Tutoring through the third wave of lockdown

The pandemic has affected the day-to-day lives of nearly all South Africans and has forced us to adapt and innovate as we transitioned into the new normal.

Nthabiseng Moeng, a tutor and businesswoman of Be Bold, said one of the most impacted groups has been small businesses like hers, as they face challenges of dwindling staff and learners while implementing new social distancing and public health practices.

“Before the third wave hit us, we had moved our classes to public classes due to the demand for face-to-face lessons. Learners came to us after school and on weekends for support classes.”

Challenges and advantages

After the country was moved to level four lockdown, they transitioned immediately to online tutorials, which came with its fair share of challenges and advantages.

“I believe the third wave has had a positive impact on my business somehow, as it has, over time, created a demand for online classes. Parents raised solid concerns about the importance of engaging and motivating their children to continue with support classes, since we do not know how long this lockdown will last,” she said.

Moeng said the changes she had to implement enabled them to greater efficiency by accommodating more learners in different classes and subjects.

At this point, as a business owner, she has found that in the face of adversity she had to display resilience and took the challenge as an opportunity to find better ways to grow the business and continue to provide an outstanding service for her communities.

“There are, however, challenges to overcome. Some of our learners are without reliable internet access and technology and struggle to participate in digital learning. This gap is seen across our country and between the income brackets that exist in our country. There is, unfortunately, a significant gap between learners from privileged backgrounds and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Perfect learning environment

“Similarly, we have proven that our online support classes are the answers to the situation as every learner has a different learning journey and a different learning style. Some are visual learners, while some prefer to learn through audio. And equally, some learners thrive in the classroom while others are solo learners who get distracted by large groups,” said Moeng.

She said an online learning system, with its range of options and resources, can be personalised in many ways. It is the best way to create a perfect learning environment suited to the needs of each learner.

“Another advantage of online learning is the reduced financial cost as it’s proven to be far more affordable compared to physical learning. This is because it eliminates the cost of leaner transportation and lunch boxes. And since online classes can be taken from home or any location of choice, there are fewer chances of learners missing out on lessons. It also allows us to reach out to a more extensive network of learners instead of being restricted by geographical boundaries.”

Hopeful

Some believe the unplanned and rapid move to online learning with no training and little preparation will result in a poor user experience that will be unconducive to sustained growth in education.

“I believe the integration of information technology in education will be further accelerated and that online education will eventually become an integral part of our school education with time, as Covid-19 might be here to stay.

“Overall here at Be Bold, we are trying everything we can to get through these uncertain times. We know we will have a victorious end to this fight and are hopeful for the future,” said Moeng.