Right now, online education seems to be the only viable way to protect the health and wellbeing of students while they continue to learn. Parents like me enjoy having their kids at home all the time. Some people have even proposed that such online classes can become the default medium of instruction in times to come. However, online education is a poor alternative to actually attending classes. Here’s why eLearning or online classes are not a substitute for in-person learning.
The classroom setting is an important socialising factor, especially for younger kids. They interact with and learn about other kids from other social groups and strata, which is very much a part of education. This is simply not possible in an eLearning setting. Classrooms are where children learn to get along with other kids, cooperate and learn social skills.
Kids get to know other kids and make friends in school. They develop non-familial bonds which are important for well-rounded emotional growth. These groups of friends give kids a sense of belonging; which become a valuable support system for children. ELearning could produce lonely, dysfunctional kids who find it difficult to form relationships and make friends.
eLearning tends to be one-sided, with little involvement of children. There is no real way to gauge whether kids are developing critical thinking. Student involvement is low and it is not really possible to have any spirited classroom discussions as in a physical classroom setting.
A drama club, elocution competitions, debating competitions, dancing and singing classes may be possible in the eLearning setting, but are hardly satisfactory. Something like preparing a play or a group dance for the school annual day; to be performed before a large crowd would be impossible. Debating with another student before a live audience; overcoming one's fear of public speaking, being part of a science fair --- these would also be impossible. This year, there will be no annual days, sports days, annual exhibitions or farewell parties for passing out classes.
In eLearning settings, teachers cannot accurately gauge how much and how well children have understood and grasped what is taught. They cannot make out whether kids are actually paying attention or whether they’ve switched off their camera to go back to sleep, play a game, have a meal or do any of a hundred other things. Discipline and concentration are huge casualties here.
Having a regular sleep time, getting up at a particular time, dressing smartly for school, proper grooming and getting to school punctually seem to be history these days. Also, keeping notebooks updated, setting a bag according to the timetable – all these are unnecessary for eLearning. However these are important life skills for kids to learn.
This is another important thing that kids learn by attending school. They need to turn in assignments on time but also find time for leisure, playing etc. They learn to prioritise what is important and understand that it is important not to procrastinate.
The physical activity involved in going to school every day is important too. Walking to the bus stop, going up and down stairs, running errands for the teacher, morning assembly, doing PT and playing games are all absent in the eLearning setting. However they are important for a kid’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Let’s face it; the exams conducted online are largely eyewash. Exam papers are simplified, and there are literally a million ways for kids to cheat. The assessment of kids learning, aptitude and insight is very difficult in an online classroom setting. So at the end of this academic year, our kids will technically have ‘gone to school’, but they were just going through the motions of learning. Precious little actual learning takes place in eLearning settings and the many benefits of actually going to school have been lost.
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