The 2021 budget should allocate maximum funds for technological tools in schools and colleges besides enhancing wireless networks and internet access that will enable online learning to be reachable to all students nationwide.

To further develop human resources, the budget should also extend its allocations and incentives to licensed private educational institutions to enhance their teaching practices as more than 50% of students are enrolled in these institutions.

The use of electronic gadgets to access educational curriculum outside of a traditional classroom is becoming a norm in many countries. In fact, the world’s future lies in technology and for this reason, students and educators have to be taught to adapt to digital tools.

They have to be prepared to use state-of-the-art technology, and it is imperative that the country has first-class internet connectivity that covers even the most remote locations.

Unnecessary anxiety

The Covid-19 outbreak has resulted in many students, including those in rural settings, having to deal with remote learning. They now have to complete their courses away from campus, an adjustment for many who have accustomed themselves to in-person classes.

This unexpected switching to online classes is a challenge to students as they were not prepared for it. Many have expressed concerns about the internet connectivity in their localities and many are still without computers. Another challenge faced by students is the inability to focus and maintain the self-discipline needed to study remotely.

Online learning is not something new in many developed countries but in the local context it has no doubt caused anxiety and raised questions among students about their academic prospects. Many college students, however, are all set for the change, especially those who previously enrolled in online courses.

On the whole, it’s a new norm to many students, as the lack of in-person interaction with peer groups and instructors alike can be for the most part challenging. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic and closure of colleges and schools, students have no choice but to take advantage of the available technological tools at their disposal.

While it may not be the best option for all students, the next best available alternative to actual face-to-face interaction is learning through videoconferencing programmes like Skype, Zoom or FaceTime.

Adequate access to technological tools

In fact, virtual classrooms with adequate technological tools can be done anywhere instead of having to attend class physically. Students can access their courses at any time and any place. What’s more, they can have continuous access to teaching notes and lectures, course materials and class discussions. This is particularly useful for those who may need to revisit teaching notes or comprehend some material before progressing to the following lessons.

Some hands-on subjects such as medicine, dentistry and engineering, where practice contributes to the achievement of the learning outcomes, cannot be effectively taught online. They are still best taught in a face-to-face conventional learning environment. A combination of improvised courses may be the only solution to this impediment.

With the changeover from in-person classes to online ones, it has caused social isolation and setbacks especially among school going children. Staying motivated may be a problem. Given that they may not be attending class at regular hours on a physical campus, finding the enthusiasm to get started on studying online can be an uphill task.

In many cases, they may fail to adapt to a fixed learning schedule. They can also be distracted while studying online, where learning cannot offer face-to-face human interaction. This lack of interaction can impede their communication skills.

Counselling is needed to gear students to this new norm of learning. Studying in seclusion requires students to attend lessons in their own time. Thus, for effective learning outcomes to take place, students need apt time management skills and also self-motivation.

It is in this aspect that online learning may not be as effective to some students compared to the conventional classroom teaching. Another drawback is that online courses cannot cope with discussions involving a large number of students.

Besides that, educational institutions and students must have adequate access to technological tools. But still, technical issues are bound to happen in an online-only environment. Computers may suddenly shut down and there will be moments when the internet connection fails. Students in rural settings may even have difficulties connecting to the internet. They will then have to rely on recorded class sessions as a backup.

Education of the highest quality can only occur in an online programme provided the curriculum has been professionally crafted to meet the needs of online learning.

Patience is necessary

While online teaching may not satisfy all educational needs and goals, students and instructors should allow themselves to slowly get used to the new normal.

Nonetheless, there is also a bright side to this “new” mode of learning. It has become an inspiring moment for technology and education. Professionally planned online programmes through a variety of setups and techniques can offer technology-based instructional environments that provide new learning opportunities with quality education for students.

For it to be efficacious, sufficient financial resources should be made available to educational institutions and students, and the curriculum must be well thought-out, with facilitators adept in the use of technological tools and students and motivated to avoid unnecessary shortcomings in its implementations.

In a way, online classes offer a fair approach to learning. The cultural backgrounds of individual students in the online environment become inconsequential. Discriminating factors such as race and gender are essentially absent. Instead, the focus of attention is plainly on the content of the lesson and the individual’s ability to respond and contribute thoughtfully and independently to the subject matter.

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.