The world has changed over the past few months, adapting to a new normal and living with a widespread pandemic.

Malaysia, like most countries, has been operating under various versions of the Movement Control Order (MCO). One of the requirements was closing schools to reduce the spread of the virus.

In turn, schools have found an alternative way to educate their students by going online.

While online learning has been growing slowly over the years, the pandemic forced schools to switch quickly to using platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Seesaw and others like it.

So, how are schools coping? Quite well it would seem, given the circumstances.

As education is a very important part of a child’s life, schools such as The Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur, Nexus International School in Putrajaya and Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar in Negeri Sembilan (KTJ) have put their best foot forward in their mission to educate their students.

When asked about the new normal, KTJ principal Dr Glenn Moodie said, “Our aim is to ensure students make the same progress as they would when they are in school.”

While some activities cannot be done online, Moodie said it is crucial for teaching delivery to cover all aspects of curricular, extra-curricular and enrichment activities normally delivered in a physical setting.

Bumps along the way

Going online is a good solution to the current problem, but it is not without its challenges.

As students are not in the classroom, it is more difficult for teachers to keep an eye on them during lessons, especially if they are younger. Students and parents have to step up in their roles at home in this situation.

Nexus principal David Griffiths said, “It is widely reported in our biweekly surveys with parents, learners and teachers that learners are becoming far more independent in their learning and are honing their organisation and time management skills.”

Because of this set-up, communication is key between teaching and administrative staff, students and their families.

Alice Smith head of school Roger Schultz said, “The current norm means considerable screen time and continual virtual ‘connectedness’.”

Schultz went on to say that the school is continually reviewing its practices and exploring options to find the best way to support its students and ensure learning continues.

Online delivery has challenged some teachers to do things that are out of the box, says Moodie. “Some [teachers] have learnt a lot about IT in a short space of time while others, who were already very tech-savvy, have had the chance to experiment and try new things.”

Bye-bye classrooms?

With learning still taking place while students are safe at home, it begs the question if classroom teaching is a thing of the past.

If online learning were to become a permanent fixture of everyone’s lives, physical school buildings would cease to exist and students would be able to attend virtual classes from a school anywhere in the world.

Furthermore, if the family is constantly on the move for work, it’s a win-win solution.

But it is not quite that simple. Griffiths said while Nexus’s “Continuation of Learning” programme has replicated the classroom as much as possible, collaboration between learners and teachers online is not as effective as a face-to-face setting.

He says, “I think we can learn a lot from online learning but for me, especially for school age and younger children, the classroom environment is still the best.”

The classroom environment plays an important role in shaping the adults of tomorrow. Schultz agreed, saying, “The significance of human connection and personal presence in the learning process remains of fundamental significance and vital importance, with learners and teachers sharing and mutually benefitting socially, emotionally and intellectually from being in each other’s company in school.”

In a school environment, learning goes beyond the classroom. As opposed to constantly being glued to a mobile device or laptop, physical schools allow students to interact with each other and the faculty on a regular basis, and this is what plays a role in shaping character and personality.

It is also easier for students to make friends outside of their family circle, teaching them how to interact socially and carry on a conversation.

While most people are sure physical schools will not be a thing of the past, there is no denying that schools around Malaysia have made the best out of a tough situation.

In this endeavour to keep educating the country’s children, technology has at the very least enabled learning to continue and enrich student lives.

School advisor.my provides information on private and international schools, extra-curricular activities as well as other education-related topics in Malaysia.