Online learning has provided many South African learners with the opportunity to stay on top of their schoolwork during the Covid-19 lockdown.
This has shifted the responsibility of learning from teachers and schools, to learners and families. With plans already phased in for the school year, following on from Covid-19 restrictions, the lessons learned from lockdown will influence education moving forward.
“This is an opportunity to use this time to relook at the way we do things; to determine the good things we want to keep and the things that aren’t working that we should stop doing,” said Rebecca Pretorius, country manager for Crimson Education, a university admissions support consultancy. Pretorius believes that schools will continue with forms of blended learning for the foreseeable future.
She highlights some of the valuable lessons from the lockdown that parents and learners can carry forward as learners return to classrooms:
- Individualised learning: School classrooms are designed to go at the pace of an average learners, not considering individualised learning styles and pace. Those learning online are working at their own pace, covering additional work, and using the newfound time to learn new skills not previously covered in class.
- Digital literacy: A major part of the shift in education is the integration of technology. Digital literacy is an essential skill in moving forward. With social media completely embedded in their lives as a way of both communicating, accessing, and putting out information, learning online is a way to build safety into their everyday online usage.
- Flexibility in the curriculum: Learners and families have seen the value of a flexible education approach with students able to work at their own pace; cover additional work, focus more on their interests and passions, and even take more challenging subjects and curricula.
- The role of teachers: With learners being able to gain access to knowledge, and even learn a technical skill, through a few clicks on their phones, tablets, and computers, the role of the educator in the classroom and lecture room is redefined.
Details: www.crimsoneducation.org or southafrica@crimsoneducation.org
