The massive effects of the pandemic are to be seen in every part of the economy. In one way or another, each industry has been affected by the norms of social distancing. The education industry has also experienced some significant transitions. Without a doubt, the largest transition of all is the shift from offline to online education. Even though this seemed like a temporary adjustment for both students and teachers initially, it looks like the pandemic has bought with it some permanent changes in terms of learning and education.
While there have been numerous discussions on the online mode of teaching becoming the new normal, it has come to notice that we often forget to discuss the aspect of teachers having to adjust and adapt to the new ways of teaching.
With the complete shutdown of educational institutions and the computer screens becoming the only mode of learning today, there are ought to be some challenges that the teachers are facing in this digital era. It is no surprise that all teachers and administrators are constantly searching for online tools and applications that will make the digital learning process easier. Before moving on to a set of solutions that can be put to use, it seems like a good idea to discuss the challenges faced by teachers today.
Lack of Motivation
Since this is a huge change for students too, they are still in the process of figuring everything out. Sitting at home, with no distinction between private and professional life, it is easier for students to get distracted and indulge in other activities while the online classes are going on. With no school to look forward to and no events/clubs to attend, most students feel they have no option but to sit in front of the computer screen and learn. This results in a lack of motivation, making it harder for teachers to evaluate and encourage class participation.
Engagement and Interaction
These qualities in a classroom are the most essential to ensure experiential learning. Interaction can only happen when students have their mics and cameras on during online classes. Teachers have to waste precious class time to ensure everyone is ready to engage. Sometimes, the teachers feel like they are only talking to themselves and have to constantly assume whether the students are listening, understanding, and comprehending.
Internet Issues
Not all students and teachers are indeed privileged enough to have access to the net for long school hours. Sometimes, slow net issues and difficulties in keeping the camera on can hamper learning. Experiential learning comes to a halt when sometimes, the net does not allow for the teachers to display videos or other presentations they may have prepared for hands-on learning. Many students have made the issue of the slow net an excuse to get away with participating and instead, get a chance to indulge in other work apart from learning.
Lack of Resources
Due to each student sitting at their respective homes with no access to the stationary, or other shops – teachers have had to revamp their curriculum and completely change their styles of teaching. Most activities planned at the beginning of the year have had to be replaced with something more theoretical and with equipment that can easily be found at home. Even after careful consideration by teachers, there are a lot of times that most students are still not able to acquire the needed equipment, hence wasting time and hampering the learning process.
We feel that this topic is of extreme value since, at the end of the day, it is the teachers imparting knowledge and shaping the current generations to be valuable assets for the future. It is only once we are well aware of the challenges and hardships faced by them, is when we can move on to the solutions and the process of making it better for the teachers too.
It is important to understand that this is a huge change for all teachers. From completely having to change their curriculum, to constantly adjusting to the various issues that the students face; the challenges are numerous. It will be a good idea to make sure that wherever we, as parents and students can contribute to lessening their workload and stress, we should help out.
At ExperiHub, we teach Science and Mathematics by bringing concepts from the real world into the classroom. We conduct science experiments and have myriad science projects for better learning and understanding of concepts. If you want to learn more about Experiential Learning and cool home experiments, browse through our Online Sessions and Youtube Channel!