainty.

For context: I'm an education coach for XSEED. My role is to work with schools to help their teachers implement the XSEED method of teaching to ensure quality education. I cater to over 20 schools, varying in size, socio-economic backgrounds and areas.

Anyway, back to online learning! With my job, I got to see how different schools had to reorganize their whole curriculum, reallocate their budgets, rethink their logistics and even their manpower. Teachers had to learn how to teach their classes online (figure out what works and what doesn't), all the while figuring out all the tech necessary to teach. Majority of these schools didn't even have wifi and the capacity to help their teachers adapt to online learning, let alone provide them with the materials and training they needed. I saw parents who were worried about their children being on screen throughout the day, considering the pros and cons between online learning and modular teaching, and how they can support their children throughout their adjustment. Then, there are the students. Who are stuck at home; adjusting to a new way of learning, missing the opportunity to interact with their classmates and feeling frustrated and isolated throughout the process. It was chaos.

But, that was last year. Slowly, adjustments were made and people got used to the online set up. I'll be honest, not everyone is there yet and even for those who figured out the best way to adjust, it's not always great. But we're a lot better of now than last year. Less uncertain and more expectant. But let's be honest, even before the pandemic education was not perfect. There were struggles and difficulties. It's just that, the online learning set up was so different, it was easy to blame everything on it. All the failures, frustrations and challenges we experienced last year was because of the sudden shift.

What I realized was, regardless of what set up we are in there are constants when it comes to a good learning experience:

1. School managements need to listen and be sensitive to the needs of their stakeholders and be ready to adjust to it. (Within reason, but you know.)

2. A robust and rigorous curriculum is essential for learning to happen. Tech can only get you so far. Your teachers and the curriculum you use is what is actually ensuring your students are learning.

3. Teachers should strive to create an environment where students are free to discover the world, learn from their experiences and their mistakes and provide a space where they can express their thoughts and ideas. (80% student talk always; ask the right questions)

4. Parents and the school are partners aimed at the same goal: student growth and success. And so parents should not undermine the decision of the school or the teacher. If they see something is not working, be honest but not antagonizing. (A child failing is not automatically the fault of the teacher; a class failing is a different matter.)

5. Students should strive for independence in their learning. Since their role in life is to learn, they should take charge of it. Show up in class ready, know their deadlines and do the work.

A child's learning is not only the responsibility of the school. It's a collective effort. Everyone has a role to play. And until we figure it out, any kind of learning (not just online) will be ineffective. How about you? What constants do you think are necessary in learning?