Over the past two years, in particular, teaching has had to evolve to meet new demands and restrictions, especially since the advent of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Distance or ‘e-learning’ has become the norm in many institutions, with students having to work at a physical distance from their teachers or lecturers. For much of 2020, classrooms and lecture halls were empty, and yet the march of education requirements and demands continued on as close to normal as possible. Scholars still needed to move forward with their schoolwork, and students were expected to continue with their studies towards their degrees, in spite of the difficulties that social distancing placed upon us all. Time waits for no one, and this is particularly true in education.
Education cannot be delayed unnecessarily
We all want to have our school-days successfully completed and behind us as quickly as possible, so that we can get on with the independence we so long for. We want to be able to get into the job market and earn our own money, own our own cars, move into our own homes and take responsibility for our lives without the restrictions our parents placed upon our activities whilst we were growing up. Instead of the ‘pocket-money’ given to us by our parents or earned through part-time jobs whilst still in our school-years, we want to have full-time employment and the money which comes with it. For this reason alone, we want those days of learning in preparation for our future careers to be over and done with as soon as possible.
Much teaching/learning has transitioned from physical to online platforms
But then came COVID-19, and the ramifications that a global pandemic had on all our lives. Neither students nor educational institutions wanted to call a halt to learning, in spite of the fact that social distancing and fears of spreading an unknown infection stopped learning and teaching in physical classrooms and lecture halls. So education adapted, slowly at first and not without a great deal of difficulty, technological challenges and the need to teach yet another skill in order to try to stick as closely as possible to a syllabus which was already mapped out. Physical learning became distance learning with the introduction of online classes via apps such as Zoom and Skype – amongst many others – which are both free and widely used already. Universities, in particular, were quick to move into this new world of learning, with students and lecturers alike having to learn new technology under extreme pressures. Of course, there were problems, but these have largely been overcome, and universities such as Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Witwatersrand, Limpopo, Rhodes, Pretoria, North-West and many others now offer online distance learning. It is a sad fact, nevertheless, that South Africa, as a whole, lacks the facilities needed to move into universal online learning due to factors such as lack of electricity and even proper classrooms in some schools, and teachers who are inadequately trained in ICT (Information Communications Technology).
There is still room for improvement in online teaching technology
This does not mean that teachers are unwilling to learn this new method of teaching. The motivation and interest is certainly there, but it is a training process which takes time to learn and implement successfully. Many teachers and university lecturers are not exactly young themselves, and the speed at which we learn inevitably slows down as we age. It is a whole new methodology and takes a certain amount of interest, computer knowledge and ability to master to the extent required. Many teachers and lecturers may find themselves at a loss when faced with technological issues during online classes or lectures, and need to halt the session whilst the IT specialists sort the problem out. There is also the problem of poor connection speeds caused normally by bad weather, which cause the dreaded ‘hanging’ of communication or severe loss of breaking of speech which results in poor understanding of what is being said.
E-Learning is more affordable in many ways
There is no doubt that distance online or ‘e-learning’ is steadily moving forward into becoming the way forward in learning and teaching. It offers more scope for learners and students who live in outlying areas to attend classes or lectures whilst still obtaining all the benefits of actually physically being on site. It is also far less expensive for these students, since they can live at home and not have the additional cost of finding accommodation close to the school or university as was traditionally the case. And, of course, a fast and stable internet connection is a must for any student! Distance learning, unfortunately, robs students of the typical social interactions that come with being physically part of a student group and the ‘buddy-system’ of studying but this, too, can be partially overcome by forming online study groups which encourage one another and assist with problems – albeit not over cups of coffee in the local coffee shops. It might not be ideal, but you will get your degree, and that is what matters in the long run.
