Caren Waugh | Sustaining online education during COVID-19 and beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of the education system in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion students in over 190 countries, including Jamaica, where approximately 31,656 teachers and 627,000 students are affected, according to UNESCO’s August 2020 report. This has resulted in school lockdowns and the sudden shift from the traditional classroom to virtual environments in an effort to contain the novel coronavirus.

As we come to grips with the reality of living with COVID-19, at least until a vaccine becomes available, virtual teaching and learning present severe challenges among educators, parents, and students in Jamaica.

Over two decades ago, digital technologies revolutionised the world in unimaginable ways, but, unfortunately, the education systems in Jamaica failed to adapt to this critical aspect of globalisation.

While some schools and teachers made a dedicated effort to continue teaching online, the process is fraught with numerous challenges as teachers are unable to connect with their students or at least provide assignments on a delayed basis via online platforms like WhatsApp due to both students and teachers lacking high-speed Internet at home and a greater percentage of students having no Internet access at all.

More concerning is the fact that most teachers and students are digitally disadvantaged. This resulted in the 2019-20 school year climaxing without thousands of students taking examinations or receiving grades that are necessary for matriculation.

ARE WE AT THE SAME PLACE?

In March 2020, the efforts of the Jamaican Government in response to the novel coronavirus were praised by the World Health Organization (WHO). But recently, the drastic surge in daily COVID-19 cases has seen the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information announcing a pushback of the start of the new school year to October 5 with a blended approach that includes face-to-face and virtual classes.

While the ministry’s position could soon change to fully online education because of this rapidly escalating public-health crisis and major concerns of risks for both students and school administrators, the question is, are teachers and students prepared for remote teaching and learning in the Jamaican education context?

There are many indications that our education system is still not prepared after almost seven months of living through this dreaded pandemic.

Government has announced the distribution of computer tablets for select students to continue with their lessons online, but the digital divide is still at a high rate, especially in rural Jamaica. Further complicating this problem is the current state of telecommunications infrastructure, specifically the poor services being offered to citizens; the lack of digital literacy among students; and teachers’ reluctance to switch from the traditional classroom to digital environments, which are all critical to effective online education as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to run its course.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS

Government, leaders of public and private educational institutions, and other stakeholder groups must collaborate to urgently provide well-needed resources to reimagine the education system to respond to the challenges wrought by the novel coronavirus.

Here are three major components that must be analysed and implemented by those designing or optimising a plan for education continuity in the virtual space:

1. Curricula resources, such as video lessons, for interactive learning: that will enhance and support students at the primary and secondary levels in acquiring an education that is relevant in the digital technological age.

2. Professional development training and resources: these are courses that will aid parents and teachers in supporting their students’ online education, such as continuous media literacy education that will provide the skills and knowledge about the digital landscape and the use of digital technologies. Social and emotional learning resources will provide content that can support the emotional and psychological well-being of teachers, students, and parents while enabling the development of the educators’ skills to teach virtually by assisting students to develop the capacity for more independent learning at home as the new normal.

3. Digital tools: these include broadband/Internet access/free Wi-Fi; computer tablets for teachers and students; audiovisual equipment; learning management systems; websites; and other online downloadable tools that teachers, parents, and students can use to create or access educational content.

Our education system must be the top priority of the Government and stakeholders in order to enable teachers to develop sound pedagogical concepts with the use of digital technologies so that students can continue learning through effective virtual classes. Teachers and students should also get used to digital education because this modality will be with us even post-coronavirus pandemic.

Let’s embrace digital education one student at a time!

Caren Waugh is a communications specialist. Send feedback to caren55@yahoo.com.