Month: June 2020

COVID-19 has resulted in the closure of learning institutions across the globe. As a result, education has changed intensely with the distinct rise usage in e-learning where learning is embarking on digital platforms. These learning platforms provide an opportunity for children to keep on learning, engage in plays, and also connect with their friends, while at home. It involves establishing appropriate learning programs that can be followed online, on televisions, or radios. Studies indicate that online learning is very effective, about 60% of students can retain the content from online learning, unlike in ordinary classroom where they grasp about 10% of the material. This is mostly because learners can study faster online. Nevertheless, the success of online learning differs from a different group of students (Chick et al., 2020).

However, to enhance the effectiveness of these learning platforms, especially in the time of a pandemic, learning institutions and countries must work to ensure teachers have access to technology. For example, teachers are being provided free airtime to access educational material online. Education ministries are offering training to teachers on how to upload documents and engage more effectively in virtual learning. Teachers are also forced to innovate new ways by seeking feedback from their parents and school management. Moreover, online learning is accompanied by many challenges. The majority of students do not have reliable internet access and technology, and hence they are not able to engage in digital learning (Alhabeeb & Rowley, 2017).

In conclusion, strong school leadership is effective in enhancing training to teachers so as they can effectively undertake their jobs while still at home and also to promote successful online learning. This pandemic will provide and to strengthen the quality and equity in school systems since Countries will also need to devote necessary financing to lessen the bridge in digital gaps.  Also, it has shown teachers how they can succeed even in times of a crisis with the right technology and support system.

References

Alhabeeb, A., & Rowley, J. (2017). Critical success factors for eLearning in Saudi Arabian universities. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(2), 131-147.

Chick, R. C., Clifton, G. T., Peace, K. M., Propper, B. W., Hale, D. F., Alseidi, A. A., & Vreeland, T. J. (2020). Using technology to maintain the education of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Surgical Education.

Experiential learning approach is a technique of learning that ensures that all participants are actively involved through giving them a chance to try new things and reflect on the experience that they get. It allows learners to learn through being challenged, gaining an experience and then being able to reflect and apply what they have learnt and thus leads to growth in learning. The approach combines direct practice with reflections that are focused, enables individuals to learn through past knowledge as well as experiences. The learners are expected to be actively involved in construction of meaning the things they experience and are encouraged to collaborate as well as exchange ideas ad perceptions on things. The experiential learning approach comprises of four cycles that allow students to fully understand the introduced concepts. The first cycle includes concrete experience which involves trying new things, encountering challenges and being able to step out of the comfort zone. The other phase involves reflection observation which includes thinking about the experience that on has had and determining what activities were carried out the right way and those that could be improved. In the third phase one is expected to understand the defining characteristics of the experience through deciding on the occurrences that could have been done differently and planning the strategies that could bring success in learning. Finally, the last phase includes active experimentation which involves testing the action plan that had been set up.

Using the topic which our group is required to design “Food handling and preparation”, the instructor could begin by introducing the topic and then requiring students to practically develop some food handling and preparation techniques which they believe were used in Canada. In this exercise, the students would be expected to prepare and handle certain foods and write down step by step processes of what they would do (Singh, 2017). Having completed the exercise, they would share their experiences and then be able to hear what other did. In this stage, the students would reflect on their experience as well as that of others to establish the thing they would have done differently. In the third stage, the instructor should elaborate further on these experiences and allow students to develop better strategies of preparing and handling the foods they had chosen. After the student list the process steps, then they would be expected to try the out the processes to validate the accuracy of their details. In addition, the instructor ought to offer closure on the topic by explaining to the students the expectations they should meet.

References

Singh, A. (2017). A New Approach to Teaching Biomechanics Through Active, Adaptive, and Experiential Learning. Journal of biomechanical engineering, 139(7). Retrieved from https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/biomechanical/article-abstract/139/7/071001/371331