Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1256426
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 JUNE 2020 OPINION A lot has been said about on- line teaching. As the pandemic spread and schools were closed, distance learning became the new norm. Notwithstanding the diverse challenges for teachers, school leaders, families and stu- dents, in a matter of days, this emergency solution transferred classroom teaching to the virtu- al world. As time passed it was clear there had to be a change in the way we communicate, teach or learn. What was good? The good about these virtual lessons has shown that learn- ers who may have been sick or hospitalised could follow les- sons. Learners can revise the recorded lesson as many times as necessary. This has proved to be one of the most valued assets of the way teaching took place these past two months. As Pres- ident Vella stated some days ago, I hope that in the future teachers record their explana- tions of concepts so that learn- ers who may not be in school, will not miss out. Wouldn't it be good if everyone can go over their maths lesson from a recording rather than grapple with abstract numbers? Some learners and parents/ guardians became proficient in the use of tools never experi- enced before and some partic- ipated in their child's learning in a more active way than ever before. Even teachers who may have not embraced the benefits of technology before, managed to react to the need. What was not so good? The COVID-19 crisis has raised the issue of inequalities in provision and access to ed- ucation. We know there are learners who have not engaged with online teaching from the very beginning, others who are feeling alone or depressed, dis- organised, unmotivated or have the necessary discipline to plod on without the reassurance coming from the classroom community. Children need to be in learn- ing communities. Despite every effort of some families, the home brings with it a lot of distractions – living-rooms be- came offices and classrooms at the same time. Parents/guardi- ans had to cope with their own work or with other children. Not every family is stable or supportive of learning. Some households may not have had internet connectivity or under- standably not have enough IT equipment. Some lacked digi- tal skills, some are tired of the online screen. Those that were lagging behind could be lagging behind even further. This digital divide has grown and is leading to further educa- tional and social disadvantage. It is now the role of all educators (school leaders and teachers) to ensure that all students are as- sessed in order to see what their needs are and address these be- fore schools reopen. Let us not resort to simplistic analysis in examining the impact, of this online 'schooling' experience. Richer technology-based teaching for more effective learning It has been a complex and challenging experience with lessons to be learnt for future design and planning for the post-pandemic months ahead. The COVID-19 crisis has shown that we need to be more inno- vative in our teaching methods, in designing curricula which may be more in keeping with learners' needs and in reaching out to learners and their fami- lies. Here I would like to offer some insights into the world of technology-enhanced learning for the future whether the virus will spike again or not, but also for post-pandemic planning. Technologies can enhance learning and make it more stu- dent centred. Online teaching itself, includes much more. It usually takes place through a virtual learning platform like Moodle, Class Dojo or Edmo- do, and includes activities such as forums, blogs, wikis, online quizzes, virtual meetings and much more. In our planning let us not lose the momentum that many teachers and lecturers have gained in the use of technolo- gy. Rather than just use Zoom meetings and MS Teams, ed- ucators must move to other phases of technology integra- tion, to enhance learning with technology, yet ensure that we have a consistency at least at school level in the use of tech- nology for learning. It is schools that must encompass this and provide teachers with the train- ing, support, equipment and encouragement. Teachers must be better prepared now to use different technologies and en- sure that every child is reached. Technology integration is achieved in phases. There are many models that take teachers from awareness to acceptance to implementation and then adoption and assimilation. In my research in this area it is very clear that teachers need ongoing support and need to share ideas and good practice. This preparation ensures that the teachers adopt the inno- vative technologies effectively to truly enhance the teach- ing and learning process and is grounded in a constructiv- The good (and not so good) of online teaching We know there are learners who have not engaged with online teaching from the very beginning, others who are feeling alone or depressed, disorganised, unmotivated or have the necessary discipline to plod on without the reassurance coming from the classroom community Dr Karen Mugliett is senior lecturer Faculty of Education University of Malta Karen Mugliett