What lessons can we take from the virtual learning experience?

Wednesday 27 January 2021

One could perhaps forgive the lack of readiness to embrace virtual learning the first time around as an unexpected requirement.

However, when we find ourselves having gone through effectively yet another lockdown and the closure of schools and yet we still have not embraced technology and put forward a viable solution for virtual learning it becomes difficult to forgive and forget...

We really missed the mark

Pictured: "Hybrid learning was not ideal and eroded students' opportunity to have a fulfilling education."

We know from comments by NEU representative Brendan Carolan in an Express article earlier in early December that the situation with hybrid learning was not ideal and eroded students' opportunity to have a fulfilling education, whilst putting additional unnecessary strain on the teachers who had to juggle both mediums of education - either way we look at it, mistakes were made.

Virtual learning has gained traction in recent years and during difficult times for education due to covid, ensuring we have a robust and effective virtual learning model must be paramount in our minds.

Some may argue that our lack of readiness to embrace virtual learning has been a failing of our educational system and our proactiveness as an island to adapt and evolve.

What resources are available?

Pictured: Oak National Academy's online backup houses the entire UK curriculum. 

Oak National Academy, which was funded by the UK Government to the tune of £4.3m to provide an online learning back-up, houses the entire U.K. curriculum from Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 1.

Using this platform in conjunction with a facilitation-style approach that repurposes our teachers to become facilitators of the learning, keeping the students on track would work quite nicely.

This approach frees up time for the teacher to focus on how to deliver exceptional outcomes for their students and create facilitation sessions that can truly enhance the learning experience.

"Oh, but we can't do that, there are so many barriers and considerations..."

Pictured: "many of the more practical challenges can be overcome by simply bringing the right voice to the table to problem solve."

I have no doubt there are challenges but they are by no means insurmountable, many of the more practical challenges can be overcome by simply bringing the right voice to the table to problem solve.

We have no shortage of credible and good ideas in this arena, but time and time again it seems we choose to selectively ignore and disenfranchise those voices in times of crisis... such as a global pandemic...  *pauses to facepalm*.

JT as a force for good

Pictured: "JT could easily remove barriers to virtual education by ensuring those who don't have unlimited wifi will not miss out on their education."

JT is a state-owned entity that places a huge emphasis on giving back to the local community through its CSR efforts. JT has stepped in time and time again, waving fees on broadband overspend during covid to ensure everyone can work from home and keep the wheels turning.

JT has some fantastic relationships with the likes of ZTE and could have easily stepped in to provide low-cost tablets to disadvantaged children and young people during school closures to ensure the success of virtual learning for our young people. This would echo support put into place by the UK government on the 20 of December.

This need has now been fulfilled by a local charity, but really should charitable support be necessary when we talk about our young people's education?

JT could easily remove barriers to virtual education by ensuring those who don't have unlimited wifi will not miss out on their education. This would not be dissimilar to actions taken by BT in the UK.

Time for solutions, not excuses

Pictured: "It's time to... forge a better tomorrow for our young people with credible solutions for their ongoing uninterrupted education."

It's time to think differently and do things differently, more of the same status quo thinking is not going to deliver the results our students deserve. As a nimble jurisdiction with all the components of a much bigger jurisdiction, we hold many aces up our sleeve that can assist us during these difficult times, so it's time we play our hand right.

Let's rise to the challenge and deliver exceptional results for our young people as opposed to smiling in sheer arrogance stating, "We wouldn't change a thing."

It's time to admit mistakes were made, learn from the mistakes, listen to concerned parties, and forge a better tomorrow for our young people with credible solutions for their ongoing uninterrupted education.