Does online classes work? – Of course, Yes. It works better for many reasons. Then why do some people hesitate to take up online classes?
Change always works best when served slow however many times one may have to rise to the occasion of embracing change sooner. Best example is the digital medium of teaching. It has become a necessity than a comfort or a luxury. We are now living in times where we are required to be agile, quick and receptive to the fast-changing approaches and methods while not compromising on the end goal; in this case – learning.
Of course, there are all sectors that have been overturned however the education space seems to have been through drastic updations past few months. Perceptions (like any other) with respect to online learning, have also been quick to form, especially the critical side and they spread through word of mouth.
There may be several reasons why some people have a negative perception about online classes, but we saw some common trends while interacting with parents.
1. POOR PERFORMANCE BY SCHOOLS IN TEACHING ONLINE
Most of the schools were unprepared, just like parents, for a 100% online teaching and have helplessly put up a shabby show to parents.
- Teachers were not trained
- Schools took off to group classes
- Neither teachers nor parents had required infrastructure
- Schools did not care to educate parents
- WhatsApp exchange of content was adopted and no system to store
Parents now carry a perception that online learning means a mass online meeting where a monologue by an untrained teacher would bore the student mass to an extent that they would login, mute the mic and go for play.
Hence we hear parents say “Online classes won’t work for us.”
What online tutoring institutes do, which schools cannot, is individual engagement through one-to-one tuitions. It is very different and extremely effective.
2. TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES:
The tutoring medium saw sudden change from offline to online or digital methods, after the lockdown, for good reasons, most of the world was under prepared for the digital incursion to a large extent that can be dubbed as ‘overnight’ not as a dramatic expression but more as an accurate description. During the process most people may have formed critical perception out of unpleasant experiences while handling technology like hardware, software or network and fatigue arising out of staying online for long, may have led to long lasting frustrations.
Some technical challenges discussed among parents were:
- Which smart phone do you have?
- How much data is needed online?
- What to do incase we only have a desktop?
- How to order a device like webcam online?
- My phone memory is full, how to retain this data and make space?
No proper answers from anyone. This has led people to think that it is better to avoid online classes.
A proper channel like a Learning Management System would have helped reduce frustration to parents by at least 50%.
3. HELPLESS MOTHERS
When it comes to kids’ education, it is the mothers who take a keener interest in the happenings. Unfortunately, not many women are educated enough to carry out technical transactions themselves. And eLearning is still not a one-button-touch function. When they face technical difficulties and are appended with social influence (bad word of mouth about online tuitions), a natural response to the concept to online classes would be reluctance.
However, with the right approach to demonstrate and onboard, everyone has a lot more to gain than otherwise.
Women in these families need consultants who work with them in solving technical issues related to online classes.
ONLINE ONE TO ONE TUITION WORKS LIKE WONDER
One to one online tutoring comes with a lot of perks and most importantly, individual attention which is the main ingredient for an effective and result based quantifiable success. It may prove to be a better method than offline tutoring as it saves time, cost, and energy of the child, that can be dedicated to something more productive like learning an art or engaging in creative exploration.
It’s always good to relook at formed perceptions. It is a brave new world that we are all stepping into and let’s make it a welcoming experience to our next generation, while we hand over the helm steering towards the next frontier for them to discover on their own.
