Four learning lessons from COVID-19


Johannesburg, 17 Jun 2020
Renee Botha, Registrar, CTU Training Solutions
Renee Botha, Registrar, CTU Training Solutions

Educators who already had online learning as one of the tools in their arsenal were well prepared to shift to the new learning methodologies required by the pandemic and its associated lockdown, says David Fourie, National Teaching and Learning Systems Manager, CTU Training Solutions. “Students and facilitators who were accustomed to a blended learning approach found it relatively easy to adapt to an online-only schedule.”

Where blended learning combines online and face-to-face interaction between facilitator and student, this was not possible during the initial two stages of lockdown, requiring learning institutes to adapt quickly to ensure their students didn’t miss out on valuable learning time. “Some new learning methodologies had to be implemented, which required some adaptation by facilitators and learners alike,” continues Fourie.

Renee Botha, Registrar at CTU Training Solutions, says: “While the majority of students are largely familiar with the use of applications such as Teams, Hangouts, Zoom and Skype to interact, using these in a classroom setting to totally replace face-to-face interaction does require some adjustment.”

While using online sessions as part of a blended learning approach prepared some students for this shift, not all students have been exposed to online sessions and face several challenges around this.

From a technology point of view, students are supplied with the software they require when they register for a blended learning course, and while not all of them may have used it to access online teaching, they would certainly have used it to access prescribed textbooks and other content. All of thus means that at the bare minimum, they have the software, a laptop or desktop, and Internet connectivity at the outset.

Students who are accustomed to accessing prescribed textbooks and other teaching and learning systems online, including teaching portfolios, formative assessments and even summative assessments, won’t find it a huge leap to make. Botha notes: “The biggest adjustment for some of the learners will be the shift to interacting with classmates remotely, particularly on group activities such as those that require collaboration on assignments.”

David Fourie, National Teaching and Learning Systems Manager, CTU Training Solutions
David Fourie, National Teaching and Learning Systems Manager, CTU Training Solutions

Fourie adds: “Facilities that already had the tools in place to make remote learning a lot easier for students and facilitators found they didn’t have to overcome technology hurdles. The challenge they face is more around how to encourage more interaction between facilitators and students and establish an environment more conducive to learning."

This may require changing some lessons so that the more practical elements of certain modules can be incorporated into an online format. Lessons designed for face-to-face interaction have to be adapted.

He believes this lack of personal interaction is more than compensated for by the increased access that students have to facilitators. “Where previously, students would typically have access to the facilitator for the duration of a lesson, they can now message them on an online platform throughout the day, requesting assistance and input as the need arises. As a result, collaboration between facilitators and students has increased. Learners can schedule one-on-one sessions with facilitators to cover topics that the student didn’t understand during the formal session.”

“One of the biggest advantages of online learning,” says Fourie, “is that all of the students nationally can attend sessions with subject matter experts who can clarify challenging concepts on a single platform. Sessions can be recorded and students who miss a class can go and watch the video. In the same manner, a facilitator on one campus who has been on leave can allocate their students to another campus so they can continue classes, with no break in the learning process.”

Botha goes on to talk about the concept of masterclasses, which are facilitated by the head of the programme or a subject matter expert, and deal with certain topics that students are seen to be struggling to grasp. Masterclasses can also be used to prepare students for their international examinations.

The duo have four key pieces of advice around online learning:

1. Use the tools

Facilitators should be trained on how to enable more effective interaction with students, as well as on apps that they can use to enable this, or tools like interactive whiteboards that can be used and shared by everyone in the session, or even drawing pads to assist with design modules, allowing students to draw live in the session.

Another tool facilitators can adopt during lockdown is sending students on virtual field trips within their field of study. Subscriptions to online learning Web sites that include videos, textbooks, webinars and other course content can assist students and facilitators in improving their competencies. They can also benefit from generic webinars on subjects such as time management, e-mail etiquette and how to hold virtual meetings.

2. Feedback and adjust

Conducting surveys after each class can provide statistics around modules and facilitators that can be tracked and analysed, so that should a class struggle with a concept, the issue can be identified and addressed as soon as possible. Fourie says: “Surveys are valuable tools to identify whether students and facilitators are coping and allow educators to adjust and amend course material as they go along. This ensures the best possible learning experience. Subject matter experts might need to jump in if students aren’t grasping a concept. There’s no need to wait until students fail an assignment or examination before realising there’s a problem.”

Questions can probe issues such as how the learner rated the session, how helpful the content proved, whether the session was too long or too short, how the facilitator functioned and if the student was able to get individualised attention during the online session.

3. Monitor attendance

It’s essential to track the attendance of students to ensure they attend every session. Students who miss sessions should be contacted and reminded to catch up on missed classes. This ensures that students don’t fall behind the rest of the class or drop out altogether. “Keeping a finger on the pulse of attendance and motivating students is a key element of any successful online learning programme,” says Botha. “While there are fluctuations in attendance, particularly towards the end of the month, this is usually when students’ data begins to run out. However, they should have the option of catching up by watching recorded sessions once their data has been topped up.”

4. Manage the data

Students who have problems with insufficient data or their devices have been stolen or broken may miss some sessions and may not be able to catch up on the recorded versions. “In level three [of lockdown], educators are allowed to accommodate 33% of their total student number per campus, which means face-to-face sessions can be arranged for those students who had difficulties during the total lockdown period.“

However, expands Fourie, students do learn how to better manage their data eventually. Initially, students who were unsure how much data an online session would consume soon learned to allocate the required amount. A regular newsletter with hints and tips on how to use technology, how to budget with their data and how to create a hotspot with a mobile phone can prove invaluable in guiding students.

Fourie concludes: “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the education paradigm forever. As we evolve and learn and become accustomed to using technology to replace human interaction, we must take care to never forgo the human connection completely.”

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