COVID-19 undeniably disrupted traditional educational environments - both for teachers and students.
Learning has largely migrated to an online space, which means that for younger generations, a lot of their educational experience is being mediated by a laptop screen, something that would've been unthought of for many, especially those who grew up in a time where education was delivered purely in a physical setting.
But as times change, where the digitalisation of learning becomes increasingly normalised, and physical learning environments irrecoverably recedes into a distant memory, it is important that the quality of teaching is preserved and that students' needs remain a central focus for those whose jobs are to teach, guide and inspire future generations with knowledge.
Whilst educational institutions like schools and universities have indeed shifted their approach to teaching to meet the pressures of a continuously evolving landscape, we at Concept believe that not enough has been done to optimise the educational experiences of students learning in the digital world. Consequently - and detrimentally - the quality of teaching has declined, with many students being left feeling lost due to the lack of support, interactivity, dynamism and assistance offered by teachers, despite the paradoxically mounting expectations that persist in academia.
Firstly, online learning environments need to be engaging. Many students often find that learning digitally is typically hampered by the ease of accessibility to distractors that direct their attention elsewhere. This means that interactivity between teacher and student is a pivotal thing. There are many ways this can be done, for instance by incorporating quizzes during the delivery of an online lecture where students are encouraged to answer questions based on the material being covered (ZOOM and Echo360 are two platforms that have these functions), or simply by continuously asking students to voice their own understanding of whatever is being taught. Having students discuss and work together in breakout rooms as a means of collaboration can also facilitate a more engaging setting and emulate the interactivity that is usually seen in classroom settings.
I've also noticed that having clear learning objectives set out by the teacher at the beginning of lessons can also help direct the attention of students to points that need to be considered more thoroughly and provides more structure to the material as well. Learning objectives should be clearly set out in dot point form and articulate what precisely students are expected to know by the end of the lesson. This also gives students a clearer guide on what they need to revise and study when exams arrive as well as what to structure their notes around. Whilst this may not necessarily be a 'big' thing - having structure in digital learning spaces is probably one of the best ways to optimise the experiences of students especially when they feel unsure of what to focus on.
A key problem at the heart of all this is that those who are expected to manoeuvre through the digital world are those who didn't grow up in it. The internet is a Pandora's box, a chameleon, a powerfully pervasive force. It can be harnessed in countless ways to optimise, nourish, enlighten and expand the learning experiences of students - to inspire them and broaden their intellectual, imaginative, cultural, social and personal identities. Yet, those whose jobs are to shape the minds of the future run into a wall. They can barely understand - let alone grapple with - its potential, often using outdated strategies or implementing prior approaches to teaching that worked in physical environments (take the Mark Zuckerberg trial as an example where lawmakers demonstrated startling incompetencies in their understanding of modern problems they are trying to police).
How does one find a solution to an issue they cannot understand?
With tradition fracturing quicker than ever before, we need to think dynamically. If we don't, it comes at the expense of the budding minds of our youth.
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