Opinion | Online learning has exposed flaws in traditional teaching – a return to classrooms would be a step backwards
- Zoom-weary pupils and teachers may long to return to the classroom but, if anything, remote learning should highlight how outdated current teaching methods are
- Schools must use the pandemic as an opportunity to scrap boring lectures and create tailored online lessons for students to follow at their own pace
As a university teacher and parent of a 12-year-old, I believe the pandemic offers a valuable opportunity to reconsider how to teach young people most effectively. While moving activities designed for physical classrooms to Zoom does not provide students with the best learning experience, we as a society cannot afford to miss out on the great potential of e-learning technology to transform the way young people learn.
People often complain that, without meeting face-to-face, students find it difficult to concentrate during lessons, or that teachers cannot monitor students’ understanding and progress, while students also have fewer chances to discuss topics with their peers or seek help from teachers when they have questions.
While these difficulties are certainly real, we should not overlook the fact that teachers and students face similar problems even when they are on campus.
When a teacher is facing more than 20 students in a classroom, how realistic is it to expect them to identify when one is not paying attention? A teacher may ask a question to check a student’s comprehension of a concept, but can this be done frequently enough to cover every student and every concept?
For years, educators have advocated student-centered teaching and learning; but reticence remains a major obstacle for most teachers trying to encourage their students to join in a conversation.